There’s no such thing as a perfect lightweight multiband antenna for outdoor use. I’ve tried lots of them over the last few years and the one which has brought me the most success is the SOTABEAMS 20/40 Bandhopper II Linked Dipole. But that covers just two bands.
I have another Sotabeams antenna called the BandSpringer Mini - an End-Fed which covers 7 bands, but for some reason it’s not been a raging success for me, so I seem to be on this never ending search for the holy grail.
Anyway, I decided to try something different - something which I’ve never tried before - an Off Centre Fed Dipole in the form of the MODEL 404UL from Aerial-51.
This Kevlar-strengthened antenna can handle up to 200W and yet it’s extremely light and compact, weighing just 400g including 40ft of coax! Having something which can handle so much power gives you a satisfying reassurance that your FT8 transmissions are not going to overheat the Balun even at 25W.
The antenna is just as simple to erect as the Bandhopper and although they recommend using something taller, I used my 7M Mast to great effect. You can see in the photo below how it looks. The 40ft coax allows you a great degree of flexibility in choosing where to operate from (a heated garage in this test-case, lol).
TYPICAL SWR READINGS
You can see that the profile of my Inverted-V is quite shallow compared to the 404UL diagram, but nevertheless, it really pulled in the signals.
QUICK SAMPLE OF THE 404/705
I’m keeping the antenna in this “test location” for another week and will update this page after that. I bought the 404 as a secondhand item and so luckily got it at a bargain price. The value for money was further enhanced by the WindCamp case it came in, plus a pair of mini-reels for winding in the elements (with their string supports) for quick storage and deployment.
After a while, I dumped the reels in favour of normal winders from SotaBeams.
I recently I came across an amp at a radio rally and it was for sale at just £50 “SOLD FOR PARTS”. I got my phone out and Googled the device to learn more about it and discovered that they cost £200 new, so I decided to take a chance on it, figuring I could make a quick buck by selling it on Ebay after reviewing it. Sadly, when I got it home, it didn’t work. Dead as a Dodo! I was gutted, but figured I’d open it up to see if it was a melted mess inside.
The PCB and all its components looked to be absolutely as new and in perfect condition - just couldn’t figure it out. After spending time staring at the PCB, I noticed that there was an unusual fuse holder. I removed the fuse, tested it and found that it was blown. Needless to say, I didn't have any of these tiny fuses in my box of bits, so I ordered some on eBay and waited for them to arrive (from China).
When I replaced the tiny fuse, I powered the amp up again, using a current-limiting power supply, half expecting it to blow again. But it didn’t!
With everything apparently working as it should, I connected it to my IC-705 and a Dummy Load. Dropping the 705’s power to 500mW, I got 20W output from the PA100 into a dummy load. A big smile appeared on my face 😄. I started to increase the power and with a full 5W in, it showed 110W out.
The next step was to connect it to its “natural partner”, the Hermes Lite 2. As mentioned in a previous post, I wanted to take advantage of the ability to run the amplifier output through the Hermes’ Pure Signal processor by adding an RF Sampler.
With the Hermes putting out 750mW the amp was outputting around 25W - perfect (for me).
I went on the 40M band and broke into a QSO between two English operators with booming signals. I was eager to get a good report from them. Sadly, this didn’t quite go to plan 🙄. When I keyed up, I could see distortion on the panadapter and one of the operators told me my audio was indeed badly distorted.
Without any idea what was causing the distortion, I removed the RF Sampler and tried again. This time, the outgoing signal looked perfect and so I recontacted the operator I’d spoken with moments ago. He confirmed that everything sounded fantastic. He told me that there were some Linearity settings in Thetis which would probably resolve the issue.
Sitting there, I wondered if it was simply a case of there not being enough attenuation in the sampler’s coupling output (-50dB), therefore overloading the HL2’s Pure Signal input 🤔. I’d need to add some inline attenuators and experiment more. But that’s for another day - I don’t want to detract from the performance of the amplifier.
The Micro PA100 is a very compact device, with a 100W (or more) output on the 80-6M bands. It has automatic band sensing or you can provide your own interface lead to let your radio force band changes. There is information in the manual to help you achieve this.
