Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dave, who writes asking if any Icom IC-705 or IC-7300 owners have created a database of SWL frequencies that could be imported into memory. I think this is a great idea as both transceivers are quite capable shortwave listening receivers.
If you have a database file and would like to share it, please comment!
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Ray Novak, who notes that Icom has issued the following firmware updates for the IC-7300 and IC-9700:
Changes from Version 1.30
[Spectrum scope is improved]
– A Scroll mode that can seamlessly change the displaying scope range, depending on the operating frequency, is added.
– A popup screen that displays when SPAN or EDGE change is added.
– The number of FIX EDGE memories is expanded to 4.
– Each band independently memorizes the Reference level.
– Improved the Scope function of the RS-BA1.[Preset function is added for FT8 operation]
– A Preset function that can set each operation is added.[Multi-function dial is enhanced]
– A Multi-function dial now works as a memory channel selector in the Memory mode.
– A Multi-function Menus Customization function is added.
– A function indicator for the Multi-function dial is added.[Other changes]
– A Front Key Customization function that can change the function of [VOX/BK-IN], [AUTOTUNE], [?], and [?] is added.
– A MIC Key Customization function that can change the function of [UP] and [DOWN] is added.
– The Band Stacking Register window is added.
– While operating in the Data mode, the receive tone control is deactivated.
– The default setting of the CI-V USB Port is changed to “Unlink from [REMOTE].”Refer to INFORMATION IC-7300 Version 1.40 for details.
The Scroll mode for the RS-BA1 Version 2 software will be added to Version 2.30.
Click here for full details and IC-7300 firmware update.
Changes from Version 1.24
[Spectrum scope is improved]
– A Scroll mode that can seamlessly change the displaying scope range, depending on the operating frequency, is added.
– A popup screen that displays when SPAN or EDGE change is added.
– The number of FIX EDGE memories is expanded to 4.
– Each band independently memorizes the Reference level.
– Improved the Scope function of the RS-BA1.
[Preset function is added for FT8 operation]
-A Preset function that can set each operation is added.
[Other changes]
– A Front Key Customization function that can change the function of [VOX/BK-IN], [AUTOTUNE/AFC], and [TONE/RX>CS] is added.
– A MIC Key Customization function that can change the function of [UP] and [DOWN] is added.
– A Touch function is added to the GPS icon.
– The “ddd.dddd°” format is added for the Latitude/Longitude display.
– While operating in the Data mode, the receive tone control is deactivated.
– A menu item that can return to the normal mode is added to the QUICK MENU of Terminal Mode and Access Point Mode.
– Fixed an issue where the time may not be displayed in the GPS POSITION screen.
Refer to INFORMATION IC-9700 Version 1.30 for details.
The compatible programming software for firmware update Version 1.30 can be downloaded here.
The Scroll mode for the RS-BA1 Version 2 software will be added to Version 2.30.
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Justin (N2UJZ), who shares the following Icom IC-7300 tip:
I was looking for a way to completely disable the TX (to share an antenna) on a IC-7300 and found this article. I didn’t get any answers saying “yes” but I just figured it out and yes it can be done.
Press ‘Menu”, then press “Set”, then “Function” to bring up a menu starting with “Beep Level.” The fourth item down is “Band Edge Beep.” You want to set that to “ON (User) & TX Limit”
Then once that is turned on, there will be a “User Band Edge” option in the Function menu. Under that select and delete all of the band edges. The radio will now not TX at all from any button on any band. To re-enable TX, change the “Band Edge Beep’ anything other than TX Limit.
[IMPORTANT] Don’t forget to save to the SD card before deleting the band edges or you might have to re-enter them.
I was just disconnecting the mic until today but this way I’m a little more at ease now with the 7300 sharing an antenna with the HackRF. 73, Justin N2UJZ.
What a brilliant tip, Justin. Thank you for sharing this!
I was recently asked to make a table comparing the basic features and specifications of the new Xiegu GSOC/G90 combo, and comparing it with the Icom IC-7300 and IC-705.
This is by no means a comprehensive list, and I plan to add to it as I test the GSOC. It doesn’t include some of the digital mode encoding/decoding features yet. I’m currently waiting for the next GSOC firmware upgrade (scheduled for November 20, 2020) before I proceed as it should add mode decoding, audio recording, fix CW mode latency, and add/fix a number of other items/issues.
Click to enlarge
At the end of the day, these radios are quite different from each other. Here’s a quick list of obvious pros and cons with this comparison in mind:
Pros:
Cons:
Pros:
Cons:
In short, I’d advise those looking for a 100 watt radio, to grab the Icom IC-7300 without hesitation. It’s a solid choice.
