{"id":43713,"date":"2020-06-05T10:38:22","date_gmt":"2020-06-05T14:38:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=43713"},"modified":"2020-06-05T12:31:02","modified_gmt":"2020-06-05T16:31:02","slug":"taking-the-xiegu-g90-qrp-transceiver-to-the-field","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/06\/taking-the-xiegu-g90-qrp-transceiver-to-the-field\/","title":{"rendered":"Taking the Xiegu G90 QRP transceiver to the field!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Earlier this week, I took delivery of a new Xiegu G90<\/strong> general coverage QRP transceiver. I’m reviewing this portable rig for The Spectrum Monitor<\/a> magazine.\u00a0Although this Chinese manufacturer has been around for a few years, this was my first purchase of a Xiegu product.<\/p>\n

I’ve had the G90 on the air from home for a couple days, but I feel like the best way to test a QRP transceiver is in the field!<\/p>\n

Due to the Covid-19 lock-down and a number of our regional parks either being closed or severely limiting visitors, I haven’t made many POTA (Parks On The Air) activations this year.<\/p>\n

Recently, however, North Carolina has been opening state parks and allowing visitor access to hiking trails and picnic areas, but keeping all facilities (stores, cafes, visitor centers, and restrooms) closed to the public.<\/p>\n

Yesterday, our family decided to pack a picnic lunch and head to Mt. Mitchell State Park<\/a> (POTA site K-2747). My wife knew I was chomping at the bit to play radio in the field and actually made the suggestion. (She’s a keeper!) \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

There were only a dozen people at the park so we essentially had the place to ourselves. Better yet, it gave me the opportunity to pick out the most ideal picnic site to set up and deploy my EFT Trail-Friendly<\/a> 40\/20\/10 antenna.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

The G90’s backlit color display was actually quite easy to read in the field. My phone’s camera filter made it look darker than it actually was.<\/p><\/div>\n

My POTA activation was unannounced and I didn’t have Internet access to self-spot on the POTA website, so I started the activation old school by calling “CQ POTA” until someone happened upon 7286 kHz.<\/p>\n

After perhaps 10 minutes of calling CQ, Greg (KE0HTG)–a helpful POTA chaser–finally found me and spotted me on the network.<\/p>\n

I worked a few stations in succession, but summer QRN levels were incredibly<\/em> high and I believed static crashes were cloaking would-be contacts. The G90 has no RF Gain<\/del> [Actually, thanks to this feedback<\/a>, I now know the G90 does indeed have an RF Gain control (firmware version 1.73 and higher).]<\/em> I asked one kind operator if he would hold while I switched over to my trusty Elecraft KX2<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

The KX2 did a much better job managing the noise and that same op was easily readable where with the G90 I could barely copy him. I suspect I could have tinkered with the G90’s AGC levels to better mitigate the noise, but I didn’t want to do this in the middle of an activation.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a> I worked about fifteen stations with the Elecraft KX2 on 40 meters.<\/p>\n

One real advantage of the KX2 during a POTA activation on SSB is its voice memory keyer (of course, it also has a CW memory keyer). I simply record my CQ and have the KX2 repeat it until someone replies, then I hit the PTT to stop the recording. Not only does this save my voice, but it also gives me an opportunity to eat my lunch while calling CQ!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I eventually moved up to the 20 meter band and switched back to the Xiegu G90.<\/p>\n

On the 20 meter band, the G90 handled conditions like a champ.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a> Someone eventually spotted me on 20 and I worked a few stations.<\/p>\n

The 20 meter band was very<\/em> fickle and unstable yesterday. For example, I struggled to finish a contact with an operator in Massachusetts, yet got a solid 59 report from Spain with only 20 watts.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

No activation is complete without brewing a cup of coffee on the alcohol burner!<\/p><\/div>\n

I had a great time with the G90 in the field. I can see why it’s become such a popular transceiver as it offers incredible<\/em> bang-for-buck (it can be purchased new as low as $450 US shipped<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This week, the noise levels on the 40 meter band should be very high here in North America, so I plan to spend more time with the G90 settings and see if I can mitigate the QRN a little better. I’d welcome any tips from G90 owners.<\/p>\n

And yes, I’m already eyeing a couple of parks to activate next week!<\/p>\n

Post Readers:<\/strong> Please comment if you’re familiar with the Xiegu G90 or any of the other Xiegu transceivers.<\/p>\n

\n

Do you enjoy the SWLing Post?<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n

