User modded operations – The Xeigu x6100
Thank you fellow CCRC members and visitors who stopped past my table and asked questions Here are some notes on the radio I was operating to fill in the picture.
At full power the Xeigu x6100 transmits 10 watts. Many acquire the radio for POTA/SOTA operation. It has an internal battery that will last several hours, but it reduces transmission power to 5 watts or less. The radio runs on a Linux-based system. (I think their other Xeigu models do too, but I haven’t paid attention.)
Importantly, a user community has grown up around building modifications to improve the system.
There are two software elements in the x6100:
- BASE which is the radio.
- MAIN – which supplies the UI/Controls
Both can, and have been, modified by users. (More or less a reflection of PC architecture – A BIOS ROM/NVRAM and Bootable OS.)
A user community has grown up around customizing the radio
The x6100 can store a list of BASE code files. (Unusual) Which are user selected within the radio system menu, and then flashed into the hardware via power cycle. Moving forward and reverse between FW releases is just that easy.
Loading BASE code files into the directory involves connecting to the radio via WiFi and issuing Linux command line instructions from a PC interface like PUTTY. Boutique BASE files are downloadable from the community on GitHub.com.
My radio currently operates the OEM BASE (Last updated by Xeigu September 2024) and I boot to the Boutique GUI portion of R1CBU – via micro SD.
I’m in the process of copying a list of BASE codes into the radio as part of keeping up with the community. Some of the BASE versions require building the binaries with Linux… others don’t. More Linux hacker stuff isn’t important, but you get the idea.
Anyway, I had a blast at Summer Field Day!
David KK7WXV
Care to share your Summer Field Day experience? Send the story and photos to Editor@coosradioclub.com
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