It’s the last day of February 2019, and if you’re like me you’ve been waiting ever so patiently for QRP Labs to release their upcoming QSX all-band HF rig. It’s slated to be feature packed SDR based radio, starting out as a 40 meter radio but will be expandable to cover all bands between 160 through 10 meters, 10 watts on all bands. If this weren’t extraordinary enough, the single band 40 meter version is expected to be less than $100, perhaps even $75. That’s beyond amazing for an all-mode radio that’s PLUG IN DIGITAL READY. If you’d like to learn more basic information, check out our previous post Here and also the official QSX page Here
Of course people have lots of questions and concerns, and Hans Summers is not bashful about addressing them. Recently in the QRP Labs groups.io group, there were two such comments from Hans that I thought I’d share in part. Links are at the end so you can read them in full. There were a few different topics that Hans covered and they are summarized below.
Will QRP Labs be able to handle the demand for the QSX?
Yes. Folks who had to wait in line for the QCX when it came out might recall some issues with QRP Labs being able to supply the kits quick enough to keep up with demand. Those issues have been resolved in many ways, and there is plenty of capacity to both make the kits and ship them quickly.
How will ordering the QSX work?
Hans has said that he’s planning to announce the launch of the QSX a day or two in advance, and then open up sales at the predetermined time. Orders will be processed on a first-come-first-served basis. Don’t worry, there will be enough kits to go around. The first batch of kits will be much larger than in times past.
When will it be ready?
Quality takes time. Hans is working hard to meet some extremely high-end goals in performance, quality, and price. Again, this is an ALL MODE ALL BAND HF rig we’re talking about. It’s expected that this radio is going to change the landscape of QRP rigs in general, not just kits. It’s my own personal opinion that it’s going to be so advanced that many people will not even realize how complex it is because of how simple it will be to operate. Don’t let the simple looking interface fool you. This radio is going rival radios costing over $1k, for less than 1/10th the cost. It’ll be worth the wait!
Neat features to look forward to
In another post, I found the following gem:
“QSX has CAT control and also a rich command interface of its own. It will not be difficult for someone to design an external controller for it with more expensive deluxe display.” So all of you folks who like radios to look like an Airbus 380 cockpit will have plenty of room to play around 
The next tidbit comes from the Official QSX page which was recently updated:
“Since a Raspberry Pi Zero is sized 65 x 30mm, there would be plenty of space for a Pi Zero, and any potential shielding if it is found to be necessary. “
“Two sets of header pins are available on the rear QSX PCB, each provides Ground, an I2C bus and an asynchronous serial communication port. One has a pin for +3.3V and the other has a pin for +5.0V. If your device draws significant current you should probably provide your own supply voltage regulator arrangement. “
There is also a diagram of the layout of the entire radio and its optional aluminum case. Make sure you go check it out.
STAY TUNED for more, and be sure to Subscribe up at the top right corner of this page for QSX news as it becomes available. 73!
For more information and as a reference, here are the source links: https://groups.io/g/QRPLabs/message/31758
https://groups.io/g/BITX20/message/65120
https://groups.io/g/BITX20/message/65120
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