Radioddity Radioddity DB25 D - issues.

[mhaggerty13]

I have gotten analog voice to work and it is better than expected. I have gotten digital programmed in but can’t seem to hear any audio. I also can’t seem to get the APRS set right. I parked in a buddy’s driveway so my radio could be sure to be close to an igate. Nothing shows up on aprs.fi.

I started speaking with Michael from radioddity so I am optimistic he can help me but I thought I would throw this out here as well.

I don’t see a lot of concerns from folks with the APRS system. Is that working well for others?

I know my menu has made a few jumps that were unexpected but still cataloging those. I’ll post those and submit to radioddity when I get them cataloged and can give proper descriptions. Thanks to anyone who has info on my troubles with this radio. Very hopeful for it as it’s a great small profile with a lot of features fir the price.

I put up a SDR that listens and decodes analog APRS packet, it does not even recognize the packets transmitted from the DB25-D :-( When I turn on the APRS Tone option and listen to what is being broadcast it does NOT sound like an APRS packet - has anyone else had this experience? I sent Radioddity an email asking about it - hopefully I'll get a response in the near future.

 

[N4RTD]

I put up a SDR that listens and decodes analog APRS packet, it does not even recognize the packets transmitted from the DB25-D :-( When I turn on the APRS Tone option and listen to what is being broadcast it does NOT sound like an APRS packet - has anyone else had this experience? I sent Radioddity an email asking about it - hopefully I'll get a response in the near future.

Hopefully the APRS will be corrected on the next firmware update. As far as the audio issue, make sure timeslots and your Contact List with Contact name, Contact ID, and Call Type are correct. Also, in your channel zone, make sure your RX TS and TX TS are correct. I've found for digital repeaters I have used the same for both RX TS and TX TS, but for my pi-star, I have the RX TS set as ON and the TX TS set as Slot 2, which is what I use on my small jumbo spot p-star.

I would also recommend looking earlier in the thread and use the Codeplug Editor by MM7DBT. This took care of an issue that I had in receiving DMR as well as displaying the digital contact name on the display. This software fixed some of the dirty issues with the provided CPS software. It also works better for loading all the 200K+ digital contacts that are out there into the radio.

 

[K6MBZ]

My radio powers off when I try to transmit on high power on 2 meters. It will transmit on high power on 70 cm just fine. I’ve tried multiple antennas that work with other radios. Any ideas or help would be appreciated. Yes, I’m a newbie!

Solved, posting in case anyone has a similar issue. It was the power supply! I have a Pyramid PSV150 that is rated for 12 amps but it is clearly overrated for that power. It sags under the high power transmit so badly that the radio powers off. I’ve ordered a new power supply that should work better. Cheers!

 

[N4RTD]

I put up a SDR that listens and decodes analog APRS packet, it does not even recognize the packets transmitted from the DB25-D :-( When I turn on the APRS Tone option and listen to what is being broadcast it does NOT sound like an APRS packet - has anyone else had this experience? I sent Radioddity an email asking about it - hopefully I'll get a response in the near future.

With the new firmware and CPS update that just occurred, APRS transmit and being picked up by the iGate has been solved for me. In the APRS settings I am using a transmit delay of 20ms and a prewave time of 1500ms.

 

[AK9R]

In the APRS settings I am using a transmit delay of 20ms and a prewave time of 1500ms.

Prewave time? I'm not familiar with that parameter. What does it do?

 

[N4RTD]

Prewave time? I'm not familiar with that parameter. What does it do?

According to the new addendum to the manual, " The two parameters ‘Transmit Delay’ and ‘Prewave Time’ are responsible for the delay between PTT (for APRS) and the actual beacon transmission of APRS data ." I set them similar to my Anytone 878. They just added these settings with the latest release of the firmware. Previously I couldn't control them but now that I could make changes I am able to have the iGate decode my APRS packets.

 

[AK9R]

Until now, there's only been one parameter in packet TNCs to control transmit delays...as far as I know. TX Delay (TXD command in many TNCs) determined the amount of time between assertion of the PTT and the sending of data. The theory was that low-powered stations could lengthen their TXD in an effort to get the attention of the other station or digipeater. TXD could also be used if you had a transmitter that was a little slow to lock up on frequency when keyed down. TXD was usually measured in milliseconds. While TXD was counting down, the TNC just sent an unmodulated tone.

