AR-DV1 USB FAULT on some recent Receivers

marlbrook

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If you have just bought a DV1 - Be aware!

Here are Serial Numbers of AR-DV1's others have reported from an apparently faulty batch re. USB Ports failing. This is a hardware issue, not related to USB Cables, Windows or Drivers. In three of the cases the Ports worked for a very short time before they failed. In one it was present from the beginning.

09524373
09524391 (bought in Europe)
09524392 (bought in Australia - NOTE consecutive numbers))
09524458

There are in fact now 5 units with the same problem I have seen reported in the last 2 weeks.The Serial Number of one of them is unknown as it was quickly replaced by the Dealer, who then supplied another DV1 which also had the same fault. Must be an issue with a recent batch from AOR. Very disappointing. Earlier batches are OK.

IF you have bought a DV1 recently you would be well advised to check its Serial Number. IF it may be within the same batch then unless you check its USB Port works with suitable software, testing for at least a couple of days, including unplugging and plugging in a USB Plug several times, you may not find out about the fault and take action quickly enough.

These DV1's were bought mainly in Europe, but one was purchased in Australia.

AOR are denying any such fault exists, and in some cases Dealers are insisting that newly purchased AR-DV1's have to be returned to AOR in Japan, and in the case of the Radio from Australia (just 2 weeks after purchase), the Customer had to pay for the repair.

This contravenes most Countries Trading Laws.

I hope your new DV1 is OK, but the only way to find out is to get some 'FREE' Trial controlling software, and see if the Radio's USB works. In some cases the port was not working from the start, in others it failed within a few days. You really need to do that as soon as possible.

As AOR are denying any problem exists, and in two cases at least saying it is caused by the Customer (despite it being present on new Receivers in their case) and not covered by the Guarantee, there is no way of determining what exactly is causing this, although I suspect that the USB Sockets in the bad batch Batch were either not soldered correctly, or the sockets were not glued to the PCB as they need to be to give them stability and strength to withstand the forces applied by inserting and removing the USB Plug.

The latest information is AOR are saying it a faulty USB Chip, and the Customer has to pay for the repair, as they will not cover it in their Guarantee. However in this you must decide if AOR are telling the truth about the nature of the fault?

Totally contrary to what AOR might think or say, I have been a great fan of AOR equipment (with one exception) for decades), and the AR-DV1 most of all.

IF ANYONE HAS A RECENTLY PURCHASED AN AR-DV1 AND ITS USB HAS FAILED - PLEASE NOTE ITS SERIAL NUMBER AND POST THE INFORMATION HERE BEFORE RETURNING IT
 

dwell1650

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My unit have the serial number 09524312. Luckily I never used the USB port on my DV-1.
I took it apart to see how it looks like and I think it would be stronger with a tad more solder on it's chassis lugs.

IMG_20200605_132748.jpg

I have now put some more solder on it.
Thank you for sharing this issue.
 

marlbrook

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Luckily I never used the USB port on my DV-1.

Please bear in mind, the two DV1's that were returned to Japan were supposed by AOR to have USB Chips that had failed. My remarks about the physical attachment of the USB sockets are just speculation.

Th only way to be sure is to install the Windows Driver's, download and install some controlling software (there are free trials available), and test to see if all is well.

As I mentioned of the defective USB Units I know of, on some the USB did not work immediately, on others they failed after a few hours.

It really does not matter if anyone wants to use their P.C. to control the DV1 at the moment, although they may change their mind in the future.

The really important thing is that people who have bought a DV1 within the last few weeks, or are in the process of getting one, make sure the USB is (and remains) working correctly.

Despite two different Dealers, and AOR Japan saying that they will NOT repair these AR-DV1's under Guarantee, no matter if the fault is discovered on NEW Radios, Customers must resist this and insist on their Consumer Rights.

Why AOR should be adopting this approach with this 'batch' of AR-DV1s now just beggars belief. It has shown itself to be a superb Receiver and should bring them in a lot of future revenue because of that, quite rightly.

