Anytone AT-578UV thoughts

[gman1971]

Easiest bug to repro, the Crossband DMR not working both ways: set radio to TX on band A (VHF), radio won't re transmit whatever it receives on band A (VHF) to band B (UHF), but will re transmit from B (UHF) to A (VHF) Ran on it again while testing it further...  and probably the most annoying of all bugs I've run into.

 

Who writes the software for this radio?? I mean, c'mon, its the simplest bug to reproduce ever... yet its on version of the firmware 1.05, they've had 5 (FIVE) release points since 1.00... I am starting to lose my faith on this radio... so be prepared as it might be popping for sale on eBay at a good discount...

 

 

G.

[gman1971]

Looks like they released 1.06 firmware... 

 

which doesn't seem to fix diddly squat.... some receiver being stuck improvement... just improvement? why not a fix? 

[gman1971]

More bugs, looks like private calls only go one way while in crossband DMR mode. This thing has more bugs than Windows ME... (for those who remember)

 

G.

[jwilkers]

Well, people were whining to release it...so they did. Firmware isn't ironed out yet. Expect a lot more updates.

 

Sent from my SM-A102U using Tapatalk

[gman1971]

LOL, yeah, I know, I was one of the silent whiners.... so I got right what I deserved... oh well... I really like it tho, when it works is fantastic, and the fact it has 1W on low is amazing.

 

G.

 

Well, people were whining to release it...so they did. Firmware isn't ironed out yet. Expect a lot more updates.

Sent from my SM-A102U using Tapatalk

[gman1971]

Yet another bug, SMS won't go through in DMR crossband mode. Vertex DMR repeater works just fine.

[gman1971]

One more to pile up to the list. Radio froze up... not sure how long it was frozen... the 878 also freezes too, guess someone at Anytone can't program his own way out of a paper bag... pretty sad.

 

G.

[gman1971]

Radio froze again today. With firmware 1.06. Absolutely unacceptable, the worst radio I've used to date. It freezes just by sitting idle for a couple of hours...  utter trash.

 

So, if you feel tempted to get one, DON'T. Right now this is the radio to avoid. Maybe when all firmware bugs are worked out, in the mean time, AVOID IT... 

 

WHAT a piece of excrement....

 

G.

[Lscott]

On the other hand, if you just want connectors on the radio and control head, that should be pretty simple. I'd use two short ribbon cables at the body and head. One end connected to the respective unit, and the other terminated in a standard 20-pin female ribbon connector. Then just make a ribbon cable of the length you want and terminate it with a 20-pin male connector at each end.

 

I wouldn't recommend doing this. The signals on the ribbon cable are very likely logic signals, some anyway, that have sharp rise and fall times thus a high frequency content. Extending the ribbon cable would be the equivalent of a transmission line. If the line was not terminated in the proper impedance at each end then you get reflections. Those appear as high frequency ringing on the logic level transition edges. The voltages can ring above the supply and below ground which can result in damage to the chips on the boards if they exceed the max spec values. Additionally the ringing will look like extra logic transitions further confusing the logic on the boards. 

 

Once in my younger days I tried to use the expansion slot on the back of my then new TRS-80, it ran between 2 to 3 MHz, using a 2 to 3 foot long un-terminated ribbon cable to the solder less breadboard. I wanted to try experimenting with some computer controlled hardware. The computer wouldn't even boot to the built-in BASIC interpreter until I removed the cable. Lucky nothing was damaged. Lesson learned.

[gman1971]

Figured it wasn't as simple

 

Thanks man! I am debating what to do with the radio TBH. The C.N.Y. measn there will be no updates for at least another 2 weeks... the radio froze twice yesterday. It is pretty much unacceptable at this point.

 

G.

 

I wouldn't recommend doing this. The signals on the ribbon cable are very likely logic signals, some anyway, that have sharp rise and fall times thus a high frequency content. Extending the ribbon cable would be the equivalent of a transmission line. If the line was not terminated in the proper impedance at each end then you get reflections. Those appear as high frequency ringing on the logic level transition edges. The voltages can ring above the supply and below ground which can result in damage to the chips on the boards if they exceed the max spec values. Additionally the ringing will look like extra logic transitions further confusing the logic on the boards. 

