CB/SW combo. Xiegu G90

[K9KLC]

They sound just as good on AM as they do SSB. My ancient Hickok 388X meter doesn’t show PEP, but on max power it does in fact dead key at about 18.9 watts on AM. I don’t run it that high on AM though. Usually set power to 10 watts. I only use the full 20 watts on SSB.

Also here is the MARS mod to open up the TX on 11 meter. It only RX’s it by default.

Thanks. Ya, you'd need to dial that carrier down a bit to get any kind of modulation out of it I'd think. Even the high end ham sets don't have an AM carrier equal to their rated output these days. Not like a collins 32V2 where you'd tune it and it just "talked"...

 

[WSAC829]

You won’t win any AM DX contests with a G90, but you will get slightly punchy nice clean audio.

What’s kind of neat is that while most current 100 watt HF rigs will only do 25 watts on AM, the G90 lets you use its full 20 watts on AM if you desire. It’s not power limited on AM like its big brothers.

 

[sempai]

this X6100 has some much appreciated battery longevity features. it isn't automated like on apple's architecture, but at least you can turn the charger off while it's still plugged in and keep it below 80% when you're mostly using it stationary. which seems pretty likely considering you can connect to the damn thing over IP via wifi, via USB (I don't know this WinRF protocol yet it sounds like serial over USB) probably bluetooth (both wireless serial and audio, and probably even a2dp or something over the top for codecs because why not) which also means:

much less opportunity for me to knock a glass off the counter fumbling around behind the thing in the kitchen \o/. man it's a good thing my partner and i don't live together year round she would hate this thing so much 😂

 

[slowmover]

 

[WSAC829]

For those that might run it as a base, i’ve connected my G90 to HDSDR. The advantages: bigger screen, adjustable waterfall speed/zoom, extra (software) notch filters and noise reduction functions, recording functionality, ability to control most of the rig from your PC, etc.

How to: How To Sync Your Xiegu G90 To The HDSDR Software

I’ve attached a screenshot i took this morning while listening to some needle benders. I’ve also attached a small mp3 of the audio quality coming from HDSDR of their conversation.

 

[707ways2Sunday]

This thread got me curious beyond my control. Don’t know much about it yet. I can say, according to my meters which are fairly accurate, that quite a bit shy of the max wattage claim. Also, it talks and hears very well, but for my old ears the internal speaker falls short. A local friend sent me a short recording of my audio with out of the box settings on side band which sounded very good. Radio + 203 W/ about 80W was heard and acknowledged across the pond on my wire loop by 2 stations.

Just my first impressions until I can figure out how to operate this thing!!!

 

[slowmover]

This thread got me curious beyond my control. Don’t know much about it yet. I can say, according to my meters which are fairly accurate, that quite a bit shy of the max wattage claim. Also, it talks and hears very well, but for my old ears the internal speaker falls short. A local friend sent me a short recording of my audio with out of the box settings on side band which sounded very good. Radio + 203 W/ about 80W was heard and acknowledged across the pond on my wire loop by 2 stations.

Just my first impressions until I can figure out how to operate this thing!!!

Post in thread 'CB/SW combo. Xiegu G90'
CB/SW combo. Xiegu G90

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[WSAC829]

I can say, according to my meters which are fairly accurate, that quite a bit shy of the max wattage claim

My meter shows 18.9 watts (give or take a smidge) with my 12 amp Astron power supply putting out 13.8 volts. This guys tests also show 19 watts at 13.8 volts. So i’d check your power supply, or make sure you have the power turned all the way up as it’s set low by default.

Also an external speaker (needs to have a stereo plug, not mono), or connected to your PC will save your ears. The tiny 1” built in speaker isn’t the greatest for extended listening depending on the band you are on as some bands are noisier than others.

 

[707ways2Sunday]

My meter shows 18.9 watts (give or take a smidge) with my 12 amp Astron power supply putting out 13.8 volts. This guys tests also show 19 watts at 13.8 volts. So i’d check your power supply, or make sure you have the power turned all the way up as it’s set low by default.

Also an external speaker (needs to have a stereo plug, not mono), or connected to your PC will save your ears. The tiny 1” built in speaker isn’t the greatest for extended listening depending on the band you are on as some bands are noisier than others.

Appreciate the information. There is no telling when it comes to meters. The lower reading is no concern to me. For sure though need a better speaker set up.

 

[EAFrizzle]

It does have nice audio through my old sennheisers. I have a lot of hearing loss in the middle to upper midrange frequencies, and I find that the internal speaker, while not having a pleasant sound quality, helps to boost the range that i need help hearing. I love the SDS100 speaker for the same reason. They seem to be more audible to me at low volumes than anything else I have with a larger speaker/better audio.

