Heard yet of the Xiegu X6100?

It’s all over the web today.

Not on sale yet but some sources mention a possible release this summer. Doen’t seem like vapourware anyway.

10W, ATU, Trail-Friendly FF, Color Touch Screen…

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Looks like the replacement for the X5105 (as the G90 was for the X108G).
( Xiegu X5105 OUTDOOR VERSION HF TRANSCEIVER | V3.0 with CE-19 ).

Here’s the specs etc. on the X6100 ( radioamateur.us - This website is for sale! - radioamateur Resources and Information. ).

The discussion on qrz.com starts here: New QRP Rig? Looks like a winner! | QRZ Forums

73 Ed.

It looks like power hungry unit, RX=550mA and TX=3A, not sure if only 512Mb RAM is not restrictive for SDR transceiver.

I use mcHF QRP and it has RX=290mA and TX=2A @ 10W, RAM is 1024Mb

73 de Marek

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I have owned both the G90 and X5105.
They are both okay radios for what they cost.
In my opinion they never really finished either radio as far as the firmware is concerned.
Now they are putting out a new model which I am assuming from past practices will never quite be finished.
When I had the G90 and was corresponding about CW issues I got the distinct impression that the programmer had no idea how a CW rig should operate. Very frustrating.
They just never seemed to tweak all the issues, in my opinion.
Thus the reason I own a KX2 and IC-705, you get what you pay for.
Larry
n0sa

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As another owner of an X5105, I agree. There are myriad bugs and there have been no firmware updates for some time. I expect the announcement of a new model will reduce the chances of improvements to existing ones still further.

The situation reminds me of cheap mobile phones, which rarely get upgrades when new OS versions are released, since that would cost the manufacturers money they would prefer to spend on their next hardware versions. Maintaining existing models doesn’t help them hit next quarter’s revenue targets…

Software Defined Radio loses a major benefit if nobody continues developing the software. In other areas, popular devices have seen excellent reverse-engineering efforts, with more capable community builds being released as Free software. These are often maintained long after the OEM gives up on a device. I’m not aware of any such projects for Xiegu products, though, and I lack both the time and the skills to start one myself :frowning:

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Some people say this is the IC-705 killer and I don’t think it is the case. As you say Larry, Xiegu radios won’t reach soon the level of quality of Icoms or Yaesus, so there will always be a market for the IC-705.

That being said, this TRX could be filling a gap. I’ve had my FT818 for 2 years now; I’ve brought it on dozens of activations, and I know what are non-negociable features of the next TRX I will buy:

  • Trail friendly form factor (the table-top form factor of the FT818 drives me nuts in the field)
  • ATU: I use resonant antennas now but it can be fun to try new bands on the fly, and ham radio is all about fun :slight_smile:
  • 10W on SSB: doubling the power at QRP levels makes a big difference in SSB, especially when using a speech compressor
  • Built-in keyer: this makes life so much easier on longer activations

Weight, screen, bells & whistles and even power consumption are less of a criteria for me (I can carry an extra battery on a day hike).

So far, only one (well, two) radios provide those features: the KX2 and KX3. In Europe, whether you import or buy locally, you have to expect to pay 25% more than in the US! Quite extreme for an already expensive radio.

So I am keen to see how the X6100 performs in the field, since it claims to have all the features I am looking for. And I quite like the look of it actually :slight_smile:

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Completely agree with you Larry. This situation could be easily remedied if Xiegu would simply make the firmware open source and let the community finish the job.

Decent hardware with horrible software makes me sad :anguished:

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And if ICOM, Yaesu, Elecraft, Flex and Kenwood made all their software open source …

It’s not going to happen - It’s these companies (all of them including Xiegu)'s, intellectual property.

I also don’t believe this is an ICOM 705 killer - as I believe 25% of ICOM sales come from their name, plain and simple - people trust the “big 5” makes as they’ve been around a while. The XIEGU range is in the lower price category, for those who can’t afford and ICOM/Yaesu/Flex/Kenwood/Elecraft.

If you look at the series of firmware upgrades (not just fixing issues but also adding features) that Xiegu have done with the G90 model, they are learning. The same as ICOM, Yaesu and Kenwood have over the years. Flex and Elecraft are different as they, I believe were amateur based companies from day one and hence have not really followed the normal corporate companies route.