If you’re looking for the most portable of these options, are okay with 10 watts of maximum output power, and don’t mind dropping $1300 on a transceiver, the Icom IC-705 is for you. You might also consider the Elecraft KX3, Elecraft KX2, and lab599 Discovery TX-500 as field-portable radios. None of them, however, sport the IC-705 display, nor do they have native VHF/UHF multimode operation (although there is a limited KX3 2M option). The IC-705 is the only HF QRP radio at present that also has LAN, Bluetooth, and built-in GPS. And, oh yes, even D-star.
If you’re a fan of the Xiegu G90 or already own one, give the GSOC controller some consideration. It offers a more “modular” package than any of the transceivers mentioned above in that the controller and G90 faceplace can be swapped on the G90 body. The GSOC screen is also a pleasure since there are two USB ports that can connect a mouse and keyboard (driver for mine were instantly recognized by the OS). The GSOC/G90 combo is a bit “awkward” in that a number of cables and connections are needed when configured to operate both SSB and CW: a CW key cable, Microphone cable, I/Q cable, serial control cable, power cable for the GSOC, and a power cable for the G90. This doesn’t include the cables that might be needed for digital operation. I dislike the fact that the CW cable can only be plugged into the transceiver body instead of the GSOC controller like the microphone. Still: this controller adds functionality to the G90 (including FM mode eventually) that may be worth the investment for some.
I’ll update this list with any obvious pros/cons I may have missed–please feel free to comment if you see a glaring omission! Again, these notes are made with a comparison of these three models in mind, not a comprehensive review of each. I hope this might help others make a purchase decision.
Listening to Radio Prague via WRMI with the Xiegu GSOC
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Tim R, who writes:
Dear Thomas,
First of all thank you so much for the all of the energy you put into the SWLing Post. When crazy things are happening in the world it’s a very welcome sanctuary! Sending you some coffee money.
I plan to become a ham radio operator next year. Bought the book last week and once I finish a large project for work, I’m on it. Of course, the Tech license will only give me limited exposure to HF, but I’m already plotting an HF radio purchase because I can’t WAIT do do some SWLing with it. Up to this point, I’ve only owned portable radios and never really have used external antennas other than some cheap wire.
My question…
I’ve been considering grabbing a Xiegu G90 because it seems to be a nice comprehensive beginner’s HF rig and is very affordable. I read your review and understand your caveat that there’s no way to completely disengage the transmit so that it can’t be accidently hit if connected to an RX only antenna. I’m not worried about that because I’m going to hang a G5RV wire antenna and use it both for TX and RX. No problem if RF is accidently sent through it.
Of course, there’s a lot of buzz in the Xiegu community about the new GSOC controller. I had not planned to exceed $600 for my radio purchase, but I love the idea of the controller. But when I add $550 for the controller and $450 for the radio, all the sudden I’m at $1,000.
After some deep soul-searching (and let’s be frank here, a blessing from my wife and CFO) I’ve decided to raise my budget to $1,000.
All of this to ask, if you had $1,000, would you buy the G90 and GSOC controller, or would you get something else keeping in mind I want to use this as much for shortwave listening as for future ham radio work?
Any advice would be appreciated.
-Tim
Thanks for your question, Tim! And thanks for giving me a complete picture of your budget/radio requirements and the antenna you plan to use.
I’ll try to answer your question here, but understand this is more what I would do if I were in your shoes. This is a pretty simple question, but not simple to answer because there are so many options on the market.
Keeping in mind, I feel like the GSOC is a work in progress at the moment and not fully developed–check out my initial review. Once the next firmware update is available it could certainly solve a number of small issues I found with the unit. It works, but it’s not a refined product yet.
It’s ironic, actually. When I received your message this morning, Tim, I was SWLing with the GSOC and G90–listening to Radio Prague on WRMI. In the end, though, the GSOC is primarily an enhanced interface for the G90. While it does add some extra functionality (and should, over time, add much more) it doesn’t really change the performance characteristics of the G90. I’d check out my G90 review for more info about performance.
Would I purchase the G90/GSOC combo if I were in your shoes? Again, it’s early days, so I don’t feel comfortable making a recommendation call yet. The G90 is, without question, a great value at $450 (often even less) investment. I like it primarily as a field radio, though, and once you add the GSOC to the mix, it’s a little less portable because it’s two units with quite a few interconnect cables. Of course, you can swap the GSOC unit for the G90 control head at any time, but that involves attaching and re-attaching the control head each time (there’s no accessible serial port on the back of the G90, for example)
If you’re a huge fan of the G90, the GSOC should eventually be a worthy addition. At present, for your use as a new ham and for SWLing, I’d perhaps consider other options too.
