Anyone see this yet? RS-918SSB $350

$350 plus shipping.

Yes I did a search before I posted and didn’t get any hits.

Kent K9EZ

Well spotted Kent. This looks as if it might be of interest to activators. 15W is at the lower end of useful power. Now it’s down to who’s brave enough to buy one,
73, John

All I know about it is that it’s a clone of the mcHF ( http://www.m0nka.co.uk/ ,) which is an open source project started by Chris M0NKA and continued by a committed team of volunteers. A kit from M0NKA costs 260 GBP and puts out 5W.

http://www.m0nka.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/LCD-1024x763.jpg

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Sheeesh, its on Amazon already

https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B072155421/ref=dp_olp_new_mbc?ie=UTF8&condition=new

It’s a commercial clone of the well established mcHF open hardware and open software kit radio. They have been available for a couple of years at least.

73, Colin G8TMV

Does the mcHF also have FreeDV (HF digital voice) included as this unit apparently does ?

That amazon ad is for $450 not $350 as quoted earlier, so it’s probably worth waiting a while to see where the final street price lies.

Ed.

What is the Chinese manufacturer giving back to the community? That’s what I would want to know before I spend with them.

The design in open hardware and open source so anyone can take the designs and make them. But I would rather spend my money with a company that feeds some of the profits back into funding the designers than one that just takes and makes.

YMMV

No argument from me. But it did make me aware of the M0NKA project going on, and would look at buying from them to support the community.

If indeed this is a clone of M0nka’s mcHF design - this manufacturer would appear to be in conflict with what is stated on the m0nka site namely:

This site is the home of the mcHF QRP transceiver. It is a small, home-brewed amateur radio project. Firmware is released as open source and most project files are released as well, with the only restriction of not commercial use (manufacturing and sales of kits or complete product).

I’d say this is a clear DON’T BUY the RS-918SSB indicaton!

I looked at it on Amazon after reading the posts so far. Don’t think I would buy it; first the Amazon seller is a brand new unrated seller, secondly is the concern about quality and what they may have done to otherwise good firmware. Thinking of the Xiegu HF radio as an example, not being supported and US distributor is dropping them due to user problems with no factory support. Sometimes it dosen’t pay to be an early adopter.

Looks shiny and small. Some may think it could compete with a KX3 for power. Never knew about the MONKA project. Time to go and check it out.

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This is an interesting thread, relevant to this one:

Makes me sick that they rip off other homebrewers projects for profit.

Definitely don’t buy it, build the original and have all the satisfaction of making it yourself.

What is wrong with the world…

I am finding assembling a rig with surface mount components a mountain too high to climb. So maybe I would pay someone to do the assembly for me. It’s an ill wind etc.

73
Ron
VK3AFW

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Ron, there’s a version with the surface mount components populated: http://www.m0nka.co.uk/?page_id=740

Thanks.

Not only have the Chinese put ALL the parts on the board, they have put it in a nice box, with readout, knobs etc and tested it. Sure REAL amateurs would roll their own. I know two of these rare people.

I don’t think there is any law prohibiting the use of open software being used in a box that is sold. Icom sell rigs with D-star which is supposedly open source.

Yes I know about the “commons” agreements but that’s really only a voluntary code. Try prosecuting someone in China or America for making a quid from offering a complete working box using open software. There are android type computer operating systems using open source material that you have to pay for. And so on.

Ideally the Chinese would have made some sort of arrangement with the designer which would return a few dollars to him for his effort. But if he really wanted to make money he would not have offered the code for free. More power to his pencil but good ideas are always going to be used by someone to make a quid.

73
Ron
VK3AFW
PS, I haven’t put an order in for the not yet in production model.

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Still waiting for an answer to this please - from those of you with the M0NKA mcHF rig, thanks.

Ed.

Apparently it does. There’s a Yahoo group for the mcHF that references this occasionally, and there’s this video of DL1CR using it with FreeDV DL1CR DG5FBO SDR mcHF freeDV - YouTube . It looks like a dandy project at about half the cost of a KX2, I’ve had my eye on it for a while. Unfortunately it only puts out 5W ‘stock,’ but I’m sure there are ways to boost the power. Here’s the technical specs from the project wiki: Home · df8oe/UHSDR Wiki · GitHub

Thanks John,
That’s good news that the Open Source FreeDV digital voice is possible with this design. I’ve been testing FreeDV since the early days but having to have a PC attached to operate it, rather than the code being built into the rig has always been a problem (especially when considering portable operation). I presume the latest Flex systems with PC built in will continue to support FreeDV but they are in a different price class of course.

73 Ed.

I think if the M0NKA group had a kit with the box and all, that would be a great help. Still like the kit idea with the surface mount items already done.

Kent