I didn’t have an interface lead and since I’m going to be selling this amp, I can’t see the point in making one, so I used the band-sensing and it worked amazingly well - faultlessly even!
The amp also has RF-Sensing which means that you don’t need to fit a PTT SEND line - just transmit and the amp instantly detects the RF. It works well, but I’d still recommend fitting a lead between the two devices. The menu has options for Icom, Yaesu and Xiegu protocols.
Unlike say a Xiegu XPA125, the PA100 doesn’t have an ATU so I connected an LDG Z-100Plus. Now this would present a problem in that initiating a tune could mean the amp could potentially see huge amounts of reflected power and very high swr during the tune-cycle (it will protect itself if it sees anything greater than 2:1). Thankfully, the PA100 has a BYPASS mode which is accessed by a simple press of the Function button. Once the ATU has found a match, it’s just a case of pressing the Function button again.
There’s an impressive amount of protection built into the amp which keeps an eye on high swr, and high temperature - there are two fans fitted in a push-pull arrangement. The fans are quick to switch on and although they aren’t noisy, you are certainly aware of their presence.
There’s also that tiny 20A fuse which protects from over current and even from applying the power supply the wrong way around (I am so pleased that the previous owner wasn’t aware of the existence of the fuse) 😂🤣😂.
The front panel sports just two things a screen and a button! The display is pretty small but extremely clear and easy to read, providing all the information you need. The (function) button switches between PA ON and PA OFF (bypass) and also gives access to other functions. It’s a little odd, but you soon get used to it. The only thing that concerns me about it is that it sometimes doesn’t detect a press which can be annoying. It also makes me question the longevity of the button.
Other than that button though, I must admit that the construction of this cheap Chinese amp is absolutely excellent!! The pcb seems to be a high quality item and the components look to be very well soldered and carefully placed. There’s not even a hint of “cheap tat” that you often get with these budget devices. Everything looks top notch. It’s also a ‘clean’ amp with a measured -60dBc separation between the wanted signal and any unwanted harmonics.
Note the huge heatsink
CONCLUSION
Putting aside the fact that I got this amplifier for a ridiculously low price, I have to say that the Micro PA100 is a great little amp, brimming with features, versatility and safety. It’s good to know too, that the designer is constantly updating the firmware in order to improve the product.
If I needed a 100W amp, then I wouldn’t hesitate to invest in one of these. They can be used with virtually any transceiver, without the need for an interface lead and you’d have to be an idiot to do it any harm (sorry previous owner).
Its compact dimensions and light weight mean it can easily be taken on POTA outings. It’s just a great little all-rounder. For a Foundation License holder, I like the fact that you can transmit under a Watt and get a solid 25 Watts, giving both radio and amp an easy life.
Before I sell it, I’m going to resolve the RF Sampler issue, just because I want to understand what the cause is.
UPDATE : March 11
I ordered some inline attenuators from AliExpress and in view of the severe distortion that I experienced when first trying out the RF Sampler, I connected 30dB attentuation and BINGO it worked a treat!
The amplified signal from the Micro PA100 was now being processed by the HL2’s Pure Signal circuitry and corrected, resulting in a beautifully clean signal. I had many QSO’s all over the world and received complimentary audio reports.
Again, a HUGE round of applause 👏 to the Hermes Lite 2+ for its outstanding value for money. And more applause 👏 to MI0BOT’s version of Thetis and more again 👏 for the wonderfully cheap Micro PA100!
People email me saying they've read my blog-posts about the wonderful Hermes Lite 2 but point out that I don't provide instructions on how to use Pure Signal, so let's fix that right now! It's a very simple process and can be achieved quickly. Using PS is detailed in the manual, but it seems some people don’t read them, lol. Bear in mind though, I'm a simple M7 license holder, so everything written below is based purely on experimentations.
There's actually a couple of ways of doing it - internally or externally. I have only used the HL2's internal method, but that might change as I go along. Anyway, let's start with the easiest way first of all. Anyone can use this method and there's no extra parts to pay for it you already have a Pure Signal output.
