Category Archives: Reviews

Field Reports, News, Portable, POTA, QRP, QRP Radios, QRPp, Reviews, Videos

Getting To Know You Series: The Elecraft KX3–My thoughts, notes, and one extreme QRPp contact!

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I’m very fortunate in that in the past few years I’ve accumulated a number of QRP radios that I use in rotation when I do park and summit activations.

I’m often asked for advice on choosing radios, and as I’ve mentioned in the past, I feel like the decision is a very personal one–everything is based on an operator’s own particular preferences.

Over the years, I’ve written formal reviews about most of the field radios in my collection. In those reviews, I try to take a wide angle view of a radio–to see how it might appeal to a number of types of operators. I highlight the pros and cons, but I don’t focus on my own particular take because, again, my style of operating might not match that of readers. I try to present the full picture as clearly as I can and let the reader decide.

The Getting To Know You series gives me an opportunity to highlight one radio at a time and showcase what I love about it and why it’s a part of my permanent radio collection. After we spend a bit of time talking about the radio, we’ll do a park or summit activation with it!

The Elecraft KX3

I was originally introduced to the Elecraft KX3 at the 2011 Dayton Hamvention–over a decade ago at time of posting!

I was commissioned to write a review of the KX3 for the Monitoring Times Magazine and Elecraft was kind enough to lend me a brand new KX3.

At the time, there was nothing like the KX3 on the market and I felt like I’d just received a radio from the future.

The KX3 offered 160-6 meter general coverage with an optional 2 meter module, ATU, internal AA battery compartment, and roofing filters. The controls were top mounted and current draw in receive was as little as 150 mA. At the time, there was no other radio on the market that could compare with the KX3’s field prowess.

But it wasn’t just its field design that was impressive.

In fact, when Rob Sherwood tested the KX3, it placed at the top of his list which is sorted by Third-Order Dynamic Range Narrow Spaced.

This field radio sported a bullet-proof front end and true contest chops, displacing $10,000+ high-end rigs.

Today, the KX3 (at time of posting) is still number 12 on Rob’s list. An impressive feat!

Herein lies the danger of doing reviews…

I didn’t have the KX3 in my grubby little hands for more than a few hours when I decided I had to buy one. I sold some gear to free up money and I bought the KX3 Elecraft sent me on loan for the full price.

I’ve taken this KX3 on numerous activations and on international travels. It’s a brilliant QRP companion.

These days, it’s in the shack more than in the field because I keep it hooked up to my KXPA100 amplifier. I feel like the KX3/KXPA100 combo is like having a poor man’s K3. As a huge bonus, the KX3 takes up little space on my table and the KXPA100 sits on a shelf–the overall footprint is much smaller than a K3 or K3s. It’s like having a remote head on my desk and works perfectly for my limited space shack.

The KX3 is a stellar, benchmark field radio, so it was great fun to feature it in this video.

Zebulon B. Vance Birthplace (K-6856)

For this Getting To Know You report and video, I decided to activate one of my favorite local parks on September 12, 2023: the Vance Birthplace. Continue reading Getting To Know You Series: The Elecraft KX3–My thoughts, notes, and one extreme QRPp contact! →

Guest Posts, News, Portable, Reviews

KA4KOE takes a look at the FX-4CR by BG2FX

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Many thanks to Philip (KA4KOE) for the following guest post:

The FX-4CR (Manufacturer’s image)

Review of the FX-4CR Mini-Transceiver: What’s Old is New Again.

by Philip (KA4KOE)

Introduction

My start in Amateur Radio began in 1979 as a newly-minted, 16 year-old Novice. At the time, my resources were slim. I worked in a country store; pushing a broom, putting up stock, bagging groceries, etc. I was paid $23.46 every two weeks. At this time, Heathkit was selling kits to the ham radio community that ran the gamut from simple to elaborate. Looking over the catalog, my young eyes were drawn to the HW-8. What drew my attention was not the radio’s features, but the price.

The Heathkit HW-8 was listed for $129.95, plus shipping. I did not even notice that the power output was specified at 3.5 watts on 80 meters. The green gem was a bonafide ham radio transceiver!

