Traveling light with the Yaesu VX-6 HT

When I travel I have a backpack dedicated just to gadgets -- camera, iPod, Nintendo DS Lite, scanner, shortwave receiver, and dual-band HT. Carrying it is back-breaking, and getting through airport security usually raises TSA eyebrows. So when I found the Yaesu VX-6 tri-band transceiver I bravely imagined throwing away my backpack for something more discrete like, say, a fanny pack.

The VX-6 is not perfect, but it's got a pretty good mix of features: 3 FM bands (144, 220, and 440) plus wide band coverage from .5 mHz all the way through 999.990 mHz (cellular blocked), and supports AM, FM and WFM modes. Output is 5 watts on 144 and 440, and 1.5 watts on 220 with selectable intermediate power levels on all three bands.

So how well does it work? Let's talk about the transceiver first. I live in central PA where we have a fair number of hills. Nonetheless I have talked through repeaters up to 25 miles away with perfect copy using the stock rubber duckie antenna. I'm told the audio is crisp (the VX-6 has an adjustable mic gain setting) and the volume from the small speaker is adequate in all but the noisiest environment.

When it comes to scanning above 30 mHz, the VX-6 is a reasonable performer. With 900 channels you can program any combination of public service, aircraft and repeater frequencies needed. Again, the stock antenna does a pretty good job at picking up most stations.

What about shortwave? Well, no one's perfect. I must say that the VX-6 does better than the Icom R-5 wide band receiver below 30 mHz, but that's not saying much. In truth, you can pick up strong shortwave signals even with the squelch on, but to really listen to shortwave you'll need to replace the rubber duckie with something more robust. Be careful, though. Too much antenna and you'll simply overdrive the receiver, giving a whole new meaning to the term 'wide band.' That said, I can receive without difficulty stations like Radio Havana, China Radio International, plus the usual Eastern European stations and plethora of religious programming.

The VX-6 comes pre-programmed with 89 shortwave frequencies, 280 marine channels, and 10 weather channels. In addition, the 900 programmable memories can be distributed across 24 memory banks.

But if you're considering the VX-6, I have a few recommendations. First, get the software to program it. Programming this radio without the software is cruel and unusual punishment. With the software it's a snap.

Second, get an external mic. I use the earpiece/microphone combo, a nifty little ensemble that has a remote keyer and a collar clip to keep everything neatly in place.

The 7.4 volt lithium ion battery supplies about 7 hours of normal duty cycle usage, or 15 hours of receive only. There's a raft load of other features, but the bottom line is that the VX-6 is a capable tri-band FM transceiver with the added advantage of a wide band receiver. I would buy it again.

It might even be the only gadget I take with me on my next trip!

-73
-Steve KB3IHX

Building the Small Wonder Labs PSK-20

Encouraged by success in building the Hendricks Scout Regen shortwave receiver last winter, I decided to take the next step -- building a transceiver. I like phone QSOs, but my first love is digital, particularly PSK31. After looking around I settled on Small Wonder Labs' PSK-20 kit, a crystal-controlled QRP SSB rig operating at 14.070 mHz. While not a project for beginners, construction doesn't require advanced tools or calibration equipment. You'll need a multimeter and a 25 watt soldering iron plus the usual assortment of needle nose pliers, diagonal cutters and wire strippers.

The assembly instructions are clear, and the silk screened printed circuit board makes placement of components straightforward. Stage operation throughout construction can be checked with strategically placed tests using a multimeter. Two transformers were missing in the original shipment, but Small Wonder replaced them with no hassle. The only serious challenge was winding the four toroids, but a careful count of the turns reduces the chance of error.

Small Wonder recommends using Digipan to align the transceiver and for subsequent operation. I prefer Ham Radio Deluxe, so after alignment with Digipan I set up for operation with HRD.

With only 3 to 4 watts output, making a QSO requires patience. Not only that, but my vertical multiband antenna is hardly ideal for QRP operation. Nonetheless, my patience was rewarded with a contact -- AJ4YM in South Carolina (470 miles) . In quick succession I racked up contacts with K9AAN (500 miles), NS2C (840 miles), and VE4KZ (1207 miiles). And through PSK Reporter I can see my signal reaching the West coast, about 2400 miles from my QTH in central Pennsylvania.

It took me about a week's worth of evenings to build the PSK-20. Now, every evening -- and a lot of weekends -- are filled with my latest self-imposed challenge. Making a QRP contact with Europe!

-73

-Steve KB3IHX