AR5700D First impressions

[sub101uk]

Before I would agree but its seems to be working now but it did take 2 trips to Japan and 6 months to repair .

 

[devicelab]

Before I would agree but its seems to be working now but it did take 2 trips to Japan and 6 months to repair.

I'm not saying you didn't have another issue. I'm just saying that a lot of people assume digital noise == voice traffic.

 

[sub101uk]

Yes it seems to be working now any way we shall wait and see what new firmware AOR brings out in the future .

 

[sub101uk]

Ok the update on the AOR-5700D Having found a second owner of a 5700D he also sent his back due to having problems with the original firmware : main _912C D9N5D P912A His problem was not the same as mine it was the SD card side of things that was not working it would seem the original firmware that was supplied with the radio only supported cards upto 2 gb. The latest firmware that has been released fixes fhe problem.
Now heres the cruncher.
Aor inform me that the 5700d firmware can ot be user updated.
I asked why was this. I was told that the three main processors have to be updated in sequence so they all talk to each other.
The 5700d seems to be state of the art and a very complex radio.
To update the firmware it has to be returned to the importer for the firmware upgrades. They have been trained and have the skills to do the upgrade and if not done in the correct way.

Mine as you know returned from Japan with firmware : main_005A D0N4B P005B and seems to work fine . If however you still have the old firmware it has to be returned to AOR in Japan " Or so they say " ? All sounds very odd when you think you could upgrade your firmware on your DV1 and now with the 5700D you need to return to AOR in Japan for new firmware , All very strange ?

 

[marlbrook]

now with the 5700D you need to return to AOR in Japan for new firmware

Depends on who has to pay for shipping and update costs?

I imagine it is either the Customer, or now let me see, Oh yes the Customer.

 

[sub101uk]

Yes any body who owns a 5700D will be thinking the same thing ! So far I have only found 3 owners of 5700D . I would love to put a DV1 along side a 5700D and compare them .

 

[marlbrook]

Having considered this for a while, I think you may have a point about AOR also changing some components during your Units second holiday in Japan.

It has become increasingly apparent AOR will under no circumstances admit to any faults in their equipment caused by their own design, faulty components, or even manufacturing / assembly issues, even when brand new.

Not allowing Users to update the firmware, as they can in other AOR products, 'may' be a way of ensuring current 5700's have to be sent to Japan, supposedly for the firmware upgrade, but really to secretly 'mend' a fault or faults they are actually aware of.

All this at the Customer's expense, and eliminating any supposed Guarantee 'free' repairs too, and 'God Forbid' admitting anything is ever wrong.

When one considers how many Firmware updates have been issued for the AR-DV1, a 5700 Customer can probably expect to pay 'hundreds' if not 'thousands' in Courier expenses alone.

 

[sub101uk]

I wonder how dwell1650 is getting on with his 5700D as he has the old firmware : main _912C D9N5D P912A I wonder if he has tried the SD card yet . But like I said the ser number on the case is mine but I think most of the guts have been changed out as well . As now its working like it should do its far from perfect but 75% better than what it was .

As for firmware upgrades not sure how there going to do that ? Maybe send upgrade boards to your local importer and they will perform the upgrade then all the old boards get sent back to Japan other wise who on earth is going to pay let alone wait for a month while his radio is upgraded as the first time mine went back it was over a month and 2 + half months on the second trip .

Just look at the size of the boxes it would cost a arm and a leg to return back to Japan every time there was a upgrade . I can see a warning in the manual all upgrades are done in Japan I cant see that going down to well or the only other way is like the DV1 via the internet with 3 files and you can bet someone will put them in the wrong order so a nightmare . The only way is via your local dealer with a set price for firmware upgrade .

 

[wb4sqi]

I have a first generation DV1 and find that the Anytone handheld transceivers will decode DMR much better than the DV1. Uniden scanners will decode P25 much better than the DV1. In my experience it seems the DV1 wants to hear a very strong signal to decode properly. Now that I have an IC-R8600 the DV1 rarely gets used.

 

[sub101uk]

I have had my 5700D back for about 2 weeks now and its allot better than it was the DALL works its not perfect but its much better than it was and DMR now decodes were as before it did not .Its all down to firmware .The original firmware : main _912C D9N5D P912A Had problems with the SD card , DALL and decoding DMR after 2 more firmware upgrades its now on main_005A D0N4B P005B and one of the other 5700D owners now has main_006A DON4B P006B fitted after having problems with the SD card the new firmware seems to have sorting out all that . As more owners buy the 5700D and find more bugs with a bit of luck they should all get sorted out only time will tell . But AOR are getting there .

 

[wb4sqi]

“Getting there” with $5000 or so of my dollars doesn’t make me want one. A product released to manufacturing for sales to a discriminating public expect performance to meet specifications, especially at this price point. Icom was there with the r8600, very minor tweaks to firmware since the release. Yes, I know it doesn’t do DMR but that isn’t the point here. AOR has released a lot of product not completely ready for general sales recently. Back in the day, my 8200 mark 0 didn’t need new firmware, it was ready for the market. I apologize for my rant but have no faith that AOR can develop and release a product with anywhere near the reliability of some of the older receivers. My DV10 experience has convinced me that they do not have the expertise now that they had in the past.