Denying this fault, and even charging for repairs, after blaming Customers (and the messenger) rather than just accepting a few of the latest DV1's need repairing is the sort of knee-jerk Political reaction we are used to recently from Politicians, and is little short of suicidal as far as their reputation is concerned.

Although I believe it is naturally important for NEW DV1 owners to be aware of this, my main motivation still remains hoping AOR will survive and can go on producing good equipment. AOR's 'deny and ignore' attitude started with the problems discovered and reported on by many people regarding the AR-DV10, and is now being used regarding the recent AR-DV1's USB failures.

The adjectives 'sad' and 'mad' spring to mind. AOR, PLEASE think again.
 

MStep

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Hi Marlbrook.....

Just a hello from an old friend in New York and fan of your software for the DV1. Been in and out of the hobby over the past several years, but a tip of the hat for your continued work and your vigilance regarding AOR and the DV1.
 

SandBagger1

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Hello Marlbrook and all,

As the owner of a USB faulty new AOR AR-DV1 repaired in Japan at my expense and told by the dealer they did me a favor in keeping the cost down I find this radio frustrating. When it works properly it is the best receiver only radio I have ever owned, it is also the most expensive.
Every time I turn it on it does something bizarre. I usually just use it for spot monitoring of a specific frequency or program a frequency range to search. Today I did a factory reset to clear all the locked-out frequencies in memory. Then I programmed a frequency range search, after a few minutes I realized the radio had no audio. After dropping the squelch out, it still had no sound but clearly was receiving. So, I turned it off, unplugged the power and went to get the box to ship it back again. I thought I better check it again and powered it up to make sure. Yep after a longer then usual start-up time it started working fine.

You have to wonder!
 

marlbrook

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You have to wonder!

Hi, first you are right about the DV1 being an excellent Receiver.

The problem you mention is NOT usual,

Please note the following:-
1. Make sure the Radio is set to LINE SQUELCH (LSQ)
The other Squelch Modes can be 'iffy' on rare occasions, but LSQ is always stable.

2. There was one problem apparently introduced by the last Firmware. Only a small number have reported it. For some unidentified reason occasionally the Radio locks up, usually stuck on a very high 'S' reading, and is either silent or issues a 'motor boat engine' sound. Powering and down then up cures it (removing the power I mean).

This seems very intermittent, and in my case it happens rarely, but one other has said it happens more regularly on his DV1.

3. Remove the SD Card, and see if the problem persists. I have written a lot about this. Just trust me, if the Card even has a very minor write error many peculiar things can happen. If that proves to fix things let me know and I will tell you what needs to be done.
--------------------------

Overall the AR-DV1 is now very stable, and a great Shack addition. I realise from your previous experience you may not be inclined to believe that, but I assure you it is true.

Please try the above, and let us know what happens.

Cheers
 

c0ne

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Interesting, so faulty hardware is not covered by warranty. I think that’s illegal
 

SigIntel8600

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Hi, first you are right about the DV1 being an excellent Receiver.

The problem you mention is NOT usual,

Please note the following:-
1. Make sure the Radio is set to LINE SQUELCH (LSQ)
The other Squelch Modes can be 'iffy' on rare occasions, but LSQ is always stable.

2. There was one problem apparently introduced by the last Firmware. Only a small number have reported it. For some unidentified reason occasionally the Radio locks up, usually stuck on a very high 'S' reading, and is either silent or issues a 'motor boat engine' sound. Powering and down then up cures it (removing the power I mean).

This seems very intermittent, and in my case it happens rarely, but one other has said it happens more regularly on his DV1.

3. Remove the SD Card, and see if the problem persists. I have written a lot about this. Just trust me, if the Card even has a very minor write error many peculiar things can happen. If that proves to fix things let me know and I will tell you what needs to be done.
--------------------------

Overall the AR-DV1 is now very stable, and a great Shack addition. I realise from your previous experience you may not be inclined to believe that, but I assure you it is true.

Please try the above, and let us know what happens.

