Xiegu G106 Review

--by E.T. Bryant

I was skeptical about what a 5-watt radio could do in making contacts. But I have made some great contacts with the Xiegu G106. I will jump right in with what I like about the radio. I do like its small size because it could easily fit into a backpack for camping trips. It feels heavy for its small size but that is probably because of its all-metal sturdy construction. Even though it feels heavy it is only 1.6 pounds.

On the back of the radio, you have the ACC, COM, and KEY ports. The ACC and COM will allow you to connect the radio to either the CE-19 or the DE-19 interface adaptor to do FT8 and some of the other digital modes. You can connect your CW key using the 3.5mm port. The menu settings for CW are very simple like all the other menu settings. There is nothing fancy or complicated with this radio. It is a basic radio that appears to be specially designed for fieldwork.

While the radio screen is small it is easy to read, and the backlight can be turned on or off with a push of a button. The buttons you will use the most are on top of the radio. I like the tuning step option on the band switch button. The menu options are simple and pressing any of the function buttons will bring up the pages of the menu.

Turning the Tuning dial will scroll through the pages, and you can see the options on the screen for each button. I would have liked to see something on the buttons instead of them being blank. But I suppose the intention is to make the selections changeable in the software. Speaking of software, the radio comes with a programming cable so you can update the firmware.

I liked the S-meter and scope that can be displayed on the screen.

While the scope does not display a waterfall it will help to determine where an incoming signal is the strongest. I have always had a hard time trying to figure out just what to give as a signal report. But the G106’s signal strength meter will not only show you the noise level reading but also the incoming transmission strength. No more guessing about whether their signal is 53 or 55. I love it.

If I had a complaint it would be about the microphone. It is small. I suppose that matches the size of the radio, but I like a good-feeling mic in my hands. It would be nice if the microphone was a bit larger and maybe with numbers and buttons for quickly changing frequency and options. But then again we are looking at a basic radio. Another issue I have with the mic is it does not sound as strong as the internal speaker. You can switch from the internal speaker to the microphone speaker by pressing the volume button. There is a 3.5mm socket on the bottom of the mic where you can plug in headphones. I am used to the Xeigu G90’s volume button switching the speaker from the internal speaker to headphones.

I use this without headphones attached so I don’t have to hear the tone of the FT8 frequency. So, if there was a mute button it would be nice.

My last complaint about the microphone is when I tried plugging in my headphones there was a rubber plug covering the socket. You wouldn’t think this is a big deal and it would help to keep anything from entering the socket when you are not using headphones. But the plug is attached to the microphone cable and makes it hard to plug anything into the socket. So, that will have to be cut off without damaging the cable. The output to the headphones is only mono, so you are only going to hear out of one side. Finally, it does not come with a stand to raise it up in front, but I made my own from foamboard.

The included manual is easy to read and provides everything you need to operate the radio. Overall, despite my complaints about the microphone I really do like the radio a lot. I would highly recommend it not only as a great field radio, but it would make it a very inexpensive option for someone just starting in HF. Even if you are a new General Class operator you are going to want to try QRP at some point.