 

Once in my younger days I tried to use the expansion slot on the back of my then new TRS-80, it ran between 2 to 3 MHz, using a 2 to 3 foot long un-terminated ribbon cable to the solder less breadboard. I wanted to try experimenting with some computer controlled hardware. The computer wouldn't even boot to the built-in BASIC interpreter until I removed the cable. Lucky nothing was damaged. Lesson learned.

[gman1971]

Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse... I upgraded my antivirus and found that the 578 CPS installer program has a trojan virus.

 

uds:worm.win32.wbvb 

 

So, BEWARE....

 

FRACKING A... Bridgecomm systems... 

[Lscott]

You should contact the vendor and have them check it out. Some antivirus software will flag good software as having a virus. We have an in-house written utility to load a calibration-configuration file to a custom designed microprocessor based board where I work. The IT department used Webroot and it kept erasing the utility exe file after flagging it as virus infected. Really frustrating. Had to get IT to put that file in an exclude list to keep from getting erased every time I tried to install it. 8-/

[gman1971]

Well, the 1.05 firmware didn't trigger the antivirus... and only bridgecomm systems has the 1.06 version, its not available on the Anytone website... so that makes me wonder...  Suffice to say, I won't be using the CPS until a new one comes out that doesn't trigger the antivirus.

 

Shame.

 

G

 

You should contact the vendor and have them check it out. Some antivirus software will flag good software as having a virus. We have an in-house written utility to load a calibration-configuration file to a custom designed microprocessor based board where I work. The IT department used Webroot and it kept erasing the utility exe file after flagging it as virus infected. Really frustrating. Had to get IT to put that file in an exclude list to keep from getting erased every time I tried to install it. 8-/

[gman1971]

Looks like Anytone website is no more, so can't even check for a firmware upgrade... oh well. Wonder if they went out of business...?

 

Another 578 update: I removed the radio from the Velomobile and installed it inside a backpack with an NMO no-ground antenna. Since performance is good, it will remain there, and since it will be unlikely I'll be using the backpack unattended, I won't have to worry about the radio freezing up...  oh well... shame.

 

For the Velomobile I went with a pair of EVX-531 G7 (450-512Mhz) radios, a Surecom controller and a duplexer to a 1/4 wave antenna. Works really well and its 100% reliable. Maybe if Anytone ever fixes the firmware I'll reconsider putting this radio back on the velomobile...  in the meant time, its all about Vertex Standard.

 

G.

[WRCZ387]

gman1971:

 

There is an http://anytone.us/ website that I found

 

They state that they have stopped selling Wouxun radios and now sell Anytone instead

 

http://www.wouxun.us/category.php?category_id=94 is the link to AT-D578UV firmware and programming software updating

 

The 1.06 is the most recent version listed, but it's a spot to check for newer updates

 

It's NOT anytone.net (they only had v1.05) or anytonetech.com (no software at all)

 

Maybe this will help if you decide to give the Anytone rig another try

 

73

Greg

WRCZ387

Clearwater, FL

[gman1971]

I downgraded to 1.05 and changed every password on everything I have after finding the trojan virus on 1.06 firmware made by Bridgecomm... so beware.

 

Yeah, the site is back up now... anytone.net. Don't matter tho, no new firmware and that thing is out of my velomobile for good... now it works great as backpack radio tho... so it will remain there... shame doesn't have airband but

 

 

Thank you!

 

G.

[WRCZ387]

You're welcome

 

73

Greg

WRCZ387

Clearwater, FL

[gman1971]

Well, who would've thought it... but I still have this radio... They are now up to firmware 1.11. Radio still hangs randomly, tho, especially when in SFR mode. Lame. The DMR repeater won't allow radio checks, sms, etc... to go through, still, kinda lame. Private calls now work... 

 

The EVX-5300/5400s I have have a better receiver overall, so I can reach a lot further with those around congested RF areas...

 

G.