 

[sub101uk]

Hi Nick yes they have had a lot of problems I understand with the DV10 but looking at the history of the DV1 it took time to sort out the firmware but with the DV10 + DV1 you could down load and install the firmware your self but with the 5700D it needs to go back to AOR in Japan or your local AOR dealer . It would seem that the new firmware has I understand got to be installed in 3 stages and its done via the AUX1 socket on the rear of the receiver . I fully understand your feeling Nick as I sent videos , photos reports you name it and if the radio had have been the same after its second trip to Japan I did plan to take the radio back to the main importer about 400 miles return trip and show them face to face as it would not even decode my local DMR or D-Star repeater .

But after its return from second trip to AOR in Japan WOW yes it was my radio and my same ser number but they must have changed out hardware as well as firmware as its a different radio now it just took 6 months to sort out but well worth waiting for and lots +lots of stress but got there in the end .

 

[palmerjrusa]

Hi Nick yes they have had a lot of problems I understand with the DV10 but looking at the history of the DV1 it took time to sort out the firmware but with the DV10 + DV1 you could down load and install the firmware your self but with the 5700D it needs to go back to AOR in Japan or your local AOR dealer . It would seem that the new firmware has I understand got to be installed in 3 stages and its done via the AUX1 socket on the rear of the receiver . I fully understand your feeling Nick as I sent videos , photos reports you name it and if the radio had have been the same after its second trip to Japan I did plan to take the radio back to the main importer about 400 miles return trip and show them face to face as it would not even decode my local DMR or D-Star repeater .

But after its return from second trip to AOR in Japan WOW yes it was my radio and my same ser number but they must have changed out hardware as well as firmware as its a different radio now it just took 6 months to sort out but well worth waiting for and lots +lots of stress but got there in the end .

I'm glad you now possess a functional AOR AR5700 receiver.

A $5000 receiver (that resembles in appearance radios built 30 years ago and had to be returned to AOR twice before it functioned to spec) in 2020 whose firmware can't be updated by the user and must be returned to AOR for such.
What universe does AOR currently inhabit?
It's not a customer-centric one that's for sure. They should have paid all your shipping charges.

AOR's quality control and customer service is abysmal, it's almost as if they regard their customers as an irritance.

 

[sub101uk]

Yes I wish that Icom made a receiver that did the same modes as the 5700D but it dont , You only have to look at the digital modes that it covers the 8600 comes no were near it dont even do DMR .

 

[palmerjrusa]

Yes I wish that Icom made a receiver that did the same modes as the 5700D but it dont , You only have to look at the digital modes that it covers the 8600 comes no were near it dont even do DMR .

I own an an ic-r8600 and ic-r30 and yes, DMR would be great.
I don't think it's going to happen though.
The above receivers worked on delivery and did what Icom claimed they would, very well too, and at a reasonable price.
It doesn't excuse AOR's treatment of a customer, they should have paid all your shipping costs.
I don't know the state of AOR's finances but the time they took to get that radio on the market plus the problems everyone's had with the DV10 does hint at problems.
I'm waiting to see how long it takes for them to get the AR7400 to the marketplace.

 

[sub101uk]

The build on the 8600 is far better than AOR but Icom have said many people have asked Icom and your right its not going to happen . On HF my Icom 7800 MKII receives better than the 5700D also my old Icom 275H receives better on 2m than the 5700D however as far as I am aware there is nothing on the market thats covers the same as 5700D 9kHz〜3.7GHz . Well as you can see I bought my 5700D 6 months ago and it was very bad but after 2 trips to Japan and and firmware changed over a few times its now not bad its not perfect but there on the right track as for the AR 7400 air band receiver it should work out fine but wait and see .

 

[wb4sqi]

I would be interested in seeing a band-for-band and mode-for-mode comparison between the Icom R8600 and AOR 5700D. AOR offers modes that no other brand offers in order to draw in customers for a half baked receiver. Both my R8600 and R30 will out perform the DV1 but I don't consider that a fair test as the DV1 is an older product. I can't believe people are still buying the DV10 despite all the issues and warnings. I have to assume they are all V/UHF users where drift isn't as crucial.

 

[sub101uk]

Well looking at the feed back on the AOR Facebook groups there are many unhappy people who bought AOR receivers and have many ongoing problems some can be sorted out with firmware but others hard ware needs to be changed .If Icom built a digital scanner with DMR it would win hands down but many have asked and they have no intention of doing so . So AOR have the market at the moment unless we go over to stick and software but even that is to hit and miss . But if your thinking of buying AOR I think its best wait 1 year before you buy one by then they should have sorted all the bugs out . But at the moment the 5700D with its new firmware is not bad pity it took 6 months to sort out .

 

[dwell1650]

A memory management software is released.

AOR Software | Download Area | Support | AOR,LTD. Authority On Radio Communications

I haven't tried it yet, though.

 

[sub101uk]

Best to ask on the 5700D facebook group they maybe able to help you .