This is my initial review of the new G90 HF radio from Xiegu. At $449, it's a deal, IMO.
Pilfering the description/specs from eham.net:
The G90 is a portable 20W HF amateur radio transceiver with an SDR architecture with built-in auto antenna tuner.
The display unit and the radio can be separated.
160m-10m transceiver - AM/FM/USB/LSB/CW modes. That's right, no 6m.
SDR structure, 24-bit data size @48kHz sampling rate, it has excellent transceiving performance and a highly
configurable function experience
Built-in high-performance auto antenna tuner to meet your needs at any time, so the antenna is no longer a problem.
The display unit and the radio can be separated.
160m-10m transceiver - AM/FM/USB/LSB/CW modes. That's right, no 6m.
SDR structure, 24-bit data size @48kHz sampling rate, it has excellent transceiving performance and a highly
configurable function experience
Built-in high-performance auto antenna tuner to meet your needs at any time, so the antenna is no longer a problem.
I strung up a G5RV jr. antenna with a 51' total span and a 15' ladder line this morning. Height is only about 25'. I tried to keep it level but I didn't do a great job - it's a shallow inverted V. I'm using RG8X as feed line with several coils (acting as a balun) at the feed point.
Results: I'm in Rochester, NY and I made contacts in Wilmington, NC, Chesapeake, VA, Concord, NH and several spots in Ohio (contesting going on there today) on 40m and 20m. Audio reports back were very good.
The menu/user interface is really easy to learn. The display, while small, works extremely well. The waterfall is very usable. The tuner is outstanding - very quick and the real-time SWR analyzer puts any doubts to rest. The SWR meter while transmitting shows I'm not going above 1.5 which is flippin' outstanding. Most of the time, it's 1:1 or 1.1:1! Can't complain about that.
CAT control on a PC with Ham Radio Deluxe and other software works fine. Using digital modes with fldigi and similar programs is no problem.
I have no idea how this rig will hold up over time, but I'm very pleased with its performance so far. If you want an HF rig for a bug-out/secondary location and you don't want to spend a bundle, this could be a very good option. It's higher power (20W) than QRP which makes a difference.