This Xiegu G106/DE19 from AliExpress is a REALLY FUN little radio!

Full disclosure: AliExpress reached out to me a little while ago and asked if wanted to get some credit to review products from them. They gave let me choose any product I wanted from the marketplace, and they gave me no guidelines on how to do the review. All opinions are my own.
The Xiegu G106 is a radio I have been wanting to try out since it came out, and thanks to AliExpress I finally got a chance to do that. And, it's a fun little thing! I also got the DE19 digimode interface, and that adds to the experience.
You can find the G106 here (affiliate link): s.click.aliexp...
You can find the DE19 here: (affiliate link):
s.click.aliexp...
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[@Homer19521]

I can only understand english, but I love the Norwegian language sound. It is musical/magical. Great review. 👍

[@LB0FI]

Thanks!

[@englishrupe01]

Great review, thanks. On the lack of headphone port, at least it is really easy to add one by soldering a link to the speaker, etc.

[@LB0FI]

There are absolutely ways around it. It's just wierd that they didn't think about it when designing the radio.

[@nine7295]

The G106 was $199 USD at Radioddity during Black Friday. $259 seems a bit high .

[@LB0FI]

@@nine7295 That depends on where in the world you are. Adding shipping to Norway from Radioddity would make that way more expensive for me. Not everyone lives in the US. For the Americans it’s a great deal though.

[@jimhopk]

I have one and really like it. I use it mainly for digital modes.

[@LB0FI]

It's a great little rig, isn't it?

[@janhenkins]

Hello Morten! Thank you for this review! I also have this little gem of a radio, and it does not need to feel ashamed in the presence of it's larger brothers (G90,X6100/6200, etc.), some of which I also own. I think that the bad press it received was (1) the immature firmware (this is an old Xiegu thing, they tend to use their userbase as beta testers which I personally don't mind, but other people really don't appreciate it), and (2) bad communication from Xiegu on where this product is placed. It's not competition for the G90 or X-series radios, but it should be seen as a replacement of their now discontinued G1M. Because of the feature omissions, I believe that the G106 is an ideal first HF radio for new hams. It forces you to learn about SWR (of use an EFHW antenna so you don't have to worry) , making up power cables (like your PD trigger cable, absolutely brilliant!), and even offers the pesky speaker jack on the microphone as a potential project. I remember somebody on a G106 mailing list somewhere who successfully McGyver'ed a Y-splitter that reportedly worked well enough. I like my little G106, and it sits proud next to my FT-817nd, G90 and X6100 radios. PS: Some people have tested the output of the G106 to be closer to 8 watts, so test yours to see whether that is true. 74, Jan M7HNK

[@LB0FI]

Thanks for your long comment Jan! I absolutely agree with you, and Xiegu have a tendency to release their radios before their firmware is finished. It was the same with the X6100 and X6200 as well. It is probably closer to a budget 817/818 than a G90.

[@janhenkins]

@@LB0FI Hi Morten! To be honest, it doesn't touch the pure capabilities of the 817/818, especially if the Yaesu has been fitted with the CW narrow-band filter, and the Yaesu also has 2M and 70cm. But then again, a good second-hand 10 year old 817 (not even the ND, they will be more) will cost you near double the cost of a new G106. But I still love the G106, I find myself reaching for it more than the 817.

[@LB0FI]

And that's why I said a budget 817. It is of course not close to the 817, but the feel is quite similar.

[@mikedodds7547]

​@@LB0FI Hi Morten, Good honest review for what now looks like a good, lower end portable rig. I was going to leave a long comment, but Jan pretty well covered it! I bought a G106 when they first came out, and promptly returned it after 3 days. It just wasn't a good radio at that time, buggy, sounded bad and it cost $299 then too. I was spoiled by the G90 😃. I saw the G106 on black Friday sales for $199 a week or so ago, watched and read some _recent_ reviews and realized it was no longer the ugly duckling it was when I bought mine. It's amazing to see what a couple firmware revisions can accomplish. I have one ordered and on the way now, again! 73

[@LB0FI]

Thanks for commenting. Yes, I believe the current firmware has made a significant impact on this radio. As it did with the X6100.

[@ralphmills7322]

Thanks for the review. I love my G90 and 20W does make a difference as a beginner. To be honest if the G106 was available at the time I would have brought it and spent the extra $200 on a nanoVNA and a QRP antenna tuner. The weight and the super small screen are the only complaint I have on the G90. I am glad my portable ops is only to lug the G90 over to a picnic table, it is not SOTA portable!

