AT779UV Programming help?

[WRUE962]

I have been trying to program an Anytone AT779UV for what seems like countless hours.

I have downloaded the drivers, program software and firmware updates, but can't get my windows 11 to communicate with this radio, because COM port won't open.

I have tried everything I know to do but am getting nowhere with this and I'm about ready to throw the radio in the trash where it probably belongs!

[UncleYoda]

@Sshannon The driver worked.  It was a long trip to get here but I have arrived.  Thanks for helping, because I gave up more than once before trying again.

[SteveShannon]

17 minutes ago, UncleYoda said:

@Sshannon The driver worked.  It was a long trip to get here but I have arrived.  Thanks for helping, because I gave up more than once before trying again.

p.s. For anyone who may care: they claim 9 extra channels, but 39 does not allow offset, so only 8 extra repeater channels.

Great job!  I’m delighted for you!

[WRYS709]

1 hour ago, UncleYoda said:

p.s. For anyone who may care: they claim 9 extra channels, but 39 does not allow offset, so only 8 extra repeater channels.

Download from Radioddity, their v2.02 of the CPS for their DB20-G (the same radio) and always Run as Administrator in Win 10.

As you can see below, here is an Anytone AT-779UV programmed for a repeater on Channel 39 and it works:

 

[WRYS709]

8 hours ago, WRUE962 said:

I'd assume the one at the top is the one I would need to DL?

I have attached the proper zip file to my comment, here:

https://forums.mygmrs.com/topic/5871-radioddity-db20-g/page/2/#comment-62389

The source of this file is a noted reseller of the Anytone AT-779UV, so it is free of viruses; and it works for both the Anytone AT-779UV and the Radioddity DB20-G.

Let us know if this driver works for your cable, as there are at least two different cables for these radios.  Unfortunately they appear exactly the same to the naked eye, and this solution only works for one of these cables on Windows 11.

 

[WRUE962]

6 hours ago, WRYS709 said:

I have attached the proper zip file to my comment, here:

https://forums.mygmrs.com/topic/5871-radioddity-db20-g/page/2/#comment-62389

The source of this file is a noted reseller of the Anytone AT-779UV, so it is free of viruses; and it works for both the Anytone AT-779UV and the Radioddity DB20-G.

Let us know if this driver works for your cable, as there are at least two different cables for these radios.  Unfortunately they appear exactly the same to the naked eye, and this solution only works for one of these cables on Windows 11.

 

I will definitely look into all of your suggestions from everyone when I find some time to dig into it.

I've been trying to get my Jeep ready for an overlanding/camping trip next month for a trip to the North Maine Woods/Allagash wilderness and need to be able to program in the MURS frequencies as that is what the log trucks use up there. They don't slow down for anyone and rule the Golden Rd.

There will be a lot of dispersed camping and off grid living for a few days but there are some HAM repeaters and Pittston Farm which is totally off grid has radio comms. if we should ever need to reach out for help if something happens.

[WRYS709]

3 hours ago, WRUE962 said:

... and need to be able to program in the MURS frequencies as that is what the log trucks use up there...

...but there are some HAM repeaters and Pittston Farm which is totally off grid has radio comms. if we should ever need to reach out for help if something happens.

Just curious: which mode is your 779 set for?  You can check by: while the unit is turned off, hold down the V/M key and power it up. Now you will be able to read the Mode and the firmware version number.

Mode will be something like: GMRS or (136-174)(400-470)

Of course, any mode will allow you to receive the MURS channels.

[WRUE962]

4 hours ago, WRYS709 said:

Just curious: which mode is your 779 set for?  You can check by: while the unit is turned off, hold down the V/M key and power it up. Now you will be able to read the Mode and the firmware version number.

Mode will be something like: GMRS or (136-174)(400-470)

Of course, any mode will allow you to receive the MURS channels.

In my quest to program this I've used the gmrs and widest modes.

[WRYS709]

3 hours ago, WRUE962 said:

In my quest to program this I've used the gmrs and widest modes.

Changing modes will delete all manually programmed channel information.

Have you been able to run the programming software in any way so as to be able to restore your previously programmed channel information?

At this point, your options to get the CPS programming software to work for you are possibly:

1) Install the WCH driver into Windows 11, per the zipped file I attached previously, and see if your cable works;

2) Run the CPS programming software in an earlier version of Windows starting from XP; 

3) Obtain the alternate cable that works in Windows 11 with the WCH driver; and/or

4) Obtain an alternate cable that works with the FTDI driver for Windows 11

[WRUE962]

On 9/16/2023 at 8:52 AM, WRYS709 said:

Changing modes will delete all manually programmed channel information.

Have you been able to run the programming software in any way so as to be able to restore your previously programmed channel information?