In due course, the kit was acquired, assembled, tested, and put on the air with an Elmer’s aid. I made a bunch of contacts with that CW-only transceiver. The term “QRP” never entered my mind. I don’t have any photographs from my early days on the air: the only photograph of the HW-8 dates from 1981 during my freshman year of college. By that time, I had acquired an HW-100 from a fellow ham. See Photograph No. 1: note the chrome Vibroplex Lightning Bug, homebrew “T” network transmatch, and of the course the ‘8 on far right (see red arrow).

Photograph No. 1: KA4KOE in 1981.
Photograph No. 2: Heathkit HW-8. (Image Source: WD8RIF)

Rationale and the radio

Without getting into my entire life’s story, I will start this paragraph by stating that my ham “career” has now come full circle as I’m back to using compact, lightweight, low power gear; this time by choice.

I had the bad habit of deploying too much gear during POTA activations. I came across internet chatter with regards to a relatively new product; the FX-4CR SDR mini-transceiver. The base specifications are as follows:

  • Dimensions: 107mm (4.2”) L x 65mm (2.6”) W x 43mm (1.7”) H.
    Weight: 0.46 KG (1 LB).
  • Bands/Power:  80 meters thru 10 meters, inclusive: 20 watts. 6 Meters: 5 watts.
  • Display and Panadapter Span: 50mm (2.0”) TFT, Approximately 24 KHz +/- (48 KHz total) and waterfall. See Photograph No. 3.
  • Modes: LSB, USB, CW, FM, AM, Digital.
  • Receive Current Draw: 210 mA.
  • Transmit Current Draw: 3.0A to 4.0A at full rated 20W output.
  • Input Voltage Range: 9 VDC thru 16 VDC (do not exceed). The optimal supply voltage is 14 VDC.
  • Connectivity: Bluetooth for CAT/Audio. USB Port for CAT/Audio and Firmware Updates. Integral audio soundcard input/output.
  • Output Power: Continuously variable from 0.1 thru 20W. Recommended maximum wattages are SSB – 20W, CW and Digital – 10W.
  • No internal battery or antenna matching unit.
Photograph No. 2: My FX-4CR, 6 AH Bioenno LFP, Genasun GV-5.

Expectations

The prospective buyer should realize what this radio “brings to the table”. As others have previously stated on the various internet chat groups and social media, do not expect Elecraft performance at the $550 (including shipping) price point for this radio. All radios have flaws and this one is no exception. Issues of which I am aware are as follows: Continue reading KA4KOE takes a look at the FX-4CR by BG2FX →

Antennas, Field Reports, News, Portable, POTA, QRO, QRP, Reviews

Golden Hour QRP POTA Activation with the REZ Ranger 80 Portable Vertical Antenna

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On Sunday, August 20, 2023, en route to check in with my parents, I popped by Lake James State Park for a little early evening POTA fun.

In the car, I’d pack the Elecraft KX2 kit and I still had the REZ Ranger 80 vertical antenna system on loan from REZ Antennas (it’s since been returned to them).

The last time I deployed the REZ was on Mount Mitchell in some pretty sketchy weather.  While I recorded a couple of short videos, I didn’t record a full activation video since we were having a family picnic that day.

Before sending the Ranger 80 back, I wanted to fit in a proper activation showing how I deploy the antenna, how I tuned it for the first time, and how it might perform on the 40 meter band.

Lake James State Park (K-2739)

It was golden hour at Lake James and the park was bustling with activity. There were kids running around, parents chasing them, and several families cooking out at the numerous picnic sites.

I sought out a location that was private and quiet mainly because the Ranger 80 antenna has four 31 foot radials, thus a large footprint; I didn’t want children, pets, or anyone tripping on the ground radials.

Fortunately, one of my favorite spots overlooking the lake was free, so I could simply set the Ranger 80 up in the woods where folks weren’t walking.

The Ranger 80 is super easy to deploy: simply extend the vertical, attach it to the top of the base, then attach the stainless spike to the base and plunge the entire thing into the ground. Next, you deploy the four radials and connect it to the base of the antenna.

It only takes a couple of minutes especially since the counterpoises are wound using the over-under method. I simply tossed each line into the woods and didn’t worry if they were all lying perfectly on the ground.

Note to REZ: Consider offering optional high-visibility counterpoise wires–for those of us setting up in busy parks, it would make the ground radials more conspicuous to passersby.

