XIEGU G90 HF RADIO

[JohnyMac]

Patriotman was up here to the redoubt over the weekend to help me cut, split, and stack winter firewood. While here we played quite extensively with his new XIEGU G90 Radio. For kicks and giggles we used a End Fed 4-band (EF-Quad 4-Band antenna 40,20,15,10-meters) antenna now made by Vibroplex that I had up from when I did the 13-Colonies contest in July. It was set up in a 45 degrees sloping angle from north to south.

In short, the radio was fantastic. If I had an extra $500- laying around, I would buy one in a New York minute.

I played around a bit with some of the setting's like, ATT, Compression, NB filters, and if we had time would have played too with the mic's gain control. Friday night Patriotman made 10 contacts from Canada north to Georgia and in-between with great reports. Saturday night we joined in on a QSO with NC Scout and a class he was facilitating in NC with ease. Scout was using his CTX-10 which had been updated with the most recent firmware.

That same night Patriotman made contacts all over the eastern seaboard, all on 20-watts and using the above mentioned antenna.

Both nights, most QSO's were accomplished on 40-meters with a few on 20-meters.

As a side note, I am impressed with that EF-quad antenna. It weighs about 30-ounces and I have made contacts with it using my Yaesu 817 radio with ease on 5-watts. With it being in the slopping configuration, I did pick up some ground noise but it was minimal. I suspect if it was deployed horizontally and throw in a couple loops with the coax close to the balun, it would run noiseless.

I will let Patriotman fill in the blanks including DO NOT BUY FROM RADIODIDDITY.

Last but most important, I worked Patriotman, OBH & his son like 'rented mules' on the wood part of Saturday. Thank you gents for your help.

73

[Jackalope]

    Good to hear you've got your wood supply ready for winter!  So, why not buy from Radioddity?

[pkveazey]

I've never bought from RADIODDITY but I have heard some rumblings from others who didn't care to buy from them. I don't know any particulars. I've seen some ads and videos about the G90 and it almost made me buy one. Nope, not going to do it. I've got two perfectly good radios already and I have to reign myself in now and then.

[JohnyMac]

Patriotman can speak better to them however, this is what I know based on his experience.

> If you have an issue, there is nobody to speak with on the phone. Radioditty will only communicate via email.
> When you communicate with them via email, there appears to be a language issue. Either English is not their
    first language or they do not read and understand your issue.
> Patriotman's issue was, when you turned the radio on it would only stay on for 2-seconds then shut down. He
   reported it immediately to Radioddity as it was a brand new radio. Once they did get back to Patriotman their
   response was, "Do a firmware update". Well he couldn't as the radio would only stay on for 2-seconds. This
   exchange and their response went on for WEEKS. It only stopped when Patriotman told them that he was going
   to call Visa and put payment on hold. Then they issued a RA# for him to return the radio. The exchange took
   weeks.
> Patriotman at the time he ordered the radio also ordered a MFJ antenna analyzer. The analyzer arrived missing
   buttons. That took a long time too, to rectify.

I am sure he can add to the list above.

To be honest, I only deal with two companies. They are DX Engineering and Ham Radio Outlet. I have received less then satisfactory goods from them. Both companies answer their phone and the folks you chat with speak English. They also bend over backward to make things right.

Just my 3-cents worth (Inflation so it ain't 2-cents anymore). 

PS, all my wood is cut. I am working on the splitting and stacking it now. One cord down and 6 to go. 

 

[FeedingFreedom]

I decided to go with the X-6100 instead of the G90, and I've been really happy with it so far. Xiegu does not communicate with its customers directly, at all. Apparently in the latest firmware, they removed the menu item that turned the I/Q output on and off. There is a 3.5 mm jack on the radio for I/Q out, so it seemed weird that they'd just turn off something like that. I really wanted to try the radio with SDR software on the PC, so I was kind of ticked that it was gone right as I bought the radio. I decided to try reaching out to Radioddity to see if they had any info on when it might be put back in the menu.