The Icom IC-7300 SDR transceiver
Since you’ve raised your budget to $1,000, I’d consider adding the Icom IC-7300 to your list. At present, via Universal Radio you can buy a new IC-7300 for a net price of $1039.95 after rebates. Sometimes, the price will go even lower although during the C-19 pandemic, I think that’s less likely to happen since supplies are lower than normal for many items.
The IC-7300 has better performance specs than the G90 and can output a full 100 watts if you like. The display is touch sensitive rather than capacitive like the GSOC. The display is also much smaller than that of the GSOC. The IC-7300 has a lower noise floor than the G90.
I think the IC-7300 is a great radio for SWLing, but the audio for broadcasts is sort of “flat.” You might check out this post where we did some audio comparisons. It does have native broadcast recording to an SD card, which I love. The GSOC should be adding this soon, too.
I would include the new Icom IC-705 as a recommendation here, too, but it’s $300 over your budget.
This might be the option I’d take if I were in your shoes.
Get the 20 watt Xiegu G90 ($450) as planned or consider a radio like the 100 watt Yaesu FT-891 ($640), Both of these radios are general coverage and would serve you well for SWLing and ham radio activities. I’d personally invest the bit extra and get the FT-891 since it would also give you 100 watts output and even has advanced features like memory keying.
We actually mentioned both radios in a similar post this year.
If you buy the pricier Yaesu FT-891, you’d still have $360 to invest in your shack!
I’d then buy an Airspy HF+ Discovery ($170–my review here) or SDRplay RSPdx ($200–my review here) and get all of the benefits of a PC-connected SDR.
These SDRs would take your SWLing to the next level. They have uncompromised performance for the price.
Both companies continuously improve their products/applications based on customer feedback. Indeed, check out some of our recent posts about SDR# free upgrades. Mind blowing stuff–!!!
You could even use the SDR as a panadapter for your transceiver which would give you the ability to have a full-screen spectrum display on an external monitor at home.
Of course, these answers only scratch the surface. I haven’t even included used, late model gear in these recommendations.
I’d like to give you a firm recommendation about the GSOC and G90 combo, but I’m waiting to see how this next firmware upgrade goes–early days still.
Post readers: Please comment if you have even more options/suggestions for Tim. What works for you within a $1,000 budget.
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul, who writes:
This came to me from a friend; he is curious about choosing between the Xiegu G90 and the Icom IC-7300 for his first rig. He has money to buy the Icom which is $999 right now after rebates, but wants to know if he is really getting twice the radio for the Icom, vs the Xiegu, or are there other good reasons to get the 2016-introduced Icom, vs the newly introduced Xiegu.
Maybe this can be a posting to ask your readers? Greatly appreciate it.
Thanks very much
Paul
Thank you for passing along the question, Paul.
While I almost consider this to be an “apples to oranges” question, let’s approach this from a couple of different operator perspectives and truly explore the decision.
I like both radios for different reasons, but first, I’ll tell you what my decision would be if I were in in his shoes…
The Icom IC-7300 SDR transceiver
While the Icom IC-7300 does cost twice the amount of a Xiegu G90, it’s a much more versatile transceiver. There are almost too many IC-7300 features to list here, so I’ll mention a few that immediately come to mind, focusing on features the G90 lacks.
For one thing, the IC-7300 is a 100 watt radio, thus the max rated power output is five times that of the Xiegu G90.
The IC-7300 doesn’t require an external sound card for digital modes. Simply plug the radio into you PC with a USB cable, and with your favorite application (like WSJT), you can operate any number of digital modes. (I found configuring the G90 for digital modes to be a bit frustrating.)
The IC-7300 also covers the 6 meter band–the G90 tops out at 10 meters.
The IC-7300 has useful features for contests and field operation like:
Again, by no means is this a comprehensive list–just some of the features that come to mind.
As a first rig, the IC-7300 can take you into any aspect or mode of the HF band your friend cares to explore. It must be one of the most popular HF radios on the market right now, so there’s also a massive user and knowledge base out there on the web.
The IC-7300 also has better transmitter specs, producing a cleaner signal than the G90, especially in CW (the G90 is known to produce key clicks and not recommended for use with an amplifier). It also can handle close-in signals better than the G90 and has a higher dynamic range. Overall, it has better specs than the G90.
