This looks cute. I don't know how well the receiver performs -- that is a weak point in many devices, SDR or not -- but maybe somebody will test that out or try it out in a tough RF neighborhood. For the size, it looks good, but as a practical matter, it seems to compete with the Xiegu G90 and X6100. The G90 has a bit more power and an awesome autotuner, and is cheaper. The X6100 costs a bit more but is more portable than the G90 though much bigger than the FX-4c. What I am sort of hoping for is a G90-type radio for VHF (6 and 2, maybe 432), in the same price class. Maybe Yu could throw together an FX-4v.
The receiver appears to perform comparably to my Icom 7300 while switching back and forth with a two position coax switch. Though that is not scientifically conclusive it seems to indicate quite fair performance. To be truthful there is one problem I've discovered and that is front end overload. There is a small AM radio station tower a half mile away and that station generates so much overload that I cannot use the FX-4C during the daytime from my home QTH unless I use a magnetic loop antenna which has very narrow bandwidth. At night the AM radio station reduces power and then I can really have fun with the little rig connected to my EFHW antenna. I understand from several YouTube creators who use the Xiegu X6100 that they are horribly plagued by front end overload. I have designed and will soon build a simple 1060 KHz trap filter that should allow me to operate without the overload problem. BTY my Icom 706 is also overloaded by the same AM radio station so it too is worthless except when mobile out away from the radio station. Don't know if a VHF rig is in the works but with one of my email exchanges with Yu, BG2FX, he stated " 'll be launching two more products soon, the cnfx and another FX-4C version that's cheaper." We'll wait and see what he comes up with.
An HDMI and USB mouse connector would be nice. That would make it a great vacation rig. However at $500+ I'm not a player. The FT-891 in my world is a better option. Yes, its (the 891) bigger and not a fair comparison but 100 watts mobile is helpful. In my world, one plus for this rig is that it is small enough for motorbike use. POTA on a motorbike is the greatest for relaxation and adds a great dimension to a "ride".
All these chi-comm rigs seem to suffer from front end overload. Lots of hams buy these because of the so called "SDR" and waterfalls. IE eye candy. In my years of experince I would advise folks to steer clear of all these radios and stick with the big names. They are dependable and built to better specs across the board. I see lots of people whine about the 818 however you are not going to have poor engineering as the chi-comm stuff. One thing to also note with the inception of these newer class of hams on the HF bands ie ham cramers and many with zero knowledge. Everyone wanting to open the box and plug it in. There could be many operator errors happening with the sdr type rigs. I have seen it and heard it. Fact is the sdr rigs need to be operated a bit different on the rx side than trinational analog based rigs. A little food for thought.
Interesting radio, but do the filter settings always have to cycle from narrowest and going up wider? I always go from wider while tuning and adjust more narrow if needed, never the other way. THAT is a big drawback if it can't be reversed. A display that's twice as wide as your thumb is another minus, but with a little radio that is what there is...
An interesting meal, at that. I will admit to being more or less an appliance driver, and trust me when I mention that I would it were not so. I would adore being able to pick up wholly solid state rigs and their diagrams and not run headlong into chips or tubes. Alas, we are in the digital age, and the chicom rigs seem to have the lead in it. It would be nice if it could have a vga or hdmi port to a larger screen.
It appears some of you may not understand the purpose of rigs like this. If you really must have a large screen while operating QRP then perhaps the most logical choice is to turn the power down on your Icom-7300 to around 5 watts and have some fun with low power while gazing into a large screen. Sure the Yaesu FT-891 looks like a fun little rig but it costs about $100 more than the FX-4C and is several times larger and weighs much more. The FT-891 is not a rig I would want to lug around in my backpack or carry on a long distance trail. The whole idea here is to miniaturize things, shrink everything down to pocket size while keeping as many features as possible. The fact that this little radio even has a color LCD screen with so much information on it is a marvel. Sure it's small but it's more than adequate. I can still read 'most' everything on the screen without my reading glasses.
Only ~20% more for 100W@160~6m from more or less reputable brand? From this point of view the FX-4C is too way expensive thing. This is true. Probably due 100W.
I see all these new QRP rigs with nice color displays and wonder, "Do they compete with a KX-2?". I see the price point of these new rigs is a big motivator, so of course that is a good point to consider. For more money, the KX-2 weighs next to nothing with the internal battery, outputs 10w, RX front end is fantastic, has a built-in ATU, and has a huge display that's easy on the eyes. I use the tiny whip on 17m and guarantee SOTA DX with it, completely in my hand as an "HF HT". I do wish for a 7-450 Mhz "Adventure radio" with built-in digital comms (include the software on the rig, too!) and 25W. Being 7Mhz to start would cut down on larger components needed for 3.5+ Mhz and allow room for the V/UHF section. One day, one of these little rigs will end up in my pack. For now, I still love my KX-2.
These radios are meant for the ham operator that has to have "Just one more radio", it's a novelty toy that I'm sure is fun for about a month. However, if you want something that will perform in a wide variety of applications outdoors and standup to heavy intermod and QRM/QRN, I'd rather spend a little more and get a G90 or similar for a little more money.