At this point, your options to get the CPS programming software to work for you are possibly:

1) Install the WCH driver into Windows 11, per the zipped file I attached previously, and see if your cable works;

2) Run the CPS programming software in an earlier version of Windows starting from XP; 

3) Obtain the alternate cable that works in Windows 11 with the WCH driver; and/or

4) Obtain an alternate cable that works with the FTDI driver for Windows 11

I haven't been able to get my computer toto communicate with this radio at all.

I've followed all of the steps everyone has provided and still end up with this.

[SteveShannon]

1 hour ago, WRUE962 said:

I haven't been able to get my computer toto communicate with this radio at all.

I've followed all of the steps everyone has provided and still end up with this.

At what step are you seeing that message?

That looks like you haven’t selected the correct com port in the settings for the CPS software and you’re trying to talk to the radio. 
Show us what your device manager screen looks like for your com ports, please. 

[WRYS709]

1 hour ago, WRUE962 said:

I haven't been able to get my computer toto communicate with this radio at all.

I've followed all of the steps everyone has provided and still end up with this.

It sound to me like you have the "bad cable" for Windows 11; I will keep working on getting a driver for that cable for you.

Who was your vendor for your AT-779UV and can you contact them about a replacement cable? In the meantime I will contact my vendor.

In the meantime, do you have access to a laptop with an older version of Windows than 11? Do you have any other USB programming cables for any other radios?

[WRUE962]

On 9/17/2023 at 7:04 PM, Sshannon said:

At what step are you seeing that message?

That looks like you haven’t selected the correct com port in the settings for the CPS software and you’re trying to talk to the radio. 
Show us what your device manager screen looks like for your com ports, please. 

I see this after I set COM port and try to read the radio.

 

23 hours ago, WRYS709 said:

It sound to me like you have the "bad cable" for Windows 11; I will keep working on getting a driver for that cable for you.

Who was your vendor for your AT-779UV and can you contact them about a replacement cable? In the meantime I will contact my vendor.

In the meantime, do you have access to a laptop with an older version of Windows than 11? Do you have any other USB programming cables for any other radios?

This is very much quite possible that it is a bad cable, the seller is Hesenate on Amazon.

They have sent me another download link for a different driver, but I'm not even sure which one I should click on at this point.

[WRYS709]

On 9/16/2023 at 5:52 AM, WRYS709 said:

At this point, your options to get the CPS programming software to work for you are possibly:

1) Install the WCH driver into Windows 11, per the zipped file I attached previously, and see if your cable works;

...

On 9/17/2023 at 2:59 PM, WRUE962 said:

I haven't been able to get my computer toto communicate with this radio at all.

I've followed all of the steps everyone has provided and still end up with this.

I have discovered the problem and am working on a solution now, which I will post in detail later.

First, I want to reconfirm with you that you followed my instructions noted above in this post (that is, you used my attached zip file to install the wch 340 driver) and you still received the AT_779 Cannot Open Communications Port, yes?

Did you attempt to change the COM in the SET Menu in the AT_779 CPS software and was there any other choice?

[WRUE962]

3 minutes ago, WRYS709 said:

I have discovered the problem and am working on a solution now, which I will post in detail later.

First, I want to reconfirm with you that you followed my instructions noted above in this post (that is, you used my attached zip file to install the wch 340 driver) and you still received the AT_779 Cannot Open Communications Port, yes?

Did you attempt to change the COM in the SET Menu in the AT_779 CPS software and was there any other choice?

I followed your instructions, there is no option to change the COM port as my PC recognizes the cable and it is set as such..

Somebody really needs to make a YouTube video on how to do this, I've seen a few but it appears they are all using Win10.

[WRYS709]

OK: I just wanted to confirm that you installed the WCH 340 driver and it still did not work for you, which I have recreated on my computer with one of the two AT-779UV/DB20-G cables that I have (the other one works with the WCH 340 driver); and I called this the "bad cable" even though it works in Windows 10; just not in 11.

I should have a solution soon...

[WRYS709]

41 minutes ago, WRUE962 said:

... the seller is Hesenate on Amazon.

They have sent me another download link for a different driver, but I'm not even sure which one I should click on at this point.

If you compare your screenshot from Hesenate to the list of the files I sent you already in my zip file, you will see they are the same.  This is the WCH 340 solution to the "other" cable that apparently you do not have.

 

[WRUE962]

As I mentioned earlier, my programming cable for the UV5R works perfectly with CHIRP so no issues there.

This AnyTone, Retevis, Raddiodity  or whatever you want to call it is a whole different ball game, and definitely not suited to a noob.

Although I really don't consider myself a NOOB! after all I programmed a UV5R without any issues!

