AOR AR-DV1 - Quirks And Comments

[MStep]

I cannot find a method for clearing all of them by pressing buttons on the AR-DV1.

My CAT program does it. Sometimes takes more than one click, a firmware issue, but it does clear ALL pass frequencies in Search and Scan, or if you want, just one particular frequency.

Yes, I know your program has the option. I'm trying to find a way to do it directly from the radio.

 

[marlbrook]

Manually clearing 'all' pass frequencies

As you say, it is NOT documented in the AR-DV1 manual (except for SEARCH).

I have tried all the ways I can think of, and this function appears to be missing re button control of the radio itself.

A firmware omission evidently.

Strange as they supply a serial comms code for this.

(Yes I know you know, and you know that I know, but other people may not know they can tell the AR-DV1 to clear individual or ALL SEARCH and MEMORY pass frequencies, if they need to, with the CAT program).

Incidentally, I have documented the fact that setting and de-selecting PASS channels and frequencies is (or hopefully 'was') a hit and miss issue, due without doubt to changes that are needed in the firmware (others have mentioned finding the problem too).

However, in v.5.038 (due for release within hours) I have included additional steps to force the AR-DV1 to act on this 'PASS' F/W anomaly (and to deal with some other F/W issues PLUS some other interesting additions).

So far this seems to have been successful. The CAT program is dealing with all 'PASS' matters, as if the F/W issue did not exist, for me at least.

 

[MStep]

As you say, it is NOT documented in the AR-DV1 manual (except for SEARCH).

I have tried all the ways I can think of, and this function appears to be missing re button control of the radio itself.

A firmware omission evidently.

Strange as they supply a serial comms code for this.

(Yes I know you know, and you know that I know, but other people may not know they can tell the AR-DV1 to clear individual or ALL SEARCH and MEMORY pass frequencies, if they need to, with the CAT program).

Incidentally, I have documented the fact that setting and de-selecting PASS channels and frequencies is (or hopefully 'was') a hit and miss issue, due without doubt to changes that are needed in the firmware (others have mentioned finding the problem too).

However, in v.5.038 (due for release within hours) I have included additional steps to force the AR-DV1 to act on this 'PASS' F/W anomaly (and to deal with some other F/W issues PLUS some other interesting additions).

So far this seems to have been successful. The CAT program is dealing with all 'PASS' matters, as if the F/W issue did not exist, for me at least.

For those folks who are following this thread, from the radio itself, there is a cumbersome way to eliminate PASS channels from Search banks on an individual basis, and there appears to a way to eliminate PASS frequencies from VSR search, also on a one-by-one basis, but there appears to be no way to mass-eliminate any of the PASS frequencies, including from scan. It appears the only way to eliminate PASS frequencies from scan is to do so on a channel by channel basis.

My guess is, looking at some of the documentation in the manual, that at some point in the past, the (F)unction key was somehow involved in the elimination of PASS channels. I have not be able to find any way to involve the function key in ANY Pass operations.

AOR has not been especially good in fully documenting firmware updates, so it's quite possible that serial codes from past versions may not necessarily behave the same way in the current 1601B firmware.

I'd like to hear from others here on the forum regarding any issues with the PASS functions in version 1601B of the AOR firmware package.

 

[woodpecker]

You can delete all pass frequencies in a search bank by holding pass down whilst searching, select the bank when the delete box pops up and then press F followed by Pass

 

[MStep]

You can delete all pass frequencies in a search bank by holding pass down whilst searching, select the bank when the delete box pops up and then press F followed by Pass

Great tip woodpecker. I did contact AOR and asked if they could put something into the next version of their firmware that would eliminate all PASS frequencies from the entire radio--- everything from Search to Scan to VFO Search (aka VSR).

They advised that they would look into it.

 

[woodpecker]

I wish the IF bandwidth wasn't locked in Auto Mode, I would like to search for DMR, NX48 and NFM analogue signals with a 6kHz filter, with the filter locked at 15kHz in Auto Mode it doesn't lock onto weak DMR signals very well.

 

[MStep]

I wish the IF bandwidth wasn't locked in Auto Mode, I would like to search for DMR, NX48 and NFM analogue signals with a 6kHz filter, with the filter locked at 15kHz in Auto Mode it doesn't lock onto weak DMR signals very well.

Understood. Apparently it has to be that wide for AUTO mode to work properly in recognizing and then switching to the proper mode for reception. A good idea is to forward suggestions that you have to AOR and perhaps some of them will be considered in some future firmware update.

Speaking about updates, we have not had one in a while. I know that they were going to attempt to tackle P25 Phase 2, although, as they commented, "there is no guarantee" that they would be able to accomplish that with firmware alone.

 

[MStep]

Future Feature Implementation Perhaps ?

One thing which is wonderful about the AOR AR-DV1 is that both the volume and squelch settings are digitally represented. In this way, it's very easy to return to favorite settings for specific channels and frequencies.

This begs the question, why didn't AOR take advantage of these settings and make them programmable on a channel-by-channel basis? Ever notice how some of those DMR stations come blasting in, while analog stations sometimes require a boost in the volume. And how you sometimes have to play around a bit with the squelch just to get the right setting to operate across a swath of channels that you might be scanning?

Perhaps sometime in the future, AOR might be able to implement these features as welcomed additions to the DV1.

 

[deiraq]

Re: Future Feature Implementation Perhaps ?

As M-Step mentions above, it woud be really useful if the squelch settings could be individually set.

Setting the squelch relatively high for airband AM (which seems to be much more necessary on the AOR AR-DV1 than on some other scanners) means that other weaker FM / DMR signals are missed whilst scanning. Older scanners like the Radio Shack PRO-2004 seem to be able to hold a low squelch setting whilst scanning about generally with little need for adjustment . . .

What have others found with squelch use on the AOR AR-DV1 ? Do you use auto or noise or level or voice aquelch or a combination? Particular problem for me are "squelch tails" before and after AM transmissions - meaning high settings needed and loss of weaker signals.