Monday, January 6, 2025
Ham Radio 101: What Are the RIT-XIT Functions Used for on Your Transceiver? Posted by Mark Haverstock, K8MSH
As a newly licensed ham, you probably got started in amateur radio with VHF and UHF phone operation. A simple click gave you access to FM simplex channels and repeaters stored in memory—so easy a caveman could do it. No fine-tuning was necessary in the channelized world of VHF/UHF FM.
But when you moved to the world of single sideband (SSB) phone operations, it was a whole different story. Changing frequencies required a new skill set to carefully tune in those weird sounds that reminded you of Donald Duck squawking in an unintelligible dialect. Also, you needed to match the frequency of the station calling CQ so they could copy you. Remember, by default, your radio transmits and receives on the same frequency.
Close isn’t close enough.
Practice helps, and most radios have receiver/transmitter incremental tuning (RIT/XIT) features to help keep you on frequency and hear those who aren’t.
What Does RIT Mean?
RIT on a receiver stands for “Receiver Incremental Tuning,” a control that allows you to slightly adjust the receiver frequency without changing the transmitter frequency. You fine-tune the incoming signal to improve clarity and reception quality without asking the other station to adjust their radio. For example, when you’re talking to a group—like in a net—you can fine-tune the ham who’s off-frequency while everybody else in the group hears you without detecting any change in your frequency.
Many CW operators prefer to use RIT to tune the receiver slightly higher or lower than the zero-beat frequency, changing the demodulated tone of the received station without changing the transmit frequency. If you prefer to change the zero-beat tone you receive, use the RIT function so that both your station and the contact station can maintain the zero-beat transmit frequency, keeping bandwidth to a minimum.
What Does XIT Mean?
XIT, “Transmit Incremental Tuning,” performs the reverse function. It keeps your receive frequency constant while you adjust your transmit frequency. Tuning with the big VFO knob will adjust both the transmit and receive frequencies simultaneously, while tuning with RIT or XIT will adjust only one of them.
Yaesu calls RIT/XIT clarifier on their radios. It enhances the received signal by fine-tuning it to compensate for slight discrepancies between the transmitting and receiving stations. Icom uses ΔTX to represent the XIT function on the front panel.
Doing a Split
The RIT/XIT feature can also help you operate in split mode. So when do you use it?
If there’s a rare DX station calling CQ, you’ll likely find a pileup—way too many stations fighting to make contact. To help control the chaos, DX stations often transmit on one frequency and ask stations to call on another. This is called operating split.
The DX station will say something like “Listening UP 5,” meaning stations should move up 5 kHz from this frequency to make calls. It clears the original calling frequency for the DX station and hopefully relocates the stations seeking a QSO. Of course, there will be some people who didn’t hear or ignore the instructions, and you’ll often hear a chorus of “UP 5, UP 5″ from other stations as a reminder.
For most of us, we are on the opposite side of this pileup. This is where XIT is useful. Set your VFO to the DX station’s transmit frequency and tune XIT up 5 kHz or so. Usually, you’ll find stations lurking slightly above or below 5 kHz. While the DX station is running through a bunch of people calling, we can periodically listen in on our transmit frequency (XFC button on Icom radios located beside the VFO knob) to determine the frequency of the station currently being worked.
We listen to the DX station and as soon as the current contact is completed, we know where the last contact was transmitting and immediately call on the same frequency. This can greatly improve our chances of being heard by the DX. We can also listen to several consecutive contacts and find a pattern of how the DX is listening—for example, slowly working stations on higher and higher offsets, returning to UP 5, and repeating. Figuring out patterns in a pileup will improve your chances of breaking through.
Modern radios that have RIT and XIT typically also have a button you can use to listen on your transmit frequency. This means that if you use RIT, you can listen on your transmit frequency (rather than on your receive frequency). On the Icom, it’s the XFC located beside the VFO knob.
There are limitations using RIT/XIT. Modern radios like the Icom IC-7300, Yaesu FTDX10, and Kenwood TS-590SG can adjust RIT/XIT up to +/-10 kHz. Older radios may have a smaller adjustment range. For example, the Kenwood TS-830s, a tube/transistor hybrid radio, maxes out at +/- 2 kHz. If the DX station announces “listening 15 UP,” you’ll need to use a different solution.
Other Split Options
Another alternative can be used with radios that have two VFOs, A and B. It’s similar to RIT/XIT but lets you select the transmit VFO (press A/B to choose) to set your transmit frequency. Then, press A/B to select the receive VFO to set the operating frequency and push the SPLIT button. When you transmit, the transceiver will automatically switch VFOs for you and switch back for receive. You should see the frequency change when you transmit, then return to the receive frequency when you finish.
