AR5700D First impressions

[sub101uk]

Well just to let you guys know my 5700D has gone deaf yet again so just emailing the importer what he wants me to do with it , You may remember this is the third time its been returned due to being deaf and each time they said no fault was found and all they did was to " Adjust user controls " If this was the case if you do a full factory reset all controls should return to a working state but its still the same Deaf ! So it lasted 1 month as the importer only returned the radio last month .

 

[MStep]

Well just to let you guys know my 5700D has gone deaf yet again so just emailing the importer what he wants me to do with it , You may remember this is the third time its been returned due to being deaf and each time they said no fault was found and all they did was to " Adjust user controls " If this was the case if you do a full factory reset all controls should return to a working state but its still the same Deaf ! So it lasted 1 month as the importer only returned the radio last month .

Someone might say that you got the proverbial "lemon". Before sending it back to Japan, or your dealer, or wherever you have to send it to, perhaps you can find someone else in the UK who is familiar enough with the AOR series to go over the control settings with you and make sure something is not being overlooked? If there is someone you trust in the U.K., it might be a good idea to ship it to them first to take a look at it to get a second opinion.

 

[sub101uk]

Yes I fully agree that the radio is a lemon the problem is that they wont admit to it being a lemon , This is the third time its gone deaf and last time it went deaf it was sent to a independent PMR workshop who also confirmed it was deaf .But the AOR UK importer would not accept the report because they were not on the AOR list of service centres .

So I emailed the AOR UK importer last night and I dare say he will ask me to return the radio and I bet you he will again say " NO Fault found " and that all they did was to adjust a user control . So I have ask them to tell me what user control do I adjust to regain the receivers sensitivity . If the truth is known I think the reflash the firmware and that brings back the receivers sensitivity ,

The radio was returned mid June so I have had it back a month now . But all I have done is turned it off before I went to bed and then turned it back on again in the morning so its not a "User control Adjustment " Thats made it deaf and if it was if you did a factory reset the sensitivity would have returned but it dont .

So like you say its a lemon a £4.5K lemon thats been back for repairs 5 or 6 times now sorry but I have lost count , Since its clearly a intermittent problem it would have been best to change out the radio but for some strange reason they wont . So this 5700D was bought in January 2020 in the first 5 months in did 2 trips to Japan due to problems with DALL and DMR all due to problems with firmware . Since December its started going deaf . In february 2020 it was returned to importer for a paid firmware upgrade and to have the sensitivity checked but no fault was found and the radio was returned . In May it went deaf again and returned to UK Importer who again said ,They stated " No changes or adjustments to the radio other than the normal user controls were made "

 

[G7HID]

 

[sub101uk]

Looks like it Mike ! Oh well its a nice trip to Portsmouth but they dont want to know since it was not bought from them but all repairs for AOR are done there or sent to AOR in Japan . I wonder what there going to say now .

I need to find a well known RF lab that can test this radio sensitivity this place would carry out a tests and give me a full report www.RNelectronics.com but it was a bit pricey .

 

[G7HID]

Might be worth having a quiet word with Martin Lynch, they have the equipment and the people, apart from that they are the most honest amateur radio dealer out of the bunch in the UK..

Mike

 

[sub101uk]

Yes I did think about them or having a chat to Icom UK , But after being told they found no problem with the radio and all they did was to adjust user controls . So I have ask them WHAT USER CONTROLS did they adjust ? Its only been back a month .

But the word is as you said Honest as its very clear that this is far from a user control problem if the truth is know they reflash the firmware this brings back the sensitivity but its not a permanent fix as its only been back a month and gone again .

 

[lolbananalol2]

Yes I did think about them or having a chat to Icom UK , But after being told they found no problem with the radio and all they did was to adjust user controls . So I have ask them WHAT USER CONTROLS did they adjust ? Its only been back a month .

But the word is as you said Honest as its very clear that this is far from a user control problem if the truth is know they reflash the firmware this brings back the sensitivity but its not a permanent fix as its only been back a month and gone again .

