How small can you go?

 This is a video about making a really tiny Pixie transceiver and some portable antennas.

Making the Pixie better

The Pixie is available as a 40m transceiver extremely inexpensively from China. It is a low power transceiver, but the receiver is a real compromise often suffering from overload from broadcast stations and with poor selectivity. These mods by VK3YE 9 years ago make it a bit better. 

If you are after a really low cost way of getting into amateur radio,  this may be it. There have been several variations of it down the years.

The Pixie and Micro80 are also on my website.

How?

 

For this price both the manufacturer and AliExpress make profits. I am amazed. In the UK one could not buy even the crystal for this!

Some years ago I bought a Pixie kit from AliExpress. It cost a few pounds, but worked perfectly when fired up on the air.

Pixie transceiver kits

 A few moments ago I looked at AliExpress for Pixie transceiver kits. The lowest price I found was £1.28 with free delivery from China!! The term "free delivery" seems to be a bit odd as most seem to charge for "shipping". 

I just do not know how they do it and make profits.

Most from the least

This has always been a challenge for QRP operators. We know we can span the globe with a Japanese transceiver, a linear, a beam and a tower all costing thousands, but what may be done for the cost of a coffee in town?

There are many answers to this. It usually involves some element of compromise (usually with the receiver), but time and again people have shown that really simple gear works. I guess the "holy grail" is the rig that has the fewest compromises, yet gives you plenty of contacts. I am still looking!

One of the rigs I have tried is the Micro80 and the Pixie. A few years ago (possibly still) 40m Pixie kits could be bought with airmail from China for a few pounds. I have built versions for 80m and 40m and they have all worked. Albeit, the RX was far from perfect but they worked and resulted in QSOs.

The circuit is a typical Pixie.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/8040m-pixie-and-micro80-transceivers .

Pixie transceivers

These are still available at rock bottom prices on eBay. 

I have built versions for 80m amd 40m and had QSOs with each. With something this simple there are compromises. The RX, in some cases, lacks selectivity and can be overloaded by strong broadcast  stations. Nonetheless they do work and they are hard to beat for the price.

The cheapest I have seen is £1.35, which is less than the price of just 1 part if bought in the UK!

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/8040m-pixie-and-micro80-transceivers .

Amazing Ali-Express deal

In case you missed Keith's comment on a post yesterday, you can now buy a complete 40m Pixie CW transceiver kit for just 42p with free shipping!!  They cannot make any money on this at all.

See https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32659942384.html?spm=a2g0o.detail.0.0.798d3e717zW8OZ&gps-id=pcDetailTopMoreOtherSeller&scm=1007.40050.354490.0&scm_id=1007.40050.354490.0&scm-url=1007.40050.354490.0&pvid=cf2c5bcb-d6d5-46a0-82f8-937ee83d86b6&_t=gps-id:pcDetailTopMoreOtherSeller,scm-url:1007.40050.354490.0,pvid:cf2c5bcb-d6d5-46a0-82f8-937ee83d86b6,tpp_buckets:668%232846%238113%231998&pdp_npi=4%40dis%21GBP%214.20%210.42%21%21%214.96%21%21%402101e9a216958169374761959e95a7%2159889805406%21rec%21UK%21%21AB

How do they do it?

Steve G1KQH has pointed me to this link for a 40m Pixie CW transceiver kit for just £1.36 plus shipping. How do they do it and make a profit?

See https://a.aliexpress.com/_EITEaHH. 

Pixies and Micro80 transceivers

At one time you could buy Pixies kits for 40m CW very cheaply from China with free airfare. It may still be possible. 

The Pixie transceiver was derived from the Micro80. Both have severe limitations, especially on RX. Nonetheless, they work and can be a very low cost introduction to the hobby. I have built both in the past.

You may be amazed that something this simple actually works.

Pixie transceivers

The Pixie is a classic low cost CW transceiver usually for 80m or 40m. It started life as the Micro80. Kits are available from China at ridiculously low prices, although some are better than others. 

It uses the PA transistor as a mixer and often suffered from poor selectivity and AM breakthrough. It was let down by this poor RX. Over the years several versions have been created to help with these issues. 

However, it does work and is capable of really get contacts.

The photos show a typical Pixie and my version of the Micro80. 

See  https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/8040m-pixie-and-micro80-transceivers .

Pixie testing

About 6 years ago, I managed to construct a 40m Pixie kit. Doubt if I could do it now, although perhaps I could with care. 

It must have been tested it at the QTH of G6ALB, although I do not remember this. The photo shows these tests.