Next, I needed to tune the Ranger 80 for the forty meter band.

Typically, when I use a sliding-tap tuning coil style antenna like this one, I turn on the radio and move the coil until I hear an audio peak, then I fine tune it by sending a “dit” on the radio, checking the SWR, and adjusting the coil slider.

That evening, though, I had my RigExpert AA-35 Zoom antenna analyzer so I set it to continuous SWR monitoring and adjusted the coil until I achieved a good match. Easy.

I should add here that when you use an antenna like this frequently, you learn where the best tap points are on the coil thus tuning becomes easier. My friend Alan (W2AEW) actually made a PVC rig for his coil antenna (click here to check it out).

With the antenna all set up and ready to rock-and-roll, I simply hooked up the Elecraft KX2, my VK3IL pressure paddles, and prepared the logs.

It was time to play radio! Continue reading Golden Hour QRP POTA Activation with the REZ Ranger 80 Portable Vertical Antenna →

Field Reports, Guest Posts, News, Portable, POTA, QRP, QRP Radios, Reviews, Videos

Getting To Know You Series: The Ten-Tec Argonaut V (Model 516) – My thoughts, notes, and a POTA activation!

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I’m very fortunate in that over the past few years I’ve accumulated a number of QRP radios that I use in rotation when I do park and summit activations.

I’m often asked for advice on choosing radios, and as I’ve mentioned in the past, I feel like the decision is a very personal one–everything is based on an operator’s own particular preferences.

I’ve written formal reviews about most of the field radios in my collection over the years. In those reviews, I try to take a wide angle view of a radio–I try to see how it might appeal to a number of types of operators: field operators, DXers, summit activators, contesters, rag-chewers, casual operators, SWLs, travelers, outdoor adventurers, mobile operators, etc. I highlight the pros and cons, but I don’t focus on my own particular take because, again, my style of operating might not match that of readers. I try to present the full picture as clearly as I can and let the reader decide.

On that note, I thought it might be fun to take a radio out for a field activation and spend a bit of time explaining why I enjoy using it and why it’s a part of my permanent field radio collection. Instead of taking that wide-angle view of a radio like I do in magazine reviews, I share my own personal thoughts based on long-term experience.

Each new video in the Getting To Know You series will highlight one of the field radios from my field radio collection.  I’ll spend time in each video explaining what I personally appreciate about each radio, then we’ll do a park or summit activation with the radio.

I’ll release these every few weeks or so–when the notion strikes me.  They will not be on a regular schedule, but I hope to include each of my radios in this series over the the next year.

The Ten-Tec Argonaut V

The third radio in the Getting To Know You series is my Ten-Tec Argonaut V (Model 516).

I’ve always been a big fan of Ten-Tec products because I love their focus on quality, high-performance receivers, and benchmark audio fidelity.

Ten-Tec has produced some impressive radios over the years and was a trail-blazer in the world of QRP with their Power Mites and original analog Argonaut series (check out these and more T-T radios here).

When Ten-Tec manufacturing was located in Sevierville, Tennessee, I knew many of the employees of the company and even did Alpha and Beta testing for their QRP radios like the Patriot, Rebel, and Argonaut VI.

I love the ergonomics and simple front panel design of the Argo V.

I purchased my Argonaut V used in 2021 when I saw it for sale on QTH.com. The price was right and, frankly, I wanted a Ten-Tec radio back in my life.

In the activation video (below) I’ll speak to all of the reasons I love the Argonaut V, why I think it’s so unique, and why I’ve no intention of ever selling it. Then, we’ll perform a POTA activation with it.

Keep in mind that my perspective will primarily focus on HF CW operating–I don’t actually own a microphone for the Argonaut V, but I do plan to at some point.

Lake James State Park (K-2739)

On Sunday, August 13, 2023, I made a detour to Lake James State Park en route to visit my parents in Hickory, NC. As I’ve mentioned many times before, Lake James is one of the easiest parks I can hit in my travels and it’s open every day of the week–in the summer, it’s also open quite late which is a bonus.

The only negative with evening activations at Lake James is fighting the mozzies–they can be persistent!

I picked out a picnic table close to the car and pulled the Argonaut V from my Husky latching box.

