Production

This past weekend, I received a second Xiegu X6200: this time, a production run unit!

Again, this unit was supplied to me on loan by Xiegu via their distributor, Radioddity who (in the spirit of full disclosure) is also a QRPer.com sponsor and affiliate.

[Note: Also check out Steve’s channel if interested in the X6200. He’s been testing power output, OS accessibility, and other aspects on the bench.]

POTA Time!

Two days ago–Tuesday, June 11, 2024–I took the new X6200 out for a POTA activation on the Blue Ridge Parkway (US-3378).

I had a couple of hours that morning to fit in the activation, including a round trip from the QTH. The best site for a quick activation was the Folk Art Center picnic area.

Thanks to the early hour, there was no competition for picnic tables.

I decided to pair my PackTenna 9:1 End-Fed Random Wire with the X6200. This provided a chance to test the ATU with a readily matchable antenna (in the future, I’ll make it sweat a bit more by using a transformerless random wire antenna).

This production run X6200 has the same firmware (version 1.0) as the prototype, but the hardware has received noticeable updates. I spotted two changes–one cosmetic and one that had a positive impact on performance–almost immediately.

In the activation video below, you’ll see that I spent a few minutes doing an overview of the X6200.

One of the first things I did was set up the X6200 for CW Message memory operation. I demonstrated (after a bit of head-scratching) how to input the CW message using the X6200’s built-in on-screen keyboard. (If the CW Message Memories confuse you, check out the short primer in my previous post).

Update as of May 31, 2024: I’ve just learned that the prototype unit I used for this activation has been superseded by a production model Xiegu X6200. While many of my initial impressions remain valid, some of the bugs and quirks I noted have likely been addressed in the production model.

When I published this post, I was under the impression that this loaner unit was representative of the final production run. In light of this new information, I’ve removed the mention of some specific bugs until I have the opportunity to evaluate the production run unit.

I’ll be receiving a production model loaner in the coming weeks, and I’ll update this post and share a video demonstrating the updated radio. Stay tuned!

After publishing my post yesterday morning, I ran a few errands in town, then headed to Lake Powhatan in Pisgah National Forest to perform a POTA activation with the new Xiegu X6200.

In short, my buddy Vince summed it all up in a text he sent, stating that I sure picked an interesting time to get on the air. I received this image from Vince–while calling CQ POTA for the 100th time–showing the results of our X-Class Flare:

It was a radio blackout.

In the end, I did log eleven stations: 1 on 30 meters, and 10 on 20 meters, all with CW.

Eventually, I did plug in an external battery and run the X6200 at its full 8 watts of power in SSB mode, but there were no takers on 20 meters. The bands were so dead, I even received reports from some of you that the FT8 portions of the band had little to no activity.

That dead!

I did manage to hunt some other park activators successfully–we activators had to work together to get through this one!

Video: Change of plans

I had originally planned to create a video of the activation, write a detailed field report, and answer some of the questions you left in the comments section of my previous post. I was actually able to make a video, but it’s incredibly long. Because of that, I’m only going to upload it to Vimeo for QRPer.com Patreon supporters to view. I simply don’t want to deal with the inevitable drive-by comments on YouTube from people expecting quick-hit thoughts about the X6200 in a nearly two-hour video.

No worries, though, I will make another video witht he X6200 in the next few days and publish that one on YouTube.

In the meantime, I’ve also taken some thorough notes that I’ll be sharing here.

X6200: Initial Impressions and Notes

Disclaimer: It’s important to keep in mind that this is a prototype loaner unit, and the firmware is still in its early stages (Version 1.0). Because of this, the following observations and notes should be taken with a grain of salt.

Many issues will likely be addressed in firmware updates that Xiegu will be releasing in the coming days and weeks.

The date of publication for this article is May 30, 2024. Considering

I will eventually be posting a comprehensive review of the X6200, but only after I’ve spent a significant amount of time (weeks, not just hours) with the radio. This initial write-up is just to share my first impressions.

Moving on…

Since there simply wasn’t enough band activity and the X-class flare created more band noise than normal, I wasn’t able to properly evaluate the X6200’s filtering (thus how it might handle a pileup, crowded band conditions, etc.). I also couldn’t get a good read on the radio’s noise floor and overall audio characteristics.

I did, however, spend nearly two full hours with the X6200 going full bore sending CQs, so I had quite a bit of hands-on time, and I feel the X6200 got a proper burn-in period.

First, I’ll share the observations I made (both pros and cons), then I’ll try to answer your questions. Continue reading Xiegu X6200 Trial by Flare: Answering your questions and sharing my field notes →