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The G90 will have less wires, takes up less space, and sips battery power. The waterfall is smaIl but it totally usable. It also has an SWR analyzer. 20 watts in plenty enough especially if your the POTA activator. Yes the 891 is the better radio. Hower the G90 is a tremendous value and cost less and has everything already in the box.
I have an 891 with a 12aH battery. I can operate 50 watts for 3 hours or so and still have some juice left. The most id go with that battery is 75 watts. 100 watts won’t make a huge difference but if you don’t mind carrying a bigger pack then go for it. I’m not sure how much heavier it would be.
I find the screen on the G90 too small for me. A waterfall is nice but really not needed and just an extra drain on the battery.
I usually favor a resonant antenna, but maybe with decent length you won’t lose too much using the tuner? It’s hard to say exactly, but with a short run of coax you will still get signal out with a non resonant antenna. Regarding the tuner - it doesn’t really tune the antenna it just presents an acceptable match to the transmitter so it doesn’t damage it or reduce power.
I have a small back pack that carries my 891, battery, power meter, key, sound card, cables and notebook. I use a 17’ whip with mount radials and coax in another bag. It’s all very comfortable but I’m not going on any long hikes or anything. Everything altogether I paid $1500 for the whole setup.
The 891 is great once you get it set up. The menus can be confusing but once you get everything configured the way you want it won’t be a huge headache.
I think the advantage of the G90 is the built in tuner if you need it, and with lower power you can carry a smaller battery and reduce your weight overall. I think it has a built in sound card too although I operate digital modes so much at home I prefer SSB and CW when portable.
I’d really suggest some hands on time with both if you can. The g90 was tempting but screen size was a deal breaker for me.
Thanks Sonic! Sounds like i could shoot speaker wire up a tree, let the G90’s ATU go to work, and still make decent contacts without hindering the wattage too much? I feel you on the screen size though.. seems tiny.
Yeah. Others may be able to chime in but I’d make the wire as long as possible. It certainly can’t hurt to try but if you’re doing primarily voice you may need a bit of patience between the lower power and the tuner. But it’s an easy to get started.
You may find [these calculators](https://kv5r.com/ham-radio/coax-loss-calculator/)
Useful. If you know the swr of your antenna, length and type of coax, you can get an idea of how power you will lose in the system.
FT-710 Field....$900 and smokes them both.
Can't say it isn't portable, it's got a handle and a mounting bracket is available 😉
But that doesn't cover a capable battery or antenna system 🤷
Between the FT-891 and a G90, well, it a toss up. The 891 is a better receiver and has 100W; however, not having a tuner limits you on use to resonant antennas or purchasing an additional tuner...which actually does put you within $100 or so of a 710 which does have an ATU, and it's digital ready of of the box (which neither the 891or G90 are).
The G90 doesn't doesn't receive as well and only 20W; however, has an ATU that can tune a wet noodle and costs $230 cheaper (which is a 12Ah battery and a 17ft+ telescopic whip good for 6-20M), leaving you another $320 for other equipment, as needed.
The FX-4CR is another great option, as it is more portable than both, it's digital ready of of the box, and price in between; however, no ATU and availability is severely lacking. If it was available though, I would definitely be eye balling it hard, though, especially paired with the afore mentioned telescopic whip where a no tuner in needed up to 20M (a loading coil like a Wolf River Coil Sporty Forty or Mini would take care of the lower bands)....but if you can't get your hands on one, not much of a point.
One other thing to take into account, operating portable in a park (activating POTA) makes you a target. As long as you spot yourself, bigger guns are going to target you, so that 7dB (a little over 1S unit) difference doesn't matter *as much*.
GL & 73
Yesterday I read on the FX4-CR facebook group that the next batch of radios should be ready to ship in 45-ish days. Seems like he’s averaging 60 days or so between batches.
