| YO2LOG |
Rating:    |
2022-12-03 | |
| It has disadvantages but also many good things |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
Hello! I'm trying a first review of the little Xiegu G1M G-Core, a 5-watt QRP SSB/CW 0.5-30MHz transceiver based on SDR technology, which - through a special competition of circumstances - ended up on my table.
An invaluable aid to those dealing with Xiegu radio traffic is Donald E. Koehler's KL7KN manual, and I adopt many of his observations, except that there is no reference to how this transceiver interfaces with a PC, my luck is that others have done it with more or less success to get eg FT8 working!
It's not exactly a pocket transceiver, but it's noticeably smaller than, say, an IC-706, the front panel fabrication and lettering looks more like a neat amateur job, please, and the Elecraft KX-1 looks like hell, but what transceiver is! The Xiegu G1M G-Core is not the KX-1 at the reception, but it is not to be dismissed either, if you do not have exaggerated expectations and if it is used with care.
What hurts me? It has no RF Gain and no VOX, you can't adjust the output power, so you're at maximum all the time!, current consumption is unacceptably high, the volume on the speaker has to be turned up many times to the maximum for a decent hearing (it's much more comfortable to hear in headphones), the screen is tiny and it requires good eyes, plus it has to be placed on a small stand to be oriented favorably for the eyes, changing the tuning step can be annoying to get to the desired frequency, but it has three rows of menus, which can be called up by simple presses or long presses, VFO A/B, Split. own keyer, which I didn't use, QSK with time up to 1000 ms (FT-847 has, bizarrely, only up to 300 ms which doesn't satisfy me), a configurable spectrum scope, unexpectedly useful (!) and some features in the bells and whistles category, unnecessary for me (you can configure it, for example, on startup, on the screen, to greet you with its own callsign). The construction would suffer from quality problems, for example plugs that fail because they only hold in a questionable solder, I hope that I won't have something like that soon, it is recommended, as with the FT-450, to avoid the use of sensitive plugs by inserting some adapter cables, I use Y-splitters, because for example the audio output signal has other uses!
The front-end seems poorly protected against the invasion of broadcasting stations, but a tuner antenna interspersed between the station and the antenna acts as a pre-selector, I tested it with an MFJ-949E, but it also worked with a similar home-made device, anything is better to temper the invasion of strong adjacent signals. Turning the tuning knob up and down, I was surprised to find that the digital telegraph filter was doing more than honorably! I adjusted the pitch to a tonality suitable for my ear - 600 Hz, and the reception on the antenna only a few meters long became a real pleasure: I identified the last 5-6 stations posted on Dxcluster in the 80 meter band, one after the other, exactly where they were flagged... ah, but I'm starting to like this china! And what I didn't think: I spent an hour or so listening to the technical talk on the small station, I didn't even realize that I didn't have one of the big stations on the table turned on, so comfortably were they heard in the pocket transceiver round table participants YO-YO from 3700 and a few kilohertz!
And now the broadcast... with its original microphone it sounds (I once had the opportunity to listen to it on the FTDX3000D) a little muffled, as if from a bucket, but it seems that it is perfectly intelligible since many of the callers with the 5 his theoretical watts on the 15 meter band with a vertical antenna answered and with little trouble I ran QSOs in SSB with stations on the edge of the European continent. And in a telegraphy contest, after three hours of sweeping the 20 meter band I had 58 QSOs, 19 countries and some seed DXs... W, 4X, UA9 and CN!
There is still a lot to know and say and I still haven't found out how his CAT works, interfacing with WSJT-X for FT8 is not very simple and the transceiver was not designed for digimodes that max out the final stage, the official manual of the from Xiegu, half in English, half in Chinese, rarer than the washing machine user book, it is really a shame / joke, the great luck is that it is a discussion group https://groups.io/g /XIEGU-G1M where there are many topics, answers, experiences, clarifications. With the hope that I can solve some of my goals with the Xiegu G1M G-Core and it doesn't suddenly succumb in my hands, I give the transceiver three stars out of five! |
|
| AE7YD |
Rating:      |
2022-01-29 | |
| better than expected |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I had a Xiegu X1M and it was a huge disappointment. When I had the opportunity to buy a used G1M G-Core for $200 I was very hesitant but bought it anyway.