I then immediately deployed my MW0SAW 40 meter End-Fed Half-Wave antenna. Since the Argonaut V doesn’t have an internal ATU, the EFHW would give me the flexibility to operate on 40, 20, 15, and 10 meters natively.

Of course, it was in the early evening, so I only intended to hop on 40 meters, but I had the option to move up the band if needed.

After deploying my antenna, I recorded the “Getting To Know You” portion of the activation video–I’d encourage you to check that out below!

Time to hop on the air! Continue reading Getting To Know You Series: The Ten-Tec Argonaut V (Model 516) – My thoughts, notes, and a POTA activation! →

Accessories, Antennas, Guest Posts, News, Portable, Reviews

Barry reviews the RigExpert AA-650 Zoom

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Many thanks to Barry (KU3X) for sharing the following review originally posted on his website:

Product Review: RigExpert AA-650 Zoom

by Barry G. Kery, KU3X

If you are building a ham radio station, whether it be a contest station, a station for working DX or just daily rag chewing, this may be the tool you need to help you maximize your signal.

The AA-650 Zoom is a very user friendly antenna analyzer. It is super easy to navigate through the menu to choose what task you want the analyzer to perform.

Let’s start with frequency range. This unit will cover from 100 kHz up to 650 MHz. To get accurate readings, you must enter three factors. You must enter, “Frequency, span and sampling points. “  Here is one of many areas where the AA-650 Zoom shines and that is, “Sampling Points.”

When you sweep a frequency range, whether it’s just the 20 meter band or maybe sweep from 7000 kHz to 30000 kHz, sampling points have a direct impact on the results.

Antenna analyzers do not take a reading one Hertz at a time. They take a reading at numerous points within your sweep range. You can select how many sampling points you want to use. The 650 Zoom gives you 5 options. They are 20, 50, 100, 250 and 500 sampling points.

Let’s say you want to sweep from 7000 kHz to 30000 kHz, like the usable frequency range of a 40 meter off center fed antenna. If you choose to use 50 sampling points, the 650 Zoom will take a reading at every 460 kHz in that range. Once the sweep is finished, the analyzer takes an average and fills in the display with an SWR curve. So it kind of guesses what’s between each point.

Now take that same frequency range but sweep it with 500 sampling points. The 650 Zoom now takes a reading at every 46 kHz.  Remember one thing: the more sampling points you use, the slower the sweep but the higher the accuracy. For single band use, I like to use 100 sampling points.

Most of the time, that’s all you need. But let’s say the antenna you are testing has some quirk at a given frequency. If your sampling points are set too low, your sampling points may not be close enough to detect the problem. So now the analyzer will not know there’s an issue and fills in the display with an average reading.

There are two ways to setup the analyzer for a frequency and range. To the left shows where you can manually enter the center frequency and the span of the sweep. Press the, “Frequency key” on the keypad to access this feature. Within that display, to the far left you will see meter bands. If you press the, “F key” on the keypad, a band will be highlighted. Use the up / down arrow keys on the keypad to select your band of choice. When you let up on the, “F key” the analyzer will program that band with a predetermined span.

The picture on the right shows yet another super easy way to set up the analyzer. To access this screen, press and hold the, “F key” and then press the zero key on the keypad. The rest is easy. Pick a number that corresponds to the band you want to check.

Top picture shows an SWR curve of my 40 meter beam. This reading was taken from my shack. Take note of the bottom of the display. The analyzer lets you know what the minimum SWR is at a given frequency. On the top of graph, the SWR is shown in relation to the pointer.

The top right picture shows the SWR of my 20 meter beam at a given frequency. You may find this feature useful for adjusting a manually operated transmatch or adjusting the tuned inputs of your home brew amplifier. On the bottom of the display, it shows return loss at 14150 kHz.

When you sweep a frequency, you can save the SWR plot in any one of the 99 non-volatile memory slots so you can retrieve them at a later date.

If you want to check more than one frequency at a time, like on a tri band Yagi or an off center fed antenna, the AA-650 lets you pick up to 5 different frequencies to check at one time.

Shown below are return loss figures for a low power 4 to 1 Guanella Current Balun. The balun was designed to be used from 80 to 10 meters. The sweep is from 2 MHz to 30 MHz.

