The extra 15w over my 817's 5w would be nice too. The chair packs up small and is very light at around 2lbs. It fits into my pack next to my radio and takes mere seconds to set up. That way, no matter where I go for SOTA, I can be comfortable. I've done it with a hammock, but it was a bit more effort than I'd like and not every locale has appropriate trees. The chair works every time. I meant to attach a picture last time. This is illustrative of my approach ('cept I hate slouching like that): Chris
Why does the guy in the video keep complaining about the "non standard" connectors? It's a bog standard GX 16 Avation plug and they have been on transceivers since ages. Starting with the 4 pin type for mikes some 50 years ago, almost every modern transceiver has a 7 or 8 pin version for the mike. And having a different pin count for each connector ensures you don't plug the wrong connector in the wrong socket.
I wasn't complaining. Yes, they are used for mics. Show me other radios that use that style of connector for everything except the antenna. Hence my saying its non-standard in all those instances. Again not a complaint. Just pointing it out.
Actually, they don't. Most mobile/portable rigs use telephone RJ type modular plugs for the microphones, which cost fifteen cents and are amazingly rugged. I was with AT&T when that was "invented," and that was in the 70s. The goal was small, cheap, easy to use and very reliable. Your ethernet connections and telephones likely use the same plugs and jacks. We had contracted with AMP to manufacture the first lots, which were hundreds of millions of them, at a cost of less than five cents each -- in 1976. Oh, they're also waterproof enough that in low-impedance applications (like 500 Ohm telephone twisted pairs) they work just fine underwater. The Western Electric Environmental Test laboratory tested about 100,000 of them through shock, vibration, pull tension, torque and immersion for nearly a year. That was all automated and although I wasn't involved in setting any of that up, I "watched" it run for nearly an hour as the cords were pulled at a rate of 30 times a minute.
Point taken. I think I just reacted a bit too strong when you said "non-standard" and my first thought was: what? I see these on every rig. But indeed you can call it non-standard for other applications than connecting a mike. Although I have a Yaesu FT-290 with an external 10W PA and this PA has a 2 pin version of this connector for power. And the battery packs of the Yaesu FT-897 have the same connectors for charging. So they're more common that you might think.
Ok, skip my "modern rigs" remark. I'm an older guy from the era of small Yaesu's, Kenwoods and Icom's. They all had these connectors. I have a Yaesu FT-290 with an external 10W PA. The FT-290 has one for the mike and its PA has a 2 pin version of this connector for power. And the battery packs of the Yaesu FT-897 have the same connectors for charging. RJ-45 for the mike though. I read what you said about testing the RJ-45 connectors but I wouldn't call them rugged. They're certainly not water restistant without additional rubber covers and a mating surface on the device. And their strain relief (a plastic bit denting into the cable) is much worse than screwed shell-clamps around the entire cable. And the worst of all: the socket has no mechanical fixation other than its solder joints and two plastic pins into the PCB whereas the GX 16 sockets are either flange or nut mounted into the front panel or chassis.
They dont have the true portable op in mind. Just trying to sell what they think will sell. Portable ops like most of us want a g90 with built in battery, and direct usb soundcard interface for digital. But no one makes such a radio. I love my g90, my 818 is good too Wish companies would listen to what operators want. Yaesu wont.
I have a G90 also (and a bunch of other HF rigs) and would love to see a new "version" of that rig which works exactly the same way but offers: 50 MHz. Slip-on, detachable and easily installed or removed Li-Ion battery pack, similar to what's used on many modern cordless drills and similar tools. Integrated tilt stand that's not a separate accessory. If those features raised the price by $250 per unit and doubled the size of the rig, and they probably would, it would still be a pretty good deal. The battery would add a pound or more of weight and might weigh more than the rig! But even backpacking, the heaviest thing I carry when hiking is water, and I've packed over 60 lbs on pretty long hikes lots of times. Having the ability to use one of the cordless drill type (also used on leaf blowers and lots of stuff) battery packs that just slips on or off rather than anything that installs "inside" or takes any tools to attach could be a real asset, since many of us already have multiple batteries and chargers like that. Also less troublesome than a "separate battery" and wires. The complaint about the Lab599 "side" connections isn't much of a complaint for me, as the G90 also has some. On the G90, the mike plugs into one side and the headphones plug into the opposite side. The antenna, DC power, key and accessories plug into the rear panel, so three I/O surfaces are used. But the G90 has a top-firing speaker inside and a powerful enough audio amplifier that for many operations, headphones would not be required or used. If you work CW only as I often do, and don't use headphones, nothing plugs into the sides.
The JA mfrs of ham gear use RJ-45 type mike connectors all over the place and have for a long time. My old FT-817 uses one, as do many VHF-UHF mobile transceivers. I'd have to check, but I think my much older FT-900 (which I no longer have, but I had one when it was new about 25 years ago) used one. I've actually never had one fail in the "microphone" application. Of course, so many billions are in use in networking that of course some fail, usually when someone breaks the little plastic retention clip that latches the male into the female. "Machine rooms" and "network rooms" often have hundreds of these in use and -- they fail when people do stuff they shouldn't do. In any case, most of my "portable" operations are CW only (low power works better!) and I don't even plug in the mike.
You have to go back futher in time. Waay back The time of the Yaesu FT-290, the Kenwood TR-9000 series and the Icom IC-202 and IC-402 (yes, I'm 56 )
100w at S--9 divided by 4 equals 25 watts at S-8 divided by 4 again is 6 and a smidge watts at S-7 so i don't think you get 3dB going from 10 to 20watts. Might be new math I guess.
More importantly to me, they ain't China. I see the relative advantages and disadvantages WRT the Xiegu. I can see the appeal of either depending on the intended app.
