Re: Should I really buy one?
Learning code is somewhere in my shortlist?
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x6100 CAT/CIV via Bluetooth
Hello guys,?
was told the 6100 CI-V config is as a ic7000 at 19.2kbps and this would also apply tpp Bluetooth?
can not get it going in Bluetooth.
suggestions
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Re: Should I really buy one?
Volker :
The X6100 makes a perfectly usable portable radio. It has some "warts", but IMHO it works well enough for casual portable operating with a compact antenna. I have made hundreds of CW POTA contacts with mine and I find that when running the alternative R1CBU firmware, it is actually quite an enjoyable radio to use for this purpose. I have also used it with a computer to make some FT4/FT8 contacts and it works well. It is quite ruggedly build and is nicely finished so physically it has a quality feel to it.?
Yes there are a few birdies but I have never really found them to be a big problem. There can be a problem with receiver overload from AM BC but this has only been an issue for me when operating the lower bands (80m) at home with a full-sized broadband antenna (80m EFHW). For portable operations with a compact narrow-band vertical such as the JPC-12, you shouldn't have any issues.? I built one of the AM BC filter kits that are available and I bring that along with me just in case.?
As someone else suggested, I think that buying from Radioddity is your best bet as they have the best customer service.? If anything goes wrong within the warranty period then they will take care of you. Buying from them should protect you if you end up with a "Lemon" as they will replace it. Outside of the warranty period, unfortunately it doesn't look like it is easy to get repairs done by Xiegu so that is part of the risk.??
There is no such thing as a perfect radio, at least not that I have encountered, and although you get what you pay for, I still think that the X6100 offers good value for the money, at least in the short term.?It remains to be seen how well these radios will hold up to the test of time.?
Cheers
Michael VE3WMB?
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Re: Should I really buy one?
NO! Buy a G90. Much better radio for less money. 20 watts, better antenna tuner, all functions and features work.
Dennis Starks Military-Radio-Guy KB?SFP
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My library system here in Madison County (MS) prints for the cost of material…often my prints are $5-7…STL files send either as attachment or link to repository. Good stuff…
Frank
K4FMH
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Frank M. Howell, PhD
Ridgeland, MS
frankmhowell (at) hotmail.com
---
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Re: Should I really buy one?
If I only had hands that worked that way again...
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Re: Should I really buy one?
You are lost the wonderfull mode: CW!
Of you learn CW (2 months) and you test it, your life will change, possible you forget phone mode. ????
Saludos. Diego. EA1CN
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El 4 feb 2024, a las 14:05, John - KZ4AX <beastwrk@...> escribió:
?I am relatively inexperienced. ?I enjoy learning theory. ?The only HF rig I have is the X6100: low cost, internal battery, internal speaker, internal microphone, a good internal antenna tuner—lots of other features, that work for me—it is an
all-in-one unit, and highly portable. ?I have only used SSB; digital formats do not currently interest me, as I have zero desire to drag around a laptop and an external battery. ?I use random wire antennas, and I have a portable/walking whip antenna (of dubious
quality). ?The battery not flashing when charging and the battery indicator
not going from green, to yellow, to red bothered me at first; I got over it. ?For the money spent, I am pleased with its overall performance.
--
TNX, Dido. EA1CN?
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I've definitely seen the cool stuff that others have created and shared at Thingiverse! It's a great resource. I'm hoping someone has a model of the radio that I could use to virtually prototype ideas for things that I would like to put out there too.
Kyle AD9CR?
Sent via the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G, an AT&T 5G smartphone
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-------- Original message -------- From: John - KZ4AX <beastwrk@...> Date: 2/4/24 8:10 AM (GMT-05:00) Subject: Re: [xiegu-x6100] 3d model?
My regional library system has several 3D printers, and made handles for under $5, out the door. ?I got the 3D files from the below link. ?While this does not answer your question, it may help you get started.
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My regional library system has several 3D printers, and made handles for under $5, out the door. ?I got the 3D files from the below link. ?While this does not answer your question, it may help you get started.
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Re: Should I really buy one?
I am relatively inexperienced. ?I enjoy learning theory. ?The only HF rig I have is the X6100: low cost, internal battery, internal speaker, internal microphone, a good internal antenna tuner—lots of other features, that work for me—it is an all-in-one unit, and highly portable. ?I have only used SSB; digital formats do not currently interest me, as I have zero desire to drag around a laptop and an external battery. ?I use random wire antennas, and I have a portable/walking whip antenna (of dubious quality). ?The battery not flashing when charging and the battery indicator not going from green, to yellow, to red bothered me at first; I got over it. ?For the money spent, I am pleased with its overall performance.