First the bad things.
I connected an external power speaker the audio with the internal speaker was better. However, when I removed the jack from the radio there was no internal speaker audio anymore. I did open the radio and under a binocular microscope examined the soldering. As reported for the mike jack the soldering was very poor. Resoldering all the pins and voila it worked again. But that was not the end of my problem, I added a ferrite on the power cable close to the radio like I do on all my radios and now in SSB as soon as I push the PTT I had a high noise on the audio with out speaking. I move the ferrite to the other end and the noise was gone. I can't understand why but now it is working,
The good: the radio doesn't stop amazing me. Receive audio is very clear and on transmit I get excellent reports. The CW filter could be narrower but it works.
Yes, I wish it had the 30 and 17m bands. Would I buy it again, without hesitation: YES. |
|
| LNXAUTHOR |
Rating:     |
2021-02-23 | |
| work in progress |
Time Owned: 6 to 12 months. |
First, note that this is not a Xiegu X1M upgrade. it is a brand-new Xiegu G1M G-CORE transceiver, and has some interesting features as an SDR (software-defined radio). Here's some hopefully helpful info after my initial setup, quick test, and short field outing (i paired it with an LDG Z11 autotuner; there is no indication in the docs regarding SWR foldback or how robust the finals are, so definitely use a dummy load when testing and always transmit into a reasonable match):
Xiegu is aware of a potential issue regarding mic connections to the G1M's PCB, and my seller offered a return and repair (which i'm not going to take advantage of, as my G1M with its replacement mic seems to work OK). The issue regarding no PTT has been determined (in at least seven cases i'm aware of) to poor or non-existent soldering on the G1M's main PCB at the mic jack, and other points on the rig's PCB...
symptoms of the problem include: rough mic jack insertion, or following an SSB contact, a shutdown, then a restart, the G1M will not go into TX mode via the microphone PTT button; there is also distorted audio output on the 40M band; CW transmissions still work, but audio output features stop working very shortly after first usage
unfortunately, this means that you can either return the unit, get it repaired, or void whatever warranty terms exist and effect a fix yourself:
- remove front and back cover; carefully remove top of case; check mic connections at front of base PCB (also check soldering points for speaker if your rig suffers low audio output)
It has also been determined that the existing mic is prone to RF and/or distorts audio; some fixes have been to use ferrite chokes at the mic jack end or replace with a different mic and electret element... an inexpensive fix is an elecret qrp mic kit or replacement of the Xiegu-included mic element with a electret element of your choice
If you want to improve the mic, which appears to be a 4-pole speaker mic, first examine, then replace the mic jack. You'll see that the mic cable is 4-conductor with a clipped green lead, and there is no strain relief on the plug. Next, open the mic head, and you'll see there is a speaker (not used), but interestingly, no pinhole for voice input at the tiny element. Drill a 1/64th pinhole on the front of the mic at the element position. If you have a replacement element, note polarity on the original, then solder in your replacement. You should note a vast improvement in the power and quality of your transmitted audio.
The G1M has a backup firmware of 1.07 available at this time, with the addition of CW narrow filtering on and off
0. this transceiver will not transmit in AM, so you are going to have to whistle for your autotuner if using voice mode; alternatively, use your key to transmit a CW tone during tuning - or even better, use a resonant antenna system, such as a wire dipole or an unun end-fed.
1. great receiver; sounds very nice and has good 'ears'
2. band scope is handy, but not sensitive enough to display weak, but thoroughly 'copyable' CW ops (due to G1M's excellent reception); i really like this feature - it works really well for LSB/USB and AM
Tip: Use the SCL item on menu page #3 to adjust the scaling of the spectrum scope to suit your antenna system or propagation conditions
3. AM receive is a good feature and provides excellent sound (you can hear the echo in some broadcaster's studios!)
4. there is no voltage readout, and the rig will quit when voltage drops below 9V
5. spk jack provides nice audio, even with cheap ear buds
6. hand mic is sensitive; the mic's auxiliary audio jack is non-functional (i.e., no speaker mic; there is no audio out on the mic jack)
7. CW is supported, such as key speed, type, sidetone, ratio, output on/off (erroneously termed 'QSK'), but there are no keyer memories, and no zero-beat indication.
