27 Sept 2023
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.
26 Sept 2023
How do they do it?
5 Aug 2023
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.
13 Mar 2023
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 .
2 Oct 2022
Pixie testing
It must have been tested it at the QTH of G6ALB, although I do not remember this. The photo shows these tests.
6 Feb 2022
Classic QRP transceivers
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 .
24 Oct 2021
Pixie and Micro80
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 .
24 Sept 2021
Pixies and the Micro-80
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 .
16 Feb 2021
Pixies and Micro-80s
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.
18 Jun 2020
Pixie and Micro-80 transceivers
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
26 Oct 2019
The Pixie and Micro-80 transceivers
See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/pixie
26 Jun 2019
New Pixie Kit
See https://www.aliexpress.com/i/32988482921.html
10 Apr 2018
The Pixie
The Pixie is a derivative of the Micro-80.
See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/pixie
20 Mar 2016
Chinese 40m Pixie Transceivers
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.
27 Feb 2016
Amazingly low cost Chinese kits
There are some amazing bargains on eBay. The link above is for a full Pixie 40m CW transceiver kit with sockets, PCB, IC and crystal all for £2.30 delivered free. There are other kits available including the Frog which is more expensive but has more power and a better RX. Last year I bought a 40m Pixie kit from a different Chinese supplier and it worked well first time on the air.
You'd be very hard pressed to buy the crystal for the price of the full kit delivered free. With these sort of prices it is hard to go wrong.
8 Nov 2015
More Pixie transceiver price madness
http://www.g1kqh.talktalk.net/"
22 May 2015
Pixie kit prices - truly incredible prices
At this price you might just buy the crystal here in the UK! The kit comes with ALL parts (apart from battery, key and headphones) and a very nice silk-screened PCB. Don't forget this is with FREE shipping. Unbelievable.
My kit from them worked first time. It was the first time I'd built anything in a LONG time because of my stroke. At this price it is an offer too good to turn down. AM breakthrough was perfectly usable (i.e. low) and RX sensitivity fine. I got over 400mW out too. Don't forget, this is a complete 40m CW transceiver.
Sorry for the double post but the kits are here and the Customer Service is second to none. Beware the prices change daily inline with currency. http://www.banggood.com/DIY-Radio-40M-CW-Shortwave- Transmitter-Kit-Receiver-7_ 023-7_026MHz-p-973111.html
8 Apr 2015
Even lower cost Pixie kits!
Yoohoo Roger,
Now I back in front of the Pixie bargain game hunt, after finding the the best price!!!Not forgetting this includes free shipping. Unbelievable.
http://www.banggood.com/DIY-Radio-40M-CW-Shortwave-Transmitter-Kit-Receiver-7_023-7_026MHz-p-973111.html
£2.89!!!!!!!
and if you buy more than 2 it gets cheaper!!
30 Mar 2015
Pixie Files
My assembled 40m Pixie |
Being simple, it has a number of limitations but it certainly works. A major issue can be AM broadcast breakthrough, although my 40m version is perfectly usable. I was very impressed with my little kit that came with all parts including a silk-screened PCB, all sockets and a crystal. It needed low-Z Walkman type headphones, a morse key and battery - that was all. On 40m the sensitivity is pretty good with 0.5uV clearly audible and my RF power out is around 400mW. A lack of both RF and AF RX selectivity is also noticeable.
Kits are available from several sources at prices that are hard to beat. I recently bought a kit for $10 with free airmail from China. It is available for less than half this price I subsequently found out. Unbelievable for a fully functional HF transceiver. Of course, being so simple you may prefer just to build it dead-bug fashion. I bought a kit as I wanted to see how my building skills were.
As a mature design, it has been through several iterations, some improve the basic design, but most do so at the expense of increased complexity. You'd be hard pressed to find a circuit for a complete HF CW transceiver much simpler.
See www.gqrp.com/The_Sprat_Pixie_File.pdf .
21 Mar 2015
40m Pixie kit at INCREDIBLE price
Hi Roger, this is the cheapest i've seen yet. What fantastic value !Check out this item I found on eBay:End time: 15 Apr 2015 10:33:10(Sent from eBay Mobile for Android)
Even with the after-effects of my cerebellum brain bleed I was able to build the kit without any issues.