#355: Radio Review: FX-4C SDR QRP Transceiver | Review of features and operating controls

Review of the features and operating controls of the FX-4C - a great little SDR Transceiver designed by BG2FX. NOTE that I mis-stated the transmit range in the video. This rig does NOT transmit on the 6m band. It transmits only on the 80, 60, 40, 30, 20, 17, 15, 12 and 10m bands. The homepage and purchase link can be found here:

[zanado]

Thank you very much. I received my FX-4CR yesterday and your video was beneficial. It permitted me run through operation more quickly than using the manual alone. 73 de W8RLP, Roger

[philipoulton]

I just subbed after watching this exceptional video. Your skills, explanation and thoroughness describing the features of this radio are the best I have ever seen on any radio introduction on youtube. Now I'm gonna go see your other videos...

[betterbprepared]

Very nice walk through of this radio!!

[hectorpascal]

Somebody thought VERY hard about how to simplify radio operation within such a small available front panel area. I am REALLY impressed by everything about it. Both design and performance is amazing!

[LevyCarneiro]

Extremely useful tour of the radio. Thanks!

[billygamer]

Thank you. Alan, for the clear and organised description of this new QRP rig. It is amazing the great many features that the developer is able to squeeze into his hardware and software.

[BillyLapTop]

This little radio reminds me of a QRP transmitter ham project in one of the radio electronics magazines from the early 60's using a 117P7 tube circuit in a small desktop index card box. It was a rock bound single band design and I thought how remarkable that was at the time. Fast forward 60 years and WOW! Who'd a thunk this was possible?

[malcolmbeale]

Very thorough and comprehensive review of this little transceiver, much appreciated. The build quality of the unit looks excellent, would look forward to an internal breakdown and evaluation if you plan to do that in future video.

[nicoschadjidemetriou]

Very clear voice, precise and fine description my dear friend. Thank you very much, and all my best to you. 73s from 5B4ER (Cyprus)

[ElPasoTubeAmps]

I think the tuning knob on my Collins R-390 is larger than that radio and it will never keep the room warm in a cold winter. My newest rig is a homebrew AM station using a 1947 James Millen amplifier running push-pull 812A in swinging-link-coupled output. I am working all the "new" DX with it and my R-390. If you zero-beat the SSB station, they usually do not even know you are on AM.
I will stick with my S-Line equipment that I can still repair with a lifetime collection of parts.
I borrowed a nice HF rig a couple of years ago that had just under 100 adjustable settings with all the button pushing, twisting, shoving and talking to and it worked great unless I accidentally touched something while reaching for the microphone that I was not sure what I touched and then I had no idea what was going on.
You make very nice videos, Alan. 73 WA4QGA

[joeblow]

It looks like a real winner, thanks for the review

[CigarsOnTheAir]

Just received my FX-4CR last night and did my first POTA activation with it this morning. Its a surprisingly great operating experience right out of the box. Using an X-Tenna EFHW and a MFJ portable-tuner, this thing worked like a charm immediately. The sound is great from the speaker and the display is fantastic. It is consumes .5 amp on receive and maybe 2amps on full-power transmit. POTA will be even better for me now! I have not even played around with different settings or read the manual top to bottom yet and I am already thoroughly impressed. I do not operate CW yet, just Phone/SSB and all the controls are intuitive and readily accessible during my activation. The only thing I am having a hard time figuring out is the voice recorder for an automated CQ msg. I thought it does that but I have not figured it out yet - then again I have only had it for about 7 hours and using it for the last 3 hours. All-in-all this little 20W radio has me grinning and very happy. I am looking forward to using it and learning about it more. Thank for your very thorough walk-through. I am typing this comment from the picnic table right now at K-0692. Cheers and 73!

[jerryuhte]

Wow, what a great lil Xcvr, best i have seen here on you tube ! Sounds like you are impressed ! Thanks 72, 73, K9UT

[stingy]

FYI Holding the RIT button while in CW mode enters practice mode. I don't remember that in the manual but I stumbled across it

[xxhound]

great job of explaining all the features TWO THUMBS UP !!!

[alpawlowski]

If the manual AGC is added, it should go a long way towards helping the strong signal desensitization you noticed. An automatic notch filter function, like in OpenHPSDR would be even better, but might not be achievable in a non-DDC radio.

Be interesting to see how well the unit does doing FT8. Some of this radio's competitors are pretty sensitive to rf killing of the USB port sound connection to a PC.

Price is maybe a bit high for unit without internal battery and minimal support, i.e. Xiegu X6100 with similar functionality, currently going for low 600's.

[photoguy]

What an absolutely incredible review. You obviously have spent a lot of time with that rig. You appear to know everything about it. Very impressive. I have an FX-4CR on order. Do you plan on doing a review on that one? Or at least the differences? N7SR

[duncanchaboudy]

How have I never known about this radio? I need this. Take my money!

[Johnmfoss]

Very nice review - thank you. I have a Xiegu x6100 that I use for POTA - it does have some features that this little radio doesn’t have. Of interest to me is a internal battery, memory keying, and a built in atu. It is considerably larger however - maybe twice the size, but about the same price. Assuming you are using a resonant antenna and you know your swr is good, I would still be lost without the memory keyer - it frees up so much time doing a POTA activation. I think any radio designed for portable operation should have voice and cw memory cause you’re apt to be doing a lot of it.
Thanks again, John

[jamescoffey]

The SSB audio is superb! It has the punchy-ness of a military radio, but with the enhanced fidelity that a military radio's audio lacks. Wow! 73 de AE5ZX