5555n2 / QT60 - what would you add

[jrd426]

Hi Guys, curious to see what other users of the 5555n2 or qt60 radio would change or want thats missing. I think most of us agree they are very good as designed but what would you do differently with it ? Anything option related ?
- for me i wish the radio had an option in the menu to change the brightness level of the display. Having color options for the display would be an added bonus.
-backlit buttons also.
Curuous what you guys think..
73

 

[hdnet1]

Display brightness would be key. The channel/vfo encoder has way to much "click" in it for me, I use it as a 10m radio and don't care about channels so it gets annoying listening to it going up and down the band.

 

[SuperLid]

Hi Guys, curious to see what other users of the 5555n2 or qt60 radio would change or want thats missing. I think most of us agree they are very good as designed but what would you do differently with it ? Anything option related ?
- for me i wish the radio had an option in the menu to change the brightness level of the display. Having color options for the display would be an added bonus.
-backlit buttons also.
Curuous what you guys think..
73

I sent a list of things to Qixiang, that should be changed. They will not make any changes that require hardware change.

I recall a few things on my list were:

Display dimmer

Key backlighting

Unmute RX when scanning

Variable alert volume

Calibrated S meter

The rest escapes me right now. I was supposed to get a new FW to test in January, that incorporated some of my suggestions, but it is delayed until at least March. I also complained about the VFO knob click, but they don't care.

I am getting a couple of encoders to play with to see if I can make it better for me. I have also modified the display, to backlight the keys.

 

[jrd426]

I sent a list of things to Qixiang, that should be changed. They will not make any changes that require hardware change.

I recall a few things on my list were:

Display dimmer

Key backlighting

Unmute RX when scanning

Variable alert volume

Calibrated S meter

The rest escapes me right now. I was supposed to get a new FW to test in January, that incorporated some of my suggestions, but it is delayed until at least March. I also complained about the VFO knob click, but they don't care.

I am getting a couple of encoders to play with to see if I can make it better for me. I have also modified the display, to backlight the keys.

Agreed on their crappy encoders. Its really a shame to cheap out on the channel encoders. One that is smooth like old hr2510 or rci2950 would be an improvement. I use the mic up/dn buttons as much as possible to avoid using the channel selector.

 

[SuperLid]

Agreed on their crappy encoders. Its really a shame to cheap out on the channel encoders. One that is smooth like old hr2510 or rci2950 would be an improvement. I use the mic up/dn buttons as much as possible to avoid using the channel selector.

They seem to think that the click is what people want, based on Stryker. I told them they are wrong, but they don't care.

 

[Eldorado828]

Like the O.P. the dimmer option would be great.
For the way the bland cb market (not talking about ham) was for so long, it's good to see a great radio finally come along.

 

[SuperLid]

Agreed on their crappy encoders. Its really a shame to cheap out on the channel encoders. One that is smooth like old hr2510 or rci2950 would be an improvement. I use the mic up/dn buttons as much as possible to avoid using the channel selector.

I told them to use the 2510 as an example.

 

[jrd426]

I told them to use the 2510 as an example.

If only they'd listen. Some of the suggestions maybe other then maybe the encoder like backlit buttons, display dimmer would likely cost them peanuts. I guess it would mean a new production run which i suppose isnt cheap for them though.

 

[Dr_DX]

300 million cycle Magnetic or Optical encoder
Backlit Keys & Display with dimmer
Background Function Menu #14 - add ASQ "disable" option in menu
5K channel steps available when Radio is in "expanded" mode

 

[SuperLid]

If only they'd listen. Some of the suggestions maybe other then maybe the encoder like backlit buttons, display dimmer would likely cost them peanuts. I guess it would mean a new production run which i suppose isnt cheap for them though.

They told me the 5555N2 is over. They are going to make a radio with a short chassis.

 

[Pez]

My wishlist:


Firmware:

-No VFO / CH change muting
-Expanded WX band 140-170MHz
-CTCSS tone frequency display, not CTCSS number) - e.g. show "118.8hz" rather than "16")
-2K / 4K FM deviation menu options
-TX and RX BPF settings. Allow upper and lower passband filter adjustments in main menu.
-Fix the "Channel frequency gets overwritten with VFO move" issue.
-Add 15m (21MHz) capability (hardware support would be borderline, but it's a maybe).

Hardware:

-Backlit Buttons
-Screen colours and brightness
-100w PA upgrade
-IF output (for connection to SDR panadapter)


73

 

[SuperLid]

My wishlist:


Firmware:

-No VFO / CH change muting
-Expanded WX band 140-170MHz
-CTCSS tone frequency display, not CTCSS number) - e.g. show "118.8hz" rather than "16")
-2K / 4K FM deviation menu options
-TX and RX BPF settings. Allow upper and lower passband filter adjustments in main menu.
-Fix the "Channel frequency gets overwritten with VFO move" issue.
-Add 15m (21MHz) capability (hardware support would be borderline, but it's a maybe).

Hardware:

-Backlit Buttons
-Screen colours and brightness
-100w PA upgrade
-IF output (for connection to SDR panadapter)


73

I gave them the RX unmute, so that should be there in the next and final update. I never tried CTCSS, so I did not realize it was a tone code or I would have suggested that. Wide and narrowband FM would require hardware, so that's not gonna happen. 15m? Not gonna happen, nor is anything that requires hardware.

Like I said, they tell me this is it for this radio, one last update and done. Then something new in a short chassis, who knows when it will drop.

 

[Pez]

I gave them the RX unmute, so that should be there in the next and final update. I never tried CTCSS, so I did not realize it was a tone code or I would have suggested that. Wide and narrowband FM would require hardware, so that's not gonna happen. 15m? Not gonna happen, nor is anything that requires hardware.

Like I said, they tell me this is it for this radio, one last update and done. Then something new in a short chassis, who knows when it will drop.

They have had my list for well over a year. Good to see they are getting similar input from multiple people. As for some of the things you say require hardware, don't be so sure! There are some tricks available on this PCB that can be leveraged in software alone (user FM Dev (not W/N RX filters) and 15m options included). If we see these software only features eventuate or not, comes down to whether they can meet minimum acceptable performance levels. IMO, user FM dev control is much more likely than 15m, but we will all know very soon.

73

 

[jrd426]

"Fix the "Channel frequency gets overwritten with VFO move" issue"
Amen!

My wishlist:


Firmware:

-No VFO / CH change muting
-Expanded WX band 140-170MHz
-CTCSS tone frequency display, not CTCSS number) - e.g. show "118.8hz" rather than "16")
-2K / 4K FM deviation menu options
-TX and RX BPF settings. Allow upper and lower passband filter adjustments in main menu.
-Fix the "Channel frequency gets overwritten with VFO move" issue.
-Add 15m (21MHz) capability (hardware support would be borderline, but it's a maybe).

Hardware:

-Backlit Buttons
-Screen colours and brightness
-100w PA upgrade
-IF output (for connection to SDR panadapter)


73

 

[SuperLid]

They have had my list for well over a year. Good to see they are getting similar input from multiple people. As for some of the things you say require hardware, don't be so sure! There are some tricks available on this PCB that can be leveraged in software alone (user FM Dev (not W/N RX filters) and 15m options included). If we see these software only features eventuate or not, comes down to whether they can meet minimum acceptable performance levels. IMO, user FM dev control is much more likely than 15m, but we will all know very soon.

73

You can't change FM bandwidth if the IF is not DSP. Sure, you can perhaps change TX deviation, but not RX bandwidth without a filter.