HF Signals zBitx 5W SDR All-Band All-Mode QRP Transceiver

I have truly enjoyed my zBitx and all its’ features! Such a compact radio and packed full of features! I just want everyone to keep in mind that this is an Experimenters Radio. What does that mean? Well, you can expect to have to deal with some issues that you probably wouldn’t have to mess with if this was say a Yaesu or Icom or Kenwood radio. The good news is that many of us Hams enjoy experimenting, so this is actually a welcome challenge. The zBitx is a low cost radio for the features offered and will become better by the users and their experimenter community. Remember that this is an evolving product and can be updated with new firmware to solve some issues you may encounter.

I will warn of a couple of things to be aware of if you purchase this radio:
* Heat. The backplate of this radio is aluminum and intended as a heatsink for the transistors (3 of them) and, as such, can get VERY hot! Especially during FT8 operations. The duty cycle of FT8 really puts this radio through its’ paces and I would HIGHLY recommend additional cooling. Some enterprising owners have cut holes in the left side of the case and added a small fan on the right side (above the antenna connector) to help with heat. I went with a USB-C cooling fan that has a Peltier cooler built in. It came with a magnetic sticker that I attached to the back of the radio so it just sticks onto the back plate.
* Raspberry Pi software. There are 2 boards in this radio. A Pico and a Zero W2. As updates come out, you will need to update these boards if so desired. The Zero board can be updated as easily as connecting a display and mouse to the zBitx so you can see your Raspberry Pi desktop. Opening up Terminal and typing ./update. The display board (Pico) has to be updated separately with a different file, but is also equally easy to operate.
* Speaking of the Raspberry Pi desktop, while in there you need to setup your WiFi so that the zBitx can sync the time (important for FT8) and then you can also remote into the zBitx by going to sBitx.local from any browser. This allows full remote control of your zBitx!
* Batteries and polarity- On the left side of the radio, there is an 18650 battery holder attached. On the holder, there are polarity markings. MAKE SURE you install the batteries correctly! I cannot state this strongly enough! If you want to let the magic smoke out of your zBitx, there is no faster way than sending improper polarity to the zBitx! There is NO (read zero) polarity protection built into the zBitx! I ditched the battery holder and opted for an external power supply that rubs off of an 18V Milwaukee M18 battery (has a voltage converter on it). The voltage range for the zBitx is 6-9 VDC. I set mine for 8.5 VDC.

This is a great radio and I am very happy with my purchase! Just keep in mind that you MAY have issues that you will need to address. There may not be much support from HF Signals, as they are very busy building these radios to order, but there is a strong community on groups.io that is very helpful!
Also, the Raspberry Pi is pre-loaded with all the good Ham software like FLdigi, WSJT-X, etc.

Don’t overlook this radio because it may involve some tinkering! Some of us actually enjoy that aspect of Ham radio!

73 - KK7BVY

Works as expected, updating software and syncing time is very easy and intuitive. I haven’t used voice so can’t speak to that. FT8 is a breeze. Super easy to get out and set up quickly, I’ve been using a Electaft A3 antenna. So tiny pack has everything you need. Can’t believe they fit so much into an inexpensive and functional radio. I would definitely recommend.