I've been reading a lot about this relatively new, amateur-oriented, dual-band DMR handheld to the point where I'm considering picking one up. Does anyone have any experience with this model?
- John AC4JK
- John AC4JK
Ailunce HD1 Dual-Band DMR
- Thread starter chief21
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John, I have one, as well as MD-380 (both U and V), MD-2017 dual band, GD-77 dual band, and a Motorola XPR7550. Of all of them, I find the Ailunce HD1 the best in terms of features and ease of use.
It is the only one that allows up to 3,000 channels, and 100,000 Private Contacts. Currently the total number of users in the world is ~87,000 so this radio will hold all of them with a bit of room for more.
Tx power on VHF is 10w, 3.5w and 1w
Tx power on UHF is 8w, 3.5w, and 1w
One of the features I like best of all is that the display uses a 3x sized font for channel name or frequency, making it easy to read!
The channel knob is a continuous rotary encoder, meaning you can have up to 100 channels per zone, instead of being limited to only 16 channels per zone. You can also enter channel numbers via the keypad (assuming you can remember them!) to rapidly change channels.
In VFO mode you can enter frequencies directly from the keypad, and set CTCSS/DCS etc. via the menu system. You can also enter information for a digital freq, color code, and slot number, etc.
You can also set Band A as digital and Band B as analog if that's more convenient than mixing modes in a single Band.
Yeah, I like it a lot!
It is the only one that allows up to 3,000 channels, and 100,000 Private Contacts. Currently the total number of users in the world is ~87,000 so this radio will hold all of them with a bit of room for more.
Tx power on VHF is 10w, 3.5w and 1w
Tx power on UHF is 8w, 3.5w, and 1w
One of the features I like best of all is that the display uses a 3x sized font for channel name or frequency, making it easy to read!
The channel knob is a continuous rotary encoder, meaning you can have up to 100 channels per zone, instead of being limited to only 16 channels per zone. You can also enter channel numbers via the keypad (assuming you can remember them!) to rapidly change channels.
In VFO mode you can enter frequencies directly from the keypad, and set CTCSS/DCS etc. via the menu system. You can also enter information for a digital freq, color code, and slot number, etc.
You can also set Band A as digital and Band B as analog if that's more convenient than mixing modes in a single Band.
Yeah, I like it a lot!
Yeah, I like it a lot!
Thanks for your comments, Bill.
As I said, I have been reading about this rig for a while, so I'm fairly familiar with most of the features. What I am really curious about is the actual performance. Can you discuss the RX performance... especially the selectivity of the receiver and its behavior in the vicinity of incidental emitters (like a PC or a router)? Some of my analog chinese radios do not perform well in this type of environment. I've also read varying accounts of its overall receiving ability. Some say that it works as well as other radios and others report that one band or the other is deaf. What has been your experience?
- John AC4JK
N4KVE
Member
Go to their Facebook group. There you will find hours of reading. Like the guy who claims when he keys up his transmit, his laptop loses it's wifi connection. Or when he transmits, some home appliances turn on, or off. Or the popping noise when the signal drops, so people remove 4 components from the circuit board to stop the popping. Just go to their Facebook page.
W8RMH
Feed Provider Since 2012
I just ordered one of these (before reading the FB page). The other reports on the internet and You Tube seem to be very good.
I see people reporting how well it transmits and receives on the Marine and Public Safety bands....I don't know how legal that is. I read it is amateur type accepted, I don't know about these other services.
I'm getting it for DMR and analog amateur use. Maybe play around with it to listen only to private DMR.
I see people reporting how well it transmits and receives on the Marine and Public Safety bands....I don't know how legal that is. I read it is amateur type accepted, I don't know about these other services.
I'm getting it for DMR and analog amateur use. Maybe play around with it to listen only to private DMR.
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W8RMH
Feed Provider Since 2012
Oddly, it doesn't have DTMF, yet it is advertised as the first DMR radio designed specifically for amateur use. Hopefully it will come on a future firmware update.
N4KVE
Member
But they did not lie, & say the radio has DTMF. People might assume it does, but we all know what the word "assume" really means. Welcome to the world of creative advertising. Like a car dealer will advertise a car for $18,000, but when you get to the dealer it's $23,000. You show them the ad, & that price was only for one particular car with zero options that was sold last week. All the remaining cars are loaded, & $23,000. That's just life in today's world.
John, as always YMMV, but considering that I regularly use the radio from my development desk/ham shack and sit less than 3' from my D-Link router with Wi-Fi, I've had no problems whatsoever. None of my WiFi devices have suffered any disconnects or other problems, including a jumboSPOT MMDVM that I use to access some DMR talk groups that are not carried by my local VHF and UHF DMR repeaters.