Let’s talk OSL Calibration…

Using Open, Short, Load calibration is a way to cancel out your transmission line so you can take a reading of your antenna like you are attaching the antenna analyzer to the feed point of the antenna. Let’s take a 100 foot length of RG-8X as our coax used for testing antennas. Hook the coax to the 650 Zoom and run OSL Calibration. Once you do that, it’s like the coax is transparent. Continue reading Barry reviews the RigExpert AA-650 Zoom →

Field Reports, News, Portable, POTA, QRP, Reviews, Videos

Getting To Know You Series: The Icom IC-705 – My thoughts, notes, and a POTA activation!

16 Comments

I’m very fortunate in that over the past few years I’ve accumulated a number of QRP radios that I use in rotation when I do park and summit activations.

I’m often asked for advice on choosing radios, and as I’ve mentioned in the past, I feel like the decision is a very personal one–everything is based on an operator’s own particular preferences.

I’ve written formal reviews about most of the field radios in my collection over the years. In those reviews, I try to take a wide angle view of a radio–I try to see how it might appeal to a number of types of operators: field operators, DXers, summit activators, contesters, rag-chewers, casual operators, SWLs, travelers, outdoor adventurers, mobile operators, etc. I highlight the pros and cons, but I don’t focus on my own particular take because, again, my style of operating might not match that of readers. I try to present the full picture as clearly as I can and let the reader decide.

On that note, I thought it might be fun to take a radio out for a field activation and spend a bit of time explaining why I enjoy using that particular radio and why it’s a part of my permanent field radio collection. Instead of taking that wide-angle view of a radio like I do in magazine reviews, I share my own personal thoughts based on long-term experience.

Getting To Know You

Each new video in the Getting To Know You series will highlight one of the field radios from my field radio collection.  I’ll spend time in each video explaining what I personally appreciate about each radio, then we’ll do a park or summit activation with the radio.

I’ll release these every few weeks or so–when the notion strikes me.  They will not be on a regular schedule, but I hope to include each of my radios in this series over the the next year.

The Icom IC-705

The second radio in the Getting To Know You series is my Icom IC-705.

From the moment I first unboxed my Icom IC-705, I’ve been incredibly pleased with it. It’s a proper 21st century radio. Not only does it have a very wide frequency range, multimode operation, and an incredibly deep feature set, but it also sports proper wireless connectivity.

The IC-705 has become one of the most popular QRP rigs on the market despite it’s nearly $1,400 US price tag.

I originally purchased and reviewed the Icom IC-705 in 2020 (click here to read my review).

In the activation video (below) I’ll tell you about how I acquired my IC-705, why I think it’s so unique, and why I’ve no intention of ever selling it. Then, we’ll perform a POTA activation.

Keep in mind that my perspective will primarily focus on HF operating even though the IC-705 also sports multimode VHF and UHF.

South Mountains State Park (K-2753)

While driving back to the QTH on July 6, 2023, I stopped by the Clear Creek Access of South Mountains State Park–it was the perfect location to play radio on a hot and very humid day.

South Mountains’ only picnic table is located under the shade of a large oak tree. Continue reading Getting To Know You Series: The Icom IC-705 – My thoughts, notes, and a POTA activation! →

Antennas, Guest Posts, News, Portable, QRP, Reviews

Barry reviews the PAC-12 portable antenna

6 Comments

Many thanks to Barry (KU3X) for sharing the following guest post originally posted on his website:

Product Review: PAC-12 Portable Multi Band Vertical Antenna

by Barry G. Kery, KU3X

 

I am always on the hunt for a better mouse trap. Dave, NB3R came across a great multi band vertical antenna for portable operating. It’s a, “ PAC-12 7-50MHz Shortwave Antenna “ found on AliExpress.com.

The PAC-12 antenna is designed to operate on any frequency from 6 meters down to 40 meters.

Numerous manufactures make multi band vertical antennas designed to be used for portable operating. Some have quality issues and others may have performance issues, or both? Any hunk of wire or aluminum will radiate if RF is applied to it, but how much will be radiated is the question.

