Nice little transceiver but...

This is a very nice QRP transceiver. Delivery time from China was about 3 1/2 weeks. Packaging was excellent. I bought a battery and charger separately from Tentec but the TxVR came with a charger (but no battery). I like the firmware a lot. The manual not so much. The Chinese translation to English is terrible and the manual lacks interior photos such as battery installation and adjustable SMD locations. (Labels are very small and difficult to read on the circuit board so a photo would have been helpful). Paddle/key selection is automatic on power up and notification is via Morse. A (paddle) or M (key). There are other Morse notifications for things like speed (S), call sign (I), and tuner mode (T). The notifications are extremely low volume and are barely perceptible in my unit. My side tone pitch is too high. The manual says adjust VC1 for pitch but it has no effect on mine. There are two VC’s and 3 VR’s under the hood for adjustments. (Pitch, audio, voltage display, contrast, etc). I’m not sure if they work. I haven’t attempted adjustment other than pitch. The firmware is very easy to use, memories and VFO work great together, auto CQ send function works well. Keyer speed is via a menu and is a bit awkward. I wish it was more readily changeable like during a QSO. SWR meter is handy for tuning a mag loop. It will say “HIGH” if you’re too far off. Tune mode only works with a paddle. I’ve emailed youkits for solutions to the weak Morse notifications. I’d try the user group but responses are rare. The receiver, using only my ear as a test instrument, compared fairly well, but not as good, as my KX3 on sensitivity. I used a G5RV and an A/B switch to compare them. The S meter seems fairly accurate and useful. The TX is very close to 5 Watts with a 14 volt power supply. A bit less using the battery at 12.2 volts. Audio quality seems fine aside from the CW pitch (it’s a bit high) I used both a noise cancelling in-ear head set, an over-ear headset, and a Bose powered speaker for audio. I think this unit will be a perfect match for a magloop and airline travel. Light, easy, fun Update: The seller contacted me with information regarding the Morse code notifications. They know that they are weak and it is a design flaw. They say they will correct it in the next version of the radio. Update 2: Youkits sent me a possible solution for the weak audio on Morse notifications. A 4.7k resistor is suggested. It’s location is in the photo they sent and I have included in this review.Read full review

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