Consult your radio manual for specifics on VFO A/B functions.
Also, check out the OnAllBands article, “Your First Pileup: Techniques for Success” for additional information about utilizing dual receive.
Wednesday, January 1, 2025
Monday, December 30, 2024
zBitx from HF SIGNALS The Home of BITX transceivers
The 5 watts, all bands, all mode SDR in your pocket for $149* (Delivery in February 2025)
*Buy button is at the bottom of this page
The zBitx is path breaking 5 watts, 64-bit integrated SDR radio. It covers 80M to 10, on CW/SSB/AM/FreeDV/FT8/SSTV with a 480×320 touch screen. It measures just 6.5”x3”x1.5” and it can run off two LiPo batteries (battery case included in the cost).
Take it everywhere!
It measures 5.5 inches x 3 inches x 1.25 inches, 250 gms/9 ounces! The zBitx is so small, you can slip it into your pocket! Yet, it is capable of 10 watts of power from two standard 18650 batteries. The touch screen provides you with an on-screen keyboard for logging and CW operation even if you don’t have a CW paddle! Use the built-in mic for SSB operation. Work the world on FT8 without a computer from your window sill with your zBitx and a length of wire
All bands, All modes, All things
The zBitx will run every mode from CW to FT8 to FreeDV. With the built-in, N1MM style logger, macros, QSO recording and more, it is an integrated station that just works.
It gets better and better
The sBitx software that runs on the zBitx has the best-in-class open source software that keeps getting better all the time. With a large community of developers, hackers and experimenters working together, the zBitx never ages.
CW Deluxe
The zBitx is a CW dream machine for base station or field operations.
- Operation is so pleasing with the ringless CW filtering down to 50 Hz. Without the noisy Transmit/Receive relays,
- The on-screen keyboard with large keys on the 480×320 display makes typing CW a breeze.
- Excellent, sensitive CW decoder
- In-built, N1MM style logger exports to ADIF format
- Editable CW macros
Integrated FT8
The zBitx is a complete FT8 station. Just switch it on and start working FT8! Forget about the mess of wires, audio level settings and confusing settings. Just tune to the FT8 frequencies and tap on the callsign to complete a QSO!
Voice Modes
SSB and AM modes are with integrated voice equalizer. Variable voice bandwidth makes operation fatigue free in noisy conditions
Preloaded Apps
The zBitx comes bundled with Fldigi, FreeDV, QSSTV. Any RigCtrl compatible, Linux software will work with the zBitx.
Everything is included:
Insert two 18650 LiPo batteries (not supplied) and you are ready to hit the field. At home plug in a 9v power supply and work it from your monitor/keyboard/mouse. It has an in-built microphone and a high quality speaker.
Remote into it with just the web-browser on your phone/tablet/laptop.
Specifications
Size: 156mm x 80mm x 35mm (including the battery case)
Weight: 415 grams including two LiPo batteries
Display: 480×320 resistive touch screen display with an independent Raspberry Pico front panel controller.
Software: Fully open sourced and available on https://github.com/afarhan
Hardware: Hybrid superhet, open source circuit with full description
Frequency Coverage: All international ham bands from 80M to 10M
Power: 5 watts on all bands except reduced power on 15M, 12M and 10M bands.
Power Supply: 6V to 9V.
Receive Current consumption: 300 mA
Transmit Current consumption: 1.5 to 3A (depending on the Drive settings)
Modes: USB/LSB/AM/CW/CW-Reverse/FT8/Digital modes (with FlDigi)
Preloaded Apps: FreeDV, QSSTV, Fldigi and more are coming
What’s in the box:
- Fully tested zBitx radio with 32GB SSD with sBitx software