however, if you are in CW mode, a long press of the KS button will toggle a narrower filter on and off! this may be due to the 1.07 firmware
IMPORTANT UPDATE:
8. at first glance, it may appear that the memory channel function does not work - BUT IT DOES!!! you can store up to 66 memories by setting the VFO and mode, then a long press in Menu 1->B-, scroll the VFO to select an empty channel or overwrite the current one, then Save; to toggle between VFO and memory mode, use a long press in Menu 1->A/B, then use the VFO to scroll through each saved memory channel; to delete a memory channel, long press in Menu 1->B+, then use the VFO to scroll through and select CLR. If you attempt to erase a memory channel while in VFO, you'll see an 'INFO' dialog that states an error, misspelled in English. However, there is no way to copy the current memory channel to a VFO - this is unlike Xiegu's other transceivers, such as the X5105, and is a severe debilitation - if this copy function was enabled, it would be very easy to navigate the bands.
you can customize a short power-on message through menu #2, CSN (called a 'boot call'); scroll through the alphabet and select each letter/number, then save your message; it will then be displayed for about two seconds after turning on the rig
9. Xiegu released 1.07 firmware for updating or restoration of the rig, but documentation makes no mention of updating; it is impossible to back up settings, clone radios, etc.
10. documentation is preliminary and only half-translated; this in itself creates another problem: the lack of documentation stymies some functions, which remain unexplained, such as the 'SPL' menu item. This is most likely a Split function, where the receiving frequency is set in VFO A with VFO B containing the desired transmit frequency, and then SPL is selected. It is unknown to me at this time whether or not this works in SSB, CW or both. Additionally, the 'VER' menu item is not mentioned in the poor manual at all, but displays the firmware version and its (assumed) date
11. there is no power output control; i.e., you cannot dial-down to QRPp levels
and on the subject of power: the Xiegu G1M manual has a table of band voltages output via the ACC port on the band of the G1M, implying that the rig may be used with the Xiegu XPA125B amplifier; however there is no published circuit, interface cable, or other product that can accomplish this; additionally, there is a bug in the current G1M firmware (April 2019) with an incorrect band voltage for 12M (2.34V vs the correct 2.02V); this means that the G1M will not automatically bandswitch the XPA125B amp when 12M is selected; not really a big deal due to the rig's 4-band limit as you can't use 12M (fortunately this bug does not affect the Xiegu X5105, but sadly it does affect the Xiegu G90 w/the latest V1.7 firmware); at this time you will have to come up with your own amplifier interface for your G1M
12. a pre-amp can be toggled on/off
13. flrig is able to control and PTT the rig via IC-7100 config, and wsjtx works using IC-7000 rig settings; for fldigi, first configure, then use flrig as the transceiver control, then launch fldigi under GNU/Linux - works great! you'll need to construct a special 3.5mm cable for getting audio into the rig; tip voltage at the G1M is 8.3V, according to one expert
HERE'S HOW TO SET UP FOR DIGI-OPS:
1. run the included USB CAT cable from your computer to the rig's COM port
2. run a 3.5mm cable from the rig's SPK jack to your computer's audio in
3. run a 3.5mm cable from your computer's audio out to the MIC jack (connect GND and tip, then mark the jack)
4. launch flrig (which had been configured to use IC-7100 192008N1 echo)
5. launch fldigi (which had been configured to use flrig as transceiver control)
6. adjust sound levels
caution: the 'professional' way would be to use transformer audio isolation; use direct connect at your own risk - there will be a mismatch between your computer's sound card (generally 5V) and the G1M, which uses 8.3V - the idea is to get 'clean' audio transmitted over the air and a clean signal - so keep the 'drive levels' low
transceiver gets very warm even when just receiving! be advised of this issue, as digi ops can be nearly 50 percent duty cycle... i did find that keeping the audio output low can help reduce overheating, but i did not conduct any empirical tests on heat generation when using just headphones...