Classic QRP transceivers

Nothing compares with working hundreds or thousands of miles on an ultra-simple QRP transceiver that you made yourself. 

The challenge is often trying to make the simplest rig that actually works. Often it is receiver that is the weakest link. With modern rigs, mW signals can often be dug out of the noise.

One classic is the Pixie and its predecessor the Micro80. Pixie kits can often be bought from China at stupid prices. These work and allow real QSOs, but they are let down by the RX. The challenge is to get a rig where the RX is up to the job. Often I do not call CQ in case a weak signal I cannot hear is already there. With QRP, calling others is often a better approach.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/8040m-pixie-and-micro80-transceivers .

Pixie and Micro80

There has always been challenge to get the most from the least. We will happily pay well over £1000 on a new rig, yet we often get more fun from a rig costing just a few pounds to make. 

One such is the Pixie or the Micro80. These are compromise rigs, often let down by the RX, which tends to be the weak link. They work and I have had QSOs on 80m and 40m with mine. At one time you could buy 40m Pixie kits from China for a few pounds. I bought one of these and it went together well and worked. I have not looked recently to see if these are still available. With the Pixie and Micro80 I am afraid of calling CQ over a weak station.

There are other rig alternatives although with something simple, you usually have to accept some weakness. The "holy grail" is a simple, low cost rig that really is not a compromise. If you know of any, let me know. My target is a complete transceiver that can be made for less than £5 that really works without compromise.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/8040m-pixie-and-micro80-transceivers .

Pixies and the Micro-80

There has always been a call to see what can be worked with very little. Among such rigs are the Pixie and Micro-80. I have built both in the past. 

Both use the PA as the mixer on RX. The RX is the compromise although both work. Pixie kits were available as kits from China at very low cost. I bought one for 40m, with a crystal on 7.023MHz. If you get one you may want to consider crystals on 7.030MHz which is the  QRP calling frequency in Europe. These crystals are available at low cost.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/8040m-pixie-and-micro80-transceivers .

Pixies and Micro-80s

One of the fun parts of our hobby is seeing how simple gear can be made that is capable of contacts of several hundred miles or more. 

Examples are the Pixie and Micro-80 designs. Pixies can be bought as kits from China for a few pounds or euros. In the past, I have made versions for 80m and 40m, including homebrew and kits.

With these circuits, the main limitation is the RX. These are compromises using the PA device as the RX mixer. Often the sensitivity is a bit lacking and AM breakthrough can be a problem. The front end selectivity is barn-door and the audio filtering mainly one's ear! Nonetheless, many miles can be spanned. In terms of "bang per buck" they take some beating. 

The challenge is to find the best overall circuit which has a decent TX and RX.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/pixie

Pixie and Micro-80 transceivers

Some years ago I built a Micro-80 transceiver for 80m CW.

More recently I got a Pixie kit for 40m, which was very inexpensive and came with free airmail from China. It went together easily and enabled me to have a QSO with a local ham. It got put away thereafter as it was really an exercise to check out my building skills after my stroke in 2013.

On all these simple, compromise, rigs it is the receiver which is often the weakest link. They often have little selectivity and can easily be overloaded. These days there is far more FT8 activity and both SSB and  CW have suffered. Typical Pixie powers are 300-500mW. This power is more than enough to work plenty assuming you can copy the other station!

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/pixie

The Pixie and Micro-80 transceivers

Many years ago I wrote about these simple 80m CW transceivers. In recent years 40m versions have been available from China at very low prices. My website is very old now (at least 6 years old in the main).

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/pixie

New Pixie Kit

Steve G1KQH has told me about a new Pixie kit from China which now comes with a case.

See https://www.aliexpress.com/i/32988482921.html

The Pixie

This is a classic QRP CW transceiver. Like all simple transceivers it is a compromise. Chinese versions are available at less than the cost of the crystal alone in the UK. The Chinese kit I built was for 40m and worked first time.

The Pixie is a derivative of the Micro-80.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/pixie

Chinese 40m Pixie Transceivers

Looking in eBay recently I see that a 40m Chinese Pixie can be obtained for just £2.27 including free postage from China. Last year I bought one from a different supplier and it worked first time. I have no idea how they do these and make a profit at this price.

At these prices you cannot go wrong. If it goes wrong you've only wasted the cost of a coffee in a cafe. The amateur kit market is a tough one. If the Chinese can do kits at low, low prices what hope do the likes of the revamped Heathkit have? No, being in the amateur radio kit market is not for the faint-hearted.