Ham Radio - The RS-918 clone of a clone of an outstanding open source SDR transceiver, the mcHF.
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- Опубліковано 23 лип 2019
- Sent in by a viewer, Arthur, I have a look at this Chinese radio. Being that it goes directly against the terms of the open source project it's based on, I can't recommend it. Instead, you should go have a look at the original project, linked below:
www.m0nka.co.uk/
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Kevin, thank you for leading me to this. I'm a new General and have been looking for a kit project just like the mcHF. I placed an order from Minka tonight!
I strongly concur with your position on open source!
Well done!
I bought a bare bones kit from Chris about a year ago and I'm loving the radio. Use it daily to make contacts from my shack and field work. I can recommend this radio to all QRP ham radio operators
I was waiting for this video and it didn't disappoint.
I had encountered the mcHF before seeing the clones, so I was aware of the unauthorized commercial clone status well in advance. I can understand the unfilled market demand that was created by the long development and scant availability of mcHF kits. Chris is up to prototype version 0.8 but the kits being sold are the 0.6 version, as are the Chinese clones. Chris sold some 0.7 kits but is out and apparently isn't kitting any more because the current effort is toward the 0.8 kit that many people want.
I also get the impression that, like many open source projects, the mcHF development team has largely disbanded and the development is now being done almost exclusively by Chris, with some kit and builder support by Lucy. I get the feeling from the blog that Chris and Lucy are working hard but it's almost more than a couple can do, and certainly more than they can do as quickly as the mcHF's loyal fans would like.
I concur that the mcHF is a very nice bit of kit and I'd like to buy an mcHF, either as a kit or a finished product, although the latter may never exist.
The lack of respect for intellectual property, mostly by Chinese manufacturers, is the reason Hans won't release open source microcontroller code for any of the QRP Labs kits, and while I lament the great loss to the ham community from not having dedicated hobbyists contributing new features via open source code contributions which Hans could curate in the official firmware releases, I understand exactly why Hans keeps the code proprietary. Even then, there is a risk of his hardware designs being ripped off and his executable firmware used as is by Chinese manufacturers, as was clearly done with the RS-918 with the mcHF boot screen.
That's it!! You told it!! That's the real story about. And it's a shame, destroying a lot of very good projects.
Reminds me of the opensource MMDVM project. The creators got shafted hardcore by the Chinese market AKA Jumbo Spot. If you buy Chinese knockoffs throw a little money toward the project (donate directly) to help support it.
You can never order the M0NKA , he is so disorganized, never has kits , can't get parts , this is why no one buys M0NKA kits ae5x.blogspot.com/2019/03/how-to-compel-hams-to-buy-clone-of-your.html - IT IS OPENSOURCE so anyone can copy it. here is a user group in America with hundreds of users groups.io/g/RS-918-HF-SDR-Transceiver. Ali Express has them for $375 , why build when you can just buy ? www.aliexpress.com/item/32910174035.html best deal in town. Just cause its chinese does not make it bad, in fact it makes it GREAT!
Good review. Like the attitude on respecting other's intellectual properties. Keep the videos coming.
Glad to see somebody at last discussing the theft of IP from Chris.
I have the v0. 7 which I built. I got the pre-populated boards so there were no SMD components to be soldered. It all went together easily and worked first time.
Support Chris M0NKA , buy his kit. I'm 71 and my hands are not that steady, if I can do it, then most people should be able to.
It's a really great radio, especially for digital where you only need to use 1 cable for radio to computer.
73 de PJ7DH
looking fwd to this ive been looking at these the last few days.
Thank you Kevin for putting the focus back on M0NKA. It's despicable how the Chinese have ripped him off and don't care a bit.
Great review! I've just ordered the mcHF transceiver after seeing many reviews. I'm curious as to how backward compatible some of these mods would be such as the keyboard you mentioned. The mcHF as many people know is a very configurable radio and I wondered if the firmaware was close enough to the originable to allow the same level of experimenting without bricking the device. Another question I have is how close to the mcHF are the circuit boards inside?
Thank you very much, I feel to start QSO around the world now, 73, G7UNF, from uk
Thanks for your tour and time , Kevin. From Earl ( va7erl ) 73 from Victoria,BC
Hello Kevin, Thank you for this video. It helped me a lot about what to buy or not. regards, Jan PE1BTF 73's
Awesome review!
Hi Kevin,
Well done video. Agree with your opinion. That net on 40m, you mentioned early bird but I can't locate any info on the net. Do you have a link handy? 73 WB3BJU
7185.5 at 1430gmt.
@@loughkb old school link ;-)
Totally agree with you. Someone has done all the hard work and they get ripped off. Sad to see this happening all the time with just about everything.
It's an open source project. Anyone can copy it, modify, improve..
Copying is part of the ethos of open source, is good that people improve the original is not required, there is 1000 linux distributions none of then are illegal, but the problem with those clones usually don't share the source files which is required if you are copying an gpl project.
dx398 SIMPLY NOT! Take time to read what open source means!!!! Open source is free to use for NON COMMERCIAL USAGE !!! So it is illegal to use it for commercial production like chinese copycats doing! Everyone who is purchasing from them is participating on this illegal job and supports them!