14. there is no access to internal 'program' functions like previous models; in other words, despite what this product page says, there is no 'project' menu, so internal functions are unavailable on this model and the current firmware
15. the G1M has a monochrome OLED display, there is no brightness/contrast control, and such controls aren't possible or needed (AFAIK or concerned)
16. there is no SWR indication, only an S meter
17. i tested power output on the radio's four bands (75/80; 40; 20; and 15 meters):
Using CW mode, key type manual, into an OHR WM-2 Wattmeter (highly recommended!) set to 10W scale:
3.500 - 7.5W
7.000 - 6.75W
14.000 - 5W
21.000 - 5W
G1M output test, whistling (not the best), into a WM-2 Wattmeter set to 10W scale
3.500 - 5W
7.125 - 4.5W
14.150 - 5W
21.200 - 4W
i did have one incident of unstoppable feedback when i inadvertently called CQ with the mic too close; keep at least six inches away, or better yet, conduct a test with a buddy across town on audio quality and best transmission practice... remember, you're only QRP, so unless there's a big band opening, 15M contacts when 10M is open or 40M short hops are going to be your best bet at this point in the solar cycle!
all in all, i like the G1M, but at this point it is still in development and has beta firmware; you will be able to use it to make contacts, and it's more convenient to use than at first glance - you can use your own custom memory channels, the band-shift (B-/+), freq-digit (TS) keys and VFO to navigate its frequency range and receive and transmit bands
some improvements which would make this a five-star transceiver:
better ventilation for its case or more efficient heat sinking
voltage/battery display,
power output control,
hi/low SWR indication;
some audio filtering,
ability to copy current memory channel to a VFO
and a 'tune' function using CW audio transmit via a pushbutton or PTT on the mic (similar to SGC's method)
i was going to return the rig (purchased via Amazon, which has a no-questions-asked and 100% guarantee), but after taking it outside was so impressed by its current and promising features that i'm going to wait to see if a new firmware release provides even better features |
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| G6UDE |
Rating:     |
2021-02-12 | |
| Inexpensive + great receiver + totally endearing to operate |
Time Owned: 3 to 6 months. |
Purchased as a low cost foray into the world of Chinese made SDR radios. Also as a minimalist /p rig to take the pressure of my venerable IC 703
Hooked up to my home station its performed wonderfully on both SSB and CW, in a very much no-frills kinda way.
The receiver does a great job on both Ham and broadcast bands, completely out-performing the rigs TX capability. The digital filter narrows down to an effective level when CW mode is selected.
Its quite solidly constructed in a metal case and knobs and buttons seem solid enough.
The weak point ( apparently ) are the connectors for mike, phones, and key. I'd already read about this before mine arrived, so have treated it carefully an have had no problems so far. For /p I'm building a break-out box to protect these connectors.
Three things that would have made this rig even better: a built in SWR meter, RF Gain control, and variable power. These aside, the radio's very endearing, and a blast to operate, even compared to rigs costing many many times more.
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| K1PMA |
Rating:  |
2021-01-28 | |
| Picked up stray AM/FM rf, had to return |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| The first evening I was quite happy to make several good QSO on a 40m net with a resonant antenna. However the next day the band was very quiet and I kept hearing some background music. At first I thought it was the wife but then I noticed it was coming from the G1M. No matter which frequency I was on, which of my 3 antennas I hooked up, etc. That country music stations stayed there. It was just loud enough to be pretty annoying. Of course this was a deal breaker so I returned it to Amazon. |
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| W7SJP |
Rating:  |
2021-01-23 | |
| Sad & Disappointing |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I got the X1 when it first came out—I liked the idea of a ‘pocket’ QRP rig. After a couple of days of use, the rotary encoder began failing, then died. I opened it up and had a peek to determine how difficult it would be to replace. I literally junked it and bought a rock mite kit which turned out to be eminently better all round—more robust with better mechanics.
Here it is years later and, against better judgement, bought the G1M. It was DOA, so I opened it up to find the dc input jack was twisted.
This time I demanded a refund and shipped it back.
There is something inherently wrong with Xiegu’s design philosophy when considering mechanical stress points and using cheaper parts with low MTBF rates. So, I give up on these guys—way too much trouble dealing with the cheap, fragile builds of these radios. The price point is attractive but reliability just isn’t there and fixing all the issues is way too time-consuming for this old man.
