prcguy
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You have two kidneys and can live fine with one. Go ahead and do the deal then let us know if the DV3 is ready for the masses. We will appreciate your sacrifice!
new AOR AR-DV3
- Thread starter Butelsoftware
- Start date
Since you have deep pockets, we all will be waiting on your professional opinion. I need both of my kidneys.
It is not. The DV-3 is compact general purpose receiver versus a high-end professional base receiver. Hopefully they made improvements in the DV-3 over the DV-1. Here is a comparison between the AR-5700D versus AR-DV1. https://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/widerxvr/6570chart.html
Are you sure that the 5700D is so better than the DV1?
Tested both. The DV1 is a good receiver in its market position, the 5700D is a very poor and so expensive unuseful box in my opinion. Worser and worser than my good old Icom R9000. Sold after less than 3 months, totally disappointed.
The AR-DV1 uses 18 MHz direct conversion and does not seem to have much filtering below 18 MHz. Listening to AM broadcast and up past 2 MHz is a mess when connected to my Wellbrook Loop. Local stations are okay, but other frequencies are just a jumble of multiple stations due to overload. I consider the AR-DV1 more as a VHF and above radio.
I also have an AR-Alpha that uses 18 MHz direct conversion, but has better filtering and no overload problems on AM broadcast. The AR-Alpha has other image and dynamic range problems (see Youtube). Fortunately I did not pay the $12k price for one.
The AR-5700D does not have overload problems on AM broadcast and the AM audio recovery on weak shortwave signals is better than the AR-DV1. I am finding it has better performance compared to the AR-Alpha. It seems on par with my Icom R8600, but trades the color screen for DMR mode. So far I am happy with the performance of the AR-5700D.
With the improvement in hardware over the years, I hope AOR improves the RF signal path on the AR-DV3.
I've been interested in the DV-3 since I saw the first announcement from AOR. Unfortunately, I fail to see the end run here for AOR - all of the comments in this thread seem to be dead on - especially the hesitancy based on the dismal support of the DV-1. This is the same situation that I see when I look at the offerings from iCom - products designed with little consideration for the end user (e.g., no DMR (politics), no external video out, and functionality like PL/DPL search that is more like a scanner in 1985 rather than something from 2015+. Who makes a DC-light receiver and puts a single antenna jack on the radio? - AOR.
I do not think you will ever see 'trunking' available in any non-Uniden receiver, just like you won't see an iCom with DMR functionality. I'm not aware of the internals at Uniden, but I would think that if you want a license for their trunktracker functionality, it's going to cost you dearly --- if it's even offered. that said, I can't really fathom how a high-end comms receiver would actually function as a trunk tracker? (can you imagine the SDS100 display on the iCom 8600 screen? - awkward....)
I own an R8600. it's a great radio. it's not a $2000 radio. it has its usefulness, but at the end of the day my thoughts have not changed in the last 5 years:
buy an AirSpy if VHF/UHF/trunking is your choice.
buy an HF SDR if HF is your choice.
the software for both of those is free - the price point for the SDRS are $150 (each), and the performance runs circles around any type of 'general coverage' purpose built, commercially available receiver made today.
I do not think you will ever see 'trunking' available in any non-Uniden receiver, just like you won't see an iCom with DMR functionality. I'm not aware of the internals at Uniden, but I would think that if you want a license for their trunktracker functionality, it's going to cost you dearly --- if it's even offered. that said, I can't really fathom how a high-end comms receiver would actually function as a trunk tracker? (can you imagine the SDS100 display on the iCom 8600 screen? - awkward....)
I own an R8600. it's a great radio. it's not a $2000 radio. it has its usefulness, but at the end of the day my thoughts have not changed in the last 5 years:
buy an AirSpy if VHF/UHF/trunking is your choice.
buy an HF SDR if HF is your choice.
the software for both of those is free - the price point for the SDRS are $150 (each), and the performance runs circles around any type of 'general coverage' purpose built, commercially available receiver made today.
SigmaDelta
Member
For me (specifically looking for a standalone non-PC wideband RX solution) the DV3 has a few interesting features.
-Auto detection of most digital modes (still unique as far as I see)
-10,7MHz IF output to feed my Reuter RDR52 spectrum/waterfall (making it a 0-3GHz frontend downconverter)
-Very fast searching (600 steps/s) That is fast!
