HF QRP SDR TRANSCEIVER

Chinese Clone uSDR/uSDX

Manual

Revision 0.1a, 9/9/22

DE Joe, KF7MIX
IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN

Disclaimer:
I'm just a hobbyist. I'm not an engineer, nor am I an expert on the uSDR/uSDX family of projects. I'm
not the right guy to make this manual, I am only an operator. Don't follow my advice blindly. Use this
information as a starting point, not as a definitive source. I am not responsible for damaged equipment
or operators. By retaining this manual, you agree to use it at your own risk.

uSDR/uSDX HF QRP CLONE, Manual, DE KF7MIX – Page 1 of 9

Purpose
Much of the technical ground relating to clone uSDR/uSDX derived radios is covered, in various
locations on the internet. The general use and configuration for individual clone radios is lacking. The
goal of this manual is to attempt to cover operational ground that is missed or fragmented.

This is a "makeshift manual" in every way that matters. I have attempted to post only information that
I've verified myself, and only information where I have some level of understanding. There may be
enormous gaps. But, they won't be as enormous as the void that I found when I started with this radio.

If you have additional information you'd like to add, please send it to the address on my QRZ.com
page. If you'd like to be credited, please include that request with the info, and I'll add it to this
document.

Clone Style
This manual covers only the specific clone style that I am in possession of, which is pictured below:

This manual was written based on a firmware revision 1.02 device, with the ports as pictured, and the
buttons in the horizontal configuration.

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Buttons & Encoder
This unit has three buttons, and an encoder with push button, for a total of four buttons. Some units
have a secondary red PTT button located on the side. For ease of reference, the buttons are numbered
and described herein as:

Button Description Manual Ref Operation

MENU (1) From VFO = Enter menu mode
From Menu = Modify selected menu entry
From Modify = Exit to VFO
MODE (2) From VFO, Single Press = Cycle between modes
From VFO, Double Press = Change Filter BW
From VFO, Long Press = Change RIT
From Menu = Exit to VFO
From Modify = Return to Menu
PTT (3) In USB/LSB, used for TX
In CW, press and hold to see readout of power out and SWR
(encoder) (4) Rotate to adjust VFO frequency, and navigate through menu
options
From VFO, Single Press = Decrease VFO tune rate
From VFO, Long Press = Increase VFO tune rate
From VFO, Double Press = Switch to next band
From VFO, Hold and rotate = Adjust volume
From Menu = Modify selected menu entry
From Modify = Save entry

Menus
Menu options may differ based on the firmware on a particular unit. Some items may be missing on
your radio, or additional items may be present. Menu item numbers may differ.

Menu Item Description

Section 1 General Settings
1.1 – Volume Adjusts the volume
1.2 – Mode Select the TX mode (USB/LSB/CW; Some units may have AM/FM options)
1.3 – Filter BW Set the Filter Bandwidth (Full/3000/2400/1800/500/200/100/50)
1.4 – Band Select the working band
1.5 – Tune Rate Set the tune rate (1Hz – 10M)
1.6 – VFO Mode Select VFO A/B
1.7 – RIT Enable/Disable Receiver Incremental Tuning; Value adjusted by long press (2)