- 2 cell, LiPo 18650 battery case attached to the side of the case
- DC barrel connector for Power
(Batteries not included due to shipping restrictions)
Buy your zBitx
- $149.00 for the radio with Raspberry Pi Zero 2W and software installed and tested
- $ 20.00 Shipping DHL, 7 day shipping
- $ 8.00 Paypal charges (5%)
Total Billing $178
Important: Shipping starts in February, Batteries not included
The 52 week ham radio challenge - 2025 from KB6NU.com
2025
| Week | Type | Difficulty | Challenge | Toots / Finished by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 😂 | 🟢 | Create a QSL card design! | 4 / 1 |
| 2 | 📻 | 🟢 | 0 / 0 | |
| 3 | 📻 | 🔴 | Work another continent on 80m or 160m. | 1 / 1 |
| 4 | 🧑🤝🧑 | 🟠 | Research the history of your callsign! | 1 / 1 |
| 5 | 🖥️ | 🟢 | Update your profile on QRZ.com, HamQTH.com, etc. | 0 / 0 |
| 6 | 📻 | 🟢 | 0 / 0 | |
| 7 | 📻 | 🟢 | Find out which DXpeditions are active this week. | 0 / 0 |
| 8 | 🧑🤝🧑 | 🟠 | Encourage someone to take their ham radio license exam | 0 / 0 |
| 9 | 📻 | 🟠 | Try to work an FM repeater on 10m | 0 / 0 |
| 10 | 📻 | 🟠 | Listen to an amateur radio satellite | 0 / 0 |
| 11 | 📻 | 🟠 | Receive a weather satellite image | 0 / 0 |
| 12 | 📻 | 🟢 | Make a contact with an "unusual" antenna. | 0 / 0 |
| 13 | 😂 | 🟠 | Make a QSO from an unusual location and post a picture! | 0 / 0 |
| 14 | 🖥️ | 🟢 | Implement and describe a backup solution for your ham radio log. | 1 / 1 |
| 15 | 📻 | 🟢 | Monitor a transmission and take notes of the field strength | 0 / 0 |
| 16 | 📻 | 🟢 | Make a contact with a xOTA station. | 0 / 0 |
| 17 | 📻 | 🟢 | Which VHF/UHF repeater is closest to your location? | 0 / 0 |
| 18 | 📻 | 🟠 | Make a QSO in one digital voice mode. | 1 / 1 |
| 19 | 🛠️ | 🟠 | Simulate an antenna! | 0 / 0 |
| 20 | 📻 | 🔴 | Decode the RTTY transmission of DWD on 10101 kHz | 0 / 0 |
| 21 | 📻 | 🔴 | Create a GNU Radio flowgraph! | 0 / 0 |
| 22 | 🛠️ | 🔴 | 0 / 0 | |
| 23 | 📻 | 🟢 | How many language can you hear on the radio this week? | 0 / 0 |
| 24 | 🖥️ | 🟠 | 0 / 0 | |
| 25 | 📻 | 🟠 | Locate local noise sources in your shack/flat/house. | 0 / 0 |
| 26 | 📻 | 🟠 | Observe the solar data such as sunspot number, flux, K and A values over the week. | 0 / 0 |
| 27 | 🖥️ | 🟢 | Listen to the June 2025 SAQ transmission. | 0 / 0 |
| 28 | 📻 | 🟠 | Receive a station on 6m via sporadic E | 1 / 1 |
| 29 | 📻 | 🟠 | Make your own xOTA activation. | 0 / 0 |
| 30 | 📻 | 🟠 | Make a contact with another participant of the challenge | 0 / 0 |
| 31 | 📻 | 🟠 | Try a mode you have never tried before. Hellschreiber? JT65? | 0 / 0 |
| 32 | 📻 | 🟢 | Listen to a broadcast station from another country | 0 / 0 |
| 33 | 🛠️ | 🟠 | Build an antenna and make a contact with it. | 0 / 0 |
| 34 | 🛠️ | 🔴 | 1 / 1 | |
| 35 | 📻 | 🟠 | 1 / 0 | |
| 36 | 📻 | 🟠 | Operate your whole station from battery power for one day | 0 / 0 |
| 37 | 📻 | 🟢 | Work 10 DXCCs on FT8 | 0 / 0 |
| 38 | 📻 | 🔴 | Make a contact on Morse code! | 0 / 0 |
| 39 | 📻 | 🟠 | Make a 2-way contact with an output power of 100 mW or less. | 0 / 0 |
| 40 | 📻 | 🟢 | Which QSLing methods do you use, physical and electronic? | 0 / 0 |
| 41 | 😂 | 🟠 | Write a poem on your biggest ham radio pet peeve! | 0 / 0 |
| 42 | 📻 | 🟠 | Receive a SSTV image | 0 / 0 |
| 43 | 🛠️ | 🔴 | 0 / 0 | |
| 44 | 📻 | 🟠 | 0 / 0 | |
| 45 | 🛠️ | 🟠 | Fix something that is broken. | 0 / 0 |
| 46 | 🖥️ | 🔴 | 0 / 0 | |
| 47 | 🧑🤝🧑 | 🟢 | Submit an idea for the Ham Challenge 2026! | 0 / 0 |
| 48 | 📻 | 🔴 | 0 / 0 | |
| 49 | 😂 | 🟢 | Clean up your shack and post the most curious item you found. | 0 / 0 |
| 50 | 📻 | 🟠 | Receive an APRS message or beacon | 0 / 0 |
| 51 | 🧑🤝🧑 | 🔴 | Write something about ham radio with public impact. | 0 / 0 |
| 52 | 🧑🤝🧑 | 🔴 | 0 / 0 |