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| W5GNB |
Rating:  |
2021-01-23 | |
| AWFUL to the MAX !! |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| Brand NEW and DOA out of the box... Don't WASTE your Hard Earned Money on this junk ~~~~~ |
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| W4TU |
Rating:      |
2021-01-20 | |
| Best value for the miniscule price |
Time Owned: 6 to 12 months. |
I actually own two of these which should tell you what I think of them at this point. The first one was bought from a Chinese dealer when these first hit the market in the spring of 2019. At the time no U.S. dealer was offering the G1M. The second one came from Radioddity when they had them for $249 including shipping. What you get for the nice, low price is pretty unbeatable. The rig deserves a 4.5 but in light of the people who like to call all Chinese radios junk (this one definitely is not) and rate them very low I rounded up to get to a 5.
First the one real negative: all the jacks are attached to the PCB via a row of little tabs. The solder holding the tabs in place is the only thing holding them in place. As others have noted that makes them more than a bit fragile. My mic. jack on the first radio I bought broke off and went into the radio. I was dreading sending it back to China. Fortunately another ham who had the issue advised me that it is really a simple repair. I contacted the dealer who allowed me to open the rig without voiding the warranty. A couple of minutes of careful soldering with a low wattage soldering pencil and the rig was fixed. Taking it apart and putting it back together took more time than the actual repair work. I have been gentle ever since and both my rigs have been problem free since then.
The receiver is much better than I would have expected based on the published specs. It is more sensitive than my FT-817ND. The receiver audio is exceptional even through the very small internal speaker. As a result the G1M has become my go to SWL and AM broadcast radio despite the fact that I have several more expensive and feature rich radios. It really sounds that good. The 800Hz CW AF DSP filter in early firmware revisions was just about adequate. Update: V1.07 firmware provides the narrow CW filter. Since the G1M does not have DSP noise reduction I've been using it with a Funtronics ADSP-2 (tiny, battery operated unit) when on a noisy band. That combination works well.
The transmitter has rated output on 15m and 20m. It puts out a bit more power on 40m and 80m. As noted in another review the radio does have an effective speech compressor. It's not adjustable but it does work well with my voice. I've received unsolicited, complimentary audio reports. The rig has plenty of punch for a QRP SSB rig. Connections for digital modes really aren't covered in the manual but are well documented online.
The radio is very small and light, about two thirds the size by volume of the FT-817ND, but it does not have an internal battery case. It's a bit power hungry for a 5W rig, drawing up to 2.5A on transmit and 0.5A on receive, a consequence of the need to power the CPU in a true SDR rig. The menus are pretty simple and become easy to remember and navigate very quickly. The display is bright and clear in almost any lighting. The spectrum scope bandwidth is adjustable and it works well.
Considering how little the GIM costs you'd be hard pressed to find a better value. It's a surprisingly decent performer in all respects. |
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| WA6MOW |
Rating:      |
2020-09-06 | |
| Amazing for the low price. |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| I purchased it out of curiosity sake. I only work cw but the fact that you can also work ssb is pretty amazing for the low price. I have made lots of contacts running a doublet or a random wire in a tree. The only thing that would make it better is RIT and maybe narrower filtering for cw. I power it with a small lipo battery that I purchased off of eBay for $20. It seems to last a long time. I am very impressed with Xiegu, providing us with fun little rigs at an economical price. If you want to experiment with QRP, the little G1M is a great way to go. Highly recommended. |
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| KK6VHP |
Rating:     |
2020-08-20 | |
| Good for the modest price |
Time Owned: 6 to 12 months. |
| I purchased the G1M in early 2020. The first one failed instantly because of the mic problems others have mentioned. The replacement was handled more gingerly. It worked well, including digital modes. However, when I attempted to use the CAT feature, the firmware was inadvertently erased. The G1M was effectively bricked. Xeigu was unresponsive, as was my dealer. Finally, on the Facebook Xeigu group, someone located G1M firmware. Using the install procedures for the G90, I replaced the firmware in 5 mins. It works great, but be aware of this problem. I love the simplicity of this SDR transceiver, especially for mobile. Product support is non-existent. Thank god for other hams. |
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