RT Systems for AnyTone
RT Systems has recently released their radio programming software for both of AnyTone’s DMR radios, the AT-D578 mobile and the AT-D878 handheld. The cost is $25 for each model, and is available as a download for Windows only, supported on Windows 7 through 11. An optional copy shipped on a CD is also available for an extra charge. Both packages will work with the programming cables provided with the radios, or a cable is available from RT Systems. In the case of the 578, it uses a standard USB A-Micro B cable.
Advantages
Why purchase third-party software instead of using the free software from AnyTone, you might ask? The RT Systems software offers a number of advantages:
The interface is consistent with the other RT Systems programming packages for those who have their software for other models of radios. It allows you to search, copy and paste, import and export, etc.
RT Systems has integrated connections to several external data sources, including Radio Reference, Repeater Book, and RFinder.com. You can search by a geographic area or even a travel route, and it will import a list of repeaters that match your criteria.
It will also download the current DMR contact list, and con filter by countries and states, allowing you to control which contacts you load. With the AnyTone CPS you have to download the contact list separately, and if the full list is larger than your radio’s memory will allow, you must manually edit the contact list yourself.
Another advantage with RT Systems is that they do incremental updates to their software components, and the application has its own auto-update process. With the AnyTone software, with each new release, you must uninstall the old version, and install the new version.
Limitations
The RT Systems programming tool cannot update the firmware in the AnyTone radios, so you will still need to use the latest release to update.
The RT Systems is also not able to download a custom picture; this must be done with the AnyTone CPS.
Issues
I purchased licenses for both models on 6/16/22. I was able to connect to the radio and read in the current programming. I added a couple of channels, and then tried to write back to the radio. It gave an error, and said that I needed to initialize the radio. I called RT Systems support, and they were not only aware of the issue, but they had already resolved it, and had just published an update. I ran the “Check for Updates” which installed an updated component, then was able to write to the radio successfully. In contrast, I don’t know how to get technical support directly from AnyTone. The support would be through a third-party reseller, or a community support forum, neither of whom can actually fix the software if there is a problem.
Brad Tombaugh (W0BDT)
Yaesu FT-60R - AnyTone AT-D878UV Plus - AnyTone AT-D578UVIII Pro - Yaesu FT-991A - Diamond X50A - MFJ-2299 - PreciseRF HG-1 "WR" Magnetic Loop Antenna
My only concern here would be the same as it is for the Anytone CPS. Typically (though I haven't checked recently) they bundle the firmware with the CPS when there are updates, since it's possible that the firmware will change something in the radio, such that the older CPS no longer matches. I've had one case that I recall where the newer CPS was OK with one version back firmware, but that was a specific instance where I got it from Powerwerx while trying to track down a problem, and it was pre-release. (If you buy your radio from HRO, then Powerwerx is your US service provider.)
One other instance where I briefly used newer CPS with older firmware was with a new 878. In order to check the firmware revision, I had to first unlock the keypad, which could only be done with the CPS, so I went for it, read from the radio, changed only the keypad lock, and wrote back. Yeah, the firmware was older. I immediately update the firmware before doing any programming.
My opinion, in re. Anytone firmware is that if your radio is working, don't mess with it, unless you know there's some new feature you want to use.