For a more detailed look at the IC-7300, check out my full review.
The Xiegu G90 with upgraded encoder
Let’s get an an obvious point out of the way first: the G90 costs half that ($450) of the IC-7300 (generally $900-1,100). This could leave your friend with even more money to invest in an antenna. As I’ve said so many times before, a radio is only as good as its antenna!
If your friend plans to operate primarily in the field, the Xiegu G90 is much more portable option. The G90 is very compact and weighs a fraction of the IC-7300. The G90 also draws less current in receive mode, so is much kinder on a battery. It also has built-in side extensions to protect the front and back panels while being transported.
The Xiegu G90 has a detachable face plate which would come in handy for mobile installations (although, admittedly, there are a number of better mobile transceivers on the market).
My full review of the Xiegu G90 is in this month’s issue (Aug 2020) of The Spectrum Monitor magazine. It’s nearly a 4,000 word review so is one of the longer ones I’ve produced. If your friend wants to make a decision soon, he/she might purchase this issue to fully explore this rig.
If your friend is seriously considering the Xiegu G90, then I have to assume he/she has portable operation in mind.
Making this assumption, I would also suggest they check out the Yaesu FT-891. Like the IC-7300, it has a full 100 watts output and also covers the 6 meter band. Like the G90, the front panel can be separated from the radio body for easy mobile installation.
Although I have never reviewed the FT-891 (although I plan to before the end of the year), the radio has an almost cult-like following among SWLing Post readers. It’s also a favorite rig of Parks On The Air (POTA) activators because of its 100W output, relatively compact footprint, and great audio characteristics. The G90 and IC-7300 both are based on SDR architecture, the FT-891 is a triple conversion superheterodyne general coverage receiver.
Unlike the IC-7300 and G90, however, the FT-891 lacks an internal antenna tuner (ATU) and I’m guessing your friend wants one based on the fact both the G90 and IC-7300 have one.
The LDG Z-11 Pro 2 ATU
No problem! The Yaesu FT-891 is one of the best bang-for-buck transceivers on the market. The price at time of posting is $609 after rebates. That leaves room to purchase a benchmark portable HF+6 meter antenna tuner. I personally love the LDG Z-11 Pro 2 which would only set them back $169. I’ve owned one of the predecessors of this ATU for nearly a decade. It’s located outdoors, in an enclosure and serves as a remote antenna tuner for my multi-band sky loop. It has operated flawlessly through seasonal temperature extremes and powered by a 15 year old 12V gel cell battery that is charged off of a 5 watt PV panel and Micro M+ charge controller.
The FT-891 and Z11 Pro 2 ATU combo would total $778 which is a nice compromise between the $1,000 IC-7300 and $450 G90.
If your friend wanted a more compact option than the IC-7300, and better specs and more power output than the G90, this FT-891/Z-11 Pro 2 combo would be hard to beat.
As I mentioned before, do your friend a favor and remind him/her to set aside a budget for an antenna.
If you build your own wire antenna, you can create an amazing one for $50 or so in quality ladder line and wire–at least, that’s about what I put into my sky loop antenna. Retailers like Universal Radio, HRO, and Gigaparts stock quality pre-made wire antennas that cost a bit more, but are pre-tuned, durable and very easy to deploy. The type of antenna you can install is totally dependent on the environment around your home, access to your radio room, and any local interference you might need to mitigate.
Of course, all of the radios mentioned above need a DC power supply. There are many on the market from lightweight switching power supplies to heavy linear supplies.
I would not choose one of the cheapest ones you can find because switching power supplies especially can inject noise. I’m a big fan of the Powerwerx SS-30DV which will typically cost around $110 at ham radio retailers (although, at present, it’s one of the many items out-of-stock due to the Covid-19 pandemic). It hits the sweet spot for me and is a little workhorse!
As I always say: radios are a personal choice. Specifications and features make for convenient points of comparison, but often choices are made based on a user’s own needs and operating style.
Between the Xiegu G90 and Icom IC-7300, which would you choose as a first rig? Can you think of a better compromise? Please comment!
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Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, James (W4AMP), who notes that the excellent Icom IC-7300 general coverage transceiver (click here to read our review) is currently $959.95 after coupons and rebates at GigaParts, DX Engineering and Ham Radio Outlet.
DX Engineering
Click here to view at DX Engineering.
Ham Radio Outlet
Click here to view at Ham Radio Outlet.
GigaParts