AR-DV1 AR-DV1 and AR-DV10 Tetra GSSI filtering

[G7HID]

For a rather expensive GSSI filtering activation key AOR have been a little economical with the capabilities - or should I say non-capabilities of the feature..
If a Tetra radio system is encrypted the GSSI filtering feature does not work, it does nothing, so for DV1 and 10 users in the UK where 99% of Tetra traffic is encrypted it would be a waste of money to purchase an activation key..
I gather the reason for it not working is on an encrypted Tetra radio system the GSSI information is also encrypted..
For more information contact AOR, their dealers or resellers, it would be interesting to see what they say - if anything..

Mike

 

[sklpl]

Do you mean that you are not happy with the fact that the feature that was never promised to decrypt the encrypted Tetra is not allowing to decrypt encrypted Tetra? Are you aware that there will be never such device on market because it is simply illegal to decrypt what is encrypted?

 

[G7HID]

A number of people have been caught out with AOR's saying that you can tune to any Tetra trunked traffic channel and follow it, but neglecting to say that not all Tetra systems can be followed, that omission has cost some dear
A few years ago we thought nobody would produce a Tetra receiver..
I am aware of the legality of encryption, now do you include digital scrambling in that ?

Mike

 

[hamradionl]

interesting topic

 

[marlbrook]

From the posts I have read on Forums the GSSI upgrade is reported as being not that good in its present form.

Also the update is causing problems in apparently unrelated areas, the most noticeable being that the Radio's saved Memory data is 'randomly' being corrupted.

AOR have acknowledged there are problems with FW 2102C for the DV1, and the equivalent for the DV10, and they quickly released a 'fixed' firmware for the DV10, that is also still badly flawed. Somebody at AOR is not FULLY testing these new FW releases, and their Management is failing badly to allow that

That does not mean the Radio's will not run, but it does mean certain functions will fail, sometimes requiring a power down to fix. They say they will issue 'fixed' Firmware soon.

Incorporating TETRA originally was very clever technology, but even cleverer 'marketing' on AOR's part.

Many believed it might decrypt encrypted TETRA. An impossibility in reality.

Now the GSSI addition certainly seems to leave too many imagining that paying for the upgrade may lead to decryption too. A forlorn hope of course.

Almost all the 'interesting' TETRA remains, and will remain unintelligible.

Well done AOR on apparently persuading people they 'need' GSSI, and getting them to pay for the upgrade.

However, even if the GSSI addition worked flawlessly, so many TETRA transmissions are encrypted, is there really that much benefit?

In the past AOR have a very good record regarding new firmware for the AR-DV1. Not this time. At least they acknowledge that.

I know only too well that in programming, the slightest change can result in bad outcomes in very unsuspected areas, which is why Firmware should be really and fully tested to ensure the Radio is working as it should in all areas.

I switched back to FW 1907B, only to find that was having problems after trying 2101C. My DV1 needed a Factory Default RESET, to clear the corrupted data the new firmware had caused. Then all the Search and Memory data had to be restored from backups taken BEFORE using 2101C. Others will have to resort to that too.

Worth noting anyone who backed up that data under 2101C will just have saved 'bad' data, so restoring that is a waste of time.

The AR-DV1 is a superb piece of equipment and remaims a breakthrough in technology (with the right Firmware of course)

Oh, I expect someone will post saying FW 2101C for the AR-DV1 is working perfectly in all areas. They should perhaps email the Company with that information, so AOR can abandon the fixes they say (and others realise) need to be addressed (SIGH).

 

[Boas]

Hello all,

for some time I have been thinking about whether it makes sense to buy a digital receiver with DMR, Tetra GSSI... and so on. In Europe, most things are encrypted and that's right, because security comes first.I also think that AOR has attracted many buyers with the magic word TETRA, but in the end a lot remains encrypted.
It may be that AOR has realised this and is therefore developing an AR 7400 (analogue).

73
Boas

 

[MStep]

Hello all,most recent

for some time I have been thinking about whether it makes sense to buy a digital receiver with DMR, Tetra GSSI... and so on. In Europe, most things are encrypted and that's right, because security comes first.I also think that AOR has attracted many buyers with the magic word TETRA, but in the end a lot remains encrypted.
It may be that AOR has realised this and is therefore developing an AR 7400 (analogue).

73
Boas

Not really sure what one has to do with the other, so perhaps I missed your point, forgive me. I have owned the DV-1 for many years, and I think that anyone technically astute enough to own that radio HAD to realize that their most recent TETRA enhancement was NOT going to provide any access to encrypted Tetra traffic. I don't believe that AOR did anything misleading in their advertising. But I do agree with marlbrook that the firmware launch was a bit of a hack job, and from what I have read, the newest version is still buggy, with some undesired results. And TETRA itself is not new to the DV1--- I see it was introduced 01-22-2019 to that unit.