How would Icom be able to help with an AOR product?

 

[G7HID]

Whoever you go to you will have to state that you want a comprehensive condition report on the radio and not something that can be used as a weapon against one of their competitors, otherwise they might turn you down..

Mike

 

[G7HID]

How would Icom be able to help with an AOR product?

Good point

Mike

 

[sub101uk]

Yes Mike this is where a independent RF lab would be the requirement as all AOR radios are imported via the same importer .Regarding Icom UK most of the gear here is all Icom and I have found it to be very built and over the years I have got to know the guys over there but it was just a thought as they have a fully equipped workshop . As at the moment we seem to be going round in circles , It goes deaf the radio is sent back , No fault found returned working , All I get is ALL WE DID WAS TO adjust user controls .

 

[SigIntel8600]

Well just to let you guys know my 5700D has gone deaf yet again so just emailing the importer what he wants me to do with it , You may remember this is the third time its been returned due to being deaf and each time they said no fault was found and all they did was to " Adjust user controls " If this was the case if you do a full factory reset all controls should return to a working state but its still the same Deaf ! So it lasted 1 month as the importer only returned the radio last month .

sub101uk,

I am so sorry to hear that your 5700D has malfunctioned again. I know it is no consolation to you, but my 5700D has been relatively error free. I have not had any sensitivity issues as of yet. Once, after using the AOR programming software to program some memory banks, I turned off the 5700D via the front power switch, removed the USB cord from my computer, and hit power again. The screen displayed Boot Error. After giving myself CPR, LOL, I placed the radio in standby with the power switch and turned off the rear switch, I removed the AC cord and waited for about a minute or two. I turned everything back on, normal boot, and have not seen the message since. The AOR programming software is a MAJOR disappointment. There is no way to save your programmed banks using the software. You have to read the current bank and then make changes to each memory, and then write it to the 5700D, ONE MEMORY AT A TIME. It takes forever to program a standard bank of frequencies but it is better than nothing, I guess. I hope your situation gets worked out.

 

[sub101uk]

Many thanks for the feed back on your 5700D I wish I could say the same but this is the third time its gone deaf I only wish that the the AOR UK importer would just tell the truth because its very clear that there is a intermittent problem with one of the rf stages but all they keep telling me is no fault was found and that all they did was to adjust the user controls and the sensitivity returns . I have ask them several times " What User Controls " and so far I have had nothing back from them explaining what user controls ? .

If the truth is known they just reflash the firmware and that seems to fix the poor sensitivity however its not a permanent fix as its clear it only last for a month or so before it goes deaf again . Yes not thought of unplugging the PSU but I did take the radio down to a independent commercial PMR workshop and they also found it was deaf so I have a feeling unplugging the PSU wont make any difference but I will give it a go later .

Wow you program yours to be honest with you I bought this radio in january in 2020 and the first few weeks like you I started programing the memorys however I found DALL was not working then DMR was not decoding the radio was returned twice to Japan since then it been back in the importers workshops about 4 times . So I gave up programing the radio as it seem to be away more then on my desk .As for the bag with the USB stick and the 2 leads they have never been out of the bag as the radio seem so unstable . So I cant comment on the AOR programming software .

Maybe one day when this radio keeps working I might get round to installing the software but all I can do is wait and see , So at the moment still waiting to hear back from the AOR UK importer .While I wait I will make further enquiries for finding a commercial RF lab that has modern test equipment to check the current state of the sensitivity and then do a full report of the findings as its very clear to any one reading this as this is not " User Controls " Problem , You go to bed with a working radio and when you turn the radio back on in the morning its deaf and its not the antenna or feeder or corrosion on the N sockets on the radio the problem is within the radio .

As far as the antennas go there is 2 Diamond X 510 one on the tower and one on the side of the house both fed with Andrews LDF-450 . When used on my Icom 275H + 475H there both fine . Both feeders come straight in the shack and straight in the radios there is no triplexer or duplexer .

