I wouldn't be at all surprised if a Public Safety agency was still using 25 kHz modulation. Some agencies just aren't attuned to the changing FCC rules. Are you able to test the radio on other possibly-correct NB signals?
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Anytone Anytone 878 display screen
- Thread starter Radioactive85
- Start date
- Status
Radioactive85
Member
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2018
- Messages
- 10
The sheriffs department and ambulance service in my area are the only ones using analog VHF supposedly narrow band. Everything else is on P25. I was able to use my other HT set to narrow band and set the 878 to narrow band. I received the same results, the 878 had a crackling noise that is not acceptable. Once I set the 878 to wideband, my other HT transmitting narrow band sounded acceptable. Sounds like this radio is just bad, if not bad then this is what people are accepting as normal. I’m not willing to accept it, so unless there is a firmware fix for this type of issue. The end result for this thread, is me sending this radio back to the vendor. I appreciate everyone’s response. I might spend the extra few dollars this next time, to get a radio with a superhet instead.
Hello i am also having this same problem, weak signals have a high pitched noise when the screen back light is on when it goes off the noise goes straight away. This is unnoticeable on strong signals, i currently use my radio in UHF, same thing happens in VFO mode.
There's a few things you can do to help this issue, some simple, others very advanced. I discuss them on my 878 web page here:
Thanks TassieJay I would like to say Thank you that website is amazing I have had my head stuck in it since I have had my 878, unfortunately I won’t be taking my radio apart anytime soon, it’s a few months old and works nice, just the RX niggle..
The easy fixes I have tried, now the last thing I need to try and it’s a long shot is to turn GPS on. Failing that I will go into the CPS and knock back the display RX time to 1, will be a shame for the digital side as I won’t be able to read the display.
Thanks.
The easy fixes I have tried, now the last thing I need to try and it’s a long shot is to turn GPS on. Failing that I will go into the CPS and knock back the display RX time to 1, will be a shame for the digital side as I won’t be able to read the display.
Thanks.
Absolutely, it is an issue with the Anydeaftones on analog. My 868 does this for 2 years and a regional DMR group extolling the virtues of “ the only radio you’ll ever need”. and squelching any comments to the contrary. What ever chip it uses for the receiver is horrible. I replaced it with an Alinco DJ MD5, which has a similar design but the internals ARE different. My real test of any radio on VHF is how well it receives NOAA on wx.
The alinco is almost as good as my TYT MD 380s and close to Kenwood 280/2180 series. I still prefer superheterodyne over direct conversion but the write up in the HVDN page was worth the read
Teardown: Expanded Alinco DJ-MD5TGP Review
Alinco DJ-MD5TGP review, alinco md5 review, alinco teardown, dmr codec, stm32f ham radio k2gog
Absolutely, it is an issue with the Anydeaftones on analog. My 868 does this for 2 years and a regional DMR group extolling the virtues of “ the only radio you’ll ever need”. and squelching any comments to the contrary. What ever chip it uses for the receiver is horrible. I replaced it with an Alinco DJ MD5, which has a similar design but the internals ARE different. My real test of any radio on VHF is how well it receives NOAA on wx.
The alinco is almost as good as my TYT MD 380s and close to Kenwood 280/2180 series. I still prefer superheterodyne over direct conversion but the write up in the HVDN page was worth the read
Teardown: Expanded Alinco DJ-MD5TGP Review
Alinco DJ-MD5TGP review, alinco md5 review, alinco teardown, dmr codec, stm32f ham radio k2goghvdnnotebook.blogspot.com
Anydeaftones? Uh...no. Maybe your 868 was horrible (perhaps due to the notoriously bad antenna), but my 878 is almost as hot on receive as my 7550e radios, which have arguably the hottest receive on the market, if not ever. It is a very rare day when my 878 can't hear as well as the /\/\, on both VHF and UHF.
The reports of deafness / mute needing a bomb to wake it up / noisy / etc etc on VHF continue to mystify me. I've got three, an 868 and a few 878s, and a fellow ham who also has an 878 - none of ours has these issues, tested under a variety of conditions.
I was thinking the issue might be environmental - lots of strong signals causing the direct conversion receiver to hit the limit of it's target gain windows or something. But some users making these reports are in rural areas with no strong signals at all.
Time and time again, I've asked for people to make more detailed observations to try to get to the bottom of the issue... but no-one ever comes through. They just continue to moan about it, and return the radio for refund.
I'm starting to think the issue isn't genuine, and it may be part of a co-ordinated effort to discredit the radio, sponsored by a competitor. Someone prove me wrong, please.
I was thinking the issue might be environmental - lots of strong signals causing the direct conversion receiver to hit the limit of it's target gain windows or something. But some users making these reports are in rural areas with no strong signals at all.
Time and time again, I've asked for people to make more detailed observations to try to get to the bottom of the issue... but no-one ever comes through. They just continue to moan about it, and return the radio for refund.