I think the AOR 7400 may have first been mentioned on Radio Reference in this thread of 2109 (new AOR AR7400) and I seem to vaguely recall some target date for production as being in 2020. I no longer can find it on AOR Americas product listing page, although it is mentioned sporadically in the 2019 news dissemination.

I would guess that the COVID crisis has impeded those 7400 plans, along with the somewhat botched launch of the AOR AR 5700, which also had firmware related issues.

Like most electronic companies, and perhaps especially because they are based in Asia, they were hit hardest and without much warning regarding COVID and had to do a lot of scrambling, which included closing their United States West Coast repair facility (it is still there for distribution), and I also recall reading from a member here that a European repair center was also closed.

My point being that the AOR 7400 was in the works before the current Tetra GSSI mode enhancement. In any event, I have not rolled forward with the current DV1 firmware update. The DV1 still goes down as a pretty classy piece of communications equipment, but no doubt AOR has seen better days.

 

[G7HID]

Not really sure what one has to do with the other, so perhaps I missed your point, forgive me. I have owned the DV-1 for many years, and I think that anyone technically astute enough to own that radio HAD to realize that their most recent TETRA enhancement was NOT going to provide any access to encrypted Tetra traffic........

Many who own the DV1 & DV10 are NOT technically astute and genuinely hope that Tetra decryption will happen and grasp at any straw....

Mike

 

[MStep]

Many who own the DV1 & DV10 are NOT technically astute and genuinely hope that Tetra decryption will happen and grasp at any straw....

Mike

I appreciate you comments, but must say that it has to be more or a UK or European thing than a stateside issue. I know a few owners of the DV-1's here in the New Your City area and a couple on the West Coast that knew exactly what they were buying into with the DV-1. After all, it's not a $300 USD radio. And yes, I understand that encrypted Tetra has taken rule in the UK, so grasping at any straw is understandable.

I just did not see anything mentioned in any of AOR material about the latest firmware upgrade the included anything about decryption. I admit I don't know a lot about the scanner market in the UK, but what could have possibly led to that misunderstanding-- perhaps in something that was included in the European advertising that did not appear here in the states?

 

[G7HID]

I think this description from AOR triggered a few people:

you can tune to any Tetra trunked traffic channel and follow it

Leading to the following: A selection of comments & questions on various groups:

Is the new AOR-DV1 firmware worth buying for the pro version and is it worth installing the firmware? I haven't got a clue about tetra GSSI. Many thanks.

Guys so confused just got aor dv10 2 days ago this morning I purchased the tetra gssi key I genuinely thought once I purchased that then it would decode clear tetra but it’s just sitting on this screen with a random frequency, I thought the key would just decode tetra in the clear when scanning through tetr frequencies in the bands section lol - can tell I’m new to this ?

Just purchased activation key for tetra & gssi what does this allow ?

What this firmware worth please ? To decode encrypted Tetra ?

In the UK I can put some of this down to Covid ! The UK government are paying a good proportion of the population to stay home and are paying a good chunk of their wages, also quite a few have been made redundant and received payment in lieu of notice. This combined with nearly everybody forced to stay at home, people find they have some money to spend on Toys, this has led to loads of extra members on scanner forums and an upsurge in scanner sales..

Mike

 

[RMW1010]

Many who own the DV1 & DV10 are NOT technically astute and genuinely hope that Tetra decryption will happen and grasp at any straw....

Mike

If I may speak for myself...
I own a DV1 and a DV10 and I know that decryption, TEA2 or otherwise, will not happen.
Especially not in any consumer grade receiver.

 

[RMW1010]

I think this description from AOR triggered a few people:

Leading to the following: A selection of comments & questions on various groups:

Uniden, Whistler, and others also advertise with P25, DMR, NXDN, and so on.
Is that also misleading? They can decode the protocol, but can't decrypt.

 

[G7HID]

But they can follow....

Mike

 

[RMW1010]

But they can follow....

Mike

And what good does it do for the demographic you described?

 

[MStep]

I understand there was also quite a bit of confusion with folks having to order the paid portion of the upgrade on an AOR site that was in displayed in Japanese. I imagine that some folks put that purchase on a credit card (if that was permitted). Has anyone attempted to "dispute" the charge with their credit card companies? Folks may not prevail in the long run, but it would send a signal to AOR that there are issues.

 

[grosminet]

Memories management is a nightmare with ARDV10 . So I never use this option . I bought the TETRA GSSI option . I can run it for complete days with no error . Sometime some communications are lost (compare with sdrsharp tetra plugin)