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Does anyone have an accurate 3d model of an X6100? I just got a 3d printer and would like to practice modeling accessories. I know some may say "just make your own" and that's a skill I intend to develop, but in the spirit of taking baby steps I'm not ready to tackle trying to make an accurate representation of the device.
Kyle AD9CR?
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Re: Should I really buy one?
Hi Volker,
I do own a X6100, and am happy with it..
I have the same issue here in Mallorca 7th floor, and at home in NL, where I have to deal with a HOA (WHOA!!!)??
What I have here in Mallorca is a 7 meter fishing rod, that I stick out of the balcony, and a HWEF (QRP guys type) which is capable of doing 10 watts.. On receive here (FT8) I can hear Australia.. So with the X6100 this setup should? not be any issue..?
I guess you can do the same in Sevilla stick it out, and when done remove it..?
people were asking me what I was doing.. :-) I told them I heard there were flying fish seen here (we are directly at sea) and I was trying to catch one.. :-D
As for the X6100 it works fine for me, and as with any other set, there are some things to keep in mind.. which can be found in the group.. providing 11-12 volts is sufficient, and higher voltage will only genereate more heat.. and not power output.. an external battery pack with 12 volt will help you to get 10 watts out, although that does not give more S points as far as I know... only more Kw will do something like that.. But I am more of a QRP person..
?
73,
?
Dick
PD0DF
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I prefer an external keyer...
1. R1CBU beacon minimum time is 10s.? Way too long for SPOTA IMHO.
2. Ease of quickly changing keyer speed
2a. Lets me leave the multifunction knob free for RIT
3. Easy to change messages via paddle
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Dan,
I'm not aware of CW related problems with the X6100. I think an external keyer is overkill. Your thoughts?
Rick
newbie here w the 6100. i operate 99.9% cw? pota, and even the R1CBU cw message memory seems clunky. ( tho havent tried it, just reading posts about it) ; best solution i think is to use a pico keyer ( or similar) , plug it into key jack and set the 6100 to straight key mode.
what am i missing?
--
de k8zf, randy
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Re: My new X6100 arrived today
You’re going to like it, have fun?
'also rec'd a new to me , used 6100 whose original owner only used it for digi modes. only digi mode i plan to use is cw, so getting familiar with? all the functions.
pota -bound in a few days !
--
72's de k8zf, randy
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Re: Should I really buy one?
Hello Volker I'll try to address your concerns in order.
Apartment:? I live in a third floor apartment and I have a Diamond BB7V vertical which I can retract and put away when not in use as it clamps to my balcony railing.? I have a Chameleon F-Loop-3.0 which I mount on a cheap camera lighting tripod next to my radio desk when inside or next to me at POTA outings.? I also own both the Chelegance MC-750 and JPC-12 for which I purchased their tripod accessory.? I highly recommend all of these antennas for your situation with the following caveat, If you choose the JPC-12 it will be frustrating to INITIALLY set up on each band unless you have or can borrow an antenna analyzer (I use a cheap NANO-VNA). Once you have your initial adjustments for each band then you can refer to your notes and setup on each band is a breeze and will only take a few minutes with this antenna.? All of these choices will work well for both an apartment or POTA environment.
Weather:? I only use my antennas during good weather.? During bad weather or when I'm not in a mood to transmit, I use an MLA-30 indoor amplified loop for receiving only.
The X6100 is particularly suitable for POTA as well as a compact home station which can be put away when not in use.? We all complain about its issues (I'm included) but apart from a few battery/loss of transmit issues, for the most part the issues are pretty minor.? It is essentially, despite its quirks, a fully functional radio and I've had mine for over two years now with no problems.? If you should have an issue, Raddiodity is where I would buy it from, I've heard nothing but good about them when it comes to warranty replacements.? I also own an X5105 and an IC-705 and I love them all and I've no intention to sell any of them.
X6200:? I'm already in love with this radio just based on what little I've seen and heard about it and I already want to buy one... But I will not buy it until it has been out for some time (probably a year) due to what I know of Radiodity's habit of releasing new models before they are fully developed.? I'm confident that while it will probably address some or all of the issues that we have all complained about in the group concerning the X6100, it is also highly likely to have its own "newerer" and "betterer" quirks so I will wait until I'm sure all is ok with it.
Overall I believe that you will be very happy with the X6100.? I hope this helps.? 72's de WO?L, Lisa-out :-)
On Sat, Feb 3, 2024 at 3:36?PM Volker Kerkhoff < volker@...> wrote: First a bit of context about me:?