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1.8 – AGC Set Automatic Gain Control (OFF/FAST/SLOW)
1.9 – NR Noise Reduction (0-8)
1.10 – ATT Attenuator (Analog, 0db – 73dB in increments)
1.11 – ATT2 Attenuator 2 (Digital in CIC, 0-16 in 6dB increments)
1.12 – S Meter Select S-Meter display type (OFF, dBm, S number, S bar, or show cw wpm)
1.13 – SWR Meter Select SWR meter display (OFF, FWD-SWR, FWD-REF, VFWD-VREF); Meter
visible when holding (3) in CW mode
Section 2 CW Settings
2.1 – CW Decoder Enable built-in CW decoder (OFF/ON)
2.4 – Semi QSK Enable QSK operation (OFF/ON)
2.5 – Keyer Speed CW keyer speed (1-60 Paris wpm)
2.6 – Keyer Mode Set keyer mode (Iambic-A, Iambic-B, Straight)
2.7 – Keyer Swap Swap DIH/DAH on keyer input (OFF/ON)
2.8 – Practice Practice mode disables TX on keyer down (OFF/ON)
Section 3 Transmit Settings
3.1 – VOX Enable voice activated transmit (OFF/ON)
3.2 – Noise Gate Threshold for VOX and SSB voice transmit (0-255)
3.3 – TX Drive TX audio gain (0-8 in 6dB increments); 8 = constant amplitude in SSB
Section 4 Auto CQ in CW Mode
4.1 – CQ Interval Idle time between CQ transmissions (0-60 seconds)
4.2 – CQ Message Characters to send for CQ; Press (1) to transmit
Section 8 RX and TX Fine Tuning
8.1 – PA Bias Min Power Amp Bias Minimum, amplitude PWM level (0-255), representing 0% of
RF output (set by experimentation, suggest starting at 0-20)
8.2 – PA Bias Max Power Amp Bias Minimum, amplitude PWM level (0-255), representing 100%
of RF output (set by experimentation, suggest starting at 128-180)
8.3 – Ref Freq Si5351 crystal frequency for calibration
8.4 – IQ Phase RX I/Q phase offset (0-180 degrees)

uSDR/uSDX HF QRP CLONE, Manual, DE KF7MIX – Page 4 of 9

SWR Meter
On initial operation, it is not immediately clear how to access the SWR Meter. Values are only
displayed in a very specific TX configuration.

To operate the SWR Meter, first make sure it is enabled in the menu (option 1.13). Next, set your
operating mode to CW, then press and hold PTT (3). The top half of the display should now show your
power output and your SWR, as pictured below:

Power Output
These radios are often advertised for either 5W or 10W output. In some cases, you'll see one listing that
is advertising both 5W and 10W. Normally, the 10W claim is expressed as only being possible using an
external 13.8V power source. The screen captured in the SWR Meter section above was on internal
battery power. The same band, battery, and other conditions will yield a value anywhere between 4.6W
and 10.15W, on my radio, with some randomness. Your mileage may vary.

To impact your output power, you'll need to experiment with the PA Bias settings (8.1 and 8.2). A
source online put it this way: "The amplitude of the composite signal controls the power supply voltage
of the PA, thereby controlling the envelope of the SSB signal. The key shaping circuit is controlled by a
32kHz PWM signal, which can control the PA voltage between 0 and 12V in 256 steps, thereby
providing a dynamic range of (log2(256) * 6 =) 48dB in the SSB signal."

Elsewhere online, you learn that to maximize your power output, you should increase the PA Bias Max
setting in increments of 5, starting at 128, until your output power remains stable even when increasing
the PA Bias Max value. That is to say, if you are getting 7W output at a PA Bias Max setting of 195,
and it remains at 7W even when you increase that setting to 200 or higher, then dial your PA Bias Max
back to a maximum of 195. I have read that the PA Bias Min is not as critical, but I have seen it set
anywhere from 10 to 65. I tend to use a value of 20.

Apparently, these value vary, and should be tested on your unit to find the optimal settings. I tend
toward running at less than maximum values, since I don't know everything I ought to about the device.

uSDR/uSDX HF QRP CLONE, Manual, DE KF7MIX – Page 5 of 9

Digital Modes
These radios are programmed with digital frequencies on band switch, ideal for digital operation.

Audio
I use a standard TRS→TRS audio patch cable between a USB sound card's microphone port and the
radio's SPK port, and a custom TRS→TRRS cable to connect the USB sound card's headphone port to
the radio's MIC port. Like so:

Programs like wsjtx and JS8Call will let you select both/left/right channel for output and input.