@@petrok1rp254 i wont buy one its wrong and its not fair on the develper they will not get my cash not one penny .. m0prf.. jeff
@@petrok1rp254 dear friend, you are wrong. Open source has no limits regarding usage in commercial vs. non-commercial. Please learn more about open source before making any general claims.
Firmware (software on the chip) is completely open source.
BUT, the author of mcHF has reserved the right to produce hardware for commercial use/resale to himself. That's the difference here.
Please keep an eye on the important details.
Nice point Kevin and great vid!
What power supply you use when portable with the radio? Looks like powerbank ?
That was a power bank. I also have a box with two 7.2Ah SLA batts in it.
@@loughkb Does this powerbank provide 13.8V with enough power for the radio ? What is the brand ? I am struggling to find a 13,8V powerbank with at least 4A output.
At 5 watts, the radio draws less than 2 amps during tx.
You might look at those smaller jump start power banks they sell for cars. Usually they have lithium batts and can provide plenty of juice.
@@loughkb Thank you
i noticed you had CMP Off (voice compression). might have helped with your Early Bird Net check-in.
with shipping from UK the mcHF w/case is ~314 GBP or (at today's exchange) ~392 USD.
note Ailunce HS1 is 499 USD and the HS1Plus (has built-in battery) is 599 USD.
I was seriously thinking of buying one of these from the Chinese makers, until I discovered the back story.
Now, I'll be ordering one from M0NKA sometime in the New Year (once I get my feet clear of other guff).
Chris and team are now offering fully-built kits for the same price as the cloners, and that suits me. My teeny-tiny kit building days are behind me.
If we don't support our local guys, someday we'll be moaning about nobody making stuff at all.
As a older HAM I am no longer capable of building this project. The original project builder could have done himself and the rest of us a favor by Licensing a Company to assemble and handle firmware updates. As it is now these Chinese companies have ripped of his labor and design, forcing us to make a ethical decision. As for me , I will have to pass.
There are members of the mcHF community that would happily build one for anyone for whom this is not a viable approach.
if you did get the product page a little bit below there is complete assembled radios in the same page as the kits.
hello, I picked one of these up and the first thing I noticed was the waterfall is going up, instead of down such as falling lol. I checked the setting and the firmware. The firware was out of date from 2018 so I updated the firmware but still noticed the the water is not falling and was going up? I know the display is correctly installed as everything that appears on it shows correctly, not upside down (as I say with a smile :) ) So what is going on with this? Never seen a backward waterfall on a radio? Is there anything that can be done to correct this this?
George
I am pleased to have an original MCHF. Given the service nightmares on the clones (or so I've heard) the original seems to be the way to go. Some of the clones cannot even update software! The MCHF is a fine little radio that in some ways rivals the Elecraft KX2, but only in some ways. It is great for portable and SOTA work.
Of cause, you are going brick the actual clones if You try to update them with the last UHSDR firmware. It's because cloner replaced the superb and realy expensive SI570 TCXO to a crappy cheap replacement component that works only with a modded cloner firmware that has no further support.
hi Kevin(not sure what i did will try agin) hello from sunny Wales UK temp 23c how difficult do you think it is to construct and align the mcHF, perhaps a video on assessing the competencys required to construct various kits Dave C GW0NVF
I can't really say since I haven't built one. But looking at the supplied parts, it looks like the surface mount components come pre-installed to the boards. So it's probably just some wiring and larger components to do. Maybe some torroids to wind, it wasn't clear from the photos.
Maybe some of the other commentors, like Robotix178 above, who've built the kit, can chime in on this question.
With the SMD assembled PCBs from Chris it's almost easy to compleat a mcHF. There is also a perfect community support to do it. Building a mcHF out of bare PCB is another thing, not so easy but far from being a big challenge. I build just two from bar PCB... Both started imidiatly on first power up. No big deal.
I have the Tekpower version of the 30 amp switching power supply. What would be a or the cause of triggering the OCP on startup?
With nothing connected to it? Either something is wrong with the current sensing, or maybe one of the output filter caps is failing. My guess.
@@loughkb thanks.
Keep in mind that the clone is based on version 4 of the mcHF pcb. Which is several versions behind the official project and has known issues. You get what you pay for!
its only 2 versions behind and nothing really that is important. I think people who built their own think its so fantastic - yeaa- no -- that its being built with better features than the original AND its under $377 You can never order the M0NKA , he is so disorganized, never has kits , can't get parts , this is why no one buys M0NKA kits ae5x.blogspot.com/2019/03/how-to-compel-hams-to-buy-clone-of-your.html - IT IS OPENSOURCE so anyone can copy it. here is a user group in America with hundreds of users groups.io/g/RS-918-HF-SDR-Transceiver. Ali Express has them for $375 , why build when you can just buy ? www.aliexpress.com/item/32910174035.html best deal in town. Just cause its chinese does not make it bad, in fact it makes it GREAT!