Cheers
Hey Marlbrook,

You are the man but LSQ is Level Squelch not Line squelch.
 

SandBagger1

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Hello Marlbrook and everyone,

I have already had a good play with the squelch settings and in my testing, I have come to the same conclusion that LSQ is the best setting to have the radio on.

During searches with AUTO modulation turned on I have found the radio emits what sounds like an Encrypted radio signal at random times. When I look at the display it is showing DSTAR and is still racing though a frequency search. My initial thoughts were INTERMODULATION issues, but I now wonder.

As part of the reset I did yesterday I downloaded from SDcard.org the SD Card Formatter program and did a full format of the AOR supplied SD Card. Since having the SD Card removed for several hours the radio has performed flawlessly, all the issues I have had are gone. It is even decoding “Clearly” poor signal strength DMR and APCO25 transmissions that I have seen commercial radio’s unable to do.

When this radio is working properly it is a fantastic receiver and with all the features it really has no true competition. The greatest quality of this receiver for me is having the ability to have it search a frequency range on either VHF/UHF, select modulation to AUTO and the receiver “instantly” decodes the right mode as well as displaying the relevant information.

My hope is that “whoever” will investigate these issues and work to resolving them.
 

marlbrook

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SD CARD ISSUES - WORTH READING FOR ANY AR-DV1 OWNERS

Really pleased all seems to be working now.

I am not going to repeat all the contents of my many Posts regarding the AR-DV1 and SD Card, other than to say the slightest READ/WRITE error on the Card, normally ignored by a P.C., 'can' cause MANY apparently totally unrelated issues with the Radio.

Formatting a healthy Card will cure any problems for a time at least. You do not need special software to do that, the Windows format works OK. You can save the contents of the Card to your P.C. before the format, then paste it back again afterwards.

There have been, and will be people who refuse to believe the SD Card will produce strange behaviour, VERY strange behaviour in anything but audio related problems. That is until they finally get fed up resisting and remove the Card only to find the DV1 starts performing correctly.

There are lots of issues that may appear due to a small SD Card fault. They are diverse, often apparently erratic and intermittent, so if your DV1 starts to misbehave, the FIRST thing to try is removing the Card. It may make no difference, but very often it does.

There are not many oddities left with the AR-DV1. Firmware updates have cured most of them. As long as you are aware of the quick test (just remove the Card), and easy cure (Format) it is not worth worrying too much about this SD Card matter.

Some oddities that do remain, 'fixes' for them, and other general maintenance / use issues are covered in the eSPYonARD instructions. You do not have to ever actually run the Program, but it is free to download and once installed the Manual is available.
 

marlbrook

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During searches with AUTO modulation turned on I have found the radio emits what sounds like an Encrypted radio signal at random times. When I look at the display it is showing DSTAR and is still racing though a frequency search. My initial thoughts were INTERMODULATION issues, but I now wonder.

The AR-DV1 does that sometimes in 'AUTO'. Basically the Firmware just 'gets it wrong' sometimes. It is more likely to happen during a SEARCH or SCAN (including mixed Mode Memories). I imagine 'speed' has something to do with it, i.e. the time the Radio has to determine a Mode in AUTO, before moving on to the next channel.

'AUTO' is clever and often useful but not 100% reliable all of the time.

I eventually decided to usually avoid AUTO mode for dedicated DV1 Searches or Scans, and personally only use it on a fixed frequency, just really to determine the actual Mode for future reference.

Under software control, using 'Q' Memories 'AUTO' mode is much more reliable I find, when using a filtered or un-filtered 'Q Scan'.

Of course since the many 'Q' functions are only available in one software package, and only for the AR-DV1, that may not be relevant to any DV1 Users who have not read about it.
 

marlbrook

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I received messages today from another Customer who has been told his faulty AR-DV1 had to be sent to Japan for repair. This Radio was bought in the U.K.

He had an email from his U.K. supplier, saying that their Technician had looked it over, and can confirm an issue with the USB port and that the Radio was in transit to Japan for repair.