Pure Signal (an advanced, adaptive predistortion technique) is used to significantly clean up your transmitted signals by reducing distortion, IMD (Intermodulation Distortion), and harmonics. By sampling a portion of the output and correcting for nonlinearities, it improves transmission quality, reduces splatter and enhances efficiency.
In order for Pure Signal to function on your Hermes Lite, you must start by switching on PS-A (which is the Pure Signal Auto calibration) and DUPLEX (meaning that the radio receives even when transmitting). This is so that the transmitted signal can be monitored, measured and subsequently adjusted. So go to your Thetis software and switch it on (by the way, I'm using V2.10.3.12)...
Then you need to switch on AGC AUTO by double-clicking the text above the AGC until it switches from S-ATT to A-ATT. If you forget to do this, Pure Signal will not work properly.
Then go to the menus at the top of the screen and click on LINEARITY. A screen will appear - make sure you have all these settings...
Now find a clear spot on your preferred band and transmit. You will notice that the green Feedback/Pure Signal 2 markers will change to indicate that your transmission is being examined, measured and adjusted...
That's it! You have PURE SIGNAL!
WHAT ABOUT CONNECTING AN AMP?
So when you use the internal method, everything leaving your HL2 antenna port will be pure as the driven snow. But what if your pure signal goes out to an amplifier? That amplifier could undo all your good work!
Up to now, I've not seen a single post on the internet about this. There's little bits here and a few hints there, but no simple, straightforward guide on how to use Pure Signal with a HL2 and an Amp. So let's hope this post fixes that situation.
In this case, you want to monitor the signal leaving the amp instead of the radio. To do that you need a special splitter which is actually an RF SAMPLER. There are a few samplers available on the market and in the example below, I've shown an Australian sampler from VK3AMP in the illustration...
You will note from my diagram that the Pure Signal connector on the radio is actually an INPUT and not an output as some mistakenly believe. It's very important that the RF Sampler output to this connector is -50dB or greater to avoid overload. Ideally, you should connect the sampler directly to the amplifier's output connector. In the above case, it would mean using an PL239-PL239 Male pass-thru.
😂 A pretty diagram versus reality 😂
If you are going to insert an ATU in the circuit, it's going to be between the RF Sampler and the Antenna. You should (in this example) put the amplifier into BYPASS mode during tuning.
Note that I have included an RF Choke in the mix too - that's only because I often use a ground mounted vertical which generates problematic common mode currents. If you have no need for one (or for an ATU) then ignore. In this case, the layout would be simpler still...
So there you have it! Pretty straightforward huh? But what if you don't yet have a Pure Signal connector on the rear panel of your transceiver? Don't worry, it's a very simple and cheap mod - all you have to do is buy an RG-178 pigtail from Amazon (other stores are available lol) and solder one end to the connector block which connects the HL2 PCB and the Filter Board.
Note that the center-conductor goes to pin-6 and the shield (twist it all together) goes to both pins 3 and 4.
HL2 Internals
Close-Up
I hope this post proved to be useful to you.
73, Tom, M7MCQ.
UPDATE : 24 FEB 2026
Found a competitively priced RF SAMPLER here in the UK - just ordered one for £44. It gets good reviews, so happy days. Also ordered a couple of inline SMA-SMA attenuators in case I need more attenuation than the sampler provides.
The sampler arrived very promptly from the supplier, well packaged and the whole thing looked to be constructed to a very high standard. Excellent value for money!!
If you wish to purchase the VK3AMP sampler, click here. ($150) 😵
If you are from the STATES, perhaps this sampler would be a better option....
Well, I never saw that one coming! Turns out that M0DQW is a child rapi$t 😮😮😮 Matthew Miller ran the very popular ham radio YouTube channel, TECH MINDS, with over 150,000 followers.
Thankfully, he is now in jail serving a 10 years sentence and I sincerely hope they’re 10 loooong, terrifying years!
Over the years I’ve owned many Yaesu radios and I’ve experienced problems with three of them, where the LCD has developed a fault. In the past it’s been a case of lines appearing and obscuring the information behind. Or, crystals have fallen to the bottom of the screen!
