They say older folks don't need much sleep. So last night as I tossed and turned, I got out of bed and used the scanner function to chase down what I knew was gonna be a collection of birdies & spurs that I knew from the past two years experience were hiding in the radio.

(Back when I was workin' at R.L. Drake and we had the TR7 in production, the game from engineering was if you could hear a birdie and it went dim with the radio connected to an antenna, we could ignore it. Ol' Steve Whitefield did a bunch of work eliminating the birdies & spurs that didn't go dim. So that's my benchmark: a 40 year old radio. ;-) )

So here's the list of what I found (and I went back and tuned through to verify that I was not hallucinating at 3 am) with no antenna connected. Some were monster easy to hear (the one at ~28.4 is particularly atrocious); others were just audible and might have gone dim with a decent antenna connected. YMMV &c.:

160m: 1875, 1888, 1970, 2000
75/80m: 3600, 3696, 3888, 3925
60m: 5375, 5395, 5443, 5500
40m: 7029, 7074, 7162, 7200, 7204
30m: 10059, 10096
20m: 14192, 14229, 14288
17m: 18095
15m: 21030, 21088, 21162
12m: 24896
10m: 28362, 28400, 28629, 28668, 28688
6m: 50000, 51087, 52000, 52129

Back two years when I first got this radio, I had noticed these points and got a bit aggrieved about it. OCD stuff, maybe. Anyway, I got over that and continued to use the radio -- and still do -- but some of these points are dead center to useful or commonly held QRP frequencies & places where the DX may hang out. So, when I finally fell into the arms of Morpheus, I wondered how much of this may still be evident in the next generation of the radio (of which many have spoken and for which many have already sprung).?

And, as I finally passed out & the sun began to rise, I had to admit that the X5105 is still a better radio than the Chinese uSDX boxes on eBay ;-)

Nils / W8IJN

we'll upgrade to a 6100 :)

that sounds like RFI on the USB cable.
I have had to put snap-on ferrite beads on the coax and USB cables, and re-route them farther apart.
--
Doug, K8RFT

I had to add snap-on ferrite suppressors to my antenna and USB cables.
--
Doug, K8RFT

On Sat, Oct 30, 2021 at 09:47 AM, Greg Ramsdell wrote:

FLRIG, JS8CAll, or WInlink to connect using the digimode-4 unit.

Sorry, but I don't use any of those.?
I did listen once wit JS8CALL, but its settings and operation are the same as WSJT-X.

Maybe it's your interface unit.
--
Doug, K8RFT

I’ve worried that myself. After all the FW updates &c, even with all it’s faults, the X5105 is still a darn good field QRP radio. If the 6100 manages to be better, well, sure: temptation. But the X5105 is like the old cat that still crawls slowly into your lap even if it drools on you. So I’ll keep what I got ‘til the verdicts are all in.?

Nils / W8IJN

Justin,?

You are too kind…I don’t think Xiegu has an advisory board. I had a direct communication with them. When I asked about the gsoc’s release issues, they replied: well, at least we are willing to work on it. Hmm, somehow not inspiring. Once you lose market confidence, it usually takes several superlative products to recapture it. The X5105 certainly has growing pains among CW ops with the first couple of firmware releases.?

I certainly hope that the X6100 will prove to be very successful. One good sign is that the kludge CE19 isn’t needed to communicate with the XPA125B!

Frank
K4FMH

I think it's fair to say that the GSOC was a near-disaster (rare for Xiegu). Too bad you weren't on their product advisory board, Frank, hi.

I would like to know what your setting are on your x5105 and whatever application(s) you are using. I can't get FLRIG, JS8CAll, or WInlink to connect using the digimode-4 unit.

Greg

I've had no luck getting that working with the radio...

I've got the Digimode-4.
The interface manufacturer has suggested using the IC 7000to emulate the 5105. I've tried both the 7000 and 710? with no luck. The error I get though is a bit different (JS8Call), "Rig Failure. Hamliberror: Command rejected by the rig while getting current frequency"

I've checked my radio setting the best I know how.
Line in and out are on
MIc/Vox = ext

I changed my Mic/Vox to auto and got the next error, "Rig Failure. Hamlib error: Protocol error while getting current frequency"

The last thing I noticed is the pin connector is a pretty loose connection to the radio, almost like the plastic collar is too large or too long or the metal sleeve is not long enough to get a good fit.

Greg

开云体育

I too would like to wait and see what the first run shows. I’m sure they will also go through a period of not having stock so people want them more but it does look like a nice radio and they have included a lot of value added features… just might be a reason to sell the 5105 and add a little with if for this radio…?

I ain’t dropped the X5105 quite yet & the G90 is deff starting to ring surplus but, yeah, the temptation is still a-lurkin’ by the shed door. Waiting to see how the first run plays in the fields & how the firmware shakes out. Kinda like swappin’ out for the newest iGadget.?

Nils / W8IJN

开云体育

I have not performed on-the-air (with another station) AM tests using the Xiegu X5015, but I have tested using the transceiver by listening to the audio on another radio (using headphones) while transmitting on AM.? I have found that the level of distortion is very dependent on the distance of the microphone from my mouth.? When using the stock microphone about 6-8 inches away from my mouth, the audio was acceptable on AM.? I suspect that the audio level is just too high from the microphone for the AM circuit.? I very rarely operate using AM, but this work-around could be of use if AM was required.?
--
- Stuart VE3SMF

I'm a glutton for punishment. I've Pre-ordered the X6100. I'll be selling my X5105 to my brother-in-law.? I'm in consolidation mode now and also may end up selling my G90 and GSOC, if the X6100 performs well.

I'll let y'all know.

Read the announcement page this morning after it opened up with the price shown. Looks interesting. Figure, even with their saying that it's been beta tested &c, I'll wait a bit to see what the consensus on how well it works turns up.

The X5105 has some magnificent birdies smack in the middle of some serious use band areas that can be annoying. And the internally generated ~28.4 osc shows up strong enough to blank that frequency area for me. Be interesting to see how the X6100 shows up for spurs and birdies, let alone what I am sure will be some serious TinySA reads of spectrum purity. Guessing, of course, that it's been approved by the Organs.

Kinda got the feeling the X6100 was gonna be a flat box version of the G90 with 6m tossed in to appease them folks what use that POTA/SOTA &c.

Oh, and the price is within reason . . . at least for the moment. Time will tell, as always.

73

Nils / W8IJN

Yep. Found the same thing: Choppy/distorted.?

Bearing mind that there's a deep menu AM setting and another mic level setting in the "upstairs" menu, I fiddled with both and was unable to come to a setting balance for either that improved AM modulation. FM was ok, SSB was fine but AM was, as reported, what could only be described as distorted.

But then since I use the radio mainly on CW, I figure I ain't got a real problem. (And since it ain't modifiable for 11m ;-) I figure no AM is no great loss.)

At which point I'm waiting to see what the price of the X6100's gonna be. (And noting all the promises of its having been beta tested &c ;-) )

Nils / W8IJN