I also live close to downtown Chicago which is known to be "RF Hell" the selectivity has been astonishingly good.
Yes, there is no DTMF at this time, and honestly no promises have been made about its future insofar as a possible firmware fix. I haven't needed DTMF for the past thirty or so years, so its absence is no major concern for me.
Golay
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Like I've said previously, I'm seriously considering selling the 6550 and getting a dual band DMR so I don't need to carry two radios. Looking at the reviews for the HD1, two predominant "wahs":
1. No bonk if out of range or timeslot busy.
2. Slow scan.
For those who have it already, any validity to these disgruntled comments? I would truly hope the scan isn't as slow as a BaoFeng.
1. No bonk if out of range or timeslot busy.
2. Slow scan.
For those who have it already, any validity to these disgruntled comments? I would truly hope the scan isn't as slow as a BaoFeng.
It seems like Ailunce has killed the lions share of the remaining bugs with the latest firmware update, so I've pulled the trigger on an HD1GPS and now I'm waiting for it to arrive. I ordered it from Amazon but the rig still ships from China, which I didn't realize. I could have gotten a slightly better deal if I would have ordered direct from the China web site.
Time to get started building a new codeplug!
- John AC4JK
Time to get started building a new codeplug!
- John AC4JK
HD1
Thanks for all of the positive feedback. I am thinking about this radio as a 2nd DMR radio. But I am also intreged about the new MD-UV380.
Thanks for all of the positive feedback. I am thinking about this radio as a 2nd DMR radio. But I am also intreged about the new MD-UV380.
W8RMH
Feed Provider Since 2012
I ordered from Amazon and got mine in two days from Texas. It was defective though and I returned it. I'm done with these cheapo DMR radios, this is the third one I have had to return.
Received my new HD1GPS earlier this week and am reporting my experience to date...
> Radio build date is 3/18/2018; shipped with FW v1.4.4
> Charged battery to 100%
> Installed program cable to Windows 10 PC (64-bit)
> Read original HD1 image and saved to file (just in case)
> Built new codeplug from scratch and loaded to HD1; codeplug contains 163 channels (54 digital/109 analog) in 6 zones
> Updated FW from v1.4.4 (original) to v1.4.5
> Loaded in 80,000+ address book contacts
Through all of the above set-up, no issues to report. I have since been running the HD1 in various analog scans and DMR modes for almost 48 hours now (interrupted for recharge) with no real issues thus far.
I really like the form factor of the HD1 - about as wide and almost as tall as a typical Motorola HT. RX audio is plenty (!) loud. TX audio seems adequate. Able to reach distant repeaters on mid power.
Looking to the future, I would like to see more features and flexibility in the HD1 CPS, as suggested by many others. As one example, the CPS for my AT868 is highly configurable.
- John AC4JK
> Radio build date is 3/18/2018; shipped with FW v1.4.4
> Charged battery to 100%
> Installed program cable to Windows 10 PC (64-bit)
> Read original HD1 image and saved to file (just in case)
> Built new codeplug from scratch and loaded to HD1; codeplug contains 163 channels (54 digital/109 analog) in 6 zones
> Updated FW from v1.4.4 (original) to v1.4.5
> Loaded in 80,000+ address book contacts
Through all of the above set-up, no issues to report. I have since been running the HD1 in various analog scans and DMR modes for almost 48 hours now (interrupted for recharge) with no real issues thus far.
I really like the form factor of the HD1 - about as wide and almost as tall as a typical Motorola HT. RX audio is plenty (!) loud. TX audio seems adequate. Able to reach distant repeaters on mid power.
Looking to the future, I would like to see more features and flexibility in the HD1 CPS, as suggested by many others. As one example, the CPS for my AT868 is highly configurable.
- John AC4JK
RiverCity45
Member
Just received mine yesterday. Similar experience, except I had the dreaded system freeze while uploading that 85,000+ digital contact database.
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Ailunce HD 1 soft modulation.
I've been a while in the possession of the HD1 of Ailunce, there is one point where I irritated touch. Namely the FM modulation is much too soft compared to other radios. And here's after 3 firmware updates yet to be done. Wonderful radio that meets the requirements of the radio amateur.
I've been a while in the possession of the HD1 of Ailunce, there is one point where I irritated touch. Namely the FM modulation is much too soft compared to other radios. And here's after 3 firmware updates yet to be done. Wonderful radio that meets the requirements of the radio amateur.
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