Morse Code Generator

Buying guide · updated 2026-09-17

QRP CW transceivers, compared honestly

QRP means five watts or less — and CW is the mode that makes five watts work. A licence, a wire in a tree, and any radio below will get you real contacts across a continent. Here's the ladder, from a $95 kit to the rig everyone eventually wants.

Some links are affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Two of the four picks link straight to the manufacturer and pay us nothing. Full policy: disclosure.

Best value in all of amateur radio

QRP Labs QMX (kit or assembled)

≈ $102 kit / $152 assembled

Five watts, multiple bands, built-in keyer, CW decoder, and a USB sound card for digital modes — for a little over a hundred dollars as a kit. Firmware added SSB in 2025, so it now does CW, digital modes and voice. Nothing else in radio comes close per dollar. The kit is a weekend of careful soldering; the assembled option skips straight to operating.

Pros

  • Absurd capability per dollar
  • Tiny — true shirt-pocket rig
  • Active development and firmware updates

Cons

  • Kit build is not a first-soldering-project
  • You choose a band set at purchase — check it covers the bands you want

View at manufacturer

Cheapest multiband transceiver

(tr)uSDX

≈ $90–125 assembled

An open-source QRP transceiver the size of a deck of cards, five bands by default (80/60/40/30/20 m) though sellers also list cheaper three-band builds. Compromises everywhere — audio is thin, power is honest-five-watts-ish — but it transmits real CW on real bands for the price of a restaurant dinner.

Pros

  • Five bands, shockingly cheap
  • Open-source hardware and firmware
  • Huge community of builders

Cons

  • Receiver audio is the weak point
  • Quality and band count vary between sellers — check the listing before buying

Check price

Best step-up / do-everything budget rig

Xiegu G90

≈ $465

20 watts, built-in automatic antenna tuner, real SSB alongside CW. Heavier and thirstier than true QRP rigs, but as one radio that does CW practice today and everything else later, it's the budget sweet spot.

Pros

  • Built-in ATU is a genuine luxury at this price
  • 20W closes contacts QRP can't
  • Full HF coverage incl. SSB

Cons

  • Power-hungry for battery field use
  • Keyer/menu ergonomics are workmanlike

Check price

The dream portable

Elecraft KX2

≈ $1,320

The rig CW portable operators graduate to. World-class receiver, exquisite built-in keyer, room inside for a battery that runs it all day, and it fits in a jacket pocket. Listed not because a beginner should buy one, but because it's useful to know where the ladder tops out.

Pros

  • Best-in-class receiver and keyer
  • Internal battery option (sold separately) runs it all day
  • Legendary resale value

Cons

  • Price of a dozen QMX kits
  • Waiting lists are common

View at manufacturer

Before you buy a radio