I won't speculate as to what Anytone means by "Transmit Delay" and "Prewave Time". It does frustrate me a bit when manufacturers make up new terms or apply old terms to their own ideas of how things should work. Would it have hurt them to contact Kantronics, Byonics, or Bob Bruninga WB4APR before they "rolled their own" APRS transmitter?

 

[vagrant]

I just reviewed the APRS section of the manual on the DB25. No wonder people have trouble with APRS on that radio, and probably any other Radioddity that offers APRS like that. It also looks like the default for Auto TX is every 30 seconds. Seriously, every 30? More unnecessary RF traffic clogging things up.

I used to have a guy in my RF area blast a crazy amount of beacons. I sent an email explaining the "issue" and it was later resolved. He did not reply, but giving the benefit of a mistake, he may have thought it was minutes and not seconds in the settings. Hell, it may have been faster, but other traffic blocked his signal. Filtering of course is a good thing for the problematic operators, but I reach out with a friendly email first explaining the issue as there is a lot going on with APRS and a lot to understand.

 

[KD2UXE]

With the new firmware and CPS update that just occurred, APRS transmit and being picked up by the iGate has been solved for me. In the APRS settings I am using a transmit delay of 20ms and a prewave time of 1500ms.

I recently bought the DB25-D. I figure before I tinker with it, let me update to the latest firmware. Well Radioddity downloads an IAP that only supports *.flsh files. The download from their site only includes *.bin files. What am I missing?

 

[RickRowland58]

I recently bought the DB25-D. I figure before I tinker with it, let me update to the latest firmware. Well Radioddity downloads an IAP that only supports *.flsh files. The download from their site only includes *.bin files. What am I missing?

Dang good question I am wanting to do my firmware update and have searched the internet to no avail. But here's something that might help us. Use the Button in the bottom right hand corner marked IAP in this case it will allow you to find one of the two .bin files. Which one of these BIN should I use??? I Have no idea....

 

[RickRowland58]

I recently bought the DB25-D. I figure before I tinker with it, let me update to the latest firmware. Well Radioddity downloads an IAP that only supports *.flsh files. The download from their site only includes *.bin files. What am I missing?

OK here’s what you want to do pull up the app plug in your connection wire so that you have the comport shown in the upper area where the drop-down box, mine says COM three and you can push the SEEK COM button to find that.. then on the bottom left-hand button go out and find the .BIN file for the date that you want and then come back and I’ll make it work by hitting the auto button and then the button with IAP. Before that i had my radio in the flash mode which is done by holding the P1 button down while starting the unit with the power button. I hope that helps___

 

[N7ZDX]

Hello group. Just ordered the DB25 for a vehicle to use mainly for APRS and will add a roof or windshield-mount GPS antenna. Didn't see much info on the antenna specs other than the connector appears to be standard SMA. I'm also assuming it's passive based on the little stubby that comes with the unit. Is this correct or does it output voltage to use with an active antenna? Thanks.

 

[RickRowland58]

Solved, posting in case anyone has a similar issue. It was the power supply! I have a Pyramid PSV150 that is rated for 12 amps but it is clearly overrated for that power. It sags under the high power transmit so badly that the radio powers off. I’ve ordered a new power supply that should work better. Cheers!

This being the power supply does not surprise me. I had powered up my DB25-D by an outlet in my RV and had the same thing. I am convinced the power supply couldn’t serve up the surge in the current so mine died too in a similar manner as you explained, Moving the radio to my F250 the radio works fine…

 

[N7ZDX]

Just got a reply from Radioddity support that the GPS port is passive. That means 95% of the marketed external GPS antennas won't work because they require voltage to power the signal amp. So passive only unless a DC adapter is used on an active antenna with a block back to the port. In most cases a remote passive antenna should be adequate to get at least 3 or 4 satellites for a fix. With a good active antenna you'll see somewhere north of 10 usually.