Is incredible the people doesn't understand that the GPL is a copyleft license, is an anti-IP license by nature but required people to release the source code,schematics and in other the receive the benefits of such agreement.
Would you mind sharing which firmware model was installed during your test?
Kevin
Thanks so much for all you are doing for ham radio. I have one of these and love it. Great job. De KM4WII
Hello Tim, do you know, if this can be fully operated (RX and TX at at least 4W on FM, AM and SSB) on CB 27MHz 11m band? Thanks and 73!
@@pavolcuj5104 not sure. 11 meters with this would be illegal here in the USA
@@cviewnurse Thanks anyway, Tim. Same here as this is not compliant transceiver. But the features for the price has no match by far. As I want SSB, for literally the same price (assembly included) I can get the only handheld SSB I know and that's just dumb CB with SSB and no extra features or a vehicle one that's not meant to be operated as handheld for half the price. But perhaps it's a stupid idea.
The McHF software is now licensed under the GPL v3. So long as the clone makers obey the terms of the GPL, there is nothing wrong with buying them.
It's not as much a question of the software as it is the hardware design. Chris never licensed the mcHF hardware design for commercial production to any of the Chinese cloners. None of them have the legal right (not that that fries much ice with the Chinese gov't) to produce the design for sale. The only authorized source for mcHF hardware is Chris.
And the mcHF, my friends, is almost exactly what the new Yaesu FT818 SHOULD have been like! Are you listening Yaesu?
Yeasu should keep the 897D in production for portable OPS.
It is nice that Yaesu have continued to make the FT817 and improved it in the form of the FT818 with its now standard TCXO. This is a classic design and now an older kind of radio. There will be plenty of time to enjoy SDR based radios, as these appear to be the future.
Hi.Does the radio get very warm when in receive for an extended time?
Yes. The heat sink provided is inadequate.
Good video Kevin. That RIT knob looks like it is very wobbly. I can't stand wobbly knobs.
Was going to buy one of these clones, but after this, I think I’ll go with Chris, don’t know when he will have availability. I imagine the folks at Elecraft will learn a lot from this radio. Perhaps the KX4 if there is one, will look like this....
Wold really love to buy the mcHF radio -but who knows when it is avaiable agn....
That's the main problem with m0nka... they have trouble supplying the product. BTW, they do appear to have stock right now, so best get your order in!
Personally if I come up with an electronic gadget that I think others might like, I'll open source it and make sure Chinese manufacturers are aware of it in hopes that (a) other people can buy them at a good price and (b) so that *I* can buy them at a good price!
I'm a hobbyist and tinkerer and I've long ago proved to myself that I am *not* a good businessman. I don't want to be in the position that m0nka appears to be in both disappointing other people AND being pissed that other people are better at their business than they are.
10:30 The VHF radio at top center is obviously a VHF-FM 'Marine' radio, as clearly indicated by the channel "16" (16 being the poster child of VHF-FM Marine Radio channels).
Yo Kevin:
GREAT video! I AGREE with your assessment of the open source violation. Hopefully the update process will shake these Chinese ripoff artists out. I think it will. Keep up the great work!
de seeker/Jeff WA7LFP
Kevin. Excellent video in every respect. I'm on a tight budget and would have jumped on this unbelievable bargain but for your clone/common source opinions and conclusions. I'm now seriously thinking about purchasing a kit direct from Chris and building with using skills acquired building my 4SQRP Group Hilltopper20. Chinese economic/tech depredations are hot button topics. I'm old enough to remember lots of ill-will during the day era of "Japan Inc.". At clone retail prices (free shipping included!) I have to wonder what kind of a living the Chinese assemblers and "kitters" are earning for their labor. I'm old enough to remember the similarly fraught era of "Japan Inc.". Kudos are due you for the aplomb with which you address the issues.
Let me add some light to this subject.
Many people don't know how to solder electronics well, as well as many have royally fucked up their device by trying to solder their device & permanently ruin the device.
So they went back to the "original" person who created the device / OSP. and asked if he could pre-build the device for them. The answer was a clear and stern [NO].
So people were upset about that and companies took notice. And that's when companies stepped in and pre-built the device which allowed people to purchase the product
already put together so people could just plug and play the device.
That's one of the main reasons why these companies are doing this. So just to clarify as to what is happening. and YES I know the owner doesn't want it that way.
But this is the world we live in. - Don't don't kill the messenger, I am just clarifying whats happening here that's all.
Also let me point out something else.
This kit fully assembled is at a VERY affordable price range. Which helps those who are new to get into the community without having to take out
a second mortgage just to get a decent radio with decent features. Many commercial radios out there are costing $1,500 and up just for the radio alone.
A SWR meter (a good one) cost around $400. that's expensive for people. And the community wonders why they cant get new people in. Well that's the reason why.
Not to mention $450 just for a watt tester from RigExpert & other companies. its getting really stupid when it comes to prices on things like this in this community.
