New AOR models

[Declared_Hostile]

Looks like AOR is coming out with a new high end receiver called the AR-Alpha:

http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/widerxvr/1036.html

Specs look pretty impressive and personally I would guess the price is going to be about $5,000 probably. Being the AR-One goes for around $4,000. Just my SWAG. Like the AR-One, the SR-2000, the AOR SR1050 etc, they're not going to make a cell blocked model for the US market so if you want one you'll have to import one.

They're also evidently going to finally take the plunge into the computer controlled black box receiver market with their SR2200.

http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/widerxvr/0156.html

I do have some trepidation with this offering. Knowing AOR and their programming complexities, I shudder to think what is going to happen when they turn their programming engineers loose on designing software. I somehow don't think we're going to using the words "elegantly simple" when we describe the software interface of the SR2200. Again, to comply with our idiotic outdated cellular eavesdropping hysteria laws if you want one you'll have to import one. AOR isn't going to bother making a blocked model. They probably figure their customers have noodled through the concepts of ebay and the global marketplace.

 

[morfis]

The SR2200 has been available for quite some time now and comes with very basic software quite deliberately.
AOR have decided, quite rightly I think, to concentrate on designing/manufacturing the radio and leaving software descisions to the end user. The control protocol is freely available and quite straightforward.

Haven't seen the "Alpha" except on the internet and it has not been announced in the UK.

 

[Declared_Hostile]

The SR2200 has been available for quite some time now and comes with very basic software quite deliberately.
AOR have decided, quite rightly I think, to concentrate on designing/manufacturing the radio and leaving software descisions to the end user. The control protocol is freely available and quite straightforward.

Wasn't aware the 2200 had made it into the wild yet. I'll be curious to see how it stacks up against the offerings from Winradio and Icom. AOR either builds something fantastic or something that is an utter embarrassment. Their products really vary wildly in their quality. Sometimes they push the envelope and succeed in fine fashion and other times they fall on their face.


As much as I am intrigued by the AOR-Alpha, I think for now I'd like to keep my AR-5000+3/SDU5500 combo and get an AOR SR2000 to add to the set-up. Something tells me they're going to really price that Alpha in the stratosphere.

 

[Declared_Hostile]

Post on the AOR 5000 list had AOR USA suggesting the AOR Alpha at $8,000 to $10,000 USD.

Ouch.

 

[EricCottrell]

Hello,

As an update the AOR AR-Alpha will have a blocked version available soon according to the Universal Radio Website.

I got to play with an Icom R-9500 last weekend. The tuning and features looked good. Doing some reading of the Icom R-9500 manual showed some stupid Icom limitations like extending the cellular block down into the Public Safety band, no TV reception on US models, and not supporting 75 baud or 850 Hz shift for the FSK decoder. Plus P25 is an option and not built-in.

Besides being a couple of thousand cheaper it looks like the AOR AR-Alpha has some interesting features. FM Stereo decoding is a little thing but is a good feature. Having stereo audio outputs allows outputting both sidebands on ISB signals and the stereo cw trick with filtered audio on one channel and unfiltered on the other channel. I have also done some work with SDR so having a 1 MHz I/Q stream would be interesting to play with. Also P25 is built-in.

I can not seem to find a manual for the radio or much information other than a brief utube video and some web postings. From information I read the controls are similar to the AR-5000. I have the AR-5000 and really like the receiver. So the AR-Alpha would be a $$$ upgrade. Since I like to see one work I may hold off until Dayton and see if AOR has one in the Booth. I also have to save up the pennies to get one.

Does anyone have one and can comment on the AR-Alpha? There are some features like a 12 KHz output for Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) that were hinted at. It also seemed like AOR can add features via firmware updates.

73 Eric

 

[DaveIN]

Post on the AOR 5000 list had AOR USA suggesting the AOR Alpha at $8,000 to $10,000 USD.

Ouch.

IMHO, way out of reason unless your a three letter government organization, but then you wouldn't need the stupid cell block either.

 

[iMONITOR]

I've never been too impressed with the build quality of AOR gear. Especially for what you pay for it.

 

[EricCottrell]

Hello,

News via the AOR5000 mailing list that the blocked version of the AOR Alpha has passed FCC approval.

https://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/oetcf/eas/reports/ViewExhibitReport.cfm?mode=Exhibits&RequestTimeout=500&calledFromFrame=N&application_id=752494&fcc_id='NVJAR-ALPHA'

Looking at the manual this is an interesting receiver. It does not have an IF out but most of the functions I used the IF Output for are built-in. The ACC jack looks like a similar pin out to the AR5000 and AR8600.

The various functions do look like the AR5000 with some added features and better display. The soft keys are used for the choices. It would be interesting to see how the spectrum display compares to my AR5000 + SDU-42. The waterfall display is already a plus. One problem with some of the early FFT based spectrum displays was the slow update rate.

The TV and FM Stereo decoding is a plus although analog TV broadcast is going away.

The DRM output is an audio I/Q output. I know that the DREAM DRM receiver can be configured for I/Q input but I am unsure about the commercial DRM software.

73 Eric

 

[N1SQB]

AOR is not interested in you or me!

Like it or not, AOR is after the business / government buyers. The opening line on the Universal website page says it all; "designed to meet the increasingly complex needs of the monitoring proffessionals". Like someone else pointed out, its the folks with the 3 letter agency names . Its not to say WE are not pros at what we do, but clearly WE are not the intended audience. I dont care what they say or claim, their receivers are WAY over the price range of most common folk. In an age where gas prices and everything else that is a "necesity" are on the rise, they come out with receivers that are priced in the ridiculous range. Nearly 10K for a receiver? I wouldnt pay that much for a TRANSCEIVER. I'm sorry, but for the average family person who is also a budget oriented hobbyist, that is way beyond their idea of reasonable. The last investment I made, which taught me a big lesson, was the AOR-8200 MK III. This radio ,while it is a good receiver, is priced well over $500 does not even offer ctcss tones as standard. You have to shell out another $100 for a separate add on card and even then, you ONLY get CTCSS no DCS. I learned then, that AOR is not interested in the average hobbyist.Their radio quality is not that great either. They just figured we would just spend spend spend no matter what the price or what they did or did not include in their radios. Wrong! Even their once flagship radio , the AR-5000+3, is overpriced and STILL no pl /dpl tones. When AOR decides not to include basic things like this and price their radios the way they do, it says something. No sir, I wont spend another dime on AOR. I cant afford to. God bless those that can!

Manny

 

[PRO93BOB]

You are so right Manny.

right on the money!!

Bob

 

[N1SQB]

Thanks BOB!
In the interest of justice, they are not the only ones that do this! Icom did this with their IC-8500. The price was well over 1K and you did not get any PL / DPL tones for those like me in heavy RF saturated areas. Again, AOR CAN make their radios with better features. They chose not to! I dont get that! The Alpha looks like a real nice rig, loaded with features, not bad. However, who these days, on average, has 10K to shell out just like that, for a unit like this? Most of us on here I would be willing to bet, do not. All we get to do is look and wish, thats it!.

Manny