I'm starting to think the issue isn't genuine, and it may be part of a co-ordinated effort to discredit the radio, sponsored by a competitor. Someone prove me wrong, please.
Honestly Jason...I might be with you on that. I still try to give the benefit of the doubt, as I'm sure there are certain quality control issues in China. Hell, my Icom 7610 is going in for repairs next week, and that is definitely no $200 Chinese radio. LOL! It happens. But to happen as much as some of these people claim, I think I'm really starting to agree with you.
Just for the record I don’t work for a anytone competitor, I love the anytone 878 I would say it’s the best HT out there as it does everything, and looks awesome with the display bold font mod, Any way my 878 is used in UHF as I’m using a UHF stubby and I can confirm on analog and digital the radio receiver is stellar 0 complaints there,, the only bad point is that backlight it’s very noisy when the signal is under a S9. I did not fix this but in the CPS I have changed the RX backlight to 1sec delay.
is there anything else you would like to know?
thanks.
is there anything else you would like to know?
thanks.
nd5y
Member
Probably most users don't have the knowledge or skills to do that.
If they're hams, they should. Unfortunately, we have become a bunch of appliance operators.
Thanks Adrian, that's OK. The noise from the screen is a known issue, and addressed by AnyTone as far as possible in the latest revisions coming out of the factory with a change in flexi-track cable, extra earthing of the display frame and judicious use of RF gaskets.
It's more the VHF deafness issue that continues to be raised, without proof nor effort to provide any.
Agreed, not everyone has an RF anechoic chamber or lab grade test gear to play with. Which is why all I ask for is videos of the problem, including a comparison between their other handhelds that 'work so much better' with mute off on both radios, along with a description of their RF environment eg: rural, metro, nearby transmitters etc. Not onerous by any means, but the few dozen people who have all complained about the issue, not one has stepped up to assist. Without any evidence to the contrary, what other conclusion can be arrived at, other than extreme apathy?
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2020
- Messages
- 362
Welp... here's mine: Just got an 878 primarily for analog use-can't resist the nice display! - and it has been horrid right out of the box. I too use noaa for a reference. I don't have access to a service monitor anymore so measurements are out but all I can tell you is that my $30 Baofeng and 10 year old Radio Shack scanner wipe the floor with the 878. 80-90% quieting on the Baofeng = 878 barely breaks squelch. I have the squelch set on 1 and it's still too tight. I used the long Nagoya antenna. With the factory antenna it is even worse. Baofeng recieved noaa in the basement, below ground 35 mi. from the station. Noisy but perfectly readable. 878 didn't even make that upstairs in the living room held statue of liberty style, popping in and out of too-tight squelch. So I don't know what 'detailed observations' I can give aside from the fact that it *is* a genuine problem. I'm a good microsurgeon with portables but even in the two way business when surface mount came around whaddaya do? Maybe change a volume control, jack or speaker, if it's not that, right off to the factory. (late 90's) So 20 years older with old fart eyes tells me not to go screwing around. The thing is in the return window and the seller agreed to a replacement. NOW... if the replacement is the same, bye-bye Anytone and I'll stick with my CCR, which hears everything I ask of it.
Don't want to get my hopes up... but if these questions can be answered, it might help pinpoint the problem:
1) *exact* frequency or frequencies the problem is noticed on?
2) Program just one problem frequency into a memory of the radio AND into VFO.
3) Set the 878 mute to open (Menu > Settings > Radio Set > [27] Ana Sq Level > Ana SQ OFF
4) Test problem frequency on comparison radio, note how 'noisy' or noise-free the signal is
5) Swap antenna from the comparison radio to the 878.
6) Test problem frequency on 878 *VFO* How 'noisy' is the signal, with the mute always open, compared to the other radio?
(intention here is to see if it's RF sensitivity or mute sensitivity, or both)
7) Test problem frequency on 878 *MEMORY CHANNEL*. Again, how noisy or noise-free is the signal, with mute always open, compared to other radio?
(intention here is to determine if the RF transceiver chip is being 'initialised' correctly when switching between VFO & memory modes)
8) Describe your surrounding RF environment: eg: metro or rural / testing inside or outside / located near any nearby transmitter towers / anything else you think might be relevant
If it's easier for you to do a video of this, that would be just fine too.
TailGator911
Silent Key/KF4ANC
I also own the 878 and have not had any issues with it whatsoever. Audio is nice and clean and clear when it is loud. I bought it mainly for the nice display and to check out the DMR in my area. Very satisfied with the 878, even tho I use it mostly in 2m mode. If I experienced any other of the aforementioned problems I would immediately contact your vendor. My only complaint is the scarcity of DMR here in Dayton.
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2020
- Messages
- 362
Don't want to get my hopes up... but if these questions can be answered, it might help pinpoint the problem:
1) *exact* frequency or frequencies the problem is noticed on?
