Review of MFJ's new Xiegu X5105 HF QRP Deluxo! ( 

I've also received an MFJ X5105. Once I figured out its easy to use menu I've had alot of fun with it! Great review Dave!

Uncle Dave you did an outstanding job on this radio there is no one on RU-vid has explained this radio like you have blow by blow each and every function have this radio operates such a great video thank you for sharing

Uncle Dave your Greek guy you've helped the ham community so much and for all the newcomers you really did a great job on this video really really enjoyed it thank you my friend and happy New year

Dave: I watch your videos from time to time, & impressed by your style, the fact that you speak clearly & annunciate well. Your videos are free from BS, & obvious bias. You are a great asset to the ham community Sir! My thanks to you.

Dave thank you so much showing us this radio I know it's been out awhile but I never paid attention to it but you really piqued my curiosity that when you said it had an antenna tuner built in that kind of made me change my mind most of these qrp rigs don't have antenna tuners thanks again for showing this video and explaining this radio

I am enjoying your lessons with the Extra series. I have become an Oggie my Elmer was Marty Kaiser in high school. That was back in the vacuum tube days. Made my own rig. Nocked out my neighbors TV. at 73 I am learning everything again. Thanks! RWB

Awesome review. Very good that you tried this radio not only with SSB but with CW too. This is very valuable.

I like the Xiegu features and the cost performance. It's really a nice package especially with that big, self contained battery. The problem with Chinese radios is quality and support. With a small vhf/uhf hand held, you are out 50-100 bucks so it's really not worth it to try and send it back to China if something goes wrong. A $660 radio is another matter. I was excited when they said service/support would be handled by a US company, MFJ. Xiegu has a two year warranty as advertised on the MFJ. I opened a ticket on the MFJ website to ask about the specifics of the Warranty. Over two weeks and no response. Went to the Eham website and noticed that MFJ had an abysmal 2.2/5 rating for Warranty repairs of their own products. Many people complained of 3-6 month turn-around. So for me, a $660 dice-roll with that kind of iffy support is not worth it. Ron K5KKX

Happy New year Uncle Dave I'm laid up here with covid-19 so I can get a chance to watch and catch up on all your videos thanks again

Wow, Dave, I remember when that much hardware wouldn't fit in the space occupied by a standard office desk. The boards in that thing don't even look like they are that heavily populated but that's just an illusion because of how small the architectures are these days. Awesome stuff. Just started building my QCX rig today. Great video as usual.

great review. you were answering questions i had as they popped up in my mind. 0.4A is a bit slow for charging, but other than that this seems like a very nice little radio for the size and price. pretty amazing how feature packed things are getting for the price

Nice review! You do a good of pointing out the important details. It's also nice these are being sold and supported by a real USA company instead of taking your chances with Chinese sellers and very expensive return shipping.

Good review, David! I think you were spot on. I have Elecraft KX2 and KX3 equipment and although the radio does have some good features, it just doesn't compare. The hiss in the audio must be in all of them since one of my friends has one and it does the same. Keep them coming! Good review.

The US is so big that having high power might make sense. If you are a ham in Belgium even with 50 Watts your are able to send to foreign countries.

Excellent review, thanks! And I will definitely heed your advice about not buying a QRP rig for my first DX rig. I love all your videos and look forward to your live streams.

Great report David,,,looks like a nice little rig Thanks for taking the time to report....Danial VE3TVB

Great presentation David, many thanks for sharing.

I got a X5105 in late December and they have made several changes in the software which I think is a big improvement. I’m enjoying this little radio a lot. 73 WD4DDA

A review should include it connected to an antenna with a chance to listen to how it sounds if not its a brochureware review.

Very nice Dave. You seem to keep up with technology and also keep it real with the old school basics. There are a few others I'd like to see you review like the KX2 and X018G. Thanks again sir.

Thanks for the great review. I am looking for that 1st radio and saw this new rig. Your very informative review does make me want one, but as you said for a 1st rig it might not be advisable. Thanks again, Dave and 73’s KG5UYD Jerry.

Very nice review. In my opinion the x505 looks like a winner.

A good, comprehensive review-Thank you!

