Manager


Manager - NA4M
Manager Notes

Reviews For: Small Wonder Labs DSW40

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 DSW40
Reviews: 20MSRP: 130.00 w/case
Description:
A Direct Digital Synthesis Monoband QRP Transceiver
Product is not in production
More Info: http://www.smallwonderlabs.com/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00205
N.A. Rating: 2000-03-23
Mucho fun per watt! Time Owned: unknown months.
A great little radio! The included keyer means one less thing to carry in the backpack. Wonderful blend of analog and digital technology. KISS. Solid performance in an easy-to-use package. Easy construction for someone with some kit building experience. Even at home this radio is so much fun to use, the QRO rig is gathering dust. Highly recommended. My only downside was a rather long wait for the case and a couple of parts but the wait was worth it. The only thing missing is a memory keyer and ant tuner.

----------------------
Earlier 5-star review posted by on 1999-09-21

Dave Benson did a superb job. This little radio amazing even the older hams who have seen it all! I use it while volunteering at W7ASC (AZ Science Center) to show that ham radio doesn't have to be expensive! Easy to put together, very sensitive, superb design!
WA7EWG Rating: 2000-03-04
Very pleased Time Owned: unknown months.
The kit worked from the very start. Quality parts and good instructions make this kit good for any level. Dave Benson answers his email quickly if you need any help.
The little radio has a lot of fun features and it really gets out well. 100% satisfied.
KC5ADF Rating: 2000-02-23
Tremendous First Timer Rig Time Owned: unknown months.
Dave Benson has provided a wonderful kit in the DSW-40. I was a first-timer with this kit, yet the clearly printed circuit board and great instruction manual made building this rig a piece of cake. It has really encouraged me to try even more advanced building projects. If you are a want-to-be kit builder and don't know which to try, I highly recommend this one or any other kit in the DSW series.

Good Job Dave!

73
KC5ADF
Bill Allen
JL1KRA Rating: 2000-02-21
Perfect digital start up Time Owned: unknown months.
My initial version have contact failure in a provided wire assembly. Without the problem the rig worked perfect from start up and did many QSOs just after its completion. There is no rig like this! No alignment needed, but minimum adjustment remained for amateur interetst. Your quriousity will be satisfied. Blue beautiful case and 2SC799 final kind of vintage attract you too. There is no message memory in the built-in keyer. It is rather difficult use the function with external keyer like PK2/TiCK.
N9AVG Rating: 2000-01-29
DSW Series Breaks New Ground Time Owned: unknown months.
I ordered my DSW-40 right after I saw it at Atlanticon 99. I had been looking for a single band kit for 40 and when I saw one that included a frequency annunciator, built-in keyer and it covered ALL of the band, I just had to have it. My DSW-40 has somehow become my primary rig. I get a solid 2.5 watts out using a 12v 7.2aH battery which lasts me all week. I've worked all states except for Hawaii on 40 meters with the DSW.

I've been so impressed with its sensitive but quiet receiver and solid design that I built a DSW-20 whch also operates flawlessly.

It took me 4 hours to build the DSW and it has been money well spent. I'd recommend it highly to anyone looking for a full-featured, easy to build, high quality single band CW transceiver kit.
K6SDW Rating: 2000-01-28
Most impressed...... Time Owned: unknown months.
This is the first QRp kit I've ever built so I can't say how it compares with the others. With that said, the kit went together in about 5 hours, the manual is very well written including well-done drawings, the board and parts seem to be of first rate quality and amazingly easy to "align!" The radio worked as described from the minute I plugged it in!!! I never could say the of the many, many Heathkits I put together back in the '60s and '70s.

In addition, I had a couple of questions which I emailed to Dave the owner and always received a prompt, information response...

The receiver is a joy to use and I wrote Dave that if it wasn't for the lack of AGC I swear I was using my $2,000 Kenwood!!

Besides impressive receiver design, I received nothing but excellent reports on the transmitter output (even with my lousy FIST, which is another story).

This has been a really fun project and being on 40-mtr CW for the first time in many, many years reminds me of my Novice days. I highly recommend trying QRp and Small Wonder Labs as a new challenge if you're feeling burned out with Ham Radio!

From my experience, I definitely will be buying more stuff from Small Wonder Labs!
/ed
NW7DX Rating: 1999-12-23
DSW-40 WOW!!!! Time Owned: unknown months.
I built the DSW-40 a couple months ago and I think that it is the BEST portable single band qrp rig. With the low RX current and very light weight, it is a keeper for all of your trips. Another thing that I Especially love is that this rig has GOT IT ALL inside! No need for a keyer or freq counter. Just plug in the power, plug in the paddles, add the antenna and you're ready to "play with the big boys".
I definately recommend this kit for both newcomers and seasoned folks alike. You will not be sorry.
K4EQ Rating: 1999-12-22
The DSW is a keeper! Time Owned: unknown months.
I agree with the others. This is a superb little QRP rig. I took my time building it and spent a couple of hours working on it each evening for five or six days. After the quick and easy alignment, it worked like a charm the first time I fired it up. And after three weeks of operating it and dozens of contacts (including lots of DX), I can't say enough good about it. I continue to get unsolicited, complimentary comments about its crisp, clean keying. I've already ordered one for 30 meters. If this isn't the finest single band QRP rig out there, I can't imagine what is.
N9VV Rating: 1999-09-14
Fantastic rig - beats all your expectations Time Owned: unknown months.
I built the DSW40 as a fill in project while waiting for my K2 to arrive. I was thrilled with the outcome. See my DSW40 building experience at http://www.qsl.net/n9vv/ and select the QRP page. I heartily recommend any of the DSW series. It continues to perform splendidly. I especially enjoy the NON-fatiguing audio of the DSW40. I can listen to it for hours with ease. The keyer is superb even at high speeds and the sidetone gives an accurate representation of the actual keying waveform. Great reports. No one believes I am running 2W to a Carolina Windom. No other 3"x5" rig can deliver the performance for this price! Fantastic backpacker rig or right in the shack next to your QRO gear :-)
W4QO Rating: 1999-09-13
Kit goes together quickly and works well! Time Owned: unknown months.
Dave Benson, NN1G, has hit a homer with his newest kit. It is available for 40,30, and 20 at the moment. It is loaded with features including DDS, Audible Frequency Annunciator(AFA), minimal tuneup, and internal keyer. Many of the functions are a result of the PIC chip that handles about everything outside T/R processes. I built the kit in about 5 hours and because I was in the mountains and had only a DVM, I performed the minimal checks - a cap to set the offset and a transformer to peak (mine was at the peak when I checked it). I layed it out "road kill" style - jacks on end of wires, etc - and hooked up the antenna. The band (40) was hopping at about 10 PM eastern. Answered a CQ and got him on first call. Supposedly the rig runs 2.5 watts, but didn't even hook up the meter. Had too much fun operating. The rig tunes with an opto interupter and tunes at 1.5 Khz per knob turn. When you want to know where you are, just push in on the freq knob. The AFA comes back in Morse with the last two digits of your freq. The keyer works well, but no memory. Based on 4 days operating, I found nothing wrong unless I tried to spin the dial too fast. Dave mentions that the opto can "miss" some pulses when you do this, so I can't fault the rig. If you need to slide around faster, hold in the opto knob for 2 seconds and the tuning rate jumps to 6 KHz per turn. Received some excellent reports, many of which said I sounded like crystal control. I guess I was with the DDS! Best DX was S51A from western NC. Oh, the antenna? An inverted vee with apex at 22' I really like this rig!