- Currently living in a flat/appartment 1st floor. Small balcony, neigbors and HOA are all about "keeping the aesthetics of the building" Spanish law would (after some administrative procedures) allow me to install an antenna on the roof, whether the neighbours like it or not, but I don?t want to go this way, as I know I will only live here for a year, maybe two, and getting the antenna authorized by the spanish equivalent to FCC or OFCOM could take me 6-8 months.?
So, we have good weather 80% of the year, after all this is southern Spain (Sevilla, to be specific)?
I also have a disability - basically my left leg is dead from the knee down. I can walk, but only short stretches and without much weight
So I'm currently looking for a portable / POTA setup. On the antenna I have quite a specific idea, it's very likely going to be a JPC-7 or JPC-12. However I am struggling with a radio to go with it.?
The X6100 is at the limit of the budget I am able to afford, and also what I'd like to spend. It has the features I want, seems light enough to throw in a backpack with my antenna, a very light laptop and head out and either work from the huge park opposite my house or do some light POTA around the area. 1 1/2 - 2 hours at at time is fine for me in terms of battery life, as my laptop won't run much longer without external power either.?
I like the idea of the radio being completely self-contained including an internal battery. I had a G90 in the past which I sold because I thought I wouldn't be doing radio in a long time, but then the interest in the hobby came back. I was quite happy with it, with all its quirks, but I'm not considering buying one, because of the requirement for external power and because it's quite heavy.?
I will probably buy in 2-3 months. I know, of course the X6100 isn't an IC-705 or an Elecraft rig. I intend to work mostly digital modes, so I'm also considering other options like QRPlabs SDX, (tr)uSDX to curtail my budget. However, if/when I move to a more antenna-friendly place, I also like the idea that I can slap the XP125 PA on it with a simple cable and go QRO.?
So, i want an overall recommedation on the value for money and the actual and real quality of the X6100, because reading the reviews there are too many issues with self-generated IF "birdies" and intermodulation from nearby AM stations, though I hope that the 50kW transmitter 25 Km away from my home won't be an issue. Given my acquisition timeframe, I am also wondering if the upcoming X6200 isn't an option as well.?
Does this radio really drives as many people nuts with its quirks and (supposed) issues or is it the usual internet phenomenon? and bias that happy users aren't heard on forums and discussion groups? I mean, there is always the risk of getting a lemon, but I want a realistic view of whether the issues with this radio are wildly exaggerated, and maybe an insight into the ratio of radios actually sold vs. real "lemons"
Thanks in advance,?
Volker, EA7KLK
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Re: Should I really buy one?
I recently purchased the X6100 and have no complaints. ?Not only am I satisfied, I'm impressed. ?(Disclaimer: I've had it less than a week.)
There may in fact be birdies popping up somewhere, if you look for them, but in my use so far (mostly the 20m and 40m bands), I haven't noticed any. ?It's hard to quantify the effectiveness/performance of one radio vs. another in use due to ever-changing propagation and conditions, but I can say that though my new X6100 has half the wattage of my Xiegu G90, I've added three new countries and three new US states to my log in the short time I've been using the new radio.
I think the two Xiegu radios I have offer an unbeatable value and I' be perfectly happy to have either of them as my only unit.
--
Bob
KD2TTM
PS- I've already made contacts from my home in NY, USA, to Spain, Italy, Chile and Venezuela with my new X6100.
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Re: Should I really buy one?
Hi Volker
?
If you run the X6100 on battery you won’t see any of the heat related issues but you are limited to 5w output
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The single USB connection for sound and CAT is great and the only cable you need, BUT make sure you use as short a cable as possible and put a few clip on ferrites on it
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I use a X6100 with a magmount on the car and go sit in parks when I can a couple of times a year and get UK to US and EU with 5 watts, just choose the quitter bands and I tend to work FT4 as less congested and more chance of making QRP
QSO’s
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If you run it from shack power supply you will see the heat issues as stock, ?I run mine at 11v with some heatsinks on the rear and it still runs warm but not hot
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Also keep an eye, an X6200 is close, several ham stores are starting to get information out about it, seems to fix a few of the issues of the X6100
?
enjoy
?
Peter
M0PWX
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?
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Re: My new X6100 arrived today
'also rec'd a new to me , used 6100 whose original owner only used it for digi modes. only digi mode i plan to use is cw, so getting familiar with? all the functions.
pota -bound in a few days !
--
72's de k8zf, randy
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newbie here w the 6100. i operate 99.9% cw? pota, and even the R1CBU cw message memory seems clunky. ( tho havent tried it, just reading posts about it) ; best solution i think is to use a pico keyer ( or similar) , plug it into key jack and set the 6100 to straight key mode.
what am i missing?
--
de k8zf, randy
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K4FMH
Bob KD2TTM
Peter M0PWX