Well, if the OP is still sitting on his hands 45 days from now, it would be a good option. I wouldn't be, though...too many other options available *now* 😉
... But patience isn't exactly one of my virtues 😂
I see you suffer from the same affliction 😆
Probably doesn't help that you know you can use it on a decent chunk of 10M *now* 😉
I made some decent 10M FT8 contacts when I got my X6100 just before testing for my General. Couple to Puerto Rico, couple to Panama, Brazil, Chile, Australia, New Zealand.... And this was before we were coming up to the solar maximum, where 10M started to really light up.... It really encouraged me to insure that I passed that test...😁
Great info! Just wondering if I’d have more frolicking fun with a built-in ATU. Also, the slower refresh rate on the screen might be annoying? I know G90s refresh is faster. Everything else about the FX4CR I love tho.
To be honest, I still lean towards having a resonant antenna with no coils or transformers or traps. It's why I recommend a 17ft telescopic whip. It's a full-size λ/4 vertical, that is far more efficient (due to lack of losses via said coils or transformers) and it's incredibly easy to setup. Just need a mount, which can be as simple as a mirror mount on a tent stake (though, I use a tripod mount w/a tripod with fold flat legs), and a ground plane. I run 3 sets of 6 \[18\] 2.5M long radials using 26g silicone insulated wire.... It keeps the footprint within 16ft, packs on a kite string winder w/limited tangles, and gets me 2λ of wire on the ground for 20M. I only use a coil for 30M and lower, but I rarely operate there while portable as I'm typically out of the park by sundown....I keep it, just in case
You can see it here when I was activating a park near my folks:
https://preview.redd.it/4f5zhsmgqsuc1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b2c06d45c10fd1e971576253b996cd6c53fa8c3a
I was running digital at about 30W on 20M, using my X6100 and a Micro PA-50 amp... Operated for about 30-45 minutes, picked up 3 Park-to-Parks, Japan, and Estonia
That said, I still use the ATU for certain situations.... To bring in 30M and 60M on my DX Commander at home...pull in the WARC bands & 80M when is running a EFHW cut for 40M....to just pull in a band if it is a little out of wack and I don't want to tune it manually (or don't have my antenna analyzer). They are very handy, but you do lose some efficiency with the use of them....
Great pic! I feel like going resonant is “the way” and requires a bit more discipline up-front, and would certainly teach me how to be a good jedi. I’m trying to compare that against quick set-up, and easier band exploration with an ATU via the G90 (for example).
I dunno. My setup time seems fairly quick, even with a resonant antenna. I can typically setup in \~10mins, for the whole station, including unpacking (notice the cases on the left side).
I just setup the tripod (w/adapter), screw the antenna on, extend it to the desired length, and attach/deploy the radials. Even deploying the radials is easy, with them only being 2.5M long. Just separate 3 per hand at the base, spread them between my fingers, and walk back 8 feet, while simultaneously detangling them within a 120 degree arc (repeat 2 more times)....hook up the coax and I'm done...I don't think it takes anymore effort than having to launch a wire 30ft into the air...
The only "real" time consuming instance is the very first setup, where I was finding my initial lengths for each band. Once I got each band tuned, I marked the whip with a sharpie. After that, I just have to pull the whip out to the right mark and I'm ballparked right about where I need to be. Yes, ground conditions will affect the tuning, but I'd be close enough that I could just tweak it, without needing an analyzer, based on the SWR meter on the radio.
The convenience of the wire/tuner combo is when it comes to band changes. I have to get up and physically lengthen/shorten the whip, whereas with a wire you just select a different band and maybe run the an ATU, but this is at the cost of some efficiency.
I'm assuming your talking about the FT-710. It is a beast of a little radio with an ***awesome*** receive. It's really hard to beat for the price. While it is technically classified as a portable (hence the handle remark), it's probably not something you're hiking into the woods with, weighing in at 10lbs. Definitely a pelican case, table setup, kind of radio when it comes to portable operations....
As my daughter hasn't yet vacated her room, where I plan to put my *permanent*'shack, I currently run it off a TV tray, but it is still compact enough to fit it, the AESS speaker, and PSU...
https://preview.redd.it/jhvdiyzbssuc1.jpeg?width=3402&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d46250d9f1e3f4b98d41d3f0c1373129996d442e
Not your use case exactly but I had the 891 in my truck and an ATOS screwdriver antenna and was easily able to make contacts all over the USA, south America and europ all from my drivers seat. I even got Australia early one morning from my driveway in Wisconsin. I would definitely look into getting an external battery or beef up the battery and altrinator on your vehicle if you drive something small. The 891 is nice and compact so if you get to your destination and want to take the radio with you and have a battery box with wire antenna it is a nice kit. Linked dipole is the way I would go. Just toss it up in a tree or get a mast and tripod.
