#antennas — Public Fediverse posts

Are you a DXer?

Ham Radio Outside the Box received this interesting email from DX Marathon Ambassador · Chile, Luis Soto Neira CA6SNT.

If you’ve been on the air working DX this year, you almost certainly already have a 2026 DX Marathon score without knowing it.

I help promote the DX Marathon, and I’m trying to get hams from more countries taking part. Would you join us? It’s free, and there’s no registration anywhere.

Everything happens at entry.dxmarathon.com — nothing needs to be sent to me. You upload an ADIF file from your logging program there. It can be your entire log, all years included: only 2026 QSOs count and including others does no harm, so there’s no need to filter it or sort it by country or zone.

The site then asks two or three questions about power and antenna, and those questions are part of the submission: if you only upload the file and stop there, your entry never arrives. Use the standard category — the Challenge is a separate entry that counts your entities and zones band by band, so leave it aside for now.

No confirmation email is sent, so check it yourself at entry.dxmarathon.com/dxm/entries, where your callsign appears within a few minutes. Your DXCC entities and zones are shown at entry.dxmarathon.com/leaderboard — the sum of the two is your score.

You can upload again as many times as you wish through January 5th, 2027, and only the last submission counts. More details on www.dxmarathon.com and on the DX Marathon’s QRZ page, W4DXM.
100% of participants get a certificate with their accomplishments.

If you use two callsigns, or if you operate remotely or from more than one location, there are two conditions worth knowing: dxmarathon.com/rules/2026.

Thanks, and see you on the bands.
73,

Luis Soto Neira
CA6SNT
DX Marathon Ambassador · Chile
Email: [email protected]
WhatsApp: +56 9 6761 4461
Valdivia, Chile · FF30JD · CQ 12 / ITU 14

And here is another interesting DX related message received at Ham Radio Outside the Box from the Amateur Radio Association of Serbia:

Contest Invitation

Dear contesters,

We invite you to participate in YUDX Contest 2026.

The contest will be held on the last full weekend of September,
i.e. Saturday at 12:00 UTC up to Sunday at 11:59 UTC (September 26–27, 2026).

More information

Let’s meet in YUDX Contest 2026,
YUDX Contest Committee

Accidental DX!

I know many hams specialize in working DX. To be successful requires a powerful station (well maybe at least 100 watts) and a decent antenna – like a steerable beam. It also requires a lot of patience and/or a lot of skill. My own personal operating style involves sitting out in the Big Blue Sky Shack with a QRP CW radio pumping 5 watts or less into a simple wire antenna. Ain’t gonna cut it for DX yeah? Well, not so fast … I was once out at a local park setting up for a POTA activation when I realized I had left my antenna at home!

A decision had to be made. Abort? or Improvise, Adapt, Overcome! Luckily I had 10 meters of wire in my truck so I thought “dipole!”. I cut the wire in half and improvised a terrible, jungle-style dipole. No center connector, just wire wrapped around the coax connector.

I didn’t have a pole with me and the surrounding trees were very short, more like bushes in fact. I found a stick to support the center of the dipole about 1 meter above ground and threw the ends of the wire into the bushes about two and half meters above ground. Maybe this will get enough contacts for a POTA activation if I am really lucky and the propagation gods are in a good mood, was the highly optimistic thought swimming around in my head.

The park location was right on the shore of one of the Great Lakes so I didn’t even have the advantage of height. At the top of a mountain I could probably get away with an arrangement like this, but less than a couple hundred meters above sea level?

Well maybe blind optimism is all we need some days. I made the 10 contacts required to validate an activation, and then some. Among my contacts were two DX stations from way over the Atlantic Ocean. Big station? Piff! Beam antenna? Piff!

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QRP Labs QMX Gets a Serious CW Upgrade: What Firmware 1.04.004 Changes

A small firmware update with some meaningful improvements for QRP and CW operators.

A firmware update may not sound exciting, but for CW operators using the QRP Labs QMX, version 1.04.004 brings several changes worth paying attention to.

The QRP Labs QMX has become an interesting little radio for operators who enjoy QRP, CW, digital modes, portable operating, and experimenting with software-defined radio technology.

One of the advantages of a modern software-defined transceiver is that the radio sitting on your desk today doesn’t necessarily have to be the same radio you bought months ago. Firmware can correct problems, refine operating characteristics, and even add capabilities without replacing any hardware.

That’s exactly what QRP Labs continues to do with the QMX.

Firmware version 1.04.004, released July 23, 2026, includes several changes that should be particularly interesting to CW operators.

Better Control Over CW Transmit Shaping

Perhaps the most interesting part of the update is additional control over the QMX’s CW shaping.

CW isn’t simply a matter of switching an RF carrier instantly on and off. The way the transmitter brings the signal up to full power and then reduces it again can affect how the transmitted CW sounds.

Transitions that are too abrupt can contribute to unwanted key clicks and unnecessarily widen the transmitted signal.

With firmware 1.04.004, QRP Labs provides additional control over the CW shaping envelope and rise and fall times.

For the everyday operator, the important point is simple:

You have more control over how your CW signal is generated.

That’s especially welcome on a radio likely to be used by operators who care about clean CW signals.

CW Key-Down Spike Addressed

Another important change involves a CW key-down spike.

A brief power spike at the beginning of a transmission may only last a very short time, but correcting that behavior helps make the transmitter’s output more predictable and controlled.

For a QRP transceiver, where operators are deliberately working with only a handful of watts, good control of the transmitted signal is particularly desirable.

The firmware addresses this issue as part of QRP Labs’ continuing refinement of the QMX.

