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Reviews For: Q-MAC HF-90

Category: Transmitters: non-amateur adaptable for ham use

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Review Summary For : Q-MAC HF-90
Reviews: 10MSRP: 7,563.95
Description:
Q-MAC Electronics is the designer and manufacturer of the HF-90 Compact Transceiver - the world's smallest high performance HF SSB transceiver, suited to civilian and military/paramilitary applications.

Product is not in production
More Info: http://www.qmac.com/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
15104.5
VK6MH Rating: 2023-03-31
Ideal HF radio for emergency use Time Owned: more than 12 months.
As the designer of this equipment I cannot give an unbiased review. It was designed for use by outback 4WD users, aid agencies and military. Beyond a certain serial number radios could be upgraded to frequency hopping by changing the microprocessor chip. Export licences were required for HF-90H version. If you are curious about the technical design of this radio you can see three YouTube videos that describe it on my channel which is called Roderick Macduff
73 de VK6MH
KH6VP Rating: 2020-09-13
Best portable radio for me Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I own many radios, more than 200 at last count.
Nothing however is as useful as the HF-90. I own two of them, the UN version and the export version.
I have the programming software and the dealer software. I can thus program is at will. It has 255 memories, that can be programmed USB or LSB. Since it can be programmed in the field, it’s easy to enter new frequencies. I have a part of the 40m, the 80m and the 20m band programmed, 1KHz apart at known kHz ends according to memory number so memory channel 40, is 14240 for example.
It can use 12-28V so a drone battery that has 5 or 10amps is perfect (mine is a 14.8V 5.6A drone battery).
Output is 50watts PEP.
My UN version comes with the blue backpack and the tuner, and they both work well.
The radio has a signal strength meter (one reviewer said it doesn’t but it does) and the display screen changes to show that.
One of the best features is the SELCAL which calls another radio with selcal installed. You can then get called back automatically. Selcal is a type of FEC RTTY short communication. It also offers beacon mode which Uses SELCAL to call another radio and get a beacon back with signal strength so you know a communications is possible or not.
Absolutely great radio. I don’t know why amateur radios don’t offer selcal because it’s a perfect way to get people on a frequency with no other contact means.
HA7WX Rating: 2014-08-08
Light and portable Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I have had this rig and sold it. I regret but i wanted something more flexible while portable (it has channels) and i also wanted to see signal strength (not a big issue).
This thing is incredibly rugged (originally engineered commercial and military), dust and water drop proof. Its 40W come handy when conditions need it. I had once an encomm round table from my car, and i was asked what my working conditions are (propagation was here).
Also it's the lightest and smallest rig in the world in this class (HF, 50W PWR).
Its current draw RX is like 300 mA and around 10A TX.
I had an issue (friend of mine did not check mic wiring whilst measuring PWR) and eeprom locked up.
Fortunately one can find empty eeproms at electronics shops for a few USD and i was able to re-program the channels using the dtmf microphone.
If you're interested and feel the need for a simple yet ultra-rugged rig to just communicate on HF (USB or LSB), i highly recommend this one!

VK3VSR Rating: 2012-06-04
Excellent Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have used an HF90 for about 5 years between 2005 and 2010 and never had a problem.I bought mine in 2005 second hand. My need was to contact the RFDS around the country.Space in my vehicle was an issue so the small size was very appreciated.I also liked the ability to field program the radio using my laptop. I also carried other HF radios (eg Codan X2 and Kenwood TS50) to compare during the trips around and throughout Australia. The HF90 always provided contact and never failed to get communications.The other radios, although quite good, were substantially larger, but generally equally reliable . I used various antennas like a pre-tuned tapped whip or the long wire antenna cut to the length of the frequency required.When I owned mine it was illegal to have a user programmable transceiver, and you could not have one unless you imported it from overseas. However I notice that the current HF-90s are all user programmable without the need for a laptop. It's all done from the buttons on the front, apparently. I still have the programming cables and software and a spare DTMF mike which I hope to use for my next HF90, as I would love another but can't afford even a good second hand one! Nevertheless, I strongly recommend one of these great radios. Roman.Kyabram, Victoria, 4th June, 2012
VK2DMH Rating: 2011-10-18
Ideal for Portable Emcoms Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I don't own one of these, although I would like to. They are not cheap but they are top quality. I do Emcoms with WICEN NSW here in Australia, and we just took part in a big exercise to search for a real, long-lost aircraft VH-MDX, which crashed 30 years ago in some of the most rugged terrain imaginable. It has never been found. I was on one the WICEN base command post teams which helped to provide comms links, using HF, VHF, UHF and cross-band repeaters on both Amateur Radio and commercial channels. The QMAC HF-90 radios were carried by six search teams who had to climb cliffs and cut their way through dense bush all day for two days. They just threw out a wire over trees or bushes and tuned up, and were a very important part of the comms network. And understand that the searchers were relatively untrained in radio use. They were not hams. The radios were programmed to use fixed channels on assigned (non-ham) frequencies and worked well. Full details on: http://www.walkietalkietwowayradios.com/1549/sydney-radio-hams-help-search-for-lost-aircraft-vh-mdx/
KE7JSL Rating: 2009-06-09
Simple and works Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have the Mini Pack. Only one minor flaw. Soldered battery connections. Simple Windows programing. Field programmable. 10w or 50w output. I was looking for picnic table portable with extra power if needed, battery friendly, no menus, few cables, and just works well. The HF-90 does just that.
9W2ECG Rating: 2009-03-06
thin antenna tuner coil that i don't like Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I'm technical guy , repairing communication equipments. Our local search and rescue team used HF-90 manpack for 2++ years.

positive points:
1) compact, robust
2) good automatic antenna tuner, easy to tune.

Negative points:
1) ptt mic looks not as robust/ solid as normal mobile ptt unit, speaker sounds thin.
2) ptt mic wire end protected with transparent sleeve/tubing which is too hard and cut into wires.need replace it from time to time.
3) antenna tuner used thin copper wire for the matching coil, I've never seen such thin copper wires in other antenna tuner, even qrp tuners used thicker than this TA-90 antenna tuner.
4)they're not answering my email :-(



sorry for the low rating, just because I'm technical guy. Doesn't means that the HF-90 will not perform, Infact, its a good compact HF set, just don't like the negative points that mentioned above.
VK6BOS Rating: 2004-08-01
Configuration options Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have the Minipack System /International option.
See QMAC WEBSITE for the various configurations available.
Also have Vehicle package (TA-90 tuner,etc).
Positive points:
Compact,Rugged,simple to operate,good quality finish.
Negative points:
I have discovered that this radio needs major mods if changing over to other configurations.
Apart from that seems to be performing to expectations.



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Earlier 5-star review posted by VK6BOS on 2003-02-11

This radio could be set up as a Emergency Hf communication station in a matter of minutes.
I have found it easy to program and can be used also as a Qrp set up.
It is rugged and as the manufacturers claim rightly...small enough to carry in any enviroment.
High performance specs radio.

RANGER100 Rating: 2003-06-24
Excellent Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Have used HF-90 portable set for 4-5 yrs as SES volunteer. Small, light,Easy to use, reliable, set up in seconds and easily set up for base operations. beats the hell out of the old Wagners we used to have.
We use Codan 9323 in vehicles so have experience with both
SAMRUTHERFORD Rating: 2002-06-20
Very, very good! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Used it for 5 months in desert in Australia, great bit of kit. Will be using it in Africa end of the year.