For the USB sound card, I use the following cheap ones, which can be had on Amazon for about $3/ea
when purchased in a three-pack. These have separate input/output jacks:

Watch your audio levels on the radio and the sound card, as you have no galvalnic insulation between
the two! If you prefer something safer, I highly recommend the KF5INZ "Easy Digi" card from eBay:

uSDR/uSDX HF QRP CLONE, Manual, DE KF7MIX – Page 6 of 9

VOX Operation
Menu options 3.1 and 3.2 will enable VOX and set the audio threshold for activating it. I set my Noise
Gate to 30, but could possibly get away with much higher.

Be careful when enabling VOX, especially if you have a hand mic with built-in speaker. Thankfully,
the VOX option resets to OFF when you power cycle the radio, so if anything goes wrong, you can turn
it off and try again.

The VOX operation on this radio is surprisingly rapid. It works well for digital modes.

CAT Control
So far, I can't get CAT control working. I've tried on Windows and Linux, using different USB/TTL
adapters, different RX/TX CTS/RTS pinouts, different baud configurations, and different software
(flrig, wstjx, js8call, Omnirig, HRD, etc). No luck anywhere.

One particular error leads me to believe that my firmware isn't up to speed for CAT control. Hamlib
reports that the "get_id" command of the TS-480 command set isn't returning a value. It seems to
communicate, but doesn't like what it's getting back (or not getting back).

Continuing along that line of thinking, I installed interceptty and watched the serial port traffic. I could
see flrig sending the correct TS-480 CAT commands, but the radio was not responding. I could also see
some garbage from the i2c, which shares the port.

I'll continue to fiddle with this, and post any useful findings. For now, it's manual tuning and VOX.

Example JS8Call Settings

The following setup procedure works for me using JS8Call. Settings in wsjtx would probably be
similar. These settings use VOX and no CAT control.

Connections Power off your radio, then connect the audio cables to MIC and SPK as described
above. Plug your USB sound card into the PC. All connections should be completed.
Power On Power on only after all cable connections are complete. Select your band. Tune your
tuner and check your SWR.
JS8Call Settings Set rig to None, and PTT to VOX. Select the correct audio devices for input and
output, making sure to select the correct channel(s). Ensure that your radio sound
card is NOT set as the notification sound card. You should see activity on the
waterfall. Set your output slider to -15dB to start. Manually select the right band.
Radio Menu Set Volume to +9 or +10; adjust as needed to get your JS8Call level around 60dB.
Options Mode should be USB, filter FULL, RIT off, AGC Fast, NR 0, ATT 0dB, ATT2 set
between 0-2, VOX on, Noise Gate between 15-30 or as needed, TX drive 5, PA
Biases as noted in the Power section above. Make sure your frequency matches the
one shown in JS8Call.
PC Audio Adjust levels as needed.

uSDR/uSDX HF QRP CLONE, Manual, DE KF7MIX – Page 7 of 9

Port Pinouts
Verified
KEY TRS = DAH, DIT, GND (DAH/DIT can be reversed in the menu)
MIC TRRS = MIC, GND, PTT, SPK
SPK TRS = RIGHT, LEFT, GND (mono signal present on both R and L)

Unverified
PA TRS = PTT, NC, GND
UART TRRS = RX, TX, NC, GND (NC could possible be an optional RTS. Note, you have to
swap these to interact with your serial device, i.e. RX to TX, RTS to CTS, etc.)

Hand Mic Wiring

If your unit came with a hand mic, I recommend opening it up and checking out the wiring, to verify
your MIC port pinout. Mine looks like this, with TRRS = MIC, GND, PTT, SPK:

uSDR/uSDX HF QRP CLONE, Manual, DE KF7MIX – Page 8 of 9

End Notes
The above information was gleaned from my experience with the radio, and internet sources. I take no
credit, but am happy to give credit if you feel that is necessary. Contact me through QRZ.com with any
questions or additional information.

Also, it is worth reiterating that the disclaimer at the beginning of this document is there for a reason. I
can't guarantee any information herein. It is strictly informational, public domain, and for use at your
own risk.

73, Joe KF7MIX

uSDR/uSDX HF QRP CLONE, Manual, DE KF7MIX – Page 9 of 9