 

[KC3ECJ]

Solved, posting in case anyone has a similar issue. It was the power supply! I have a Pyramid PSV150 that is rated for 12 amps but it is clearly overrated for that power. It sags under the high power transmit so badly that the radio powers off. I’ve ordered a new power supply that should work better. Cheers!

I used a Pyramid supply that did less than it claimed. Couldn't even transmitt with a compact CB radio at about 4 watts of rf.

 

[RickRowland58]

My radio powers off when I try to transmit on high power on 2 meters. It will transmit on high power on 70 cm just fine. I’ve tried multiple antennas that work with other radios. Any ideas or help would be appreciated. Yes, I’m a newbie!

My experience is that when the radio powers OFF suddenly. it is due to insufficient current/power from your supply. Check that the 12 volt supply can truly deliver the "surge current" in the beginning instant of transmitting. In my Ford F250, some of the 12 volt (cigarette lighter) adapters can deliver this needed burst of current and the radio works great, while others are seemingly "current limited" and shut the radio down just as you have described. I hope this helps... The reason that UHF might be working is that your radio might very well be set to lo pwer for those channels or that the radio simply goes to a lower "hi power" setting on UHF as this is quite common.

 

[N4RTD]

My experience is that when the radio powers OFF suddenly. it is due to insufficient current/power from your supply. Check that the 12 volt supply can truly deliver the "surge current" in the beginning instant of transmitting. In my Ford F250, some of the 12 volt (cigarette lighter) adapters can deliver this needed burst of current and the radio works great, while others are seemingly "current limited" and shut the radio down just as you have described. I hope this helps... The reason that UHF might be working is that your radio might very well be set to lo pwer for those channels or that the radio simply goes to a lower "hi power" setting on UHF as this is quite common.

Yes, that was the first thing I checked. There were multiple issues with the rig besides this one. It ended up being a defective rig and it was replaced. The replacement worked like a champ and the other operational issues with it's tone encode, etc., were solved. Thank you for the feedback and yes, the first place to look is the current on the line. I have a direct, fused connection to the battery. 73 de Russ N4RTD

 

[LB0HI]

Hi. I've recently bought this radio. Very nice built, but I also experencing some of the same issues in this thread. One main issue i struggle with now is that Ham Contacts are not showing in DMR QSOs. I've imported all the contacts and transfered them to the radio succsessfully. Does anyone know how to fix this issue?

 

[N4RTD]

Hi. I've recently bought this radio. Very nice built, but I also experencing some of the same issues in this thread. One main issue i struggle with now is that Ham Contacts are not showing in DMR QSOs. I've imported all the contacts and transfered them to the radio succsessfully. Does anyone know how to fix this issue?

First of all, have you checked to make sure you are using the latest firmware? Check here and make sure you have the 02SEP21 update: https://www.radioddity.com/pages/radioddity-download

If so, I had issues loading the Ham Contacts with the original CPS that came with the radio. I have since switched to the RT73 editor at Codeplug Editor For Retevis RT73 by Dave MM7DBT Using that editor has cleaned up things for me that the original CPS caused and allowed me to quickly add the ham contacts.

I should also note that I use my radio with S/D mode on and I do see the full DMR contact when in that mode. This setting is under Local Set, DisplayMode, then the last entry is S/D mode and I have that setting turned on.

 

[LB0HI]

First of all, have you checked to make sure you are using the latest firmware? Check here and make sure you have the 02SEP21 update: https://www.radioddity.com/pages/radioddity-download

If so, I had issues loading the Ham Contacts with the original CPS that came with the radio. I have since switched to the RT73 editor at Codeplug Editor For Retevis RT73 by Dave MM7DBT Using that editor has cleaned up things for me that the original CPS caused and allowed me to quickly add the ham contacts.

I should also note that I use my radio with S/D mode on and I do see the full DMR contact when in that mode. This setting is under Local Set, DisplayMode, then the last entry is S/D mode and I have that setting turned on.

Thanks for the reply. I have the latest firmware. I've downloaded the RT73 editor, and read the current code plug into the CPS, but I cant see to find where to import the Ham Contacts? Under "Contacts" in the RT73-editor all my Talkgroups are showing. Any tips?