Hi Dave. I love your review. Just a little comment. I see that you use a screen to read your notes. However the screen reflects on your glasses sometimes. I suggest using a white font over a black background in order to prevent the reflection. Great work. I'm learning a lot.

Great review new subscriber from Guatemala !!!

great review. Definitely strong competition to the FT-818, with stronger features in some cases. I think that if they make an attachable CW paddle like the Elecraft this is going to be hard to pass up

Thanks for the video Dave. Interesting radio.

Nice review. Love your channel!

Very well done Dave, the radio has some nice features for sure. It is too pricey for me on fixed income, but if I win the lottery some day, this radio has my interest. I would certainly prefer Elecraft, but, that is only on my wish list. Your last comments regarding a CW class is very interesting also.

That hiss disappears when you plug in headphones in headphones mode..I brought this exact issue up with Xiegu and they responded, this is what they told me and it's correct.. I was one of the beta testers of the X5105 for Xiegu, I also created the Xiegu x108g & x5105 Facebook group...We get up to date information and firmware updates/fixes as soon as they're released. We get these sent to us direct by Xiegu..Give us a visit and you will see this X5105 rocks DX wise despite being 5 watts, I also have videos of the preproduction version and this release version on my you tube channel..73 de Wayne 2e0bvj

Useful review for us Foundation license holders stuck at 10watts or less

Dave, the KX3 blows this radio out of the water. Your demo actually proves that. In addition, the support Elecraft gives its products is beyond wow. I would consider the now dated but excellent FT817 before this new radio. There arent too many out there that have the longevity of that radio. There are very large user groups for both that provide a wealth of knowledge. But the KX3 is where it is at for anyone serious about exploring this facet of Ham Radio. There are none better or even equivalent. It is in fact the only radio in my shack. The KX2 is also a major contender.

Hi Dave Is the accessory Port actually a cat control port and not a port for an audio interface? I was really hoping this rig would come with an internal sound card for data modes. Extremely awesome and very informative video. Thank you for sharing. 73 Julian oh8stn

Nice review Dave. Ill bet this rig uses a LM386 audio amp chip which would explain the audio hiss. I would really like to see manufactures start using some of the more quiet version chips available out there and let the 386 go the way of the DoDo. BTW, if I hadn’t bought a brand new FT-817ND last summer I would definitely think about the X5105. Thanks for the best review I’ve seen so far.

You're awesome in your reviews

19:00 A small correction, the FT-817 (ND) is capable of running 5 Watt on all bands including vhf/uhf.

this radio is not a direct competition of the 817, the 817 is an all mode radio that includes VHF and UHF, like many similar radios this one does not offer ssb on the VHF range... I have been interested in radios that offer ssb in vhf and I've not found many. There are many radios that offer what this one does. The one thing that has intrigued me about this radio (according to another review) is the ease of connecting to a computer for digital modes.

Now that elecraft has found you it sounds like you're bout to get more offers for equipment to review. Cool!

Yet another great video. Thanks David! Tim, K5TGS

Great review! Thank you!

Great review. Really enjoying the channel. Guess I'm an official oggie now!IThanks, Byron N4TIZ

Thanks for the review...

If MFJ made it, the output will be connected to the input. Or maybe the finals are connected directly to the speakers and wired to the mic so you can talk to yourself.

I have had bad luck with other chinese radios so I will stick with a radio that offers incredible service and support and in-country design ideas. It looks like a decent radio

Thanks for the Video..Looking to buy 1st QRP this year....WL7NP...73's

good info,tnx dave

Nice video Dave. As for the second menu, one needs to access that menu to change the filter selections. 500 hz for CW is not good enough. I like keeping my CW filter set at 400 hz and the next level down is 250 hz. The only way to change that is in the second menu. If one screws up, you can always do a reset of the radio and get back to default setting. I don't have an X5105 just yet. I'm waiting for more reviews from people that are using one for an extended period of time. KU3X

I am on board to learning CW. That would be awesome Dave!

