Xiegu X6100
$$$$·
| Frequency | RX: 0.5-30 MHz + 50-54 MHz (general coverage), TX: 160-6 m amateur bands (1.8-2, 3.5-3.9, 5.3515-5.3665, 7-7.2, 10.1-10.15, 14-14.35, 18.068-18.168, 21-21.45, 24.89-24.99, 28-29.7, 50-54 MHz) |
| Bands | 160m, 80m, 60m, 40m, 30m, 20m, 17m, 15m, 12m, 10m, 6m |
| TX power | 5 / 10 W (10 W on SSB/CW/FM from an external 13.8 VDC supply (2.5 W AM carrier); 5 W from the internal battery (1.5 W AM). Output is adjustable down to about 1 W. The rated power is consistent with community measurements.) |
| Modes | SSB (USB/LSB), CW, AM, FM, RTTY and other digital modes (via the onboard USB sound card or I/Q output) |
| Weight | 880 g (31 oz) |
| Year | 2021 |
| antenna | BNC (female), 50 ohm (a BNC-to-SO-239 adapter is needed for PL-259 coax) |
| dc in | External DC 9-15 V through a barrel jack; this input also charges the internal battery (charging is NOT through the USB-C port) |
| key | 3.5 mm KEY jack for a straight key, paddle or external keyer |
| mic | Included hand microphone with a backlit keypad (proprietary connector) |
| speaker phone | S/P jack, configurable in the menu as external speaker or headphone output (internal speaker audio is about 0.4 W) |
| usb c | USB Type-C data port with an onboard USB-serial adapter and sound card (CAT control and digital modes); data only, not charging |
| usb host | USB host port for a keyboard, mouse or storage device |
| microsd | MicroSD card slot for memory backup and voice-keyer recordings |
| acc | ACC interface for the XPA125B amplifier (auto band switching and ALC) using the L4001 cable / CE-19 expansion port |
| iq out | I/Q signal output for external SDR software such as HDSDR |
| power req | Internal 12 V 3.5 Ah Li-ion battery (charged in-unit) or external DC 9-15 V. Receive current is under 330 mA and transmit under 3 A. The battery is not user-replaceable. |
A touchscreen SDR portable for HF and 6 m with a built-in battery, automatic tuner, WiFi and Bluetooth, for well under the price of an Icom IC-705. The 4-inch color screen shows spectrum and waterfall, the embedded Linux platform receives ongoing firmware updates and a third-party community firmware, and built-in CW/RTTY/PSK decoders read signals on screen without a laptop. It runs 10 W on external power (5 W on battery), works with the XPA125B and GPA100 100 W amplifiers, and covers all HF bands plus 6 m.
The receiver overloads near strong signals, so a local AM broadcaster can spread across the bands, and there are some internal birdies; firmware updates have improved it but it is a hardware limitation, less of an issue at a quiet field site. The internal battery is not user-replaceable, the built-in tuner has a limited 1:4.5 matching range, and battery operation is 5 W. There is no VHF/UHF (the IC-705 has it), and Xiegu has tended to ship hardware ahead of mature firmware.
The X6100 is a lower-cost touchscreen SDR portable for HF and 6 m, with a built-in battery, tuner, WiFi and Bluetooth at roughly half the price of an Icom IC-705. The trade-offs are real: a receiver that overloads near strong signals, no VHF/UHF, and 5 W on battery. In return it offers a color spectrum display and a Linux platform with active community development. For HF portable operators who want the touchscreen-SDR experience on a budget, and can work around the receiver, it is a realistic choice.
The Xiegu X6100 is a portable software-defined transceiver for HF and 6 meters that includes a color touchscreen, a rechargeable battery, an automatic antenna tuner, WiFi and Bluetooth in a box about the size of a paperback, for well under half the price of the Icom IC-705. It uses a direct down-conversion SDR with separate transmit and receive paths and 24-bit sampling, and an embedded Linux platform that adds features through firmware and supports a third-party community firmware.
It transmits 10 watts on an external 13.8 V supply (2.5 W on AM) and 5 watts on its internal 12 V battery, covers the amateur bands from 160 to 6 meters, and receives 0.5-30 MHz plus 50-54 MHz. The 4-inch 800-by-480 screen shows a spectrum and waterfall up to 96 kHz wide. A built-in tuner (1:4.5 range) with an SWR scanner, a microSD recorder, on-screen CW/RTTY/PSK decoders, and an onboard USB sound card mean much of the station is inside the one box. Published receiver figures include an MDS of -138 dBm and a 2 kHz blocking dynamic range of at least 110 dB. One practical detail: the battery charges through the DC jack, not the USB-C port, which is for data.
The receiver is the part to weigh before buying. The X6100's front end overloads near strong signals, so a local AM broadcast station can spread across the bands, and it has some internal birdies; Xiegu has released firmware aimed at improving receiver performance, but the limitation is in the hardware and matters far less at a quiet field site, which is why it stays popular for POTA and SOTA. The internal battery is also not user-replaceable.
Against the IC-705 it gives up receiver quality, build and VHF/UHF coverage but costs roughly half as much and adds a battery and tuner the Icom lacks. Against Xiegu's own G90 it trades transmit power (10 W against 20 W) for a battery, a touchscreen, 6 meters and portability, and the older X5105 is the smaller, lower-power sibling. Xiegu's newer X6200 is a separate design rather than a direct replacement.