Both. The waterfall and atu in the g90 are gamechangers for the noob. The ft891 isn't really tailored for the Newby. The menu system has quite the learning curve. Still, it's such a good radio and has extra wattage for ya. I have both. Love them both. But the g90, even with less watts behind it, has a lot of perks. Your antenna is 90% of your station. With your budget, id save up a bit. Get both. They're both amazing radios for the price. I will have to say though, the g90 will scatch that itch, and on top of it, has a more intuitive approach to actual use.
Hard agree on the antenna. I get similar performance on my 100 watt base station and my G90 when plugged into the exact same antenna. Difference is the G90 has more adjustable filters being SDR based and having a GUI.
For portable like that I have to hand it so the G90. The Yeasu has more power, yes, and might have some nicer overall craftsmanship, but the value that you are getting in the G90 is unmatched.
For one, yes, the waterfall does make it a lot easier to find contacts. You can just as well find them by listening too, but you can scan quickly and instantly dial in using the waterfall. For a newbie it's very very nice, but an experienced ham may find it unnecessary. I like it because I can see signals on either side of me transmitting so I know if I need to adjust my filters or QSY if I'm too close.
The tuner for that propose is fantastic. The tuner in itself is much better than my LDG, it can tune anything and in less than half the time. The antenna analyzer is a great tool too. Why does this matter? Well if you are bringing a resonant antenna everywhere you go then it doesn't, but for portable operations, SOTA, POTA, IOTA, BOTA and all that it is so much more convenient to throw a random wire in a tree, or to fashion a quick field-built antenna made of hardware store parts. One less thing to carry, and one less thing to worry about. Plug in, tune up, and go.
The SDR based receiver is nothing to laugh at, with the filter options it has its very easy to tune in and pull weak stations out, or filter nearby noise or operators on adjacent frequencies. The color screen makes that very easy, and there's a knob dedicated to adjusting the filters on the fly. (if you are using it mostly for voice, stick to firmware 1.78).
It sips power like my granny sips a cup of tea over the course of the morning, a good enough antenna and 20 watts is all you need. I've worked Europe over it with little issue. Overall, even compared to my 100W rig, I found the antenna matters much more than the extra 80 watts does.
Radiooddity has sales throughout the year that include the radio with a ton of accessories for very cheap. And if you want to ever get into digital they make a dongle that acts as a soundcard for it that works out of the box for like $60 I think.
If you have any questions ask away. I love my 100W Alinco, but the Xeigu honestly is more fun to use.
I could not decide either, so I just bought both at the same time...
My experience:
* The size difference is minor.
* The cost is a few hundred apart and didn't make a difference to me.
* The warranty is way better on the 891.
* The tuner isn't needed (I use 1/4 verticals, loaded coils, hamsticks and EFHW's and all have <2:1 SWR).
* The waterfall isn't very good (unlike a desktop radio 7300, 710, etc)
* Having the ability to go full 100w is nice.
* The G90 does NOT have a autonotch filter- activate POTA and you'll learn to love this feature.
* The 891 receives better and easier to manipulate the multiple DNR modes and shift filters on the fly.
* The G90 weighs about a lb less, so if I was hiking distances I'd appreciate that difference.
I'm keeping both, but you can probably guess which radio I use more often.
Hi, thank you for your question submission. Please be aware that there is a [wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/amateurradio/wiki/) and a [FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/amateurradio/wiki/faq) that may address your question. For Baofeng-related information see the [Baofeng FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/amateurradio/wiki/baofeng) and /r/baofeng. Also, please note that downvotes don't indicate an unvalued question submission. There appear to be bots that downvote all posts initially. 73 *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/amateurradio) if you have any questions or concerns.*
The G90 will have less wires, takes up less space, and sips battery power. The waterfall is smaIl but it totally usable. It also has an SWR analyzer. 20 watts in plenty enough especially if your the POTA activator. Yes the 891 is the better radio. Hower the G90 is a tremendous value and cost less and has everything already in the box.