Companies need to stop with these overprice tags on these devices. They are scaring away new comers to the community very quickly.
Why do you think most of this community is like geriatrics ward and barely any young people? well because its mostly the elderly in retirement that are in this community,
and very few young ones participating. Young people are NOT going to be spending thousands of dollars on a just radio.
So think about that for a few minutes then think about why this community is having a hard time getting young people to participate.
I just got my Tech License 2 weeks ago and my General 2 days ago, and I couldn't agree with you more. I have been trying to find reasonably priced equipment. That's why I'm here watching this video about cheap Chinese clone radios. I would much rather buy quality kit, but I have 5 kids and I can't spend our grocery, car note and mortgage money trying to get into a hobby. From the perspective of a ham noob, It definitely seems like there are a lot of old timers that are resistant to innovation in the space. However without some changes to more modern, more capable and more affordable equipment the hobby won't survive. There has to be some middle ground somewhere though. I'm just out here trying to find it.
Hello guys, does anyone know, if this can be fully operated (RX and TX at at least 4W on FM, AM and SSB) on CB 27MHz 11m band? I really love the waterfall spectrum graph and can see a great deal of how this can be leveraged for DX. I know how much of an overkill is this radio for an unlicensed CB operator, but all including the most advanced CB radios are so dumb that it can't even have a menu to set-up anything, not to mention super high tech like CTCSS/DCS :( Doing portable with this cutie must be a joy.
On frequencies outside of the ham bands it only puts out about 100mw.
@@loughkb Thanks, Kevin. That's the information I was searching for and couldn't find anywhere. So it's not really usable.
Unfortunately mcHF is not open source because of "non-commercial" clause in license. Apparently term "open source" is not what majority of people think it is, but rather a term that some people came up with and definition of it can be found here - opensource.org/osd.html
Having said that, I bought original kit from M0NKA, first I had trouble sourcing power transistors and then I had trouble getting any power out of it without finals going into crazy oscillations and finally after mods and mods I got it to behave, it is outputting solid 10W, but I haven't made any QSOs with it because after all the hassle I got IC-7300.
Love this radio. I really believe it will go down in history as one of the greats. I just hope people decide to support the creator more than the copier. It's a huge amount of work invested and very generously open sourced for hams not commercial rip offs.
The hardware is a piracy, the software is open source for non commercial use. Think about it. Good on you Kevin for highlighting.
Just remember m0nka is the place to buy and support. imo.
I will be glad to buy a completed radio from mOnka, but it is not available.
M0NKA creates fascinating radios, but let´s face it, he is not a mass producer, even no supplier for kits. The demand is much higher than he can ever satisfy. So he should team up with people who can mass produce his creations or sell it as kits. So he could focus on developing new radios.
@@C4H6As I believe he's in the progress of trying to do that. Agree.
@@C4H6As Agree, while I certainly will sound hypocritical I too am frustrated by not being able to buy. IMO m0nka really should have no issue having an abundant supply of blank pcb's and making great income from it to fund new versions. It doesn't make sense to starve the market of the legit item.
@@TXLorenzo Totally agree. It is a real issue.
As a Linux user since the mid 90s, and as an amaused fan of (crazy) Richard Stallman, I highly respect your honest opinion on the subject! And on this 'clone of a clone' crap radio. You, sir, have software and hardware dev morals and ethics. Even if it wasn't thievery in action... those wiggly crap control pots and/or knobs would stop me from buying it at any price. Give it a few months and they'll fail. 73 OM
Needs a bigger case for its heat and a bigger screen for our old eyes. Also provide HDMI out so we can plug it into existing monitors.
Kevin, I think the 978 includes a battery. 73's Don KC3MBK
And 10W instead of 5?
The mcHF is higher quality for a lower price than the clones anyway. You know the clones are using inferior components, and are probably put together like crap. True, you will have to build it, or find someone who can, but you will have a superior radio. I'm seriously considering getting one and adding a raspberry pi, and a laptop size touchscreen in a custom case. Glad I saw this video!
I would have kept part of the software closed source and sold license keys for $1. So locking out the Chinese, and genuine constructors won't mind paying $1.
The ST micro has calibration values that can be used to generate a random code, and hence a license code.
Hello,I am asking myself why M0NKA's mcHF has got these multiple clones. To my opinion, the basis of the mcHF was a radio development kit for students in communication electronics, and that Chris and his team mainly developped software for it. The production of the hardware would have been out of budget for a group of students or simple HAM radio operators; there must be a big east-Asian company involved behind this SMD-hardware. M0NKA merely sells kits without housing and without end-stage RF-transistors, and having the SMD part already set up. He must thus have an agreement with the east-Asian manufacturing company. Chris and his team are essentially working forth on the software (there is more than one software working on this hardware out there!).Chris is probably not very upset that his radio was put on the market by east-Asian manufacturers, because this makes his open-source project really fly ! There is no open-source project without users! 73 de Edgar, HB9TRU
I have this radio and while the interface is very versatile and comfortable, the sound is INCREDIBLY bad hiss sauce there where the SAME station reads crystal clear on: tecsun660, malachite radio, smal Xiegu HF transciever… I don’t understand! We are talking the SAME ANTENNA for these tests! And this despite all of the filters integrated in this radio!….