I think the whine has something to do with the microprocessor communication to/from the display and/or the digital clock generator that the new rigs use for frequency synthesis. The clock generator and display "talks" to the microprocessor on an I2C buss. The microprocessor tells the synthesizer what frequencies to synthesize. Basically... it never shuts up and it talks really fast... :)

you need to get your hands on the Xiegu G90

Excellent review! Thanks 73 Frank WA3RSL

Nice video Dave

Great job! Thanks

Great video Dave. This rig looks to be very nice, good value for money, certainly one that I will consider for portable operations. My one concern is that the volume buttons seem work in a somewhat less-than-intuitive fashion. Left button for Volume Up, Right button to go down... that would drive me crazy quick time. My cheapo Baofeng radio has arrow buttons that I get wrong every time. Just doesn't seem right to press Left for up and Right for down. :-) The band buttons on the X5105 are OK, Left to go down, Right to go up the bands. Would have been nice to have operational continuity across the top of the radio. 73 VK5ZEA

Dave, great video. I have the X5105 & tried to update the firmware but in the process I can no longer turn the radio on while plugged in to a power supply or while on the battery. I was going to open the case and take the battery out but cannot figure out how to get to the battery. Could you please tell me how you did it on the video? I did not to further damage the radio. 73 & thanks. Alan KZ6B

There are many official importers of Xiegu products... Btw the best and most up to date support can be found in the Xiegu x5105/x108g Facebook group

Looking forward to the CW live stream!

2250 Watts P.E.P. in Canada..not on 60, or 30 metres though!

Hello, please note that the radio is much cheaper on Aliexpress and the likes. Offcourse you'll loose mfj warranty. Please review the g90. Thanks

Thanks. I'm looking for a good portable rig. I'm tying to decide between the X5105 and the G90. KI5KET

In Xiegu the g is silent. Great little rig, wish I had one.

Hi David, thank you very much for your in-depth review. I am wondering if you could provide a current-vs-power table for each Xiegu power level. 73' Enzo iw7dmh

Great video Dave....it looks like a fun little radio, however I must disagree that it's comparable to the KX3. Yes, the KX3 is twice the price, but it's also twice the radio and it will be around long after the Xiegu has been relegated to the parts bin.

I think the morse code is a good idea. I'm trying to learn currently.

Looking forward to a CW live stream.

I actually think this X5105 would make a very good first rig and I'm thinking of just that, along with the 100 watt amplifier, then you have a proper 100 Watt output and can take the X5105 mobile whenever you want, it might actually save money in the long run on buying the X5105 later. I haven't got my license yet but I might just get the X5105 to play with and if I pass the exam in May then I'll get the Amplifier. I've yet to string up the Myantennas 8010 end fed antenna which got great reviews. This will be my main antenna and I might get a smaller lower power end fed for portable use or perhaps a whip , so many options. The X5105 has also got great reviews on eham, I can see this radio turn in to a very popular radio, sure it hasn't got the 10 watts of the Elecraft but does that matter ? You can buy the X5105 and the XPA125B cheaper than an elecraft kx3 with tuner and NiMh charger, a lot cheaper, to think the Elecraft uses Nimh cells is a joke and I believe can't provide full 10 watts ? The XPA125B 100 Watt amplifier is also small enough to take portable, 2 x 3s 10 ah Lipo would provide about 30 mins of continuous transmitting at around 20 amps and be small and light. hobbyking.com/en_us/turnigy-lihv-high-capacity-5200mah-3s2p-12c-multi-rotor-lipo-pack-xt60.html?___store=en_us The Lipo above called LiHv, different to normal LiPO, as it charges to 4.35 V per cell and not the normal 4.2 V per cell. So, 3s of LiHv x 3s would = 13.05 volts hot off the charger. 12C discharge rading would = 60 amps of discharge power and 5C charge rate or 25 amps..... in other words. 2 in parallel for 10.4 Ah capacity and you got 120 amp discharge rate and 50 amps charge rate, you connect up to rc charger , set to 4.35 volts and connect up your balance leads in parallel also and it will charge depending on charger power but a 5 amp charger will charge in about 1 hr a 10 ah pack of 3s LiHv. Most decent RC chargers allow changing the charge voltage. Connect 4 in parallel for 20.8 ah or 1 hr continuous talk time @100 watts which would mean a lot longer because you never talk for 1 hr continuous so the 10 ah pack might suit better. With Li cells you got to be careful , do not charge unattended and always charge and store in a fireproof location and do not drop the cells or they can catch fire also if the pouch is punctured it will be bad so protective enclosure is essential for transport. You also need to make sure that none of the cells goes below 3.2 v , you can get a voltage monitor and set alarms but it might be better to discharge to about 3.4 or 3.5 volts and charge to maybe 4.3 volts to increase life. These Lithium diy packs do not come with a BMS so you got to monitor the cell voltage carefully and not the total battery voltage as one cell could be at the cliff as they say and if it gets too discharged could cause fire when charging. a 10 ah pack would weigh under 1 kg and 20 ah just under 2 kg, amazing, sure you can use LiFeP04, safer but larger and heavier. Use Anderson power connectors for ease of connecting and a fuse and you got a high power tiny 10 Ah battery , 120 amp discharge capability that weighs under 2 Kg battery for just over 60 Dollars, amazing and it can charge at 50 amps or 5 C if you got such a charger. A lot of RC chargers can charge direct off the cars 12 V battery have a 2nd battery charging while one is being used, A charger like this hobbyking.com/en_us/0620-20a-300w-balance-charger-version-2.html?___store=en_us 20 amps would charge the 10 ah pack in 30 mins from car with engine running or from electric car with DC-DC converter engaged. Input voltage 10-28 volts and you can even connect to you normal 13.8 volt radio power supply, how cool is that ? provided it has the current. You can go with more current if you wish, remember charging in parallel you will also need the balance leads connected in parallel. Again, the link to the battery hobbyking.com/en_us/turnigy-lihv-high-capacity-5200mah-3s2p-12c-multi-rotor-lipo-pack-xt60.html?___store=en_us