With modern colour screens, I was kinda hoping all that was a thing of the past, but sadly, my FT3D started to develop similar problems. It started with a single line and has grown to a rectangular block.
The annoying thing is that this radio has lived a very sheltered life compared to some in my collection. I’ve got bruised and battered HT’s from Quansheng, Wouxon and Baofeng which still have perfect screens. How come their screens remain good?
When you have multiple interests, it’s not easy to fit everything in and I personally find myself focusing too much on one hobby - usually radio! But recently I’ve been forcing myself to spend more time on my second love - painting!
It’s all too easy (and pleasurable) to pick up one of my lovely transceivers and go play radio in the great outdoors - especially on a lovely summers day. Or maybe experiment with the build of a DIY antenna. For sure, radio is my best friend, but I should not ignore my other lifelong friends.
And so I have been doing a lot of sketching and painting. I’ve focused on local scenes and have found a renewed interest in this hobby. I’m not very talented (I’m like the M7 of the painting world) lol, but it’s all about experimentation and learning. And fun! 😊
This post is to hopefully help beginners who are experiencing trouble with their dials! That could be your VFO, your volume knob, or virtually any other potentiometer or encoder that is not behaving itself (except optical encoders).
I noticed that my VFO dial on the ELAD FDM DUO was operating perfectly when turning clockwise but not anti-clockwise. It would either do nothing or it would tune down very erratically (sometimes even going up in frequency)! I also had a similar problem with my BELKA DX, so I dug out my can of contact cleaner and gave the dials a spray.
So what makes encoders go rogue? Well quite often it will be due to oxidisation on the contact surfaces or dirt and sometimes even moisture from condensation. The latter is especially true if your equipment is kept in a location which might be at risk of damp or moisture. My Belka DX for example spends a lot of its time in the glovebox of my car, where temperatures can quickly change from freezing cold to very hot. Some people have their shack in an out-house or a garage where humidity levels and temperatures can change significantly.
Whatever the reason, once a dial starts to malfunction, you need to do something about it - and it’s often extremely simple to get things back to normal. Buy a tin of Electrical Contact Cleaner and choose one which has a thin application-tube.
Remove sufficient panels on your radio to access the faulty switch and apply brief squirts of the contact cleaner to the switch’s moving parts. Some older switches will have their wafers open and visible, but most will be enclosed. Direct the spray to the part of the switch which will result in the cleaning fluid running down to the internal wafers as shown in the example below…
Spin the dial backwards and forwards (clockwise and anti-clockwise) to help spread the cleaning material across the contacts. If the dial also has a push function, be sure to work that too. It may require multiple applications depending on how bad things are.
Try not to get the spray all over your radio internals by covering open areas. And before operating your radio, allow time for the spray to evaporate and dry completely before powering up.
The encoders on both my radios now work perfectly and it only took a few minutes to complete the job.
Boy, I really messed up buying this thing! I should have known better, because a few years ago I bought a BHI DSPKR and hated it. The NES 10-2 Mk4 is every bit as disappointing🙄.
I purchased it because the amplifier in my Elad SP1 had failed and I couldn’t find another SP1 for love nor money. I looked for anlternatives online and couldn’t find anything compact except from the BHI range, so I took the plunge, crossed my fingers and got the Mk4 NES 10-2.
As soon as I took it out of the box I started to have regrets - I could see that the controls were stupidly awkward (apart from the on/off switch). Why they have to be like this I do not know! 🤬
Anyway, I carried on with the installation hoping that it would sound good. But it didn’t. In my opinion it sounds dreadful - like one of those little ALTAI CB speakers you used to buy in the 80’s.
Okay, so the BHI has some DSP capabilities, but even those are limited (not to mention bloody awkward to alter). The adjustment dial for the DSP is on the rear panel and needs a Philips screwdriver to adjust it - ridiculous!
With the speaker plugged into the Elad FDM DUO’s headphone output, I struggled to get sufficient gain from the BHI’s internal amplifier, so maximum volume just wasn’t high enough. On other amplified speakers the output from the headphone socket is more than enough, but the BHI just didn’t have the muscle for the job.