I am not sure how you came to the conclusion that it is a clone of a clone, far more likely is that they are simply "clones" (Not sure that is the correct term for an opensource project) based on the same original mcHF radio.
Either way, there are now more versions out there, many work really well and you can now find some greatly enhanced firmware for them as well.
I have one. Had a QSO with a Ham in Texas that was saying he was running 1000 watts. I got him with 10 watts. KG7IRJ Ohio Extra
10:45 marine radios
Still waiting for the OVI-40.
I am also in Kingman. KJ6VYF
I agree on what you say but as you also say what about us who cannot solder? Also, you cannot buy the mcHF for the love of money.
Att 11:10, there is a pirate copy of a linear amplifier made by finnish Juma Radio, who made the TRX1 and TRX2 transceivers and even long wave transmitters. Kevin didn't seem to know about that. It looks exactly the same. Chinese pirates have no creativity. They just steal any design and copy it.
The disclaimer is so he doesn't become a commercial radio manufacturer. You are not supposed to buy his kit and use it as a commercial radio. I was looking at it for use as a marine SSB radio. Technically, that would be against the use disclaimer.
Is it possible to expand transmission to 27MHz?
It will transmit on any frequency outside of the ham bands, but only at 150 milliwatts. With a good antenna, you can cover half a mile to a mile.
@@loughkb At 145 MHz he arrive on display but not receive really the tansmission for example.
@@mrtonicsvls3624 You ask about CB frequencies then cite an example in the 2 meter band?
@@loughkb 2 meter was another type of example
The RS-918 doesn't even cover 2 meters, so I'm not sure what you're talking about.
Great video of this slightly controversial SDR. I own one as well and have done several videos of it on my channel.😃
You said it: ua-cam.com/video/K6LHwD7RQ3Q/v-deo.html
I despise commercial theft of IP designs, then sold for profit, when the source code and core design is subjected to non-commercial use.
Personal use, okay.
If I were interested in HF, I would buy the kit.
Why are the "Big Three" rig manufacturers not watching and reacting to what is coming out there? I mean, I am sure the performance and resilience of their front-ends and finals is superior to what these new players in the market are able to provide. I mean, yes, they sure are implementing some features in software, but still packaging it up in old style cases, heavy, expensive. I personally own a Xiegu G90 and I am amazed how many features and a nice punch it packs in such a convenient package for a really small price. Fully customizable filters? There! An ATU that can tune a coat hanger? There. The entry models from the big ones should really, really start considering these features as well. Wait a year or 2 and we will have HF/VHF/UHF with 100 W and ATU from these chinese guys at around 600$ And radio amateurs will start buying them, you'll see...
I fully support your view on open source, but we know that not all respect it or the license clauses -- anyway thanks, I will definitely have a closer look at the original mcHF SDR.
You should, not only because it's a clone, they are also really crappy compared to the original mcHF. The HW of the clone is modded to make it cheaper and for that they also cloned and modded the firmware. Some of them will turn to a brick if You update them with new releases of the UHSDR firmware from GitHub. If you go to buy the kit it's will be also cheaper and to complete it is easy. If You can do it, there are a lot of people out there that do it for some very little money.
@@MrPerrey You can never order the M0NKA , he is so disorganized, never has kits , can't get parts , this is why no one buys M0NKA kits ae5x.blogspot.com/2019/03/how-to-compel-hams-to-buy-clone-of-your.html - IT IS OPENSOURCE so anyone can copy it. here is a user group in America with hundreds of users groups.io/g/RS-918-HF-SDR-Transceiver. Ali Express has them for $375 , why build when you can just buy ? www.aliexpress.com/item/32910174035.html best deal in town. Just cause its chinese does not make it bad, in fact it makes it GREAT!
@@car4sale556 - M0NKA also offer ready assembled units. Over the time I purchased 3 kits and never had any problem. Kits came fast, very good and clear communication. I guess You just started with the wrong idea to buy a clone. Now its too late to correct the weak decision. Its natural human behaviour to search for good reasons of the own bad move....That´s what happens with You.
@@MrPerrey Your that wacko on facebook that everyone makes fun of on the users group . You make money by building M0nka kits so everyone just laughs and buys the Chinese Clone. If you join the group blogspot group you will see that everyone laughs at your responses because you are a little crazy and you have no evidence that you brick. In fact if you read , you will see that even M0nka says its ok. I just read it. I own two wonderful ones , that is why I came her and viola ! I see you are still trying to get everyone to buy UK built designs from M0nka. Grow up and let people buy what they want. Chinese sales go down if they are bad product. Even M0nka says its ok that they are already good enough , he is not worried. All he wants is to for more people to get into the hobby. You are nuts
Is it still called a clone if the base is open source project ?
