See my G90 Update for some information on problems I had with the G90 after this initial review was written.
When I started participating in SOTA last summer, all I had to work with was a dual-band HT and a roll-up J-pole. I managed to activate a few successful summits thanks to some VHF S2S contacts and a good bit of luck and perseverance. However, as the summer came to an end, I had exhausted the potential VHF-only summits in the region and was dying to get set up on HF. On a limited budget, the Xiegu G90 seemed like my best option. There are some definite compromises, but the inclusion of a built-in ATU and 20W max output power makes it an attractive choice for portable operation.
When the G90 arrived, I was surprised by the heft of it. Weighing in around a kilogram it’s a little on the heavy side for SOTA, but it feels well-built and rugged. This was unexpected from such an inexpensive Chinese radio. The screen is surprisingly clear and bright, and despite its diminutive size, is very readable. The knobs are sturdy and responsive and the buttons have a nice feel to them. The small face of the radio makes accessing the buttons a little tricky with gloves on, but it’s workable. I’ve been using the G90 primarily with a 41’ end-fed random-wire antenna and 9:1 unun for portable ops, and with this setup the tuner preforms flawlessly; it achieves a solid 1:1 match on 10m to 80m, and does it quickly. This setup makes it quick and easy to do an activation on 20 and 40m. Switching bands is just a press of the tune button. The manual specifies a maximum TX current draw of 8A, but in practice I measured it at less than 5A at max power. RX current draw is around 0.6A. This means that the G90 will run well on any size 13.8V Bioenno pack, and even run fine on the cheap Talentcell 12V packs from amazon.com. It also has a huge input voltage range, from 10.5 – 16.5V, allowing a wide range of portable power options. I have run the G90 at 5W output on a Talentcell pack down to 9.5V without any noticeable trouble. A Bioenno 3Ah 13.8V pack is more than enough for an HF activation with the G90.
My first hike-in activation with the G90 was Beacon Rock (W7W/LC-163), a short hike up the basalt column to a small activation zone near the top. There was no room to set up the end fed antenna as a sloper so I opted to wind it around my mast and use it vertically. This configuration worked surprisingly well. The tuner had no trouble achieving a 1:1 match on 20 and 40m and I made several contacts to the Eastern US on 10W that day.
My second hike in with the G90 was Wind Mountain (W7W/LC-146). Another short hike, but significant elevation gain. There was some snow on the ground, and I found myself struggling up the hill and wishing I had less weight to carry. The G90 performed well at the summit though. It was cold and windy and I was grateful for the ease of switching bands once I got set up.
The G90 receives well as far as I can tell. Although I haven’t been able to do any direct comparisons to other rigs, I haven’t noticed any trouble receiving and can often copy signals that only hit S1 on the highest peaks. Due to the SDR architecture the receive filtering is very sharp. The audio does seem a little harsh to my ear, which is something other reviewers have noted as well, but for the price it’s not a deal-breaker. The built in SWR scanner is a nice touch, and seems to generally agree with the external SWR meter I used for testing. The only thing I really think is missing from the G90 is a CW and voice memory keyer. As a new operator I’m only mildly bothered by this omission, but it might be a more serious issue for seasoned operators.
All in all, the G90 is not a perfect SOTA radio, due primarily to its weight, but it is a great budget portable rig and will work just fine. If you are like me and need one rig to do it all on a budget, I think you’d be hard pressed to do better than the G90. Down the line, I will likely learn CW and build myself a little QRP rig for taking on those challenging summits where weight is paramount, but for now I’m quite happy with the G90 and willing to haul the weight in exchange for the extra power. See you on the bands!
73 DE W3MBG