I switched from using the headphone jack to the AUX out socket. This is a Line Out and therefore puts out max levels of volume with the only volume control being that on the speaker itself - which is virtually unusable due to its pathetic design.
Eventually I just gave up on this over-expensive speaker and chucked it into my bin of regrets. Needless to say, some people will like this speaker, but I’ve no idea why.
In times gone by, I have used a Bose Soundlink Mini II but that speaker was being used elsewhere in the home, so I tried to buy another. Regrettably, Bose have discontinued the device, forcing me to look on eBay for a mint secondhand one and luckily I spotted one in black (my other’s silver).
With the new Bose installed (plugged into the headphone jack), all was well with the world. Needless to say, the Bose sounds much richer and deeper than the Elad’s tiny internal speaker and it’s far easier to listen to SSB. Naturally, the very top end of the audio spectrum is sharply rolled off, but suitable adjustments can be made on the radio.
I’m a happy bunny now, although the ‘BHI REGRET’ still stings!
There'slots of SDR radios out there these days - there's been an explosion of them in the last few years and some people think that all SDRs are equal - but they're not!
Sure, any modern radio over $€£1500from the top manufacturers have similar levels of performance and it would be very difficult to tell them apart in a blind listening test, but some have a combination of features/spec which set them apart from the crowd.
No particular radio is massively better than another - but some models offer some people exactly what they want, without compromise. And the radio which does that for me is the Elad FDM Duo and its matching amplifier the Elad Duo Art 120.
The thing about the Elad system which particularly floats my boat is its uniqueness. There's nothing quite like it - it's stylish, compact, functional and has some amazing tech inside.
For those new to the hobby, I'll explain that SDR transceivers started off as plain boxes with no external controls - they were connected to a computer and it was the radio-software which provided all the controls, filtering and DSP. Later, standalone SDR radios appeared on the market which didn't require a computer, having all the regular buttons, dials and knobs of a normal transceiver.
The very first truly standalone SDR transceiver on the market was the Elad FDM DUO and at the time (2014) it was pretty groundbreaking! It wasn't until 2016 that one of the 'big three' responded with an SDR of their own - the Icom IC-7300. The Icom came without software and neither do the later Yaesu offerings.
Being a well established radio manufacturer, sales of the Icom went through the roof and it become the most popular amateur radio ever manufactured. Elad, on the other hand was pretty unknown to the ham radio fraternity so there weren't as many amateurs willing to risk their hard-earned money on a company they'd never heard of - even if Elad pioneered the standalone SDR transceiver!
Me? I don't mind taking chances, so I had no hesitation in buying an FDM DUO some 6 years ago. The big thing about the FDM DUO was that not only was it the first standalone SDR transceiver, but it could still be connected to a computer and be controlled from there.
And when I say it can be controlled by a PC, I'm not talking about basic control - I'm talking about an amazing piece of (free) proprietary software written by Elad themselves. This software (ELAD FDM SW2) provides an insane amount of adjustments and can even provide you with up to 8 virtual receivers PLUS the actual radio itself!!
And each one of those receivers can be controlled independently, so you could (if you so wished) listen to someone at the bottom of the band in CW mode and at the same time play FT8 and listen to SSB higher up. And each "slice" can have its own independent settings (noise-reduction, noise blanking, etc). That's pretty darned amazing! It's like Elad decided not only to become pioneers of SDR hardware, but also thought they'd wipe out anything the competition might do on the software front too!
So is the ELAD system still relevant 12yrs after it was launched? Absolutely!! Not only is it still relevant, but it's also still class-leading in terms of standalone SDRs with computer connectivity.
The transceiver is small enough to throw into a bag and carry to a SOTA or POTA location or connect it to the DUO ART amplifier in the shack and have an incredibly good base station. There’s just nothing like it on the market.
A CLASSIC COLLECTABLE!
Below is my original review of the kit….
ELAD FDM DUO - KING OF HF QRP?
The ELAD FDM DUO is a fabulous 160-6M SDR transceiver which can not only be used as a standalone rig, but also has some superbPC software! To many, it's the KING of HF SDR QRP!
