Manager


Manager - NA4M
Manager Notes

Reviews For: Small Wonder Labs SW+ Series

Category: QRP Radios (5 watts or less)

eMail Subscription

Registered users are allowed to subscribe to specific review topics and receive eMail notifications when new reviews are posted.
Review Summary For : Small Wonder Labs SW+ Series
Reviews: 63MSRP: 90.00
Description:
2-watt monoband superhet CW rig with varactor diode VFO
Product is not in production
More Info: http://smallwonderlabs.com/swl_swp.htm
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00634.8
N4EKV Rating: 2002-01-08
Quality kit, great results! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
My SW-20+ was my second SWL kit, the first being the PSK-20. Like the PSK-20, the SW-20+ uses a high quality circuit board and comes with excellent instructions. I opted for the SWL enclosure and I had mine up and running after a few evenings of soldering. It fired up first time and was quickly aligned using my main rig as a signal generator.

After I figured out that it was a headphones-only rig, I still thought I had a problem with it because I was barely hearing any band noise until I cranked the AF gain all the way to max. But then I found a CW signal and the audio nearly blew my eardrums out! The receiver is very quiet and rivals my Ten Tec Corsair II for sensitivity, though my test were admitedly not very scientific.

I later added the $20 RIT kit and would strongly recommend future builders to buy the RIT kit and install it when they are building the transceiver. Why? Well, several reasons: 1) You need RIT for CW since very few ops know how to correctly get on your freq when you're calling CQ; 2) As a QRP operator you will be working other QRP stns and many are using kits that drift (not the SW-20, mind you.. it's rock solid). RIT will help you track the drifters; 3) As a QRP stn you will not want to change your tx freq mid-QSO for fear that the other station will lose you altogether!

I also installed the K1EL K10 keyer kit which for $15 is a screaming deal and a great keyer. It's programmable via morse code so it only required one additional momentary contact switch to be installed on the front panel. A 6V battery keeps the memory from draining, and a RS piezo tweeter for the K10's command tones finished the package.

I also upgraded the AF gain pot to one with a SPST switch to disconnect the power when I was away from the rig.

Jameco.com p/n 169391 is a 15.0VDC 1.0A regulated wall wart that's pre-wired for the SW-20's power plug and works great for $13.95. They also have a 12.0VDC model if you want lower voltage.

Just worked a UA0 on the SW-20+ and a dipole! See you on 14.060.
KC1TS Rating: 2001-12-01
Outstanding little rig Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Its not often I have success on the first attempt constructing anything but I did with the SW30! I had been looking for a way back into radio. After looking at the other qrp kits I decided on this one. I was in search of something inexpensive but with a receiver better than a novelty radio. This definately fills that role. I'm not an experienced builder, construction took about 8-10 hours to complete. NN1G has been very accessable via email. Gave it a 5 due to: quality PC board, good instructions, worked on first attempt, quick responses from NN1G via email, excellent gain control on the receiver and good signal reports. Quite pleased with this little rig!
W9WIS Rating: 2001-06-29
Great Rig and Learning Experience ! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
The SW+ 40 meter rig was the first qrp kit I built back in 1998. I used the QRP-L mailing list's "Elmer 101" series that goes into detail stage by stage during the construction of this little gem. You really LEARN why and how this little rig works... the SWL construction manual is great and Dave is always around to answer phone or email questions, but take my advise and search for the Elmer 101 course on the web. Even if you don't follow the lessons read the material and you won't be sorry. As for performance I take the SW+ camping and back packing and I'm still amazed at how well this radio performs and how much fun it is to operate. In short,I always make room in my camper or pack for the SW+. Try one and you won't be sorry !
KM4YY Rating: 2001-06-25
Great fun - Great support Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Things didn't go perfect for me, but the Small Wonder Lab support got everything going without much trouble. Here is what happens when you make dumb mistakes.

I built the SW 20 kit. It worked almost the first time. I'd mis-counted one turn on toroid and thought it wasn't working. Dave helped immesely and willingly with quick responses, mainly verifying that the DC voltages and current draw measurements I found were in the right ball park.

Accidentally, I punched in 14.30 vs. 14.03 on my station receiver looking for a signal when I keyed the rig, and, lo and behold, there was the SW 20 signal. I remembered being somewhat unsure about the number of turns I'd counted off while winding the toroid so I rewound it again counting out loud. This time there were 23 turns and the little fellow was right on the target frequency (14.030).

First QSO was with WV, with #2 a DL and # 3 a YU1.

I also added the Freq-mite which worked fine until I interfaced it to the SW20. No audio. Dave finally nailed the problem (I'd installed a resistor upright but facing in the wrong direction, thus my connection to R9 was to the side going to ground instead of the audio input).

I've been off the air for six years, but this QRP thing has the juices flowing again. As soon as I finish my WARC-bler (a derivative of one of Dave's designs) I think I'll try either a 20 meter SSB transceiver or a 40 meter CW rig. This is good fun.

Bottom line. If a half-blind, ham-fisted guy like me can get it working, you can too.
KD5KXF Rating: 2001-02-15
Great Fun! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Assembly was quick and easy and the rig fired right up with the exception of one small self inflicted problem and Dave helped me sort that out quick. The problem was strictly builder error. I built the 30 meter SW+ and have been having a blast. This rig has great QSK, nice sidetone and ample audio to drive headphones.
Highly recommend this one. Can't wait to take
it on vacation and camping.
WB9OFG Rating: 2001-02-13
It makes 40M fun! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I just got on the air with a SW40+. What a great rig! It's got a very nice RX, and I have gotten
many compliments on how clean the keying is. I ordered just the bare minimum to get it going,
scrounged all the jacks and controls from my junkbox. One word of warning, though- Be stingy with the solder! I had some run down the holes and bridge some pins on the Xmit mixer socket. First shot out of the box was Marietta GA, with a nice 579 report, then Littleton, CO later that night.
The second night I had it on the air, I bagged ET in Foxhunt 33 with 1 minute left. This was with what later I found to be 1.5W instead of the 3 I thought I was running. Then this past weekend, I put 3 (count 'em!) 3 NL stations in the log during the PACC 'test!