It's not a clone, it's a underperforming crappy rippoff of the outstanding mcHF from Chris.
@@MrPerrey the reviews seem to be OK
If You look only from outside of the clone, yes. If You consider what You will find inside of the clone, compared to the original definatly NO.... and beside that to many of this clones stop working after some time due to poor quality and it's a nightmare to find someone to fix them as well. Does not worth the money to buy one clone since you can buy a original for almost the same amount. And if someone is not able to put the thing together there are people around who do it just for some little bugs.
Take a look to the UHSDR licence on GitHub. They make use of the FW sources and some cloner moddet them due to a cheap XO that they put inside there clones to make em cheaper and the modification in the FW they kept closed.... To avoid that outher cloners of the clone make use of there clones .. That's all Ok yes?
@@MrPerrey I was planning to get one, but I'm going for the original now. thanks
I see on their website that they're now offering assembled radios
try ordering one. Never ever has them
thanks for the review, now looking at the original kit rather than a clone de G6JFL
The clone radio it's great, ready to use, I hate a radio on pices.
Bangood already removed it from their shop. There is message popping up about the policy 🙂
Recent isn't afraid to use even the 'mcHF QRP' logo as you can see from this Amazon posting:
www.amazon.com/RECENT-RS-918SSB-SDR-HAM-Transceiver/dp/B072155421
Someone seeing this and who is familiar with the mcHF unit, might think Recent has been authorized to manufacture the units. I'll bet Chris, M0NKA is frustrated.
The photo with the case that says “mcHF” on it is not the radio that Recent sells. Recent is not the only manufacturer of these. That listing is almost certainly by a third party reseller not under Recent’s control. In fact, it looks a lot like the actual case that M0NKA himself buys from China. Unfortunately I don’t believe M0NKA made any attempt to register the trademark “mcHF”, and if there’s no trademark there’s no infringement, so I’m not sure there’s anything he can do now even against those who are making radios that say “mcHF” on them.
I'm not convinced it is a clone of a clone. It seems likely that there is one factory and multiple re-sellers. Good catch on the licensing issue! I'd pass on it for that reason alone. Thanks for the review, 73 de KD6FAC.
Don't concentrate on the aperence. Anyone can do that. The issue is the source code was created by one of the few of us that apply ourselves to that level of understanding. This code is the ONLY hard part. People are nice enough to contribute their knowledge to an open source movement. The less capable (Chinese) take this work not only for their self gain, but to purposely weaken the creators. They have massively crippled the 3d printing movement, as no one will contribute anymore. I work in cellular, and have created a MMDVM that allows switching between the different implimentaions of ham radio digital. While my goal was to share this, I will never release it, as I will not allow them to profit from me.
@@falsedragon33 - Of cause, outher example....
@@MrPerrey my apologies, but I don't understand. Could you clerify?
@@falsedragon33 - MMDVM, I know, hotspot for DMR radio. Now "Jumbospot"... I guess, right?
"Being that it goes directly against the terms of the open source project it's based on"
Like many things that come from China. Check out the handheld game system category - nothing but open source emulators running old commercial game ROMs.
73 kolego 🇵🇱
I looked at the m0nka site....... it seems that Chris is having a problem keeping up with demand. He keeps working on the next version while not really providing adequate support on the present version, or past versions. No support for V.6, limited and spotty support on V.7, all the while he's putting videos out showing his prototype V.8. He needs to find a company that can source the parts, get the cases made, and assemble the kits for sale. I can't help but wonder how much money he's losing by not providing adequate customer service. That's why the Chinese have copied his design and work, they see the money to be made......
AJ
KE6EAC
No, I never had any problem for purchasing from him. I bought two SMD part kits and bare PCBs - Contact and support from Chris and Lucy is outstanding!!!
Recently, 3 weeks ago I ordered a V0.6 SMD component kit and got it right out. In his site he wrote: Send me a Email if You need something special. I did it just tree times and they did it, almoste imidiatly.
Could it be that the project has granted them permission to manufacture the design?
Nope. Chris has complained to aothers about it.
Absolutely zero chance of that. IP protection in China is extremely weak. To get it enforced you need to be a huge multinational with very deep pockets to buy protection.
I agree with your sentiments Kevin but ... as radio hams we are a small market an the main manufacturers have us over a barrel. When you compare this to the Elecraft KX series you can see why folks buy these. If these Chinese rigs restore some semblance of normality pricewise then we will benefit
11:25 "...probably not designed by them..." I hope that you all realize that the design of the product itself is merely the first ~1% of standing up a production line. Design of the tooling, testing, and so on is the other 99%. Factories would have dozens of departments, and only one will be product design (including SW). Designers of electronics sometimes think that they're done when they've designed the product itself, when in fact they've not even started standing up a production line. That's why the licensing fee per unit might be $5 on a $1000 product, as that's actually all the product design is actually worth. If you want to go into mass production, then go ahead, help yourself, fill yer boots.
Prolly useful to the dissident Chinese.