When it comes to ground mounted vertical antennas, one major factor that effects performance is the ground radial field. The PAC-12 comes with a long ribbon cable that you will have to separate each wire and cut to a quarter wave length per band of operation. There are ten wires within the ribbon cable. The length of the ribbon cable is 18 feet. This is too short for 40 meters but perfect for 20 meters. I made four 35 foot long radials out of some wire I had laying around the shack. This will increase the performance on the 40 meter band as well as making a better match. Spread the radial wires out equally around the base of the antenna.  Since the radials are not elevated, they do not have to be tuned but it does make for a better match.

The antenna comes with a short stake that can be driven into the ground for attaching the ground radial crimp on to and attaching the feed insulator.

The stake is strong enough to support the entire antenna, even on windy days. The feed insulator has an SO-239 for connecting your coax. The feed insulator must be attached to the ground stake correctly. Make sure the writing on the insulator is on top of the SO-239 and the black portion of the insulator is attached to the ground stake.

So what makes this antenna perform better than most other commercially made portable vertical antennas? Answer, “the mast!”

Most manufactures, not all, use a tapped base loading coil to make the antenna resonant on numerous bands.  On a quarter wave antenna, the wire or aluminum closest to the feed point of the antenna is the current portion of the antenna and the current portion does the most radiating. Continue reading Barry reviews the PAC-12 portable antenna →

Field Reports, News, Portable, POTA, QRP, QRP Radios, Reviews, Videos

Getting To Know You Series: The Elecraft KX2 – My thoughts, notes, and a POTA activation!

15 Comments

I’m very fortunate in that over the past few years I’ve accumulated a number of QRP radios that I use in rotation when I do park and summit activations.

I’m often asked for advice on choosing radios, and as I’ve mentioned in the past, I feel like the decision is a very personal one–everything is based on an operator’s own particular preferences.

I’ve written formal reviews about most of the field radios in my collection over the years. In those reviews, I try to take a wide angle view of a radio–I try to see how it might appeal to a number of types of operators: field operators, DXers, summit activators, contesters, rag-chewers, casual operators, SWLs, travelers, outdoor adventurers, mobile operators, etc. I highlight the pros and cons, but I don’t focus on my own particular take because, again, my style of operating might not match that of readers. I try to present the full picture as clearly as I can and let the reader decide.

On that note, I’ve had an idea bubbling around in my head for quite a while.

I thought it might be fun to take a radio out for a field activation and spend a bit of time explaining why I enjoy using that particular radio and why it’s a part of my permanent field radio collection. Instead of taking that wide-angle view of a radio like I do in magazine reviews, I would share my own personal thoughts based on long-term experience.

Getting To Know You

Each new video in the Getting To Know You series will highlight one of the field radios from my field radio collection.  I’ll spend time in each video explaining what I personally appreciate about each radio, then we’ll do a park or summit activation with the radio.

I’ll release these every few weeks or so–when the notion strikes me.  They will not be on a regular schedule, but I hope to include each of my radios in this series over the the next year.

The Elecraft KX2

The first radio in the Getting To Know You series is my Elecraft KX2.

Without a doubt, I’ve put more time in with the Elecraft KX2 than any other radio I’ve ever owned. As a field radio op, it’s one of my all-time favorite transceivers.

I originally purchased and reviewed the KX2 in 2016 (click here to read my review).

In the activation video (below) I’ll tell you about how I acquired my KX2, why I think it’s one of the best portable HF field radios ever made, what makes it so unique, and why I turn to it more than any other radio I own. Then, we’ll perform a POTA activation.

Tuttle Educational State Forest (K-4861)

On Friday, June 23, 2023, I pulled into Tuttle Educational State Forest knowing it could rain on me at any point. We’d just come out of nearly a solid week of rain (after a very long dry spell). I had packed my ENO rain fly in the car, but my hope was that the Tuttle picnic shelter would be unoccupied. Continue reading Getting To Know You Series: The Elecraft KX2 – My thoughts, notes, and a POTA activation! →

Accessories, Field Reports, Morse Code, News, Portable, POTA, QRP, Reviews, Videos

POTA with the Penntek TR-45L and importance of quality cable assemblies!

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On the morning of Wednesday, June 14, 2023, I left the QTH with a goal in mind: fit in a POTA activation before taking my sweet mom to an appointment that afternoon. As I’ve mentioned in the past, there are about four park options that are easy detours off the 1.5 hour drive to my parents’ home, so it was very much doable.

