The T41-EP (aka T41) is a robust 20W SSB and CW SDR transceiver, three years in the making by Jack Purdum W8TEE and Al Peter AC8GY. It is an open source project and the radio is designed to be an experimententers platform. Frequently-used settings are quickly changed using the front panel switch matrix. Other,less frequently-changed settings,are modified using a simple menu system. The settings are "set-and-forget" since they are stored in EEPROM. Software and hardware solutions can be easily be changed so experimenters can tailor the rig to meet individual needs. Jack and Al have done their best to make the radio a flexible platform to bring ideas to life and more fun, enjoyment to the hobby.
The radio is built in modules, not as a single board. Different functions can be changed without materially affecting other modules and their processing. The Teensy 4.1 microcontroller is the heart of the T41 and has 7.9MB of flash memory for program storage and 1MB for data. The microcontroller performs all of the T41's SDR functions; no PC, laptop, or tablet needed. The T41 has the horsepower to do the heavy lifting a high performance SDR radio demands, thanks in part to its 600Mhz clock compared to an Arduino Nano's clock at 16Mhz. Then, keep in mind that, despite all of the functionality packed into the T41, you still have over 7.6MB of memory to experiment with if you wish!
Review all the functions below and imagine the benefit of having this radio active on your operating station.
The large (1206) SMD components are already soldered on the boards, making this kit easy to assemble. Most of the construction is mounting the controls and connecting them to the T41 boards, as shown here:
The T41 is a bargain considering all of the functionality built into it. It is a robust SDR transceiver costing a fraction of other SDR radios cost with fewer features. We think you will be amazed at the T41's price/performance ratio! It will make a fine, fully functional, and educational rig for a new builder, the new ham, or seasoned veterans wishing to just have fun with a new rig or have an cost-effective experimentation platform.