I WANT ONE
HOW MUCH $$$
Search amazon or ebay for RS-918 to find current sellers and prices.
They don't sent it assembled to Europe. Just to Usa. some people that not have advance knowledges Of electronic try to the Chinese rigs that's no have problems to send to Europe. ;)
not as good as the G90 witch i love plus fantastic auto Turner 73s
Perhaps the Chinese companies are buying the kit and they are assembling them and selling them and earning money from the assembling of the radio and not from the design and parts.
Nope. They're different. The connector placement is different, indicating the internal boards are different. I think the case has some different button placement also.
@@loughkb also filter banks are different, original kit uses ferrite rings for output filters, while clones use SMT inductors
@@RaivisRengelis - "clones use SMT inductors" putting out harmonics as hell - In some clones there is no LPF at all !!
Bought this radio and the finals blew out within a week. Service is basically non existent. Try sending any electronics back to China and see what happens. Xiegu is the only brand I would buy from China. At least MFJ in the states will do the service. Everything else, you are rolling dice. Unfortunately, the only major Japanese radios that compare are the upcoming ICOM 705, but it is not out yet and costs about 2-3 times of the Chinese radios. I agree, Yaesu needs to get off their butts and make a comparable version for QRP or the ICOM 705 is going to mop them up.
Hi THe truth is I am considering buying a clone version.
I think when I do, because of my poor results with kits,
I will send a donation to the originator. He they deserve some compensation for their work.
AG4TD
I'm not here to judge, and I applaud your sending a donation to Chris.
Consider that You get with the clone a outdated V4 version together with some early design flaws. The clone quality is low. They frequently stop working. No support from the seller, difficult to find someone for a repair job. The kit from Chris is a last V6.3 version assembled out of superb top quality components and easy to assemble. If you dont want to make final assembly ask in the Yahoo group for someone to make it for you. The kit is eaven cheaper and has a grate WW support from the community, even for a cheap repair job in Your country (if you ever need). Look out for the many people with there clone issues many time ending up with a doorstoper. The mcHF community generally refuse support if someone shows up with a clone. Consider that before you make a decision.
Mate, Its China. What are you awaiting? :P
Greets from Germany. ;)
Jan
Yes, like any Yaesu, Kenwood or Icom transceiver you may have. :D
mcHF is a kit. It is beautiful. But I am dumb with doing kit. I do not buy the two Chinese clones. Very expensive also. 73 VA2SOB
I forgot, I bought the XIEGU X5105, original deisgn, two years of R&D and testing not a clone. The next product is their PANADAPTER...
Why is such a great radio like this open source? They should have gone commercial and sold it. Things like this were bound to happen. Getting the word out what this radio is is good, so now we know.
Clone rocks, very good and cheap radio, I hate put a pices in your place, sorry for my poor english.
Service: Not available, according to Amazon. What a crap shoot: Hope it doesn't break or burn up. Except hope is not a strategy.
Amazon banned mcHF ripoff sellers from there platform due to a copyright claims coming from the mcHF community. eBay also do, but with less "motivation". eBay is a US company and copyright crime is a serious issue in the US. That helps !!
Here's a search on Amazon. They're all still there.
www.amazon.com/s?k=Rs-918&ref=nb_sb_noss_2
@@loughkb - Waoooo!! Only claim with a prove of copyright violation and they are gone. It's possible to do that just two times since there is violation of the HW from Chris but also from the firmware side since they make use of the UHSDR FW from Github. I'm not shure how US laws handle selling or buying counterfeit products inside US teritory but I heard that it is just a crime to import, sell or eaven buy such things. May be You as US citizen can tell us more about.
@@MrPerrey There is no copyright violation with the hardware in these Chinese mcHF clones: that is not how copyright works. If it were, IBM would still be the only company making PCs. While there were illegal clones (because they copied IBM's firmware illegally), the vast majority, beginning with Compaq, were entirely legal no matter how much they were contrary to IBM's "wishes" or "demands" not to copy the PC design. How big, rich, or arrogant IBM was, or how comparatively small or noble Compaq may (or may not) have been in that fight had absolutely nothing to do with who had the law on their side.
There's also no copyright violation putting UHSDR from GitHub on the RS-918: that's not how UHSDR's GPLv3 copyright license works, and the firmware on the RS-918 complies with the UHSDR license conditions.
You might think you prefer that those two conclusions were false and that these Chinese clones break some law or copyright license. But first, read:
github.com/df8oe/UHSDR/issues/1743
It would be wise to independently research the credentials of the person who made that report, and to consider the section near the end of the issue report describing what would be the result if copyright laws applied to hardware designs the way you think they do.
Your use of the word "counterfeit" here is seriously uninformed. Counterfeiting is a form of trademark infringement, a fraudulent imitation of a BRAND. None of these radios are being fraudulently passed off as a product of M0NKA. A counterfeit is something that pretends NOT to be a clone, but rather to be the original, from the original SOURCE.