[@LB0FI]

You're absolutely correct. The difference between 20 and 5 watts makes a difference, perhaps not as much now on the top of the solar cycle, but for sure in a couple of years. And the G90 is a good SOTA-rig, it's not that heavy considering what you get.

[@DD5LP]

@@ralphmills7322 I beg to differ. The G90 is my SOTA rig. Yes compared to the G106 it is heavy but my biggest weight item is the LifePO4 battery and that's a big improvement over earlier battery technologies. 20w (actually nearer 30w PEP) is a big improvement over QRP radios. When I call from the G90 I am surprised if I don't get through first time. With the G106 it often takes 3 or 4 tries. Isn't it nice to have the wide choice of options that we have these days. 73 Ed.

[@F4LDT-Alain]

Hello, thanks for the nice review. This really seems like an interesting radio. However I still think that it would make more sense in the 200 euros range. More than half the price of a G90 seems a bit on the high side to me. From where I am (France) it shows at between 260 and 300 euros on Ali. Especially without an ATU or even SWR meter. It means that you almost need to buy one of these Chinese ATU that cost around 50 euros, which brings the price over what I've paid for my second hand G90 in perfect condition. I love my G90. It's my portable workhorse and I would never sell it 😁

[@LB0FI]

I somewhat agree with you. One of the issues is how close it is to the G90 price wise. It is a different radio though, and even though I have a tuner for it, I just haven’t used it. I usually use resonant antennas in the field. The lack of an SWR meter is more critical, but solvable. It is, however, an amazing little thing.

[@rodmurrayVA3MZD]

Please share the link for the SWR meter. Could use one of those!

[@LB0FI]

There you go: amzn.to/3ONYlMV (affiliate link). I also see that it doubled in price since yesterday.

[@rockshelter]

Thank you for the honest review. Seems to be a great radio to throw in the backpack along with a resonant antenna. Then there is the power thing: you mentioned a power delivery trigger cable. I have a couple of relatively big powerbanks to charge my laptop. Which cable should i get to power my qrp radios?

[@LB0FI]

It is a really nice little rig. As with the power delivery issue I am doing a bit of research on that subject at the moment. It seems like not all powerbanks are created equally. LB5JJ has a couple of videos on the subject.

[@dangermandave67]

This thing weighs 720 g. I have a FX-4C that weighs 460 g. I think I'd prefer to save 260 g if I was doing a tough SOTA activation.

[@LB0FI]

@@dangermandave67 I have a (tr)uSDX that is even lighter than that, but as with your comment it’s beside the point.

[@LB4FH]

Thanks for the P2P. You were surprisingly good to read on my end

[@DD5LP]

The G106 is sold as a 5w radio but on some bands it gives nearer to 10w. YMMV. There is no swr or power meter and even the s meter seems more like an audio meter. The audio punch can be improved using a Baofeng after market microphone. I have added an RF clipper compressor as well. This is a simple radio low on features but also low price. Really small and light. Probably not a radio for a newbie. 73 Ed DD5LP

[@LB0FI]

The simplicity goes both ways. As I said in the video, a new ham would probably like the simplicity. But the 5-10 watts and the limiting factors might not be good for a new ham.

[@DD5LP]

@LB0FI yes exactly. Simple to use but a little low on power.

[@RaviNewfarm]

Actual weight and size? I see two wildly different specs both on the manufacutrers webpages and the european dealers site. I was considering this one, but the specs showed it to be heavier than a G90 and almost as large. So I thought it would not be a great one for SOTA. But at least the size seems to be a bit smaller than a G90 at least, and I suspect the weight is not 1.3 kg after all? So I got me a hardly used, but nicely discounted 705 instead, but perhaps this one will fit somewhere between that one and my (tr)uSDX 🙂

[@LB0FI]

It’s 794 grams according to my kitchen scale. 13 x 12 x 4cm.

[@RaviNewfarm]

@@LB0FI Thanks, so a bit more than half of one of the published weights, and close to another of the published weights. The heavier may be for the boxed package perhaps.