 

[sempai]

The biggest concern we should have with a company like Xiegu is they tend to stop releasing firmware for superseded products. it's kind of like a paid beta program in some respects, which is arguably why they charge so much less than some others that have more commitment to supporting their products in the future. The X6200 sounds like what a new user should be looking at in some cases if you're okay with the drop to 8W.

I don't know how I feel about not getting firmware updates for an X6200 when they start shipping an X6300 or whatever. I generally expect them, at least for security vulnerabilities that are exploitable. Fujifilm has a whole philosophy on supporting deprecated hardware that I absolutely adore but I don't expect as much as I'd like to >< I haven't had time to chase down CVEs that reference Xiegu's SDR models yet to see how often that has happened or anything but it's got a web service an presents some sort of API so I imagine there have been a few.

 

[ka3jjz]

While not related to CB, there are several articles on the G90 on the SWLing.com website

Search Results for “xiegu g90” – The SWLing Post

swling.com

Mike

 

[WSAC829]

The biggest concern we should have with a company like Xiegu is they tend to stop releasing firmware for superseded products

I tend to agree a little here, however the x6100 just had a new firmware released a few months ago (9-15-2024). The other benefit of the x6100/x6200 is that they are Linux based, and easily hackable. There are numerous 3rd party custom firmwares available for the x6100. Here is one example: Buildroot 2024.11 for R1CBU/R2RFE firmware

As for the G90. I think it *might* get another update yet, but the few quirks that are left in the last firmware aren’t deal breakers, and it fixed most all the previous issues.

 

[ka3jjz]

To add another resource to the G90 discussion there's actually a pretty active reflector on the popular groups.io website;

main groups.io Group

This is a group to share information and promote understanding of the Amateur Radio transceiver Xiegu G90 and how to use it. It is also intended to be place to identify issues with your G90 transceiver and get support from other members. It is to be a friendly, polite and inclusive group.

xiegug90.groups.io

Over 4000 members and it seems a lot of activity here

Mike

 

[WSAC829]

Good resource. I joined there not long ago. Lots of info. I just dislike the "mailing list" style as it's somewhat cumbersome to navigate.

 

[sempai]

I tend to agree a little here, however the x6100 just had a new firmware released a few months ago (9-15-2024). The other benefit of the x6100/x6200 is that they are Linux based, and easily hackable. There are numerous 3rd party custom firmwares available for the x6100. Here is one example: Buildroot 2024.11 for R1CBU/R2RFE firmware

As for the G90. I think it *might* get another update yet, but the few quirks that are left in the last firmware aren’t deal breakers, and it fixed most all the previous issues.

I saw that there was an ARM soc setup in there and assumed but hadn't gotten there yet. That's interesting that they have released firmware as recently as fall, that's better than I thought it would be at least! I am not thrilled at the prospects of largely being at the mercy of hobbyists and firmware hackers for a communications tool. But I have other gear on a 3 year refresh cycle and the radio is less than my iPad 🤷‍♂️ or even my phone. Unless they start falling apart en masse I think it's inevidble that I get one of these things. I won't let myself do it until I get the antenna situation sorted out for such a thing.

Being able to operate it remotely is extremely appealing.

 

[707ways2Sunday]

Really liking this radio, going to see if I can incorporate a 7” touch screen to the mix. Too busy talking on the thing to get started on setting it all up!!! External speakers and I’m a happy camper ATM

 

[WSAC829]

going to see if I can incorporate a 7” touch screen to the mix

That would be awesome. If you succeed, please share the how-to. If that fails, HDSDR works great with the G90, and you can use your mouse and/or keyboard shortcuts to control your rig.

Below is my current setup in the house. G90 (w/custom knobs), G90-H1 bracket/cooling fan, Arco desk mic, KL-203 (for DX when it’s piled up), and HDSDR set to display a 192kHz wide spectrum (G90 screen only displays 48kHz). The Astron power supply the KL-203 is sitting on was gutted because it was dead, and i custom mounted a fan in it to keep the KL-203 cool if i yammer on too long. It was wired to the existing power switch so i can turn it on and off as needed. Also wedged in to that Astron case is the speaker and circuit board from an old Am-Com ClearSpeech DSP speaker which had a shattered housing. There’s multiple 3” holes drilled in the back of the book shelf for ventilation, running cables, etc. On the left side of the book shelf i also have an antenna switch and mic hangers. Pretty happy with this setup.

 

[jcrmadden]

Pretty happy with this setup

I'd bet so. It's clean. Is there a band you can't talk on?

 

[WSAC829]

Thanks, and yeah, quite a few yet.