What's your farthest contact on this rig? Thanks for a great video.

I want to point out that changing the main menu by doing a long press of the menu button and changing settings DOES NOT BRICK THE X5105 as stated in this review.. It is incorrect, if you disable the mic bias in menu 20 the radio locks up into TX if you key the mic or press certain buttons..The only way to fix it is to enable this function again, power the radio off and remove the mic, go back to that option and re enable it. . If you loose RX after altering menu number 14 and change the available options on this using the up down buttons you will loose RX, RX will work again by selecting one of the three options....Again joining our Facebook group will enable you to get support at any time. We have various members in different time zones so we have almost 24/7 assistance...

Dave, Went to your community page to vote on the CW practive, the vote total did not go up, nor was there a place to comment..so Here I am. I want to improve my code speed.

Will look at this as a back up when they get things ironed out. Yaesu has done this and also for "a few bucks more" gives you VHF/UHF all mode operation. Also why not use the industry standard ACC port or maybe at least include the cable? Also does this have full CAT control? Good starter QRP radio that should sell in the $300 range and have more support. A non starter if you do your research and see what is available and has wide support and use. Dave I appreciate you and others doing reviews and you gave links to do further looking. Thanks!

This unit has a CW Decoder built-in

I used to do OK for local stuff with 12 watts PEP on 11 meters in spite of all the noise back then. 5 watts might not be so bad... It's unbelievably quiet there and on 10 meters these days. I'm intrigued by this radio. Might be interesting to use with a 40-50 watt amp for mobile or modest home station. If you're going to need a 125 watt amp most of the time maybe your really don't want a QRP rig. Too bad the psk-31 is rcvr only. Maybe that will change with a software upgrade? Is the notch filter feature automatic or manual?

these sorts of chinese radios are interesting but getting to the price of a reliable Yaesu radio I will take the reputation and parts and service of a Japanese radio every time.. People do all sorts of videos on these new radios but no one ever ever seems to talk about them after a 1 or 2 years of use. Often you see them fade away as distant memory or passing fad. The true test for these is "TIME" in the field and in use. Then a follow up report. After the new box opening fun factor wears off... These cant touch Yaesu and I heard someone say or mention the shape as Elecraft granted this may be 250 bucks roughly cheaper then elecraft kx2 it just is not the same quality or build and reliability of the elecraft for a bit more money. I mean for the same money I can own a yaesu 817D I rather trust my investment with a Yaesu I mean this builder or maker can be here today and gone tomorrow and the other problem I see is. Chinese knock offs of the decent chinese made products. It happen with the Go pro cameras called SJ4000 which were not Go pro's but for the money they were pretty dam close. Then a flood of chinese knock offs of the SJ4000's started showing up all over to the point it was almost impossible to find the real OEM SJ4000 cameras that were good. I see this happen all the time. Time will tell thats the big test.

