Making my first contact on the bitx40 homebrew QRP ham radio

It was a contest on HF that encouraged me to tinker around the radio room, I pulled out the BITX40 radio I built a fair while ago. It was broken and in need of TLC. I soldered up broken connectors and wires and it sprung to life.

Having a contest on provided a great opportunity for testing the transmit. After a few missed contacts I finally made a contact on 40m.

This is short video about the BITX40.

I'm a licensed amateur radio operator from the United Kingdom. My YouTube channel features videos focusing on operating portable radio from various locations plus how to videos, tutorials, insights and conversations in the hobby.

[AndyWragg]

It's great when a DIY project bears fruit, well done Carl. I passed my intermediate exam so I could legitimately use my uBITX after the build I documented, but then discovered that the radio needs significant work to reduce the spurious emissions. It's been sat on the window shelf in the shack ever since. I'll probably get around to fixing it one day, but i now have my IC-706MKiiG for playing outside and activating POTA parks. 73

[OnTheMicwithMike]

That's brilliant, and the thing is - you built it from scratch! happy days :) 73'

[benwithers]

Well done Carl. If you saw my soldering you would have the electricity turned off permanently.

[wayneskiba]

It sure is a great making contacts on gear that you built yourself, I know that myself as I built alot of radio kits in the past, and always got a thrill out of using the gear be it a receiver or transmitter. Great job, Carl!

[deenunya]

Scratch Built, nice one.... If it was fitted in a lunch Box not Emptied ..it reall would be a Ham Radio in every sense 😁👍

[REKlaus]

I like your case and PTT idea. Very affordable little radio. I have a uBitx waiting for me to make a case and finish assembly. 73 K1AUS from Montana USA

[willian.direction]

Great contact Karl always makes me laugh when these contesters take several goes to get a qrp caller then give them 5/9.

[REKlaus]

I remember from one of the bitx facebook pages that some have fixed the squeal at low volume settings by improving the ground between the low side of the volume pot and chassis ground. There are a lot of problem fixes on the various Bitx pages.

[VEIPS]

Carl, nothing like making a QSO on something you built. I think I worked you on Dstar

[ianharvey]

Slow down your callsign ;) even I was thinking what what what lol
Good job on the kit build

[Spookieham]

I've thought this would make a nice a cheap QRP rig. Much as I love my 7300 it's not the most portable of rigs

[gbamck]

I love that. I made a contact on a radio I built myself. Superb 👍