[pcradio]

@gman1971

Do you still have the radio? Did the bugs get worked out? I see they have a AnyTone AT-D578UVIII Plus variant of this radio.

[SteveShannon]

32 minutes ago, pcradio said:

@gman1971

Do you still have the radio? Did the bugs get worked out? I see they have a AnyTone AT-D578UVIII Plus variant of this radio.

Unfortunately, Gman1971 hasn’t posted since July 3, 2022. I hope you get a response.

[Lscott]

2 hours ago, pcradio said:

@gman1971

Do you still have the radio? Did the bugs get worked out? I see they have a AnyTone AT-D578UVIII Plus variant of this radio.

https://groups.io/g/AT-D578UV/topics

[tweiss3]

3 hours ago, pcradio said:

@gman1971

Do you still have the radio? Did the bugs get worked out? I see they have a AnyTone AT-D578UVIII Plus variant of this radio.

On another board, i saw someone mention that 1.13 FW completely blocks SFR with a "not supported in MISC mode" message.

[Lscott]

http://www.wouxun.us/category.php?category_id=94

[KD9UAL]

On 1/12/2020 at 1:41 AM, gman1971 said:

Got the radio today, genuinely impressed with it. It is certainly a huge step up from the AT-878 I tested (and returned). I would say its closer to Hytera territory in terms of RF performance; except this one is a tribander (rather than a single band radio). I think the specs printed on the brochure, based on quick testing, appear to be worse what the radio is capable of: Sensitivity is probably closer to the 0.16uV @ 12dB SINAD mark than the advertised 0.25 uV @ 12dB SINAD. It also doesn't seem to be hammered as bad as the TM-V71a on VHF with intermod, and the NOAA station that pops in and out of whatever channel I am parked at on the TM-v71a doesn't seem to be an issue with this radio, so that is huge. I will bench this radio vs the EVX-5300, hopefully tomorrow, so I can see how well it receives.

 

So, it has true dual receive, crossband repeat, and a single frequency repeater in DMR... which is awesome, so you can use a single frequency to link multiple radios... nifty little toy. You can have the audio come from the microphone, rather than the radio body, which is very nice too. So for my velomobile I can hide the radio and just leave the microphone. I will probably link the radio to my helmet Senna Bluetooth intercom, see how well it works. (haven't tried that yet)

 

Radio is fairly small, when compared to the XPR5550e this thing is a little radio; while not as short as the EVX-5300, its about the same width and height. fan is dead silent. No faceplate relocation kit as of yet, but it seems it might be coming since its just a ribbon cable with a small GPS micro coax connector, similar to the XPR radios. The included Bluetooth PTT is super nice, but requires disabling the single frequency repeater, not sure if this will change down the road. In my TYT8000E the Crossband repeater mode allows for using the radio as well, so not sure why the radio won't transmit on the band its selected.

 

There were a couple of bugs on the software that crashed to desktop, but other than that, the software seems to work well, wish it was as versatile as the Vertex CE142 CPS for some of the input stuff. I had the codeplug made from the 878 I tested (and returned) a few months ago.

 

I changed the band mode to allow for GMRS operation, with no front panel programming, nor VFO. Want to keep this like a commercial radio.  However, if need be I can re-enable that functionality back with the software, but needs a PC to do that.

 

For GMRS is probably a bit overkill, but for ham and/or commercial usage its a great radio. Wish it had airband too, and there is room in the PCB for a third receiver, which is unimplemented ATM, but when that happens I will be selling both my TM-v71A radios... listening to airband is the only reason why I am keeping those Kenwoods around. Being able to hear all the Mototrbo traffic from nearby business in both VHF and UHF is super cool; can't do that with the TM-v71a anymore... most of the stuff I hear around my house is all DMR these days... 

 

G.

How is your radio set up an order to do GMRS? My 578UVlll Pro is set up on amateur mode. Which is supposed to open up everything and yet it still will not do it.

[AdmiralCochrane]

I think amateur mode puts it in ham mode, not full open mode to transmit on all bands.  You have to go out to one of several less locked modes to get the 578 to do ham and GMRS.  For some reason, 14 seems to come to mind as the most open setting number.