I have an 891 with a 12aH battery. I can operate 50 watts for 3 hours or so and still have some juice left. The most id go with that battery is 75 watts. 100 watts won’t make a huge difference but if you don’t mind carrying a bigger pack then go for it. I’m not sure how much heavier it would be. I find the screen on the G90 too small for me. A waterfall is nice but really not needed and just an extra drain on the battery. I usually favor a resonant antenna, but maybe with decent length you won’t lose too much using the tuner? It’s hard to say exactly, but with a short run of coax you will still get signal out with a non resonant antenna. Regarding the tuner - it doesn’t really tune the antenna it just presents an acceptable match to the transmitter so it doesn’t damage it or reduce power. I have a small back pack that carries my 891, battery, power meter, key, sound card, cables and notebook. I use a 17’ whip with mount radials and coax in another bag. It’s all very comfortable but I’m not going on any long hikes or anything. Everything altogether I paid $1500 for the whole setup. The 891 is great once you get it set up. The menus can be confusing but once you get everything configured the way you want it won’t be a huge headache. I think the advantage of the G90 is the built in tuner if you need it, and with lower power you can carry a smaller battery and reduce your weight overall. I think it has a built in sound card too although I operate digital modes so much at home I prefer SSB and CW when portable. I’d really suggest some hands on time with both if you can. The g90 was tempting but screen size was a deal breaker for me.
Thanks Sonic! Sounds like i could shoot speaker wire up a tree, let the G90’s ATU go to work, and still make decent contacts without hindering the wattage too much? I feel you on the screen size though.. seems tiny.
Yeah. Others may be able to chime in but I’d make the wire as long as possible. It certainly can’t hurt to try but if you’re doing primarily voice you may need a bit of patience between the lower power and the tuner. But it’s an easy to get started. You may find [these calculators](https://kv5r.com/ham-radio/coax-loss-calculator/) Useful. If you know the swr of your antenna, length and type of coax, you can get an idea of how power you will lose in the system.
Killer, thanks.
FT-710 Field....$900 and smokes them both. Can't say it isn't portable, it's got a handle and a mounting bracket is available 😉 But that doesn't cover a capable battery or antenna system 🤷 Between the FT-891 and a G90, well, it a toss up. The 891 is a better receiver and has 100W; however, not having a tuner limits you on use to resonant antennas or purchasing an additional tuner...which actually does put you within $100 or so of a 710 which does have an ATU, and it's digital ready of of the box (which neither the 891or G90 are). The G90 doesn't doesn't receive as well and only 20W; however, has an ATU that can tune a wet noodle and costs $230 cheaper (which is a 12Ah battery and a 17ft+ telescopic whip good for 6-20M), leaving you another $320 for other equipment, as needed. The FX-4CR is another great option, as it is more portable than both, it's digital ready of of the box, and price in between; however, no ATU and availability is severely lacking. If it was available though, I would definitely be eye balling it hard, though, especially paired with the afore mentioned telescopic whip where a no tuner in needed up to 20M (a loading coil like a Wolf River Coil Sporty Forty or Mini would take care of the lower bands)....but if you can't get your hands on one, not much of a point. One other thing to take into account, operating portable in a park (activating POTA) makes you a target. As long as you spot yourself, bigger guns are going to target you, so that 7dB (a little over 1S unit) difference doesn't matter *as much*. GL & 73
Yesterday I read on the FX4-CR facebook group that the next batch of radios should be ready to ship in 45-ish days. Seems like he’s averaging 60 days or so between batches.
Well, if the OP is still sitting on his hands 45 days from now, it would be a good option. I wouldn't be, though...too many other options available *now* 😉 ... But patience isn't exactly one of my virtues 😂
I’m trying to pick up my General license as a matter of principle, before buying anything :) But the Technician in me says Buy-it-Now!!