Nice little (expensive) radio. For me QRP is all about building your own equipment so I'd pass and feel certain I could get a lot more radio for the same price on the used market.

I had one and one side of the keyer didn't work. I returned it (Amazon). The second one worked but after a few minutes same problem. It seems that there is no protection on the keyer inputs. I had ferrets on all the cables going to the radio. Same situation as my other radios and none have a problem. Too bad because I loved the radio it is a great one when it works.

Excellent review!.... Dave G4AKC

How do you adjust the contrast on fw 1.04? The gray segment that highlights the frequency digit is not visible. I see in examples that the tuning digit is selected by the arrows for tuning in khz or tens of khz. Just not showing on mine. Don’t have a cable to do sn update yet. Thanks

I don't get any hiss on my audio, that problem must have been fixed. Receiver is superb.

Good review Dave. What about the cow live stream? Brad n0dpr

Can't wait to hear one on the air now if mfj can get ameritron make a 500 pep amp for it be nice

I understand that this radio has a great antenna tuner, so would it be possible to attach it to my home's rain leaders/gutters without any additional hardware, and get decent reception/transmission?

Just watched this video David after getting a nearly new item. Sadly it doesn't seem to tx on 60m. unless you know how to do this?

In the 11m lane, someone managed to open the station. and how did you do it. Thanks 73!

Have you noticed in Menu 2, on SWR scan. it always gives you on first scan, a MIN of -100 (minus .100MHZ) whatever you try ? In your case, it gives you a MIN of 7.071, which incorrect. Let it go through one or two time more, and the reading of the MIN (minimum) will be corrected.

I have a G90 being delivered tomorrow, and I'm fighting the overwhelming urge to order an X5105, also. I'm losing the fight.

Great video and interesting radio. I like the T shirt monogram too... 73 de K4WRF

Dave please comment on the firmware problems that radio has had in the past....big issues

Can you plug in a Keyboard and does it encode PSK31 for transmitting? ...update... Never mind, I just read the manual and you need an external computer to send PSK31. Nice little radio otherwise, and it does seem feature rich for the price.

Hi Dave , Very new to radio, recently licensed, and have found your videos the most informative on internet so far. Would love to have you teach me CW, in old and a slow learner and even wourse speller . I hope to work your station someday. 73 RAY Va6 SFQ

Nice review, Dave. Please do more rigs. 73 KE0OAP

I am in the market and have been doing research. What do you recommend for a first HF radio at a reasonable price.

Hey Dave Your take on the Xiegu and the YouKits 4 band radio. I understand there are a lot of differences but which is the best bang for your buck. 73 wd4dda

did they ever fix that hissing

OG. that stands for ORIGINAL GANGSTER. check urban dictionary if you have doubts.

So this radio is around $500 with modern design hardware and software. While the ten year old design yeasu is around the same price. Or we can get an American company for $1000. Seems a good path for portable operations use. Can it be waterproofed?

Where is the chip that listens to everything heard in the shack and forward to server in PRC?

Dave, why don''t you do a segment on what to choice as a first radio; mobile and home? Moe K2JDM

Is this model better than the Xiegu X-108G QRP Transceiver Outdoor Version that is $200 cheaper?

Can anyone please suggest a very portable antenna for use on an apartment balcony. Thanks

have you ever tested with any ssb from say the top of grand mesa (lands end or there about) down to grand junction or delta, just wondering how it would do. i have yet to do hf mobile, so just curious. sorry i know the question is a little off topic, it just crossed my mind when you mentioned montrose, i always forget your in western colorado. That big red and white tower in delta colorado over on f rd(by the high school) that's 160' tall, is my brothers, I keep trying to get him into him. but he does not think he could pass the tests ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-iqgQvP5i_jo.htmlm52s ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-WX2WRCBM7wI.htmlm54s