Anyone using a Ubitix for SOTA ?
Can anyone offer a comparison between a Ubitx and a FT817nd ?
Chris
KG7VLX
I’ve played with an FT817, and I’ve owned (and subsequently sold) a uBitx. It would be tough to compare them, as they’re very different beasts. The FT817 is a polished finished product (even if maybe a little long in the tooth these days) whereas the uBitx is more or less a tinkering platform – sort of a work in progress designed to be modded etc. I am sure it’s possible to activate with a uBitx, but I’d definitely rather do it with an FT817 if that’s what you’re wondering.
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I was thinking it might make a nice back up radio for the price. 
Any specific complaints / negatives you can share?
Chris
KG7VLX
I think that the advice I’d give anyone who was interested in one would be to visit their .io page and read the first few pages of threads. If that looks like what you’d want, go for it! I got one under the mistaken notion that it was a kit like the QCX etc. That is, I thought it was a completed/tested product that you built and then it worked. The uBitx is more of a work in progress (or it was last I looked when they were struggling with a tx/px pop issue).
I think it is limited since it isn’t setup for the WARC bands. 30m and 17m are important to our activations.
I just finished my uBITX the other day, in a cake pan for now so all cables are not ‘dressed’ as would be normally. Played with it a bit on 40M and it works; however compared to my FT’s 817 and 897 not as sensitive and a bit noisier though that could be affected by the breadboard nature of the build. Haven’t given it a real workout yet though.
If put in a decent enclosure I see no reason to not use it for an activation - but I would not choose it as a primary radio either, not until it was used and somewhat pushed in it’s limits a bit at the home turf first. I purchased mine for the recreation value and it was inside my fun money threshold and should make an acceptable back up rig
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Hi
You cant do better for the money. I doubt you would miss any contacts on an activation with a BITX. It is quieter on a battery than on a mains power supply…extra dc line filltering helps.
Lighter than FT817 and no complicated menu. I recommend it as a first rig and a portable rig. Bells and whistles and hi end performance cost money. If you dont need them why pay for them.
There is pleasure in operating a rig you put together yourself. Plastic cases are available from ebay but you can fabricate a case from pcb and spray paint it orange so you wont lose it on the summit.
73
Ron
VK3AFW
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I have one here and have done one activation with it just for fun. It needs some modifications and I blew the audio amplifier when I first connected power into it. It does have all bands 80-10m including WARC- bands but above 15m power drops to less than a watt. No problem for me but there are mods for higher out put power. CW with standard firmware is kinda nasty but here you can down load better one http://www.hamskey.com/. It also has WSPR included.
FT817 is much better radio but you sure can make contacts with uBitx.
The price is less than 10 pints of beer here in Finland.
73 Marko OH9XX OH3XR