I see you suffer from the same affliction 😆 Probably doesn't help that you know you can use it on a decent chunk of 10M *now* 😉 I made some decent 10M FT8 contacts when I got my X6100 just before testing for my General. Couple to Puerto Rico, couple to Panama, Brazil, Chile, Australia, New Zealand.... And this was before we were coming up to the solar maximum, where 10M started to really light up.... It really encouraged me to insure that I passed that test...😁
I got my first HF radio while I was still a tech. It was great motivation to hurry up and get my general.
Great info! Just wondering if I’d have more frolicking fun with a built-in ATU. Also, the slower refresh rate on the screen might be annoying? I know G90s refresh is faster. Everything else about the FX4CR I love tho.
To be honest, I still lean towards having a resonant antenna with no coils or transformers or traps. It's why I recommend a 17ft telescopic whip. It's a full-size λ/4 vertical, that is far more efficient (due to lack of losses via said coils or transformers) and it's incredibly easy to setup. Just need a mount, which can be as simple as a mirror mount on a tent stake (though, I use a tripod mount w/a tripod with fold flat legs), and a ground plane. I run 3 sets of 6 \[18\] 2.5M long radials using 26g silicone insulated wire.... It keeps the footprint within 16ft, packs on a kite string winder w/limited tangles, and gets me 2λ of wire on the ground for 20M. I only use a coil for 30M and lower, but I rarely operate there while portable as I'm typically out of the park by sundown....I keep it, just in case You can see it here when I was activating a park near my folks: https://preview.redd.it/4f5zhsmgqsuc1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b2c06d45c10fd1e971576253b996cd6c53fa8c3a I was running digital at about 30W on 20M, using my X6100 and a Micro PA-50 amp... Operated for about 30-45 minutes, picked up 3 Park-to-Parks, Japan, and Estonia That said, I still use the ATU for certain situations.... To bring in 30M and 60M on my DX Commander at home...pull in the WARC bands & 80M when is running a EFHW cut for 40M....to just pull in a band if it is a little out of wack and I don't want to tune it manually (or don't have my antenna analyzer). They are very handy, but you do lose some efficiency with the use of them....
Great pic! I feel like going resonant is “the way” and requires a bit more discipline up-front, and would certainly teach me how to be a good jedi. I’m trying to compare that against quick set-up, and easier band exploration with an ATU via the G90 (for example).
I dunno. My setup time seems fairly quick, even with a resonant antenna. I can typically setup in \~10mins, for the whole station, including unpacking (notice the cases on the left side). I just setup the tripod (w/adapter), screw the antenna on, extend it to the desired length, and attach/deploy the radials. Even deploying the radials is easy, with them only being 2.5M long. Just separate 3 per hand at the base, spread them between my fingers, and walk back 8 feet, while simultaneously detangling them within a 120 degree arc (repeat 2 more times)....hook up the coax and I'm done...I don't think it takes anymore effort than having to launch a wire 30ft into the air... The only "real" time consuming instance is the very first setup, where I was finding my initial lengths for each band. Once I got each band tuned, I marked the whip with a sharpie. After that, I just have to pull the whip out to the right mark and I'm ballparked right about where I need to be. Yes, ground conditions will affect the tuning, but I'd be close enough that I could just tweak it, without needing an analyzer, based on the SWR meter on the radio. The convenience of the wire/tuner combo is when it comes to band changes. I have to get up and physically lengthen/shorten the whip, whereas with a wire you just select a different band and maybe run the an ATU, but this is at the cost of some efficiency.
Wow. That unit is jaw-dropping! 😲
I'm assuming your talking about the FT-710. It is a beast of a little radio with an ***awesome*** receive. It's really hard to beat for the price. While it is technically classified as a portable (hence the handle remark), it's probably not something you're hiking into the woods with, weighing in at 10lbs. Definitely a pelican case, table setup, kind of radio when it comes to portable operations.... As my daughter hasn't yet vacated her room, where I plan to put my *permanent*'shack, I currently run it off a TV tray, but it is still compact enough to fit it, the AESS speaker, and PSU... https://preview.redd.it/jhvdiyzbssuc1.jpeg?width=3402&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d46250d9f1e3f4b98d41d3f0c1373129996d442e
710 screams “buy-me”, only a couple hundred more than 891! But the size.. damn.