Please consider supporting us via\u00a0Patreon<\/span><\/a>\u00a0or our\u00a0Coffee<\/span>\u00a0Fund<\/span><\/a>! <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Your support makes articles like this one possible. Thank you!<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Earlier this week, I took delivery of a new Xiegu G90 general coverage QRP transceiver. I’m reviewing this portable rig for The Spectrum Monitor magazine.\u00a0Although this Chinese manufacturer has been around for a few years, this was my first purchase of a Xiegu product. I’ve had the G90 on the air from home for a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[545,3,5099],"tags":[2034,5083,3906,8576,5084,3905,7787,7786,1303,4731,8575],"class_list":["post-43713","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ham-radio","category-news","category-qrp","tag-elecraft","tag-elecraft-kx2","tag-field-radios","tag-g90","tag-kx2","tag-mount-mitchell","tag-parks-on-the-air","tag-pota","tag-qrp","tag-xiegu","tag-xiegu-g90"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-bn3","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":43786,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/06\/taking-the-xiegu-g90-on-an-impromptu-parks-on-the-air-pota-activation\/","url_meta":{"origin":43713,"position":0},"title":"Taking the Xiegu G90 on an impromptu Parks On The Air (POTA) activation","author":"Thomas","date":"June 9, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday, I was in my hometown helping my parents with a few projects. Around noon, I realized that I had a good four hour window of free time--a true rarity these days! I had two fully-packed go bags in the car: one with my trusty Elecraft KX2, and one with\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ham Radio"","block_context":{"text":"Ham Radio","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/ham-radio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Xiegu-G90-Angle-e1591708176191.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Xiegu-G90-Angle-e1591708176191.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Xiegu-G90-Angle-e1591708176191.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Xiegu-G90-Angle-e1591708176191.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":44435,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/07\/how-would-an-icom-ic-705-compare-with-a-xiegu-g90\/","url_meta":{"origin":43713,"position":1},"title":"How would an Icom IC-705 compare with the Xiegu G90?","author":"Thomas","date":"July 21, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Paul, who asks: How does the Icom compare with the Xiegu G90, besides lack of a built-in antenna tuner, and having lower transmit power, and a better screen? Good question, Paul. The G90 is a great radio for sure and has better specs and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ham Radio"","block_context":{"text":"Ham Radio","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/ham-radio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Xiegu-G90-Remote-Head-Option-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Xiegu-G90-Remote-Head-Option-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Xiegu-G90-Remote-Head-Option-1.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Xiegu-G90-Remote-Head-Option-1.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Xiegu-G90-Remote-Head-Option-1.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Xiegu-G90-Remote-Head-Option-1.jpeg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":45108,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/09\/a-review-of-the-xiegu-g90-general-coverage-transceiver\/","url_meta":{"origin":43713,"position":2},"title":"A review of the Xiegu G90 general coverage transceiver","author":"Thomas","date":"September 1, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"The following review of the Xiegu G90 originally appeared in the August 2020 issue of The Spectrum Monitor magazine: A comprehensive review of the Xiegu G90 general coverage transceiver My coming of age in the world of radio was during the era of big US and Japanese radio manufacturers.\u00a0 Icom,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Field Radio"","block_context":{"text":"Field Radio","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/field-radio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/IMG_2007-scaled-e1598976156685.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/IMG_2007-scaled-e1598976156685.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/IMG_2007-scaled-e1598976156685.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/IMG_2007-scaled-e1598976156685.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":43869,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/06\/snagging-two-state-game-lands-in-three-days-for-parks-on-the-air\/","url_meta":{"origin":43713,"position":3},"title":"Snagging two state game lands in three days for Parks On The Air","author":"Thomas","date":"June 16, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"You might have noticed from recent posts, I've been on a bit of a POTA (Parks On The Air) kick lately. I've been enjoying taking the Xiegu G90 to the field and seeing just how well it performs under intensive use on battery power. So far, it has certainly proven\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ham Radio"","block_context":{"text":"Ham Radio","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/ham-radio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Buffalo-Cove-Game-Land-Sign.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Buffalo-Cove-Game-Land-Sign.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Buffalo-Cove-Game-Land-Sign.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Buffalo-Cove-Game-Land-Sign.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":46520,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/11\/comparing-the-icom-ic-705-and-icom-ic-7300-with-the-xiegu-gsoc-g90-combo\/","url_meta":{"origin":43713,"position":4},"title":"Comparing the Icom IC-705 and Icom IC-7300 with the Xiegu GSOC G90 combo","author":"Thomas","date":"November 17, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"I was recently asked to make a table comparing the basic features and specifications of the new Xiegu GSOC\/G90 combo,\u00a0 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\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ham Radio"","block_context":{"text":"Ham Radio","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/ham-radio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/GSCO-IC-705-IC-7300-table-v2.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/GSCO-IC-705-IC-7300-table-v2.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/GSCO-IC-705-IC-7300-table-v2.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/GSCO-IC-705-IC-7300-table-v2.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":43819,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/06\/the-xiegu-g90-as-a-shortwave-broadcast-band-receiver\/","url_meta":{"origin":43713,"position":5},"title":"The Xiegu G90 as a shortwave broadcast band receiver","author":"Thomas","date":"June 11, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"After publishing a couple of posts about the Xiegu G90 QRP transceiver, I've gotten a number of inquiries from readers asking about the G90's ability to receive AM broadcasts. Although I'll address this in detail in my upcoming TSM review, I thought I'd also share a few notes with you.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "AM"","block_context":{"text":"AM","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/am\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Xiegu-G90-Unboxing.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Xiegu-G90-Unboxing.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Xiegu-G90-Unboxing.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Xiegu-G90-Unboxing.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43713","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43713"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43713\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43713"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43713"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43713"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}