I sent them an email, and Nora responded in less than a day. She let me know that the menu item had been removed because the port was just active all the time after the last firmware update.  Sure enough, I hooked the radio up and got it working with HDSDR in short order. Nora then emailed me to check and make sure I got it working, we had a very nice email exchange. Her English was not perfect, but certainly understandable, and much more so than a lot of Americans that I have to deal with (Assuming that she's not American, but she very well could be). I would absolutely buy from Radioddity again. I won't ever buy anything from HRO after being ignored for 30 minutes in an empty store with a pocket full of cash to buy an HF radio. Even DX Engineering has screwed the pooch on several orders, most recently taking my money for something that they said would ship in 3 weeks, then updating the order to say it was going to be 3 months (at least). I ordered directly from the supplier (in England) and had the stuff in 3 days. Every company has its issues. Radioddity ships their radios from the US, so they're pretty quick with shipping.

I also have their weather station, it's been working perfectly so far, and the instructions that it came with were very well-written and clear.

Back to the radio, I went with the X-6100 for several reasons, after weighing everything, the only thing that the G90 had over it was power output (10w on external power, 5w on battery, G90 is 20w). Larger (and absolutely stunning) display, ability to do digital modes without carrying extra dongles and dingles that are easily lost or broken (and which don't come with the radio by default), internal battery, smaller size, better ergonomics, built-in mic (not great but a backup if you need it), voice/CW memory keyer, CW decode (works as well as any), and of course the I/Q output. Of course the 6100 is about $140 more than the G90 if you buy the soundcard interface and fan stand with the G90.

I'm in several groups for the X-6100, and I've read some messages from people that have had issues with the radio. I didn't expect a Japanese radio, if I did, I would have bought an Icom IC-705 and been done with it. I enjoy tinkering with inexpensive things and making them do things they're not supposed to do. I'd be uncomfortable doing that with a $1,500 radio however.

[JohnyMac]

  Great update F2. Thanks.

Which happens with all companies, there are screw ups. I (At my age) ever get upset as it just isn't worth it. I judge companies on how fast they rectify the situation. Example at hand, Patriotman had a poor experience and F2 has had good experience. Let the buyer beware. 

I love the larger screen the X-6100 offers that the G90 does not have. It is very appealing after using the G90 this weekend. However, those extra 10-watts may be the difference in breaking through a pile-up or not.

Now if I had the disposable income, I would own the Icom-705 in a NY minute even if it only puts out 10-watts. It rocks from 70cm on up to 160-meters. But, it does not have a internal tuner hence the unit plus tuner make it easily over 3-lbs. I know, picky, picky, picky.

The X-6100 and G90 are both around 2# with an auto tuner.

Great discussion.

[patriotman]

Thanks for the post JMac.

Johnny has all the details correct. Basically, they were giving me the run around with regards to getting a replacement. Every thing they suggested required the radio to be on, which I had clearly stated multiple times that was not possible because it did not turn on. It finally took a chargeback threat for them to send me a replacement.

When I received the replacement, it had a sticker on it over the removable panel saying something along the lines of "Tampering invalidates warranty" - something that the previous radio did not have. I have a weird suspicion I was sent a refurbed radio instead of a new one because my previous radio did not have that sticker.

[FeedingFreedom]

All of the 6100's come with that sticker on them. Kind of meaningless as there really isn't much of a warranty, at least from Xiegu directly.

[Sir John Honeybucket]

Personally, I like the performance of the G90, thought the later radios from Xiegu have the form factor I prefer: designed to be layed flat with the conrtols on TOP.  That is much more field friendly. 

As for performance I like the adjustable IF filtering & etc.  Very easy to eliminate interference, especially in narrow modes like CW (Morse) and that should apply for most most digital modes. Thelow'ish power consumption is a REAL plus for preppers; whose operation in a grid down is based on RATIONING ELECTRONS. 

[Sir John Honeybucket]

Good News !

I just received my DIGIRIG Mobile interface and got the G90 running in digital modes.  I've been using it in CW and some rare SSB.Nice to have the low power drain (lower than the usual) running digital modes now.  I hope to use it next week for the ERIN net.

73 de Sir John Honeybucket

[JohnyMac]

  Sir John!