ELAD Elettronica was established in 1990 by Franco Milan - a designer with decades of experience. ELAD excel in technological innovation and skills in the world of electronics. They are electronic engineers first and foremost, producing high end test equipment, but being Italian, also have an eye for beauty and style - this thing wouldn't look out of place in a stylish lounge!
The FDM DUO is a smart, compact (7"x6"), very well constructed radio which can be used as a standalone QRP radio up on a SOTA Summit or is equally happy at home in the shack connected to a linear amplifier. If one receiver is not enough for you, then simply connect it to your PC and run the FDM-SW2 software - enabling you can work on two separate bands at the same time with four independent frequencies on each band - effectively 9 receivers in total!
Depending on the power supplied to the radio and the band used, the FDM DUO will typically output 5Wat 12V and up to 9W at 13.8V (and down low into the mA range ) in all modes (except digital). Output drops according to the voltage of your supply, so using a low-voltage battery will drop the TX output typically to 5W. Personally, I use a 13.2V LifePO battery so I should get close to full TX power when playing outdoors. It's worth noting that the Elad has a current draw of 500mA in receive mode, so this would be considered too high for many POTA/SOTA operators. I wouldn't let that bother me for a POTA outing because I've always got my truck close to hand with extra batteries, should I need them, but for SOTA that's a different story. Back in the shack (where a radio like this would probably spend most of its life), a 13.8V PSU will always guarantee max power out.
The Elad FDM DUO is a Direct SamplingSDR which means that the antenna is virtually connected directly to the A/D convertor. The advantage of this is that once a signal has been digitised, it's no longer prone to degradation, so the sooner you can achieve that, the better.
The RX range of the Elad is 10Khz to 52MHz, so it is also a good choice for ShortWave Listeners. Performance below 54MHz is superb and if you use the PC software you can actually go much higher (at reduced quality).
You can choose from Black or Silver finish, but me being me, I opted for the Special Edition "RED" version in 2019. This special edition came about after Martin Lynch reviewed the radio on YouTube and suggested that it was "like holding a Ferrari in your hands", so the MD of ELAD decided to do a short run of red radios, lol. The finish on the steel case is very nice and looks pretty durable. The legs at the front of the rig might look a bit flimsy but they are in fact quite robust. The VFO dial feels smooth and dependable and the screen is bright and crystal clear.
Under the cover: there's a very fast analog-digital-converter which samples the received HF directly into digital signals and a downstream DSP module provides for filtering and processing, while another ARM processor handles the signals of the control unit. One highlight of the FDM-DUO is the possibility to use it standalone without a computer.
It's a perfect companion for QRP fans, allowing you to have an advanced SDR with you even when you're working far from home. The controls are very easy to use for a small QRP transceiver and in addition to the big VFO knob, there are two smaller knobs for volume and filter-center/width (amongst others). Six blue buttons below the LCD-screen access the most important functions directly, while less frequently used settings are available via menu system.
On the rear of the panel you have an RF OUT (0db), REF IN, RX-USB, two SO-239 connectors (one for a TX/RX antenna and one for an RX-ONLY antenna), PTT-OUT, KEY/PADDLE, RJ-45 MIC connector (Icom compatible), two more USB ports (TX & CAT control), a DB9 connector for accessories, a power connector and a small ON/OFF switch.
When connected to a PC, FDM-DUO is a very advanced SDR receiver and transmitter with capabilities which are usually available only in large radios. The device receives from 160M to 6M. A 16-bit ADC with 122 MHz sampling rate is built-in.
Selectable modes are:
LSB,
USB,
CW,
AM
FM,
Extra modes with the Software are:
Sync-AM
Multiple CW modes
DSB
ECSS
RTTY
WFM (incl. Stereo and RDS!)
RTTY,
DRM
IQ Out
The Elad has a built-in, onscreen CW DECODER, which is always a nice addition.
The accompanying PC software is called FDM-SW2 and is constantly being updated. The software gives you a staggering amount of control over the radio - much more than any other SDR software out there!
Just stop for a moment and think about other Standalone SDR Transceivers on the market from the big boys like Icom and Yaesu - do they provide you with FREE comprehensive software?? No! Hell, you'd be lucky to get basic-control software.