[@loraz0]

I stream the audio from the radio to my hearing aids with a streaming device. Not having a headphone jack is a deal breaker for me. Perhaps someone can come up with a splitter that plugs into the mic connection that will allow the use of a 3.5mm jack. Until then, I will continue on with a Xiegu G1M, which is very similar but only 80, 40, 20, and 15m. At least it has a headphone jack.

[@LB0FI]

It has a headphone jack, it's just a bit clumsy with the placement on the mic.

[@timothymaimone8611]

Wish the spectrum scope had a scale. Can you provide a link to the manual in English please? 73 de KD6UYK (Tim).

[@LB0FI]

The scale is not a big thing. You get used to it pretty fast. You can find the manual here: radioddity.s3.amazonaws.com/Xiegu_G106_User_Manual_V1.0.11_20220715.pdf

[@chrissuddell7940]

The front end of those radios are wide open. So unless they have changed the front end you may find it gets swamped and is unusable. An AM broadcase staton, or other strong low band radio source will cause the issue. You will need a BCI filter to get the best out of it. It's a know issue. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fquYZWCDYsqZaacfeature=shared

[@LB0FI]

That’s absolutely a valid point Chris. I don’t have that problem here, so I didn’t think about it.

[@chrissuddell7940]

@@LB0FI I think other than that issue they are good little radios and the issue can be fixed.

[@TsiolkovskySportingLocks]

Wow this is the same radio that 2 years ago the Ham KZbin community were heaping scorn on? Gosh....

[@LB0FI]

Same radio. And it’s not half bad.

[@TsiolkovskySportingLocks]

@@LB0FI its a total bobby-dazzler of a radio... I really find it so useful.

[@Jeff_AA8HF]

that was much earlier firmware. Just before release Xiegu shipped out review units with firmware that wasn't completely baked and I think that has hurt its popularity.

[@ScatManAust]

@@Jeff_AA8HF No, not really Jeff. There was only one real review that caused its poor early sales, and we all know Whom and why. It really shitsme when reviewers don't or wont RTFM beforehand to familiarize themselves before spewing their unjust vile opinions on products. If only I could afford one, I'd have one in a heartbeat

[@IM1deadMONEY]

A lot of KZbinrs NEVER factor in the value of a radio. They must have an endless supply of money, or free radios! This was an excellent review! I will keep my eyes peeled for a bargain 😀

[@johnnorth9355]

The only thing that stops me buying one of these is my G90. Even then if one comes along at the right price I will take the plunge. 73 M7BLC

[@LB0FI]

You're not the only one :)

[@jeff-73]

As you are an influencer you should be saying foxtrot, not florida.

[@LB0FI]

First of all, I don’t think I have ever been called an influencer. Isn’t that title reserved for self-obsessed girls and women between 15 and 30? I think I should say thanks, but I’m not really sure. Also, I always start out with foxtrot. If that doesn’t go through, I might do a florida or a fandango. If I am really creative I might go for Luxembourg Banana Zero Forthcoming Irritation. It’s usually Lima Bravo Zero Foxtrot India though. Thanks for understanding.

[@jeff-73]

@ Not trolling you. I have hearing disabilities and struggle when people makeup their own phonetics. you ARE an influencer, you have an audience who enjoys your videos, including myself. People will copy what you do and say. 73

[@LB0FI]

@@jeff-73 If you have followed my channel for a while you would have seen that I usually do a foxtrot. However, if band conditions and propogation is such as it is not intelligeble, I will vary for the sake intelligebility. The combination foxtrot india is not something that rolls of the tongue easily, and sometimes I need to clarify. I would rather say one florida than five foxtrot. I do not make up my own phonetics, but I might vary for intelligebility. If you listen to any french station they will usually start with a florida. Any Italian station will start with Italy instead of india, although they will use india in their suffix.

[@jeff-73]

@@LB0FI Fair points. Thanks for taking the time to explain. I do love your channel and approach to things.

[@LB0FI]

Thanks, and sorry for being so hard in my first reply. I was just at a point where the "why didn't you do this, even if the video is not about it" comments had reached a critical mass.

[@Siskiyous6]

I would listen to Steve over Mike on most issues

[@LB0FI]

I don't think there is much difference in knowledge. There is, however, a difference in presentation. And I think everyone can agree that Mike's review was a bit of a show off.

[@TridentMissileTech]

Ugliest radio ever. Looks cheap and ugly.

[@LB0FI]

Thank you for your deep insights and analytics.