AR5700D First impressions

[SigIntel8600]

How well does it decode P25? My experience with AOR is the DV-1/DV-10 and 5700D didn't work as well on P25 as Uniden products.

Works fine for P25 Phase 1. My only grip is encrypted audio is not muted. Same on the 5700D, DV-1, DV-10.

 

[wb4sqi]

I don't have that much encryption (yet) but it's coming.

 

[IK2GNP]

Nick, I totally agree with all your apprehensions about AOR and the 5700D in particular.

I gave up on AOR because of the DV10, and their arrogance and aggresion re. the problems it had, and Customer concerns.

However the AR-DV1 is a proven, excellent and versatile radio. I use the R8600 and DV1 all the time. In my case a BNC cable from the DV1, with an antenna switch. One side going to its own antenna, and one to the 10.7 MHz output on the R8600 via BNC cables. It does not have to be done that way, one BNC cable can be used of course, just easier then manually swapping wires.

If the two radios are connected, and the DV1's frequency set to 10.7 MHz, any frequency you have shown on the R8600 goes to the DV1, and all of the DV1's modes, Digital and Analogue are then available to the R8600, plus other functions.

One nice little 'extra' is the small 'bandspread' ability this gives, as you can also tune the DV1 a little either side of 10.7 which can on occasions be a useful 'clarifier', using the many 'steps' available on the DV1.

One turn of the antenna switch and I have two excellent independent receivers.

Not a cheap option I realise, but if invested in, one that can give superb results.

Very interesting advice.
My experience with the AOR 5700D was very bad. I bought mine last Winter new and unboxed, after selling my good old ICOM IC-R8500, but I immediately regret. After just few days of usage I was very very disappointed.
First of all it was very unfriendly to use in my opinion, but the main problem was the reception quality, absolutely worse and worse comparing to every ICOM receivers I tested, particularly in VHF band.
So I sold it in very short time, and picked up a like-new IC-R9000. I have done with AOR, too.
However, looking for digital modes (maybe the only good feature in the 5700D) I heard about the chance to use the DV1 like a simple "decoder" connected to the 10.7MHz out of another radio.
So, this could be my next goal. What do you mean as "bandspread" around 10.7MHz? What happens if you move the DV1 tuning a little high or low leaving the 8600 untouched? Could you please explain better?
Also, I believe that your DV1 is running with its internal speaker... no way to point the audio signal back into the 8600 and listen with the 8600 speaker, right?
Thank you again for your advice.

 

[marlbrook]

Very interesting advice.
My experience with the AOR 5700D was very bad. I bought mine last Winter new and unboxed, after selling my good old ICOM IC-R8500, but I immediately regret. After just few days of usage I was very very disappointed.
First of all it was very unfriendly to use in my opinion, but the main problem was the reception quality, absolutely worse and worse comparing to every ICOM receivers I tested, particularly in VHF band.
So I sold it in very short time, and picked up a like-new IC-R9000. I have done with AOR, too.
However, looking for digital modes (maybe the only good feature in the 5700D) I heard about the chance to use the DV1 like a simple "decoder" connected to the 10.7MHz out of another radio.
So, this could be my next goal. What do you mean as "bandspread" around 10.7MHz? What happens if you move the DV1 tuning a little high or low leaving the 8600 untouched? Could you please explain better?
Also, I believe that your DV1 is running with its internal speaker... no way to point the audio signal back into the 8600 and listen with the 8600 speaker, right?
Thank you again for your advice.

I have used an external speaker on the DV1 for a long time.

When the two radios are connected the DV1 cannot really be considered as acting just as a 'simple' decoder. All of the DV1's functions are available that one would use when receiving a single frequency.

So the DV1 is set to 10.7 MHz. The R8600 is acting as the 'front end', and any frequency it is tuned to is converted to 10.7 out. Any receiver with a dedicated 10.7 output should work.

If you use the DV1's frequency knob, as you turn it the frequncy it is listening to from the R8600 will change up and down. You cannot stray too far from 10.7, but more than one might imagine. Certainly sufficient to act as an excellent 'clarifier'. The IF bandwidth is set by the one selected on the DV1, so smaller steps are obtainable than those of the R8600.

This is not something that will need to be done often, but can be useful re. HF CW and Sideband occasionally. Obviously the DV1 receive should be returned to 10.7 to ensure the R8600's frequency readout is the one being monitored.

Other functions would include 'noise reduction' for example, which can be set on the DV1.

Just by swapping the lead from the R8600 with an actual antenns the DV1 is of course a fully functional receiver in its own right.

 

[IK2GNP]

Thank you again @marlbrook for your extensive review.
Well, maybe I have not totally done with AOR you know.

 

[G8OEO]

Does anyone else find the SSB audio on the 5700D to be a bit gritty at times?
It's hard to describe but when the received voice is a little bassy I hear what sounds like a slight resonance or vibration, similar to what you might expect if maybe the speaker was faulty, ie the cone or part of the receiver body adjacent was loose and mechanically vibrating in sympathy.

Of course I've checked this with external speakers and headphones and the "vibration" is part of the audio.
Similar transmissions on my Icom 7300 are perfectly clean and never produce this sort of "harmonic distortion".

I had hoped one of the recent software updates might have fixed this although I suspect AOR will claim to know nothing about the problem and say that no one else has experienced it.
A bit like the clicking that was eventually cured on DMR!