Elad on the other hand provide FDM-SW2 (always being updated) totally free of charge and it permits you not only to control the basic functions of the radio, but let's you delve deeply into the nooks and crannies of the radio and change pretty much anything you want in search of a better signal.
You can open multiple windows and spread them across your monitor in a layout which suits your method of working and they can even be spread across multiple monitors. One big plus to me, is the fact that you can properly resize windows to fill your screen(s).
Using the software, you can play with a great many features including the amazing 10 noise-blockers and 10 filters that are available for all modes. You can open up an equalizer to tailor your transmitted audio or adjust the level of compression. You even get a nice visual waveform to see your transmitted audio - a nice touch.
The Noise Blocker on this radio is just staggering (to me at least)! Occasionally at my home QTH, someone in the neighbourhood switches something on 😡 which virtually wipes me out and the only noise blockers which can deal with it are the one on the Elad and the one on my TS-590SG (to a lesser extent). All others have failed completely.
Setting up pre-recorded voice messages (eg for calling CQ) is easily configured and these messages can be set to automatically repeat. If you have a USB headset or a USB microphone connected to your PC, you can choose which one to use to transmit from.
There's so much more that can be done from within the software - it really is quite amazing the amount of control the manufacturer has chosen to give to the operator. So much so, you might find yourself resetting the radio to the manufacturer's default settings when your tinkering has gone a little too far, lol.
The ELAD FDM DUO is a cracking little QRP radio with a stunning receiver which will never fail to impress you and the software just takes it to another level. It's also easy to hook up to a linear for those wanting to use it in the shack as their main rig.
Everyday operating of the Elad is really quite straightforward and although you do have to remember what some of the buttons do, it only takes a couple of days to feel completely comfortable navigating your way around all the options. The VFO dial is large and nice in the hand.
Although the screen is quite small, it is extremely crisp and easy to read - there's bags of information on there too. The colour of the backlighting can be altered and you can even set it up to change when transmitting - say to red.
When connecting up to a PC to run the FDM-SW2 software, I find it much better to use a TMATE-2 instead of mouse and keyboard. Having said that, you usually find yourself working a combination of the two.
If you want CAT Control, then you only need one of the three USB leads.
When you listen to the Elad, you just fall in love and forget about any gripes. This is an outstanding receiver!
You will note from the images that a matching speaker is available - the SP1A. External speakers from radio manufacturers are a great annoyance to me - I think they're outrageously expensive! Not so with Elad.
They cost £135 brand new and are super stylish and superbly well engineered! The SP-1A is an amplified speaker which conveniently has a PowerPole pass-thru. It has decent power output and has a built-in 3-stage DSP circuit. It fits in very well and completes the station.
To see the beautiful matching 100W Linear Amplifier, click the image below...
Here's a video recording of me speaking to W2RE using the ELAD and a G5RV...
This beautiful, high performance transceiver from Italy is a shining star in the SDR world, for sure. It's completely standalone but is backed up with some of the very best software available on the market for those who want to link up to their shack PC.
It's small enough to be thrown into a rucksack and be taken with you on your travels, but that (relatively) high current consumption will mean that you probably won't want to take it to the top of a mountain with a small battery. Having said that, not many people spend all day on top of a mountain 😁 You tend to bag your 10 contacts for the activation and enjoy the local scenery on your descent. My HobbyKing 8400 LifePO battery has never failed me.
I see the ELAD FDM DUO as a top-end performer that is absolutely perfect for the shack or Field Day or a POTA outing. You'd be very hard-pressed to find a better receiver - especially if you take advantage of the software on a computer, laptop or tablet.
I guess some people would baulk at the £1k price tag of a 5-9W radio and put their money into one of the run of the mill 100-Watters out there. As a lover of QRP though, I prefer to do things a little differently. Not everyone will. Are there better receivers out there? Of course - at three times the cost! Are they three times better? Of course not!
Here's a black edition that I bought for my static caravan. Up there in the Forest Of Bowland the noise levels are extremely low!
