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Monday, May 28, 2018
The Mission RGO ONE: A new 50 watt all mode HF transceiver
Shortly after posting a set of photos I took at the 2018 Hamvention, I received a number of reader inquiries regarding one particular radio: The Mission RGO ONE.
I found this cool tabletop transceiver in the flea market area of the Hamvention early Saturday morning and included it with my inside exhibits photos. I wasn’t able to gather a lot of information from the representative at the time because the Hamvention staff opened the gates to general admission a full 30 minutes early, so I had to make a sprint to my table at the other side of the fairgrounds.
The following specifications/features were listed on the RGO ONE product sheet:
- QRP/QRO output 5 – 50W
- All mode shortwave operation – coverage of the 9 HAM HF bands (160m optional)
- High dynamic range receiver design including high IP3 monolithic IC in the front end and H-mode first mixer
- Low phase noise first LO – SI570 chip
- Full/semi QSK on CW; VOX operation on SSB.
- Down conversion superhet topology with 9MHz IF
- Custom made crystal filters for SSB and CW and variable crystal 4 pole filter – Johnson type
- Stylish and professional look
- Compact and lightweight body
- Multicolor FSTN LCD
- Silent operation with no clicking relays inside
- Modular construction – Mother board serves as a “chassis” also fits all the external connectors, daughter boards, inter-connections and acts as a cable harness.
- Optional modules – NB, AF, ATU, XVRTER
- PC control via CAT protocol; USB FTDI chip
- Memory morse code keyer (Curtis A, CMOS B)
- Contest and DXpedition conveniences
For even more detail, I recently contacted the rig’s developer, Boris Sapundzhiev (LZ2JR), who kindly answered all of my questions.
Boris replied:
Hello Thomas,
Thanks a lot for your message and interest about our new homebrew project that we called RGO ONE. Here you can find more about the radio:
https://lz2jr.com/blog/index.php/qrp-hf-transceiver/embed/#?secret=KuKgvHNJaR
There are clickable highlights on the text which lead to a schematic diagram for each module so you can have a look if you like. Final documents and last revision of schematics will be available soon.
The idea of this project was inspired of an old TEN-TEC radios with 9MHz IF – their perfect analogue design and crystal crisp audio both CW and sideband. Mine have two very old TEN-TEC ARGOSY 525D and several moreTEN-TEC equipments. So with the help of the new electronic components available on the market we realize this old concept…
We’ve been working hard for almost three years to see what you saw at Dayton flea market table. A real performing HF 50W CW/SSB transceiver. We are 4 people in the team.. Other team mates are very good in industrial electronics manufacturing and helping very much with electronic PCB design, parts delivery, microprocessors and other things.
The idea of the front panel and other constructions design is mine .. I literally drew it in a couple of hours then our CAD designer put it in AUTOCAD/INVENTOR 3D design software.
Click to enlarge.
Click to enlarge.
Click to enlarge.
LCD we made in China and already stocked plenty of LCD and backlight units. Front panel is made by means of plastic mold method:
So far we got two samples that we tested already in real conditions and made several contest (LZ2RS helped with this task).
You can seek for video clips on YouTube (my channel) to see how it works.
Click here to view on YouTube.
I am back in Bulgaria now and today we had a team meeting so it is decided to start first lot 10pcs which will be completely ready to run. The time range of this is somewhere next two months. Then next lot will be 100 units probably some of them or most of them will be in a kit form with ready populated SMD small foot print components.
At the show in Dayton we revealed our target price for the base version – $450-$550. Hope to keep it as promised but final price will be available when first units come to alive.
First units will ship from Bulgaria, then we will try to stock more units in US.This is briefly about our intentions of the project. A lot of interest, expectations and positive “WOW” feedbacks received so this urge me to go fast forward.
73, GL
Boris LZ2JR/AC9IJ
Thank you for the detailed reply, Boris! I will certainly follow this project with interest and post updates (readers: bookmark the tag RGO ONE).
I love the size of the RGO ONE and the fact it’s capable of a full 50 watts out in such a portable form factor. The front panel is very attractive, ergonomic and the backlit LCD screen is quite easy to read at any angle.
Boris, if you manage to hit your target price of $550 or less, you’ll no doubt sell these by the hundreds! I’ll be watching this project with interest.
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Donald’s video review of the Sangean WR-7
Regarding our recent review of the Sangean WR-7, SWLing Post reader, Donald Brown, writes:
Hi, my name is Donald Brown, and I did a video review of the Sangean WR-7 and I thought that you might want to have a look at it and even place it onto your site as well. The YouTube address is here below:
Click here to view on YouTube.