-Backlit keys and a pretty complete refined user interface/memory management.
-A reasonable price if it stays at DV1 level.
-No PC QRM, Windows troubles, external decoders, etc.
-Pretty nice solid HW platform
Hope to see AOR make a succes story with this RX, based on lessons learned from the DV1.
(better & adequate frontend, evolved firmware, same price point)
If it doesn't meet these qualities the Airspy Ranger is the first alternative, and I'll buy 3 of them.
Probably will anyway
73
Paul
-Auto detection of most digital modes (still unique as far as I see)
-10,7MHz IF output to feed my Reuter RDR52 spectrum/waterfall (making it a 0-3GHz frontend downconverter)
-Very fast searching (600 steps/s) That is fast!
-Backlit keys and a pretty complete refined user interface/memory management.
-A reasonable price if it stays at DV1 level.
-No PC QRM, Windows troubles, external decoders, etc.
-Pretty nice solid HW platform
Hope to see AOR make a succes story with this RX, based on lessons learned from the DV1.
(better & adequate frontend, evolved firmware, same price point)
If it doesn't meet these qualities the Airspy Ranger is the first alternative, and I'll buy 3 of them.
Probably will anyway
73
Paul
Am hoping AOR ups there game on this receiver and it’s a solid radio. Will be hesitant reading DV1 threads and hope they fix the short comings. Pretty much prefer a receiver than a scanner. If this becomes a rock solid radio, then will sell my scanners to help fund this, if the cost isn’t nuts.
Just to add, my lan IQ and malachite dsp 2.4 goes up to 1.7ghz and 2.0ghz, which does fairly well. AOR better be allot better if they want a sale from me.
I should have mentioned that I live in an urban environment with several strong AM broadcast stations nearby. This causes problems receiving up to 3 MHz in several of the receivers I have, the amount depending on the underlying design. The AR-DV1 manual says there is an automatic attenuator, but it does not seem to work in my case. I need to use either a Medium Wave Bandstop filter, or a High Pass filter like the Apex HPF2050. I noticed some receivers put in extra attenuation for the 0.5 to 1.8 MHz band. N9EWO (now a silent key) did a review focusing on the HF portion of the DV-1.
One extreme case was when I setup receivers at the Winter SWLFest. I could see the Roxborough tower site from the window and the signals from the Wellbrook Loop overloaded most of the receivers. I had to use my Medium Wave Bandstop filter to fix it. One receiver that is immune is my Watkins-Johnson WJ-8711A, even without the preselector option. This is a 1990s first generation DSP-based HF receiver that had a price tag of about 5k US Dollars new. The ham version (HF-1000A) was about 4k US Dollars new. This would be 8k to 10k US Dollars adjusted from 1998 to today's US dollars. Used ones still command about 2.2k to 3k US Dollars.
If you just want to listen to local radio services, like public safety or trunked radio systems, then a scanner is better. The only advantage to the DV-1 and other AOR receivers is when you want to listen to other digital systems not covered in a scanner, like TETRA or Yaesu Fusion.
Of course you can use SDR dongle(s) with a laptop. It can be cheaper if you already have a laptop with a SSD to use. The general problems with the SDR dongles are images and dynamic range. Some of this can be fixed by software, proper filters, or in the end it does not matter for the frequencies monitored. People have successful used the RTL-SDR dongles with only 8 bits of ADC resolution. The RTL-SDR has 7 ENoB (Effective Number of Bits) or about 42 dB dynamic range. This means if the gain is adjusted to prevent overloading on a very strong -10 dBm signal, then the dongle will not see weak signals below -52 dBm.
The Airspy R2 has 12 bits of ADC resolution and better dynamic range (95dB Spur Free Dynamic Range or SFDR). So it could not see weak signals below about -105 dBm with a -10 dBm very strong signal.
The DV-1 has 14 bits of ADC resolution and the Icom R8600 has 16 bits of ADC resolution. I find the Icom R8600 pretty good for weak signal work. The 18 MHz wide direct conversion DV-1 using the 14 bit ADC has problems when I use my Wellbrook loop providing MW signals at -10 dBm to even 0 dBm levels to the receiver. Likely not a problem if I am miles away from the nearest AM transmitter.