After owning it for just three weeks from new, and only having used it a handful of times during that period he was somewhat peeved to say the least! So after a heated phone call to the Dealer, they finally agreed to send a replacement.

I myself have had a lot of dealings with this Dealer, and always found them to be first class.

It seems almost definite that this apparent 'no' Guarantee and 'return to Japan' re. faulty AR-DV1's in this batch is being 'forced' on the Dealers by AOR themselves. We will never know if the 'repair' was supposed to be charged to the Customer this time, as it was to the Australian buyer.

If this was the only instance it would beggar belief. Alas it is not.

PLEASE bear in mind this is just one faulty batch of very recent AR-DV1's. No others have suffered from this USB issue. If you are considering buying an AR-DV1 then try not to let this discourage you. Most of them work as they should, which means wonderfully well.

All this means is if you do buy one at the moment it is essential you get hold of some software for it, and test the USB Port for several days, as soon as possible. It is the ONLY way of knowing if your new Radio is from this bad batch, and if it is, taking quick appropriate steps to get it replaced. This is one thing you cannot afford to ignore, literally.
 
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SandBagger1

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I am glad you are being contacted Marlbrook by people who are having similar experiences to mine. A reasonable person reading these posts would clearly be concerned.

My AOR AR-DV1 is sitting next to me not plugged into anything via USB and has no SD Card plugged into it and is working fine. I have my RSPDuo running and I am looking at a 10MHz slice of the VHF spectrum and are watching on the waterfall display what the AR-DV1 is scanning. The “blurps” I am hearing are the very tail end of a radio transmission.
 

marlbrook

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UPDATED LIST OF SERIAL NUMBERS - DV1 USB FAULT
09524317 (bought in France)
09524373
09524391 (bought in Europe)
09524392 (bought in Australia - NOTE consecutive numbers))
09524458
09524500
There are in fact now 8 units with the same problem I am aware of in the last 3 weeks.The Serial Numbers of two of them are unknown as they were replaced by the Dealer, who then supplied another DV1 which also had the same fault.
 

luckygecko

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...
PLEASE bear in mind this is just one faulty batch of very recent AR-DV1's. No others have suffered from this USB issue. If you are considering buying an AR-DV1 then try not to let this discourage you. Most of them work as they should, which means wonderfully well.

All this means is if you do buy one at the moment it is essential you get hold of some software for it, and test the USB Port for several days, as soon as possible. It is the ONLY way of knowing if your new Radio is from this bad batch, and if it is, taking quick appropriate steps to get it replaced. This is one thing you cannot afford to ignore, literally.

Thanks for your passion on the issue. I have one coming tomorrow (6/15) international priority, ordered June 12th from Hong Kong. I'm not sure if it is new or old stock. I had plans to use the USB right away. I will keep your postings and serial numbers in mind.

I'm still not clear from the postings is this an jack connection issue or something deeper.

w/r
 

marlbrook

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I'm still not clear from the postings is this an jack connection issue or something deeper

As far as I am aware nobody outside AOR knows, and they, as usual, are saying nothing.

One Dealer said to a Customer it was a fault with a chip, on just one AR-DV1. Of course it is being reported on quite a few Radios now, and no doubt there are others that have been sold where the USB functions has not been tested, as yet.

On some DV1's, the fault appeared immediately. On others after a few hours, or at best a couple of days.

I am sorry to say we cannot believe what Dealers or AOR may say about this. It may be a chip, or it may be just bad soldering on one batch. It could also be that the USB sockets in this batch were not glued to the board. The small USB sockets have very small connectors, and if not glued down carefully would be very easy to damage the tracks they are connected to, so just by connecting / disconnecting a USB Plug a few times, it could fail just due to the mechanical forces involved. Not helped by the 'fulcrum' effect that increases pressure on the connections if the plug is pushed up or down. Even the downward pressure of the cable could be sufficient.

In itself this is a general area of 'danger' with any small USB socket, hence the need to glue them down very well once connected electrically.