I decided to go to Tuttle (K-4861) since it would be very close to one of my favorite lunch spots (Food Matters in Morganton). I figured I could fit in an activation, then grab lunch after, and still make the appointment with time to spare.

In almost every case, this is how I do POTA these days: it’s all about fitting in activations with weekly travels and errands. It’s rare that I simply plot out an activation or two the day before. More often than not, I schedule my activation a max of 30 minutes before I arrive at the park.

I arrived at Tuttle around 11:30 AM and had the park to myself. There were no other guests there, just park rangers. And lots of birds.

PSA: Buy/Build quality cable assemblies!

A couple days prior, I received a cable assembly sample in the post: a 25 foot RG-316 cable with BNCs on both ends and three series 31 in-line ferrites from ABR Industries. These slim in-line chokes are a new option ABR is offering, hence the reason they send me the assembly.

I speak about this at length in my video below, but I’ve been a customer of ABR Industries for well over a decade now. ABR is a USA supplier of high quality cable, cable assemblies, and other cable components. I’m a huge fan. In fact, I wrote about them separately on the SWLing Post a couple years ago.

Full disclosure: ABR Industries sent me this cable assembly (and one other I’ll feature in a future report) free of charge. They are not a sponsor (although I’d love for them to be) and I’ve no other relationship with them other than being a customer.

I go into greater detail in my video, but I learned a while back just how important it is to use high-quality cable assemblies, adapters, and connectors in the field and at the QTH.

As a field operator, I know my cable assemblies are essentially consumables. With all of the winding, deployments, packing, being outdoors, rough handling, etc. they will eventually fail. (In fact, Alan made a point of this in his latest field report when a mishap in the field broke a good assembly.)

High quality cable assemblies will not only provide better longevity and better durability, but also less loss and overall higher performance. It’s worth the cost because when I hike to a summit, the last think I want to discover is that my cable assembly has failed.

Note that I also build my own cable assemblies (indeed, I feel like all radio ops should learn this simple skill) and try to use quality components and best practices to make the best assemblies I can.

Take-away is: don’t skimp on your cable assemblies. I no longer buy my cable assemblies from random suppliers on eBay or Amazon, I buy them from companies that build and test their assemblies within our hobby; companies like PackTenna, Tufteln, Messi & Paoloni, and ABR Industries.

Here ends my PSA…let’s get on with the activation!

Tuttle Educational State Forest (K-4861)

I spent quite a bit of time talking about cable assemblies, then I moved straight into setting up my field gear. I launched a line and deployed my cannibalized 40m EFHW again and connected it to the Penntek TR-45L. Continue reading POTA with the Penntek TR-45L and importance of quality cable assemblies! →

Articles, Morse Code, News, Portable, POTA, QRP, QRP Radios, Reviews, SOTA

An in-depth review of the Xiegu G106 QRP HF transceiver

20 Comments

Note that the following review first appeared in the May 2023 issue of TheSpectrum Monitor magazine.

Update: Also, please note that the G106 is on sale at Radioddity at time of posting. With our affiliate link pricing is only $264 US (see note at end of review). Please read this review prior to making a purchase decision!

An in-depth review of the Xiegu G106 QRP HF transceiver

by Thomas (K4SWL)

Last year––in May of 2022, that is––Xiegu announced a new compact field radio that would be added to their line of transceivers: the Xiegu G106.

Xiegu has really made a name for themselves over the past few years with several transceiver offerings, many of which have become very popular. Among these:

  • The Xiegu G90 is a 20-watt transceiver with an excellent built-in ATU. The G90 has become a very popular field radio over the past few years.
  • The Xiegu X5101 is a five-watt shack-in-a-box HF transceiver covering 160-6 meters. The X5105 has become a go-to QRP portable due to its fine built-in ATU and built-in rechargeable battery pack.
  • The Xiegu X6100 is much like the X5105, in that it’s also a shack-in-a-box QRP transceiver, but it leverages SDR technology to provide a beautiful color spectrum display and a host of features not found on its predecessors. Many have adopted the X6100 because its operating system is Linux-based and many enthusiasts have created their own X6100 interface that promised direct digital mode operation.