Dave Kennett (K8KFJ) put together 3amazingly useful videos on how to get the most out of the ELAD FDM DUO and I have to admit that there were plenty of tips that introduced me to features I wasn't even aware of! Bear in mind though, that these videos are for owners of the Elad who want to invest time in learning everything about this wonderful transceiver. They are not reviews. Sadly, Dave has now gone silent-key😥.
Thanks for your amazing contribution Dave 🙏
ELAD GUIDE - Part 1
ELAD GUIDE - Part 2
ELAD GUIDE - Part 3
One of the very most experienced users of the Elad system here in the UK is M0OXF. He has an amazing YouTube channel which is brimming with Elad and SWL related content.
His YouTube channel can be found HERE and is well worth paying a visit.
RX Stand-Alone Specifications
Frequency range: 10kHz - 54MHz.
Direct sampling receiver operating @122.88MHz, ADC: LTC2165 16bit.
DDC (Digital Down Converter) made with FPGA Xilinx Spartan 6.
Filters & Std-Alone Demodulator made with ARM STM32F4 microcontroller with floating point unit.
Demodulation: CW, CWR, LSB, USB, AM, FM narrow.
Selectable LSB and USB filters; 1600Hz to 3100Hz with 100Hz step plus 4000Hz, 5000Hz and 6000Hz values.
Selectable AM filters from 2500Hz to 6000Hz with 500Hz step.
Selectable CW filters; 2600Hz, 1500Hz, 1000Hz, 500Hz, 300Hz and 100Hz plus 4 CW peak filters applied after 100Hz filter to obtain an overall filter of 20Hz bandwidth.
Selectable FM filters: narrow, wide and data.
Pitch setting: up to 1kHz with 10Hz step.
RIT feature.
Three audio volumes: main, auxiliary and sidetone.
Squelch: off and 10 on levels.
Gain Control: automatic (AGC) and manual, with settable threshold.
Noise Reduction: off and 10 on levels.
Noise Blanker: off and 10 on levels.
Auto Notch: off and 2 on levels.
TX Stand-Alone Specifications
Supports bands from 160m to 6m.
Modulation and filtering made with ARM STM32F4 and DDS AD9957 with 368.64MHz clock.
Modulation: CW, LSB, USB, AM, FM narrow.
Microphone input (ADC 48KHz@16bit) with selectable gain (+/-12dB). Tx bandwidth selectable. Compression gain settable.
Key and Paddle input for CW operation, supports Iambic A and B, settable CW speed for Paddle, settable CW delay.
Not filtered 0dBm output on SMA connector (can be used as test equipment or as digital RF generator).
Up to 5W output power on all bands plus Max Selection (e.g. 8W@14MHz).
PTT Output to drive external amplifiers.
Main Features
VFO A and VFO B, with dedicated frequency, step and mode.
200 MEMORIES with dedicated frequency, step, mode and alphanumeric label.
QuickMem feature: up to 20 re-callable memories for band selection (memories 180 to 199).
QuickStep feature: allows to quickly change step without modify VFOs or MEM step.
Tune feature to facilitate antenna tuning with external antenna tuner.
VFOA=VFOB feature.
VFO to MEM and MEM to VFO features.
Std-Alone Split feature, VFO A for RX and VFO B for TX.
2 customizable keys (F4 and F5) with various functions: CW message sending, split management, tuning knob lock, CW/CWR choice.
2 frequency entering modes : with step and digit by digit.
Integrated CW decoder.
LCD color programmable with RGB values for the various operating modalities (RX, TX , PC remote control, ...).
All programmable components (ARM RX, ARM TX, Flash for FPGA, User Interface microcontroller and USB controller) are firmware upgradable.
General Specifications
Antenna connectors: RTX SO-239, RX SO-239.
CAT USB control interface with FTDI controller, manages also RTS and DTR signals to transmit.
Proprietary EXTIO Interface to connect accessories.
10MHz Reference Input on SMA connector.
Power supply: 2.1mm DC Plug, 13.8VDC.
RX consumption: typ. 500mA@13.8VDC.
TX consumption: <2.2A@13.8VDC (5W output).
Size: Width 180mm (7.00"), Depth 155mm (6.10") including Knob and connectors or 130mm (5.10") only enclosure, Height 70mm (2.75").