Whatever the reason, mechanical, or otherwise one might hope AOR will not be sending out any more AR-DV1's without checking for this first. However it is looking more and more like AOR's contract with Dealers is such that irrespective of how 'new' the DV1 is, they insist on the Radio being returned to Japan, and charging the Dealer for the repair. At least some Dealers are then trying to pass those charges on to the Customer. Very dodgy legally no doubt, but I know of one case where they did this and the Customer just paid up.

I really wish AOR could get their act together. They view any 'making Public' of this sort of thing as an unjustified attack, even when the faults are genuine, deny anything is ever wrong, and often 'shoot the messenger' (sigh). In my case, once I posted my DV10 test results (confirmed by others), AOR took down all references to eSPYonARD, and for a time at least some 'confederates' attacked me personally on Forums.

How they fail to realise that their conduct regarding fixing problems just undermines people's confidence in them, I cannot work out.

My main motivation about this issue, and the continuing issues with the DV10 remains the same. I want AOR to survive. I have a lot of their equipment, and with one exception, like and continue to actually praise the stuff they have sold in the past, do sell now (except the AR-DV10), and hopefully will offer for sale in the future.

A quick admission of a problem, and appropriate remedial steps does not show weakness as far as I, and I imagine many other people are concerned. This continuing denial and 'blame anyone but themselves' approach makes no business sense at all, at least in the long term.

If they do nothing about this AR-DV1 USB problem, then surely they must realise whether they care about ordinary Customers or not, soon the Dealers will cut their losses and cease to stock AOR goods.

I for one would be very sorry to see AOR go under. The answer is in their hands. Of course it may, in the short term, cost them a bit of money to do the decent thing, and put faults right, but their current approach just appears a slow, but definite road to commercial suicide.

There again they will not take note of anything I post. I am reliably informed they say my Posts are false, and I am just an attention seeker, who is totally prejudiced against AOR. How they account for my other very positive posts, about most of their other equipment, and my often stated wish they can continue in business is anyone's guess.

I still want to believe the top Executives at AOR must be being fed misleading information, from those in lower Management positions who are trying to cover their own lapses in judgement and action. Either that or the people at the very Top in AOR may find they are taking Kamikaze a bit too far.
 

luckygecko

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Receiver from HK got here today, it's 095241xx Hopefully right before this bad batch. I'll give the full serial number if it fails.
 

luckygecko

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As far as I am aware nobody outside AOR knows, and they, as usual, are saying nothing.

One Dealer said to a Customer it was a fault with a chip, on just one AR-DV1. Of course it is being reported on quite a few Radios now, and no doubt there are others that have been sold where the USB functions has not been tested, as yet.

On some DV1's, the fault appeared immediately. On others after a few hours, or at best a couple of days.

....

So far the USB is working. I did find it strange that they allow voltage from the USB port into the receiver. For example, even if the receiver is not plugged in on the main power supply, connecting a USB cable to the PC will cause the main display to light up and display text as if the receiver is about to boot.

[The unit came with Firmware 1903A and has been upgraded to 1907B]
 

marlbrook

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I did find it strange that they allow voltage from the USB port into the receiver. For example, even if the receiver is not plugged in on the main power supply, connecting a USB cable to the PC will cause the main display to light up and display text as if the receiver is about to boot.

Well that does not happen on my AR-DV1, so 'strange' indeed, and a little worrying I feel. When my DV1 is powered down, connecting the USB cable results in the 'connection sound' from the P.C., and the loading of the Drivers, but certainly nothing else.

I wonder if anyone reading thus could please check and report if it happens on their Radio?

If so please quote the Serial Number.
 

luckygecko

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This is with only the USB cable plugged in. I'm about to take an old USB cable and clip the voltage wire on the port and see if the radio will supply voltage to the controller. (thus checking to see if it will still function. ) [re Edit to add: Something is not right. That said, once I got the cable correctly wired, it will work without power reference. It is very disconcerting that the USB cable will power the display. I'm only going to run USB cables without 5v power on them. ] Note I tired two PC and three cables, they all power on the display.
 

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