low cost entry level HF transceiver

[M0PWXParticipant]

My first HF radio was a Xiegu G90, i still use it for WSPR / QRSS and working 80m and 60m my Newer FT-991a won’t tune my main antenna down to those bands

at under £400 for a 20w all mode HF radio with built in ATU it makes HF bands accessible to all amateurs, even new M7’s

it is capable of computer (CAT) control and with a cheap audio interface and USB soundcard you can start working various digital modes like FT4 or FT8, SSTV on 20m (14.230mhz) and much more

with 10w for my M7PGW callsign (gained with Pete help) i managed to get to US and middle east using FT8 digital modes

if you can get a 20m long wire end fed half wave (EFHW) antenna in the garden even the antenna don’t need to cost much either

All mode HF access for under £500 with rig, interfaces and antenna

there is a groups.io forum for it as well https://xiegug90.groups.io/g/main

[MZeroXMZParticipant]

I thought about this a lot recently, and for a long time I was, for some unknown reason, stuck on getting an FT-817/818 – I just like the look and the fact it has been around so long and seems bulletproof – but even second hand a little way north of £400 most of the time and no tuner.
Then I saw the Xiegu radios, and the fact the antenna tuner is included seemed amazing value (and is apparently brilliant compared to other built in tuners in other radios)… time passed.

Not a G90, but I ended up getting the X6100 after seeing how people had managed to hack it, run Linux/wsjtx etc.. and it had a waterfall display (but I guess similar ish to the G90 in other respects if a little lower power). I’ve a Sotabeams EFRW with it and it was going to be my first radio for home and portable – very happy with it. Now its used for portable, holiday etc use as I found a very good value used base station on ebay (Yaesu FTDX3000) the same model as my local radio society uses at their shack – which made sense to me as I was learning.

[markhypnoParticipant]

Just passed my Foundation this week! 🧁🧁 Need to buy a radio and not sure what to buy. Would like something portable which I can use in the car, without wiring it in as well as using it at home. Any ideas would be appreciated.

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