162.4 my noaa "test" frequency for overall checks.
2) Program just one problem frequency into a memory of the radio AND into VFO.
Did that.
3) Set the 878 mute to open (Menu > Settings > Radio Set > [27] Ana Sq Level > Ana SQ OFF
Done
4) Test problem frequency on comparison radio, note how 'noisy' or noise-free the signal is
5) Swap antenna from the comparison radio to the 878.
6) Test problem frequency on 878 *VFO* How 'noisy' is the signal, with the mute always open, compared to the other radio?
(intention here is to see if it's RF sensitivity or mute sensitivity, or both)
7) Test problem frequency on 878 *MEMORY CHANNEL*. Again, how noisy or noise-free is the signal, with mute always open, compared to other radio?
OK, there is no comparison. The comparison radio-in this case my Ailunce HD1-blew the doors off the 878. 162.4, which is spotty here, HD1 consistently receives very well, handheld and sitting by itself on the coffee table. 162.4 comes in here ~75% with some fried eggs on all of my ht's. On both radios I used the 878's stock antenna.
878: Both VFO and memory make no difference. Both are the same. With squelch open or not-checked both ways-in the same places I held or sat the HD1-I had to do statue of liberty hold overhead to get a readable signal. It really is worse than I thought. In the same exact spot on the coffee table the 878 did not receive the signal *at all* with open squelch, none, nada. Not even there.
I'm a former two-way tech. I will tell you beyond a doubt that the *rf* sensitivity on the 878 is poor enough to make the radio unusable. But, also, the squelch sensitivity is poor. At 1 it still mutes a weak signal too much. Squelch needs smaller increments in software settings to let weaker signald through.
(intention here is to determine if the RF transceiver chip is being 'initialised' correctly when switching between VFO & memory modes)
8) Describe your surrounding RF environment: eg: metro or rural / testing inside or outside / located near any nearby transmitter towers / anything else you think might be relevant.
I'm in a development, rural setting, in the living room, turned off all phones, tablets, etc since they wipe out the whole room when charging. No other things around that cause problems with V/U reception.
Hope this helps... definitely an RF sens problem with the radio.
*BTW* I show here as a newbie but I was here under a different user for years until I had a hiatus and lost all of my info. I've been at 'this thing of ours' since 1969.
If it's easier for you to do a video of this, that would be just fine too.
1) *exact* frequency or frequencies the problem is noticed on?
162.4 my noaa "test" frequency for overall checks.
2) Program just one problem frequency into a memory of the radio AND into VFO.
Did that.
3) Set the 878 mute to open (Menu > Settings > Radio Set > [27] Ana Sq Level > Ana SQ OFF
Done
4) Test problem frequency on comparison radio, note how 'noisy' or noise-free the signal is
5) Swap antenna from the comparison radio to the 878.
6) Test problem frequency on 878 *VFO* How 'noisy' is the signal, with the mute always open, compared to the other radio?
(intention here is to see if it's RF sensitivity or mute sensitivity, or both)
7) Test problem frequency on 878 *MEMORY CHANNEL*. Again, how noisy or noise-free is the signal, with mute always open, compared to other radio?
OK, there is no comparison. The comparison radio-in this case my Ailunce HD1-blew the doors off the 878. 162.4, which is spotty here, HD1 consistently receives very well, handheld and sitting by itself on the coffee table. 162.4 comes in here ~75% with some fried eggs on all of my ht's. On both radios I used the 878's stock antenna.
878: Both VFO and memory make no difference. Both are the same. With squelch open or not-checked both ways-in the same places I held or sat the HD1-I had to do statue of liberty hold overhead to get a readable signal. It really is worse than I thought. In the same exact spot on the coffee table the 878 did not receive the signal *at all* with open squelch, none, nada. Not even there.
I'm a former two-way tech. I will tell you beyond a doubt that the *rf* sensitivity on the 878 is poor enough to make the radio unusable. But, also, the squelch sensitivity is poor. At 1 it still mutes a weak signal too much. Squelch needs smaller increments in software settings to let weaker signald through.
(intention here is to determine if the RF transceiver chip is being 'initialised' correctly when switching between VFO & memory modes)
8) Describe your surrounding RF environment: eg: metro or rural / testing inside or outside / located near any nearby transmitter towers / anything else you think might be relevant.
I'm in a development, rural setting, in the living room, turned off all phones, tablets, etc since they wipe out the whole room when charging. No other things around that cause problems with V/U reception.
Hope this helps... definitely an RF sens problem with the radio.
*BTW* I show here as a newbie but I was here under a different user for years until I had a hiatus and lost all of my info. I've been at 'this thing of ours' since 1969.
If it's easier for you to do a video of this, that would be just fine too.
There was a problem involving the LCD screen not grounding properly to the chassis. I think anytone should of fixed it in good faith
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