HF On The Cheap -- USDR+ (Red Corners) QRP Introduction & Quick Setup Guide
- USDR+ QRP HF 8 bands SDR Transceiver -
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So if you're like me and doing HF ham radio on a budget (less than $250 total) -- yes, you do have options. But man, can they be confusing!
I received my General ticket just over 5 years ago (I'm a pandemic ham, KI5ONA). My first radio was the Baofeng UV5R, the tri-band version. It worked, I built a j-pole, had a bunch of successes and failures, got the APRS cable and APRSDroid software and really enjoyed it, dabbled in DMR and really didn't enjoy it...
But nothing really got me salivating quite like HF. That is, until I saw the price tag. HF rigs can be seriously expensive. Like into the thousands and beyond. It can seem like a rich man's sport. No budget hams allowed. But that thought couldn't be further from the truth.
So what is an operator on a budget going to do? Find cheaper alternatives. Namely, QRP.
But does QRP work? Can I DX with QRP? Will I be able to do voice calls with SSB on QRP? Those were my questions when I first started looking. I wanted to be able to do voice SSB on HF and occasionally a DX or two. But could I do that on a rig like this?
The answers to those questions are yes, yes, and yes!
And it can all be done for less than $250. Radio, antenna, coax and adapter included! The whole smack!
Now I won't lie -- this radio does have its quirks. Jumping from button to button too quickly can result in quirky behavior. Holding down a button too long will occasionally change the mode. Fact is, all SDR radios have their quirks. But with this one, a quick power off/on resolves the issue. And once you learn the quirks I just listed, you won't have to restart often (if at all). And like any other QRP setup, you are at the mercy of the Ionosphere. A good day is great with QRP, and a fair day takes work. But even on "poor" days, I've still managed SSB QSO's across the Atlantic.
My cheap-o go-box with USDR+, BF-5RM, Raddy shortwave, and antennas / batteries
The big sell for me on this radio is most of these USDR+ units come with a built-in battery. If you're like me and seriously into portability, you want a go-box or bag that keeps everything you need with just the basics. This box and my 13' telescopic with radials and ground spike (links below) fits right into my backpack. UHF, VHF and HF all in one bag, ready to go anywhere -- anytime. In fact, everything you need to get on the air (radios, antennas, etc) can be found at the end if interested.
My current HF setup
So far, I've made a ton of contacts on 20 meters with this rig. From Colorado I've hit all four corners of the continental United States, and have DX'd the following countries: Canada, Greenland, Spain, France, Panama, Ireland and Russia. Right now we're having a CME, which is the only reason I'm writing this post. Otherwise I'd be outside adding to my logbook. I consistently get decent signal reports and am amazed how far just a little bit of power can reach. Panama was SSB voice on just 3 watts. Europe is normally 5-6 watts on SSB. And there was a guy in Alabama who wanted to see how low I could go -- turned out Colorado to Alabama can be done on SSB with just 1/2 watt!
Now I have tried other setups...
Personally, I had zero luck with the (tr)USDX. Buttons were flimsy, they did random things, and the thing just didn't work for me. I did hear a bunch of stations, but I couldn't make contact with any of them. Maybe I just got a bad build, but in all honesty the unit is too small for my liking and it didn't have an internal battery.
I've also tried the Xeigu x6100 with stock firmware. I returned it, namely because of performance. Yes, it has a nice waterfall. Yes, it has a pretty sweet SWR meter that will sweep across the band. But did it outperform my USDR+? No. It really didn't put out more wattage or reach further than the USDR+. And for the price, I want bang for my buck (my bang is DX and low power consumption). Basically all the bells and whistles drained the battery a lot faster, and I wasn't reaching out any further. So back it went.
USDR+ with the cheaper 16' antenna and radials (not extended)
My current setup is the cheapest and lightest I can make it. The antenna will handle 20/17/15 meters without a problem and is cheap. I did have (and lost!) the JPC-12 antenna, which I'll be buying another because it handled 40/30/20/17/15 meters. Plus I'll attempt to try the load coil on my current cheap antenna. If that works, I'll be putting together a lighter (and cheaper!) antenna combination.
Okay, so before I forget -- here's a general guide to the settings:
- Switch the mode to CW and hold the PTT button to get an SWR reading (top right) and output power (top left) at any time.
- Toss the included external microphone. The built-in mic works far better.
- If you're going to use headphones, keep the volume down under 7, and do not use headphones with a microphone in-line. The 4-pin jack is too long for the transceiver.
- Menu 1.1 VOL to anything under 13
- Menu 1.8 AGC to Fast
- Menu 1.9 NR to 0
- Menu 1.10 ATT to 0dB
- Menu 1.11 ATT2 to 4
- Menu 1.12 S-meter to S
- Menu 1.13 SWR Meter to FWD-SWR
- Menu 3.1 Vox to OFF
- Menu 3.2 Noise Gate to 4
- Menu 3.3 TX Drive to 3
- Menu 8.1 PA Bias Min to 10
- Menu 8.2 PA Bias Max to 180
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Here are the links for each item in this setup (minus chair, selfie stick and accessories). Yes, I did enroll as an Amazon Associate so I will make a small commission on anything puchased via these links (at no extra charge to the purchaser). That being said, you are not obligated to purchase from my links to use the information I've given in this blog. 73 de KI5ONA and enjoy the hobby!
USDR+ (Red Corners)
QRP 16.4FT Antenna (Cheap, 20 meters and down)
JPC-12 Antenna (more expensive but handles 40 meters and down)
15 FT Coax
SO239 to BNC Adapters
Baofeng 5RM
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