 

All I want to do is program in what I have on the UV5R's I have including some local ham repeaters, gmrs, murs, frs and a local PD and FD 

As some know these radios are shipped with PL tones enabled on quite a few frequencies in GMRS mode, which need to programmed out to enable full functionality on those frequencies/channels.

I'm really starting to regret the purchase of this thing, I thought I could do what I needed to do to work out the kinks. But here I am asking for help because I haven't been able to figure it out.

I am grateful for everyone that has chipped in to help thus far, hopefully we can work together to find a solution that works for everyone that owns one of these!

 

[SteveShannon]

1 hour ago, WRUE962 said:

I see this after I set COM port and try to read the radio.

Okay, I don’t want to make this worse. If two of us are trying to help you at once it can get pretty confusing. WRYS709 has a bunch of things for you so I’m going to get out of the way. I try to eliminate one unknown at a time which takes time, so his help will probably be quicker. 

[WRYS709]

OK: I will write this up in more detail later, but here should be your solution in Windows 11:

With the programming cable connected to both your computer and your AT-779UV (turned on);

Download the zip file attached to my post below.

Extract All Files and Open the folder named: PL2303_Prolific_DriverInstaller_v1_11_0

Run as Administrator the file named: PL2303_Prolific_DriverInstaller_v1.11.0.exe

When it offers you 3 options, select the option: Repair - Reinstall all program features installed by the previous setup;

Restart WIndows 11

Open your Anytone CPS software and in the SET -> SET COM Menu it should now offer you a COM#; select it.

In the Program Menu, select -> Read from Radio.

It should now read and download all the settings in your radio, yes?

Do a SAVE AS to make a copy of this starting point, in case you have to restore the radio to these settings.

Make changes as necessary for your location/repeaters, etc. and do a Program -> Write to Radio to save your new settings to the radio

Do another SAVE AS to save a copy of your changed codeplug.  

PL2303_Prolific_DriverInstaller_v1_11_0.zip

[WRYS709]

1 hour ago, WRUE962 said:

I'm really starting to regret the purchase of this thing, I thought I could do what I needed to do to work out the kinks. But here I am asking for help because I haven't been able to figure it out.

I am grateful for everyone that has chipped in to help thus far, hopefully we can work together to find a solution that works for everyone that owns one of these!

 

PS: This is a Windows 11 issue with the Prolific chip* in that cable, which is probably why they changed cables to the WCH 340 driver/chip BUT couldn't they at least let us know??? hahaha

In any event that is a terrific radio and once you get it programable you will enjoy using it too!

*NOTE: Some believe that the "Prolific" cable for these radios contained the so-called counterfeit Prolific chip, which was blocked by Prolific's Windows 11 driver; hence the problem! Which, of course, is a good reason to remanufacture these cables with a genuine chip; BUT TELL US it is a different chip!! hahaha

[WRYS709]

And: installing this alternative Prolific driver does NOT interfere with my USB to Baofeng UV-5R cable's ability to work with Chirp in Windows 11.

It should utilize a different COM numbered port and you may have to use Device Manager to determine the proper COM number for the Baofeng/Chirp cable.

However, be sure to quit the Anytone CPS software before you run Chirp.

[WRUE962]

Still not opening COM port

But it now recognizes as Prolific COM port

I will try again after work, I'm out of time and have to go soon Lol

[WRYS709]

3 hours ago, WRUE962 said:

Still not opening COM port

But it now recognizes as Prolific COM port

I will try again after work, I'm out of time and have to go soon Lol

I am assuming that you get the same notification as below when you go to COM->SET COM:

But it is a good sign that Device Manager recognizes the Prolific driver. Do a right-click on Prolific USB-to-Serial Comm Port (COM4) and go to PROPERTIES and post screenshots for the General tab and Driver tab.

What version of the Anytone CPS software are you running.  I will attach a copy of version 2.01.

And, since I know it works well with the Anytone, I will also attach a zip of the Radioddity v2.02 CPS software.

What version of firmware is installed: Power off, hold down V/M key and Power on - it will show "V2.xy at the bottom of the screen; turn off power

If these do not work, I am starting to smell a hardware problem.  

Are you still within the Amazon refund window? Will Hesenate swap it for another radio and cable? They should certainly send you the WCH chip'd USB cable instead of the problematic Prolific cable; to try first.

 

AT779UV_Setup_2.01.exe Radioddity DB20-G Programming Software 2.02_20210707.zip

[WRYS709]

Just checking in to see if you have had a chance to get your 779UV working in Windows 11?

[WRUE962]

On 9/25/2023 at 10:25 AM, WRYS709 said:

Just checking in to see if you have had a chance to get your 779UV working in Windows 11?

Not yet....I think I'll have to borrow an older windows machine to get this radio programmed.