I built mine into an empty Betacam tape box (these are nice. They're made of PP, and close up like a book and stay shut. The PP is easy to put holes into for jacks and controls)
And I have ordered the Freq-Mite and RIT modules to go into it. I still haven't decided on the TICK, because I'm a SK and B-b-b-b-b-b-bug Man.
I think "The Potato Chip" would be a good nick-name for this rig, 'cuz I want some more of them...Which band? Oh, heck, why not all of them? the rigs aren't that expensive! Besides, I now have more money available, since I've scrapped the plans for any QRO amps around here...
Dave's done a fine job with this design, and I like dealing with SW Labs.
Great little Radio!
AA0B Rating: 2000-10-23
The Fat Fourty Plus Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I built the kit, and added the 'Rit Mod' the 'Freq-Mite' and a 'Tick Keyer'.
The Freq-mite reports the operating frequency in morse and is't bad to use.
I was expecting it to be sort-of lame, but I really like it! You have to make
your own attachments for the RF sample and Audio output, but it's
not dificult. The Rit mod works well, It is wired to the freq-pot, power and
ground, all un-plugs from the board. The Tick keyer isn't bad, but the audio
on startup is added to the startup audio from the Freq-Mite.
The SW-40 hears good, This weekend I was using it more that my TS-120. Maybe
the narrower IF was getting through the noise better. By my crude measurements
the IF crystals were within about 6 kHz. With the keyer installed, only a
keying lever, battery, and antenna are needed to get on the air.
Station-in-a-lunchbox anybody?
K1TES Rating: 2000-10-15
sw-40+ Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
dave quickly responded to several emails about questions on the rig. i ordered
the kit and dave didn't have the new style box so he sent the old style so i
could get started. he later sent the new style as promised. alignment was
a snap. directions for everything were excellent. after the smoke test i worked
r.i. in the middle of a summer day. next trip was penn, then so. carolina. last
time on i got minnesota. not bad fr a peanut whistle from no. central maine.
i look forward to winter propogation. (i am trying for an inside shack fr the
winter).
i got glasses so i could see the small parts(i was overdue for them anyway).
used a 15w princess iron and mangnified holder station. kit fired up on the
first try and went to two watts w/out difficulty. the rx is equal to my argosy.
i love it and plan to build another. thanks, dave.
KD4PWB Rating: 2000-07-10
I'm very pleased Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I finished my kit on 6/23/00 after about a week of on and off building. A couple of parts were missing from the kit but Dave was aware of this and parts arrived in time for me to finish my project. It worked the first time with no problem. The kit was pretty easy to build and the instructions on winding the toroids were very clear. Missing was instructions on grounding the crystal lattice cases. You'll have to remember to do this yourself.

I've made 25-30 contacts in less than a month with the rig. My antenna is a 40m zepp up 25' which is less than an ideal height. I've gotten signal reports from 429 to 599. The receiver seems to be sensitive and transmit tone sounds wonderful. I put my rig in an old Radio Shack blown power supply case. Looks real good.

I blew a final testing the rig and Dave sent another for free. The Small Wonder Labs folks are good people!

I'll definetly buy another from them....20m probably.

You can see the rig at http://kd4pwb.homepage.com

Good luck and -73
KK7GP Rating: 2000-06-13
Good bang for the buck! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Well, this is the 3rd kit I've built in the last year, and I must say that I like this one the best, mostly for its simplicity and good performance. Dave Benson and his 'company' were a great help and he answered all of my e-mails within hours of sending them. If he was awake, he'd answer! I did have to wait almost a month from the time of order to receive the kit and enclosure, but that wasn't so much Dave's fault as his supplier's. (I work in shipping and ordering for a radio station, so I know how tough it can be to get parts on time!) My excitement had died down somewhat by the time I open my mailbox and saw the pacakage sitting there, so I didn't rush right into the project like I normally would, but instead I laid it all out and actually inventoried it! (A healthy and time-saving practice I highly recommend to all!) I stuffed about half of the board on the first night, finished out the enclosure kit (well worth the extra dough in radio shack trips for a homebrew enclosure) on the next day, and wound the toroids the day after. I was missing 3 parts that Dave had specified were shipped the day after the rest of the kit, and only 1 2N4401 transistor was unaccounted for (there are usually 3 included in the kit, and I only had 2). I rectified the situation by scrounging one from work and VIOLA! It passed the smoke test and I should have it aligned this evening and on the air! I highly recommend that any builder replace the included 100k 3/4 turn pot with a 10-turn pot in order to increase tuning sensitivity and to avoid skipping over those low signals you may miss by tuning over them too quickly! My friend Mike, KD7BTI, and myself collaborated on a small modification that involves the C7 capacitor on the board. Based on the value of this cap, you can set the frequency of the radio to cover different band segments. On my 20 meter version, I plan to install a lead from one end of C7 into a switch knob and place the different caps on different channels of the switch then place the switch output into the other lead of C7. Although I haven't tried it, when I ran it off Dave, he said that as long as the lead are kept short and I use stiff wire, it should allow the user to 'switch' between band segments instead of being stuck to a small portion of the band. Increased coverage is always great! Good luck folks, and enjoy that kitbuilding experience!