As the Xiegu X108G came to the end of useful life, it was replaced with the G90. It looks like a similar fate has happened with the X5105 now being replaced with the X6100. Not good for X5105 owners but perhaps good for those looking for a bargain second hand X5105 rig - perhaps someone coming new into the hobby.

It great to have choices!

73 Ed.

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Agree it’s not going to happen. The other thing that isn’t going to happen: me buying a radio with terrible firmware and no expectation that it will ever get fixed. :laughing:

ICOM, Yaesu, Elecraft, Flex and Kenwood don’t need someone else to fix their software - when I buy something from them it works properly and they support it. Yes, the cost is higher but who wants to own a radio with software problems that are never going to be resolved?

There is a lot of entertainment value in all these new rigs coming out - I do love watching all the review videos on YouTube!

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If they made the source available there would be plenty of people working to improve it. Pretty quickly it would go from an average product to an excellent one.

Of course, the problem of releasing the source means all the skeletons come rushing out of the cupboard. One reason, in general, why you may not see the source released for products is because the code being used has been used without permission.

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Really ? I have had issues with even the well-founded companies - which put me off buying from one of the big three (no I won’t name which one) for many years. They all make mistakes and errors - the question is whether they learn from their errors.

I’ve just done my first activation with my new Xiegu G90 rig - it worked perfectly - all worked as it should. Did I use all of its features - no - am I happy with the unit so far for its price - certainly. Would I have been equally happy with a rig from the big 3 that cost me 2 to 3 times the price - possibly yes, possibly no.

As I said, it’s good to have a choice. The “new boys on the block” will at least keep the old companies honest, even if they are not your first choice.

Each to their own - respect each other’s choices.

73 Ed.

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At least you won’t get charged another £300 for an ATU!

Joking aside I love the G90 and will be very interested in buying the X6100, I have done some side by side tests with a 705 using the same antenna and have to say ‘FOR ME’ the 705 is not worth three times the amount. It is a lovely radio don’t get me wrong, but more than I would spend. The big three have had the market for to themselves for a long time, so at least having a new kid on the block might get them looking over their shoulder.

Let’s see what Santa brings!

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I bet 2nd and 3rd harmonics are a joke. I’d love to check one out on the Agilent spectrum analyser at work. You pays your money you take your chance. personally I’ll stick with the big three!!

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I’d rather buy a Generation X album than a “generation x-series flagship” that lacks a “Punk!” button. :laughing:

Ahoi
Pom

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If only Xiegu would being out a range of test equipment to compete with Rigol/Agilent/R&S then you could have a spectrum analyser at home.

Rigol maybe. R&S no.

You’ll find that kind of stuff. I got 2 NanoVNAs (one op to 1.5 GHz, one V2 up to 3 GHz) for about 50$ which perform OK for the price. No significant difference in measurements in comparison with a RigExpert AA600. (OK, no idea how it is on the higher end of the frequency range)

There is a spectrum analyzer called TinySA in the same price range. I don’t own one, and I wouldn’t bet on the performance being equal to the real type of equipment. But to check whether you transmit a clean signal or a picket fence, it should be ok. In my opinion good enough if you don’t expect accurate measurements but want to tune a signal for maximum, harmonics to minimum etc.

73 Jens HB9EKO

They can be incredibly useful as long as you know the limits of them. There is a reason why they are $50 and not $50000.

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Hi Ed,

It looks like the KX2 and the X6100 are after the same market. Elecraft will sell better in the US unless Xiegu claim to be recycling Boing airliners for the metal bits.

A quick look at the specs indicates there would not be much to choose technically.between these two.

Having invested in an IC705 I’m not going to get a Xiegu X6100 unless it’s a gift.

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Hi Ron,
Both the X5105 and the X6100, technically are “similar” to the KX-3 rather than the KX-2 as they both cover 160m-6m (you can add more to the KX-3 but the base model is to 6m), both have (good) ATUs in them and both can run off an internal battery.
The KX-2 only covers 80m-through 10m, but it is smaller and lighter.
I think that for the moment, the Elecraft units probably perform the best for mountain usage, but the XIEGU is cheaper.

I (personally) think ICOM shot themselves in the foot by not including an ATU within the IC-705 case despite many hams telling them it was needed (I know - use resonant aerials - but in some situations you have to use what is there). It’s also still a little expensive for me but after a while, I expect the price will drop as is normally the case with new radios. Now if the IC705 had had 70MHz as well (but it can’t as that’s one of its IFs), I might have considered it longer, before buying the G90.

73 Ed.

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