The only way forward is to change out the radio or in the UK we have a small claims court that for a small fee you can claim back your money since the radio is not fit for purpose . The problem is they have a 2 year back log of cases due to coronavirus . However all I want is a working radio that keep working .

 

[alanswebb]

sub101uk,

I am so sorry to hear that your 5700D has malfunctioned again. I know it is no consolation to you, but my 5700D has been relatively error free. I have not had any sensitivity issues as of yet. Once, after using the AOR programming software to program some memory banks, I turned off the 5700D via the front power switch, removed the USB cord from my computer, and hit power again. The screen displayed Boot Error. After giving myself CPR, LOL, I placed the radio in standby with the power switch and turned off the rear switch, I removed the AC cord and waited for about a minute or two. I turned everything back on, normal boot, and have not seen the message since. The AOR programming software is a MAJOR disappointment. There is no way to save your programmed banks using the software. You have to read the current bank and then make changes to each memory, and then write it to the 5700D, ONE MEMORY AT A TIME. It takes forever to program a standard bank of frequencies but it is better than nothing, I guess. I hope your situation gets worked out.

If you do encounter the boot error message again, it could be something on the SD card that is causing it. Another owner posted this problem a few months back (Facebook group) and was told by AOR (so he reports) that this would be the cause of it.
And another owner (myself) without any problems.

 

[sub101uk]

Morning Alan sorry I think you got me mixed up with the other Brian he had the SD card problem that was causing him the boot error . Plus my SD card , AOR stick and cables have never left the bag they arrived in .

The problem I have is the the radio has once again gone deaf and this is the third time , Before you may remember it went back to the AOR UK importer who said " NO fault was found ! and all we did was to adjust the users controls "

All I know is I went to bed with it working and in the morning turn it back on only to find it had gone deaf .All my local DMR signals before where 5/5 - 5/7 now there so weak there dropping out due to lack of signal , This is on all signals from VHF commercial FM radio channels right up to Hospital DMR channels on 450 Mhz .

I have asked more than once "What User controls do you adjust to regain sensitivity " and so far heard nothing back , I still think they re flash the firmware which brings back the sensitivity but its not a permanent fix as its clear it only last for a month or so before it goes deaf as the radio this last returned from the workshops in mid June and it went deaf yesterday .

To give you some idea of how deaf its gone here is a picture of Radio Essex Nomal + Deaf

 

[alanswebb]

Morning Alan sorry I think you got me mixed up with the other Brian he had the SD card problem that was causing him the boot error . Plus my SD card , AOR stick and cables have never left the bag they arrived in .

The problem I have is the the radio has once again gone deaf and this is the third time , Before you may remember it went back to the AOR UK importer who said " NO fault was found ! and all we did was to adjust the users controls "

All I know is I went to bed with it working and in the morning turn it back on only to find it had gone deaf .All my local DMR signals before where 5/5 - 5/7 now there so weak there dropping out due to lack of signal , This is on all signals from VHF commercial FM radio channels right up to Hospital DMR channels on 450 Mhz .

I have asked more than once "What User controls do you adjust to regain sensitivity " and so far heard nothing back , I still think they re flash the firmware which brings back the sensitivity but its not a permanent fix as its clear it only last for a month or so before it goes deaf as the radio this last returned from the workshops in mid June and it went deaf yesterday .

To give you some idea of how deaf its gone here is a picture of Radio Essex Nomal + Deaf

Yes Brian, I know you got confused the last time. It was BF I was referring to in my post, and not you. I remember this because you claimed I got it wrong the last time and it was his thread I was replying to. Ok. Cheers.

 

[sub101uk]

Hi Alan I have Pm you on FB .

 

[alanswebb]

Hi Alan I have Pm you on FB .

Yes, replied to you, Brian R.

 

[SigIntel8600]

If you do encounter the boot error message again, it could be something on the SD card that is causing it. Another owner posted this problem a few months back (Facebook group) and was told by AOR (so he reports) that this would be the cause of it.
And another owner (myself) without any problems.

Thanks for this info.

 

[alanswebb]

Thanks for this info.

@ SigIntel8600 You are welcome.