Because we’re seeing more products like these from Xiegu, the up-and-coming Xiegu G106 stirred interest.

Moreover, Xiegu has become a low-cost leader among HF transceiver manufacturers. In each of the reviews I’ve published about Xiegu radios, my summary statement is that each unit offers a lot of performance for the price. Xiegu transceivers don’t have the most robust receiver front-ends, and the audio is unrefined, but their rigs get the job done and have some serious “fun factor.”

So when I first learned about the new Xiegu G106, I was curious where it would fit into their product line.

Introducing the Xiegu G106

As I was capping off my summer in Canada back in August of 2022, Xiegu retailer Radioddity started shipping the G106. Radioddity had me on the list to send a loaner G106 for review, but  upon my return I found myself so busy that I didn’t immediately request it.

I did watch, however, K8MRD’s initial and updated review of the G106 on YouTube. While it was less than stellar––understatement alert––more relevant to me was that Mike shipped his second evaluation unit to me on behalf of Radioddity.

I connected that G106 to a dummy load, checked the transmitted signal on my SDRplay RSPdx spectrum display, and it simply didn’t look very clean. In fact, it looked worse than it did when Mike checked it only a couple of weeks prior.

I shared my results with Radioddity and told them I didn’t feel comfortable putting the G106 on the air; they asked that the unit be returned and checked out.

Fast-forward to January 2023, when I was once again contacted by Radioddity to see if I would like to field test an updated G106? I answered that I was happy to do so, because I was curious whether the G106 experience had improved.

In the spirit of full disclosure, keep in mind that Radioddity is a Xiegu retailer/distributor––the company is not the manufacturer, nor is it owned by Xiegu. They sent this G106 to me on an extended loan for an honest evaluation.

So where does the G106 fit into the Xiegu product line?  It’s being marketed as a low-cost, entry level, multi-mode QRP HF transceiver that leverages 16-bit CODEC sampling to provide the user with a lot of radio for the price. It’s basic, and meant to be so, in that  it’s only a transceiver; there is no built-in ATU or battery. The G106 is marketed as a bare-bones portable HF transceiver.

I feel like it hits this mark.

The G106 doesn’t have a lot of features or controls one might expect in other Xiegu radios, but it has more features than any other modern HF radio I know of in its price class (see features list below). Indeed, I can’t think of any other 80-10 meter general coverage QRP transceiver that retails for $320 or less. The G106 has this market niche to itself for the moment.

Overview

When I first received the G106, I was a little surprised:  it was even more compact than I had imagined.

The sides of the G106 are rounded and the chassis extends beyond the encoder and front controls of the radio, thus the interior is quite well protected in the event the radio is dropped. This is one of the few QRP field radios on the market that doesn’t need an aftermarket cage. I’ve been transporting the G106 in an old hard shell headphone case a friend gave me. The case isn’t large, but it easily holds the G106 and a power cord with a bit of room to spare.

 

The G106 sports a small monochrome backlit display that’s very easy to read in the shack or in the field with full sunlight.

Besides the weighted encoder (which has soft detents), the volume control, and microphone port, there are also four multi-function buttons located under the small display on the front panel. On top of the radio, there is a power/backlight button, mode/pre-amp button, and two band buttons that also can be pressed and held to change the frequency cursor position. The internal speaker is also mounted on the bottom of the top cover, just behind the top panel buttons.

On the back of the G106, you’ll find a BNC antenna port, ground/earth lug, key port, COM port, 8 pin ACC port, and a DC input port.

The most conspicuous omission is a headphone or external speaker port. I would have expected this in a QRP field radio because operators often prefer using headphones in the field rather than a speaker. I know that some G106 owners have built their own RJ9 audio plug to port out the audio to headphones. There is a headphone port on the supplied speaker mic, but CW-only operators might prefer a more direct way to connect earphones in order to keep the bulk of their field kit to a minimum.

What is surprising is that the G106 has a very basic spectrum display that is actually quite useful!

Ergonomics

The ergonomics of the G106 are overall pretty good…but a bit quirky. To be honest, giving the user access to numerous functions and features on a radio this small is always going to affect ergonomics; there’s only so much control-surface real estate. Continue reading An in-depth review of the Xiegu G106 QRP HF transceiver →