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X1M QRP Transceiver

x1-m

I am waiting for more reviews before I decide, I probably will wait until after DAYTON to see..
DOCTOR

MORE INFO...
I had the opportunity to beta test this radio last August when it was first being introduced. It had many little things that needed to be addressed. I just received the newest version and all I can say is WOW, spot on. I plugged the unit in and put power to it and put it on 20 meters into my windom. I heard W4LVP in TN calling CQ on cw,I answered and he heard me first call, gave me a 579 into TN. Many nice changes to the radio that will make this a real shopper stopper on the market for the price. Additional items like adjustable sidetone volume and filtering for cw and phone would be great, as well a small S meter or power meter on the display would be good, but not actually needed, if you can hear the station the radio is working. The unit is a solid 4.5-5 watts across the band. To the builders and to ED, good work on this product. Fred VE3FAL


X1M HF Transceiver Review and Testing
Review and testing by Fred Lesnick VE3FAL April 22, 2013
First Impressions:
Very well packed with bubble wrap for shipping. Included is information about X1M from XG radio but it is in Chinese so does little for the North American Operator.
When I took the unit out of the box I was once again amazed at the size and ruggedness of the build. The green display is easy to read as is all the silk screening on the front and rear covers.
The audio from the unit is also very clean and loud for a small unit.
The unit is very light for an all band and all mode unit.
Preamp works well and unit is very quiet on receive.
Menu navigation is easy.
New Version Comments-Read last review for comparison:
Coax connection is still an SO-239 connector. Change over to BNC would be an asset.
Polarity is now marked and unit comes with barrel connector included.
CW delay works wonderful on this unit now with no issues
Adjustable cw pitch is an added bonus
CW mode will not work if microphone is plugged into the front of the radio
Marked KEYER on the back which is nice to see
No Power Out or S meter indication on display
No adjustable filtering for SSB or CW use.
Adjustable cw side tone volume would be nice feature, too loud with headphones on
Headphone jack should be on front of unit –BUT NOT A BIG DEAL
Display is clear and bright, not too small and still easy to read
CW tone is clear
Audio is clear from unit
Size of radio makes it very compact for portable use
Data jack on back of unit nice feature for digital modes
Silk screening is very pleasant to read
Case and unit is well built
All controls on unit feel good
99 memories
General coverage receiver




RIT Button: When pressed for 2 seconds this will bring you too the SYSTEM MENU display-from here you have 2 options- YES or NO. By pressing the button directly underneath either option will make the choice. If YES is pushed this is what you may see: * indicates default setting when radio received.
RCLK Ratio x6* x1
DDS Clock 032768131*
LSB BFO 08988750*
USB BFO 09000850*
CW BFO 09001380*
IF OFFSET +08999830*
KEY MODE MANUL* AUTO
KEY SPEED A-KEY-SPEED 060* (adjustable)
CW DELAY 1000* (adjustable from 0000-5000)
NOTE: Obviously all radios will have different default settings. Owners should be advised to write these down for future reference.
New items in menu are:
CW TONE 800*
MUTE NO*
RST SETTING NO*
To make any changes to the menu values push main tuning knob in and if value can be changed you will see 2 arrows on either side of the setting, it then can be changed. Once changed quickly press main tuning button again to exit menu.
When all settings are adjusted-momentarily press and release RED BL/LOCK button- It will then ask if you want to SAVE CHANGES? YES or NO
Press the black button directly under the option you wish to choose. You will then be directed back to the VFO/MEMO setting when all is saved.




OK, another review was posted about same, thumbs up again, will wait a few days and post another review especially if their is negativity..but so far high praise.
 
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I got one of these radios from Ed @ ImportCommunications (www.wouxun.us). It may be wise to hold off on spending your money on this rig at this time. There are quality control issues and performance issues.

I have replaced the first one I got because out of the box, the preamp did not work. Oddly, within a day and a half, it started working and worked for another day or so, then cut out. That was it for the preamp. Without the preamp, the radio is barely usable. The receive is not real strong, but I wasn't expecting a DX workstation with this rig.

Ed replaced the radio with a new one (Ed was great to work with...quick response to my emails). The replacement seems to be working properly, but the display was installed carelessly and is on an angle. It appears that hot glue is used to help hold the display in place and it "sagged" on one side before the glue set up. I will live with the cockeyed display as long as the radio works as it should, but I have seen photos of other X1Ms that seem to have the same off-kiltered display.

Another issue being discussed on the X1M Yahoo group is the LSB IF passband being off, causing RX audio to be muffled. This is true of both radios I have had, but there are some potential fixes being kicked around. Some have reported going into the SYS menu and changing some settings to correct the problem. I have not tried this on mine as of yet.

Receive is only ok. The RX sensitivity is spec'ed at .5 microvolts. Not spectacular, but the bands have been really lame since I have owned it, so A/B comparisons to my FT-857 are not real informative. It hears what the the 857 hears, but sounds like there could be an S-unit or two of difference. There is no AGC, so really strong signals are quite loud, and this is where a functioning preamp is handy. I figure if I can hear them, there is the chance I can work them from this QRP rig.

The transmit audio is pretty decent, even with the stock microphone, which is basically a cheap HT speakermic without the speaker function. I have audio clips of my transmit audio from a friend and it does sound good for what it is. However, there isn't a lot of audio drive coming from the radio. I tried it with a small 100w QRP amplifier and struggled to get 50 watts out due to lack of audio drive. I did wire up an old Cobra power mic to see if I could get more audio out of it, and it helped a little, but not much. The mic plug is just a small 3.5 mm TRS plug so it was easy to wire up a mic. I may try an Astatic mic on it at some point to see if I can wake the audio up on this rig.

There is an adjustment point on the circuit board to adjust the audio (ALC?), and that did help increase the audio a bit. There is also an adjustment for the CW sidetone volume (which is loud from the factory). There is a third adjustment point on the board which has not been identified yet. There are no schematics or good documentation available for the radio at this time.

The radio would probably be a winner if it sold for $199...but at $299 I would not recommend it at this time. It seems ok for a SHTF-type of rig, but in my opinion, it needs a slightly better receiver and a bit more transmit audio in order to justify the price point. The size and weight are good, and the interface is good enough for a bare-bones rig. I have not had the chance to try it for the purpose I intended to use it...QRP field work. If it is able operate in the field with reasonable performance, then I will be content, but I would be much more content if it sold for one hundred dollars less.
 

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