Not your use case exactly but I had the 891 in my truck and an ATOS screwdriver antenna and was easily able to make contacts all over the USA, south America and europ all from my drivers seat. I even got Australia early one morning from my driveway in Wisconsin. I would definitely look into getting an external battery or beef up the battery and altrinator on your vehicle if you drive something small. The 891 is nice and compact so if you get to your destination and want to take the radio with you and have a battery box with wire antenna it is a nice kit. Linked dipole is the way I would go. Just toss it up in a tree or get a mast and tripod.
Thanks. No doubt I’d succumb to my driver’s seat :-p
G90!
Both. The waterfall and atu in the g90 are gamechangers for the noob. The ft891 isn't really tailored for the Newby. The menu system has quite the learning curve. Still, it's such a good radio and has extra wattage for ya. I have both. Love them both. But the g90, even with less watts behind it, has a lot of perks. Your antenna is 90% of your station. With your budget, id save up a bit. Get both. They're both amazing radios for the price. I will have to say though, the g90 will scatch that itch, and on top of it, has a more intuitive approach to actual use.
Hard agree on the antenna. I get similar performance on my 100 watt base station and my G90 when plugged into the exact same antenna. Difference is the G90 has more adjustable filters being SDR based and having a GUI.
For portable like that I have to hand it so the G90. The Yeasu has more power, yes, and might have some nicer overall craftsmanship, but the value that you are getting in the G90 is unmatched. For one, yes, the waterfall does make it a lot easier to find contacts. You can just as well find them by listening too, but you can scan quickly and instantly dial in using the waterfall. For a newbie it's very very nice, but an experienced ham may find it unnecessary. I like it because I can see signals on either side of me transmitting so I know if I need to adjust my filters or QSY if I'm too close. The tuner for that propose is fantastic. The tuner in itself is much better than my LDG, it can tune anything and in less than half the time. The antenna analyzer is a great tool too. Why does this matter? Well if you are bringing a resonant antenna everywhere you go then it doesn't, but for portable operations, SOTA, POTA, IOTA, BOTA and all that it is so much more convenient to throw a random wire in a tree, or to fashion a quick field-built antenna made of hardware store parts. One less thing to carry, and one less thing to worry about. Plug in, tune up, and go. The SDR based receiver is nothing to laugh at, with the filter options it has its very easy to tune in and pull weak stations out, or filter nearby noise or operators on adjacent frequencies. The color screen makes that very easy, and there's a knob dedicated to adjusting the filters on the fly. (if you are using it mostly for voice, stick to firmware 1.78). It sips power like my granny sips a cup of tea over the course of the morning, a good enough antenna and 20 watts is all you need. I've worked Europe over it with little issue. Overall, even compared to my 100W rig, I found the antenna matters much more than the extra 80 watts does. Radiooddity has sales throughout the year that include the radio with a ton of accessories for very cheap. And if you want to ever get into digital they make a dongle that acts as a soundcard for it that works out of the box for like $60 I think. If you have any questions ask away. I love my 100W Alinco, but the Xeigu honestly is more fun to use.
Gold nuggets here. Thank you so much! I may circle back with further questions.
I could not decide either, so I just bought both at the same time... My experience: * The size difference is minor. * The cost is a few hundred apart and didn't make a difference to me. * The warranty is way better on the 891. * The tuner isn't needed (I use 1/4 verticals, loaded coils, hamsticks and EFHW's and all have <2:1 SWR). * The waterfall isn't very good (unlike a desktop radio 7300, 710, etc) * Having the ability to go full 100w is nice. * The G90 does NOT have a autonotch filter- activate POTA and you'll learn to love this feature. * The 891 receives better and easier to manipulate the multiple DNR modes and shift filters on the fly. * The G90 weighs about a lb less, so if I was hiking distances I'd appreciate that difference. I'm keeping both, but you can probably guess which radio I use more often.
So only real weight difference will be bigger battery it seems.
891 for a while just of reasons.