Semi-QSK Improvements

The update also contains a correction related to Semi-QSK operation.

QSK, or break-in CW, allows a CW operator to transition rapidly between transmitting and receiving. It’s one of those features that may not mean much to someone primarily operating SSB, but experienced CW operators quickly notice when transmit/receive switching doesn’t feel right.

Good break-in behavior can make CW operation feel much more natural.

The Semi-QSK changes therefore aren’t simply another obscure item buried in a firmware changelog. For operators who spend a lot of time behind a paddle, improvements in this area can have a noticeable effect on the operating experience.

New CAT Commands

Firmware 1.04.004 also expands computer control of the QMX through additional CAT commands.

New commands include support associated with GPS information and SWR protection.

CAT—or Computer Aided Transceiver control—is increasingly important because modern amateur-radio stations often combine the radio with logging programs, digital-mode software, station automation, and other computer-controlled equipment.

The additional commands provide developers and experimenters with more ways to integrate the QMX into a computer-controlled station.

For operators who enjoy experimenting with software and station automation, this may ultimately prove to be one of the more interesting parts of the update.

Changes to SWR Protection

SWR protection is particularly important in a small QRP transceiver.

Portable operators regularly change antennas, feed lines, bands, and operating locations. Inevitably, sooner or later, someone presses the key when the antenna isn’t quite what they thought it was.

Having the radio monitor conditions and protect its output stage provides another layer of protection for the transmitter.

The new CAT capabilities associated with SWR protection could also provide interesting possibilities for external software and station monitoring.

A 12-Watt Meter Scale Option

There’s another interesting addition for experimenters.

Firmware 1.04.004 includes a 12-watt power-meter scale option intended for configurations where the QMX power amplifier has been modified.

Most QMX operators probably won’t need this setting.

But its inclusion says something interesting about QRP Labs and its customer base. This is equipment designed for a community where experimentation and modification are still very much encouraged.

That’s something I’ve always appreciated about the QRP side of amateur radio.

SMPS Bias Pre-Warming

The update also introduces SMPS bias pre-warming.

The QMX uses sophisticated power-management techniques inside a remarkably small package. Changes such as bias pre-warming are aimed at improving the way those internal systems behave as the radio transitions into operation.

It’s one of those behind-the-scenes refinements that may never receive the attention of a new menu item or flashy feature.

But these small engineering changes can contribute to making a mature radio more polished.

Why This Update Matters

None of these changes individually turns the QMX into a completely different transceiver.

• Cleaner CW behavior
• Better transmit control
• Improved Semi-QSK operation
• More flexible CW shaping
• Expanded CAT control
• Better protection and monitoring
• Support for experimentation and modified hardware

And that’s actually the point.

Good firmware development isn’t always about adding a spectacular new feature.

Sometimes it’s about improving the details:

Meta description: QRP Labs QMX firmware 1.04.004 adds CW shaping controls, Semi-QSK improvements, CAT commands, SWR features and other refinements for QRP operators.

Put those improvements together and you have a radio that’s continuing to mature after it has already reached operators’ shacks.

The QMX and the Modern QRP Radio

The QMX represents an interesting change in what we expect from inexpensive QRP equipment.

Years ago, buying a small QRP transceiver generally meant that its capabilities were essentially frozen the day it left the factory.

Modern SDR-based radios have changed that.

Today, manufacturers can continue refining receiver behavior, transmit characteristics, digital interfaces, CAT commands, keying behavior, and other features through firmware.

Your radio can literally operate differently after an update.

For experimenters, that’s exciting.

It also means amateur-radio operators should start treating firmware updates much like we treat adjustments and maintenance elsewhere in the station.

Should You Install Firmware 1.04.004?

If you’re operating a QMX—particularly if you’re an active CW operator—this is an update worth investigating.

The improvements to CW shaping, keying behavior, Semi-QSK operation, and CAT control are more than cosmetic changes.

As always, read the QRP Labs release notes and firmware installation instructions before updating your radio. Confirm that you’re installing the correct firmware for your hardware and preserve any settings or configuration information recommended by QRP Labs.

There’s rarely a prize for being the first person to install new firmware.

There is considerable value, however, in understanding what the update changes before pressing the button.

Final Thoughts

The QRP Labs QMX is a good example of where amateur-radio equipment is heading.

It’s small. It’s software driven. It’s affordable compared with many full-size transceivers, and it’s designed for the sort of operator who isn’t afraid to experiment.

Firmware 1.04.004 doesn’t reinvent the QMX.

Instead, it tackles exactly the kind of details serious CW and QRP operators tend to appreciate.

And for a little QRP radio, that’s probably more important than adding another flashy feature to the menu.

73,
KE2YK

I've only been on #Calckey for a week and am already discovering several great, rather critical features I miss on #Mastodon. This note could also be a guide for #Twitter newcomers: Why choose Calckey over Mastodon?
1. Quote notes: If you miss quote-tweeting, this might be just the right choice for you. #QT #QRT #quoting #quotetweet
2. Full-text search: Apparently, you can search full-text through the whole fediverse. (Correct me if I'm wrong, but there are clearly many results from elsewhere, not only Miss-/Calckey.) Can be useful. #fulltextsearch
3. Adding users to lists without following them. (If you want to separate your fields of interest or whatever, this is rather essential.)
4. #Antennas: Following hashtags in a separate view. (Haven't tried it yet, sounds useful.)
5. Polls: Option to select multiple choices. There is also an option to add more than 4 choices when creating a poll.
6. More than 4 info fields in profile. (Not quite essential, but still.)
7. You can be a cat. (Doesn't need any further explanation.)