Anytone Anytone D878UV - totally unable to consistently program channels

[mcmayer]

I'm struggling quite a bit with the Anytone AT-D878UV: Channel programming is just utterly erratic, the radio randomly ignores channels, or creates a Channel-0 that can't be selected or changed. For example after successfully adding 8 channels in the CPS (Code Plug Software) and uploading the code plug the radio decides to ignore the 9th, 10th etc. The channels do exist in the radio, though - I know this because they all appear when reading back the settings into the CPS. And on the radio, when manually trying to create a new channel, it complains about existing channels.

I've actually never been able to enter more than 8 channels. Sometimes it's even less than eight channels and I can't detect any pattern at all. But the specs say that the radio can hold 4000 channels...

Here's a simple procedure that should just work perfectly, but never does:

1. Reset radio (initialize to factory settings with PTT+PF1+ON)
2. Plug in programming cable
3. Open CPS, set COM port, press “Read From Radio” icon (Read Digital Contact list and Other Data)
4. After “Read data complete” message check that channels 1-8 are available -> OK
5. In CPS go to the Public->Channel view and copy line 8 (right mouse-click, or Ctrl-c), Paste it into line 9, the channel name “Channel 9”is automatically chosen
6. Write Data to radio (Digital Contact List and Other Data)
7. After “Write Data Completed” appeared and radio rebooted, check which channels are available on the radio: ERROR! Still only channels 1-8 are available, either using channel switch or by punching 0009 in channel mode)
8. In Menu->Settings->Chan Set->New Chan try to create channel 9, that gives warning “Chan Exits! Replace?”

Essentially, the radio is reset, the code plug is read into the CPS, a row is added via copy paste, and it's all written back to the radio. The newly added channel exists but can't be selected on the radio, nor can any subsequently created ones.

Software and firmware are the newest: CPS: V 1.18N, Firmware: V 1.18

It's really annoying because otherwise the radio works just fine, as far as I can tell. Anytone Aftersale Service isn't responding (does it even exist? - the Aftersale Service page is rather empty, but there's an email address After-sales Service_ANYTONE.)

Does/did anyone else have problems like this? Any pointers or ideas would be highly welcome because I'm at my wits' end with this wretched thing.

 

[alcahuete]

1) There are some minor bugs in 1.18N. You should go back to 1.18.
2) Are you adding the channels to zones? If you don't add the channels to zones, they will not be accessible. That's how DMR radios work.

 

[g6fgy]

I could well be wrong here, but I believe that the radio won't accept duplicate entries.

It may well allocate memory space to the copied entry, which is why it's reporting "Chan Exists" error, but unless you've missed out a step in your process where you perhaps rename the copied entry or change some other parameter before writing it back to the radio, then that might be the reason.

As I say, that's just a guess. I personally do any channel changes/additions via the export to csv facility, then re-import back, a process I've never had any issues with.

 

[chief21]

Are you adding the channels to zones? If you don't add the channels to zones, they will not be accessible. That's how DMR radios work.

This sounds like the most likely cause.

 

[ladn]

It will take duplicate entries if you "import" from a CSV file.

 

[chief21]

I could well be wrong here, but I believe that the radio won't accept duplicate entries.

The 878 will ignore duplicate contact names and channel names by checking the "not unique" box found in the CPS menu - Tools / Mode.