Also, just to let you know, I own a country Internet radio station called Pure Country 100 which can be found here below. I have provided you with the site as well as the direct streaming link.
Site: http://www.purecountry-100.com
Direct Stream: http://wasitviewed.com/index.php?email=dbrwn@aol.com&id=10823
Be sure to spread the word about the station to as many people as you possibly can. Also, send me a reply to let me know what you think of the video as well as the station.
Thanks for sharing, Donald–I’m quite happy to spread the word!
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VK9XT Christmas Island. From DXNews.com
VK9XT Team will be active from Christmas Island, IOTA OC – 002, 29 September – 6 October 2018.
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VK9XT – Christmas Island
A team consisting A65DC, A65DR, SM0CXU and VE7HDW will be active from Christmas Island OC-002 as VK9XT during September 29 to October 6, 2018. QRV on 10-160m CW, SSB and various digital modes – 24/7 from the island. FT8 might be used at times. More information to follow. Visit VK9XT webpage or Facebook page
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Propagation Report from Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP
Southgate ARC – Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the solar activity is expected to be at low levels
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VK6WIA NewsWest
Southgate ARC – We start the news this week with the Wireless Institute of Australia who have started controversial expulsion proceedings towards several members and the news that members of Amateur Radio Victoria are extremely unhappy at the treatment of one of their members by the WIA
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More Members, More Skills, More Inspiration
Southgate ARC – In the June issue of the free Hackspace magazine radio amateur Jenny List G7CKF describes how to grow a hackspace by attracting members from a wide variety of backgrounds
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ICQ Podcast Episode 267 – Dummies Guide to DMR
Southgate ARC – In this episode, Martin M1MRB is joined by Leslie Butterfield G0CIB, Edmund Spicer M0MNG, and Bill Barnes N3JIX to discuss the latest Amateur / Ham Radio news. Colin M6BOY rounds up the news in brief, and this episode’s feature is – Dummies Guide to DMR
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Football World Cup Marathon
Southgate ARC – Many special call signs from countries participating in the Football World Cup tournament in Russia, as well as from other FIFA member countries that did not qualify for the finals, will be active between 1 June and 15 July. The call signs have either ‘FIFA’ or ‘FWC’ as suffix
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Expulsion of members from the WIA
Southgate ARC – Many of you will have read with concern reports regarding the ‘expulsion’ of members from the WIA
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Bundestag member told of radio interference from consumer devices
Southgate ARC – Bundestag member Alois Rainer (CSU-Straubing) attended the 10th international radio amateur meeting, held Saturday, May 12 at the local association of Straubing radio amateurs in Grandsberg
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Canberra runs arguably VK’s best ‘new comers net’
Southgate ARC – To our knowledge, Summerland Amateur Radio Club conducted VK’s first net for new hams. (Under the catchy ‘moniker’ of F-TROOP.) Well in Canberra their Foundation of F net is attracting newbies far and wide
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West Central Florida Section ARES Keeping Close Eye on Alberto
05/27/2018
ARRL West Central Florida Section ARES® has gone to a Level 3 activation (standby) at 1800 EDT due to the issuance of Tropical Storm Warnings in advance of Sub-Tropical Storm Alberto for coastal areas of WCF Section counties and for all of Pinellas County, which is surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico, Tampa Bay, and Old Tampa Bay.
“At this time our respective ARES groups are in stand-by mode, but we have not received any requests for assistance from their respective Emergency Management agencies,” ARRL West Central Florida Section Manager Darrell Davis, KT4WX, told ARRL.
Davis said he is posting daily special bulletins to the Section’s website and Facebook page and mentioned on the Section’s Twitter page. “We will continue at the Level 3 activation until the Tropical Storm warnings are discontinued for all WCF Section counties,” Davis said. The WCF Section ARES page includes an Activation Level indicator.
The National Hurricane Center reports that as of 11:00 AM EDT, Alberto was 130 miles west-southwest of Tampa with maximum sustained winds of 50 MPH, moving north at 14 MPH. A Storm Surge Watch is in effect for Crystal River to the Florida/Alabama border. A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Bonita Beach to the Mississippi/Alabama border.
Alberto is the first named storm of the Atlantic Hurricane Season, which does not officially begin until June 1.
Read the full article at http://www.arrl.org/news/view/west-central-florida-section-ares-keeping-close-eye-on-alberto. STRAY SIGNALS does not claim ownership of the article.
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