One extreme case was when I setup receivers at the Winter SWLFest. I could see the Roxborough tower site from the window and the signals from the Wellbrook Loop overloaded most of the receivers. I had to use my Medium Wave Bandstop filter to fix it. One receiver that is immune is my Watkins-Johnson WJ-8711A, even without the preselector option. This is a 1990s first generation DSP-based HF receiver that had a price tag of about 5k US Dollars new. The ham version (HF-1000A) was about 4k US Dollars new. This would be 8k to 10k US Dollars adjusted from 1998 to today's US dollars. Used ones still command about 2.2k to 3k US Dollars.
If you just want to listen to local radio services, like public safety or trunked radio systems, then a scanner is better. The only advantage to the DV-1 and other AOR receivers is when you want to listen to other digital systems not covered in a scanner, like TETRA or Yaesu Fusion.
Of course you can use SDR dongle(s) with a laptop. It can be cheaper if you already have a laptop with a SSD to use. The general problems with the SDR dongles are images and dynamic range. Some of this can be fixed by software, proper filters, or in the end it does not matter for the frequencies monitored. People have successful used the RTL-SDR dongles with only 8 bits of ADC resolution. The RTL-SDR has 7 ENoB (Effective Number of Bits) or about 42 dB dynamic range. This means if the gain is adjusted to prevent overloading on a very strong -10 dBm signal, then the dongle will not see weak signals below -52 dBm.
The Airspy R2 has 12 bits of ADC resolution and better dynamic range (95dB Spur Free Dynamic Range or SFDR). So it could not see weak signals below about -105 dBm with a -10 dBm very strong signal.
The DV-1 has 14 bits of ADC resolution and the Icom R8600 has 16 bits of ADC resolution. I find the Icom R8600 pretty good for weak signal work. The 18 MHz wide direct conversion DV-1 using the 14 bit ADC has problems when I use my Wellbrook loop providing MW signals at -10 dBm to even 0 dBm levels to the receiver. Likely not a problem if I am miles away from the nearest AM transmitter.
Hi Eric, when you use the 8600 as the front end, connected via 10.7MHz to the DV1 and your Loop, is the signal rejection improved?
Using the IC-R8600 as a front end with the preamp off only marginally improves the AR-DV1. The bandpass filters in the IC-8600 reduces the overload problems above the AM Broadcast band, but I can still hear the effects of overload while tuning across the AM broadcast band. Using the 10 dB attenuator in the IC-R8600 helps, but does not completely eliminate the problem.
The output of my Wellbrook Loop is very hot due to the local AM stations, so I suspect using a 10 dB or 20 dB pad on the AR-DV1 input would work better rather than using the IC-R8600 as a front end.
Of course the IC-R8600 does not have any problem. One thing I find interesting is the AR-5700D also has no problems. It also uses direct conversion into a 14 bit DAC, but goes up to 25 MHz instead of 18 MHz. I turned off the HF Preselector and the AR-5700D still has no problem, although one filter is 500 kHz to 1.6 MHz according to the AR-5700D technical description and could still allow in-band mixing of AM Broadcast stations.
It will be interesting to see if AOR has improved the HF performance of the DV-3.
Is this radio going to be displayed at SEMA 2025? Hope so.
Guess not. Did a search on SEMA 2025 website for AOR. No record.
palmerjrusa
Member
Wow, another new radio announced as well as the SDS150!
And from AOR, never would have expected that.
Re the AR-DV10 the less said the better, P25 decoding is abysmal.
Have an AR-DV1, but hardly use it.
Their AR5700D is a great performer though, old-school design.
And from AOR, never would have expected that.
Re the AR-DV10 the less said the better, P25 decoding is abysmal.
Have an AR-DV1, but hardly use it.
Their AR5700D is a great performer though, old-school design.
palmerjrusa
Member
Keep looking out for a IC-R30 successor here.
Icom had the chance to do a R30 replacement with the R15. Wasted opportunity. Still hoping they are working on a R30 replacement though with P25. With AOR upping the game, maybe Icom will come out with a competitor provided the DV3 beats out the R8600. Will be hard to be it though.