Recent is quite clearly doing something that M0NKA doesn't WANT them to do. You can reasonably argue that they're being "selfish" or "not nice", and that we SHOULD buy the mcHF instead of a clone, in the interest of encouraging further work from M0NKA. But Recent does not appear to be violating any laws, or for that matter, ethics.
You don't support your case well when you try to support it with falsehoods.
@@drgiller - Many words to explain a completely wrong thing to be right and perfect. I guess you profession might be a lawyer, or a politician.
Why don't you interview the designer of the mchf radio rather than reviewing the Chinese ripoff copy.
Yeah, no kidding.
Knob looks like it's going to fall off.
Several months of use and it hasn't as of yet.
Great Video! 73 de wa6gxq
Since when did the Chinese ever respect trademarks, copyrights or intellectual property?
No mosfets,
Chinese did what designer couldn’t- mass produce it
Just for others information Chris (Krassi) is a she not a he. 👍
It's for people who can't afford the KX3.
And this is why IP law is stupid.
You can't protect your product on hopes and wishes alone. If you care so much about HOW something is used, don't make it open source.
Mainly I do not understand why people purchasing the Chinese illegal copy with stolen IP with low quild and parts quality for the similar price like original mcHF of Chris, M0NKA! Please use the brain, support its author and avoid Chinese f....n copycats and their craps! Do not support them and help to Chris with his own development! Many thanks to all hams who decided to buy mcHF directly from him!
Open source is open source? Apparently not. So you can build one from a kit and this jerks your knot?
Read up on the gnu public license. Also, the developer specified not for commercial use in his release statements on his site. I think I showed that in the video
@@loughkb I understand Kevin really I do, but if they broke any laws I'm sure he would follow up on it. Not sure you can legally claim open source with a contingency factor in it, besides, all I seen was kits and that maybe the legal way out. :)
I have my eye on the newest model with the analog looking meter. Pretty cool.
@@biggysground An average guy like you or me, somehow successfully file legal action against a chinese company overseas? How much is in your savings account? It's not enough. ;-)
@@loughkb I'm seeing China copy almost everything. Without patent or international patent my guess is he is S-O-L. My take is somewhat different than yours. Yes it is entering that grey area but then again it's a kit and not a working copy. By the way, that company is not the only one cashing in on this item, last I've seen it is 2 Asian companies. And then we have a few other "open source" radio items China has done the same with. Even Cadillac is being built in China. Here we buy from them and they have missiles pointed at us. Go figure.
Not worth what they're asking for it.
You are right. Why not just get an IC-7300, with warranty and service after that. The 7300 changed all the calculations for value/price ratio.
Service by icom? What's that? Lip service, being laughed at by head of icomusa when you ask about getting your icom fixed, what kind of service is that? Don't depend on getting that icom fixed... once it reaches a certain age and parts are no longer available, then icom is no better than the Chinese rigs, except you paid twice as much for it. Look for the list of icom rigs that can no longer receive service.... ic- 706mkiig is one of them
A couple of years ago, I ordered some parts from Icom, for a 1980s IC-745. I also had a very pleasant conversation with the staff. They were quite helpful.
Now, I didn't talk to Tokuzo Inoue, and I'm kind of surprised you'd actually get to talk to the head of the division. They usually require appointments be made, even for phone calls.
@@kd5inm ICOM serviced ALL FOUR of our IC-706 MKIIG units back to new spec about 2 years ago. It was at reasonable cost also. One of those is my only radio. When the transistors in the pwr amp go unavailable, the options are fewer. If ICOM doesn't want to use cannibalized parts, that's their call. I don't fault that decision.
@@avt3216 www.icomamerica.com/en/support/repair/unsupported-products.aspx
I don't believe it makes much sense to be open source with your code, and then attempt to place arbitrary restrictions on what other people want to do with your code. The elephant in the room here
(which you touched on) is, there is a large market of hams who cannot build the mc HF kit, don't want to, etc... For the code's creators to stipulate that no one is allowed to play entrepreneur, and cater to that market is asinine. Especially considering that they have no intentions of ever selling complete builds of the mcHF, nor could they keep up with the demand even if they did have those intentions. The whole thing is pretty silly. Thank god the Chinese are building the radio, otherwise no one would even know how good the "open source" code even was. At least it's getting put to use.
The rip off is more expensive than the original😂😂😂
Of cause!! And even more bad, its solid under-performer compared to the original mcHF due to a stript HW made out of cheap components
You can never order the M0NKA , he is so disorganized, never has kits , can't get parts , this is why no one buys M0NKA kits ae5x.blogspot.com/2019/03/how-to-compel-hams-to-buy-clone-of-your.html - IT IS OPENSOURCE so anyone can copy it. here is a user group in America with hundreds of users groups.io/g/RS-918-HF-SDR-Transceiver. Ali Express has them for $375 , why build when you can just buy ? www.aliexpress.com/item/32910174035.html best deal in town. Just cause its chinese does not make it bad, in fact it makes it GREAT!
Would not buy it anyway. I don't support China