AnyTone 578 Not wor...
 
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AnyTone 578 Not working in Digital Mode

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(@searcyja)
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Joined: 3 years ago
Posts: 2
Topic starter  

Hello. I have a brand new AnyTone AT-578UViii Pro that I just setup for my base station radio, until I can afford a real base radio. I was able to successfully update the firmware to the latest version (v1.15) via the Bridgecom software. I was even able to update the contact list database as well.

I am attempting to use the radio for UHF DMR Comms, and eventually use the radio to run it in "repeater mode" for my assigned repeater through the CARC. I have configured the radio via a code plug for the following, to test.

Freq: 445.1500

Color Code: 15

Time Slot: 1

Contact ID: 12345678

For some reason, the radio does not send or receive any digital traffic. The radio sends and receives just fine via analog. But as soon as I configure it for digital, nothing comes through. I am testing the AnyTone with two Ailunce HD-1 radios with the same configuration for that freq, color code, and time slot. The two HTs are able to TX and RX just fine. I was even able to get SMS to work between the HTs, but nothing is coming through the AnyTone. I do see increased signal strength on the AnyTone display when I TX via the HT, but there is nothing. 

Am I doing something wrong with the AnyTone or do I potentially have a defective radio?

Full discloure... I am a HAM that is still very green, and learning a lot as I traverse this great hobby. 

Thank you in advanced. Have a great day.  


   
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Jeff Karpinski
(@webmaster)
Reputable Member Admin
Joined: 5 years ago
Posts: 122
 

Hi Joe!

I'm not personally familiar with the AnyTone DMR radios but club member Doug (KE0DC) made a codeplug a while back that might be a good starting point: https://www.parkerradio.org/community/digital-voice/pra-anytone-878-codeplug/#post-1238

I'm also not sure I understand the "assigned repeater" bit - while 445.150 is the output frequency of a CCARC coordinated pair, I don't see that pair in use (or assigned) according to CCARC.

I know we've got a lot of AnyTone users in the club so hopefully someone more versed will chime in. I'd also encourage you to attend one of our Elmer Nights where experts will be on-hand to help you program your radio.

73, AB0L.

This post was modified 2 years ago by Jeff Karpinski

   
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(@searcyja)
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Joined: 3 years ago
Posts: 2
Topic starter  

Jeff - Thanks for your response. I was able to have a friend help me figure it out the AnyTone digital issue. It ended up being a Talk Group ID mismatch. Dialed in the correct ID and it works great! : ) 

Regarding the CCARC coordination, the reason you don't see the freq pair in the database is because we haven't filed to go live yet. We have a temporary assignment issued at the moment. We are still waiting on additional equipment to officially go live. We may just use this AnyTone for the interim until we get the XPR8400 online. 

I'll look into coming to an Elmer Night. I'm always looking to learn more about my radios and the hobby.

Thank you, sir. Have a great day. 

-Joe (KN0JAS)


   
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Jed Baer
(@kd0ymg)
Member
Joined: 2 years ago
Posts: 85
 

There are so many parameters for DMR digital channels, that it's difficult to pin down one thing. For starters, you didn't mention the TG you're using. Make sure the TG is a simplex call group, typically 99, and the same on all radios in the channel being used. I'll admit I'm being lazy, and I'm not going to dig out the Windoze laptop and boot it up to look at the config dialog. I'll claim privilege of age, and mention that I don't know off-hand what "Contact ID" is, except that I think it's used for private call, meaning you're telling DMR that you're wanting to contact a specific DMR ID, so your Ailunce radios won't acknowledge that... I'm assuming the Radio-ID in each of them is your assigned DMR ID. Also, in the Anytone radios, there's a parameter they used to call "TDMA Simplex" but they changed that... I might just have to bring up Windoze... anyways, don't check any of the "special" simplex stuff in the channel config, since it doesn't work with other DMR rigs (in my experience, anyway). Even if you're doing simplex locally for testing, you just config it as a group call.

Also, if you're going to have multiple DMR rigs on the air at the same time, you should have a seperate DMR ID for each of them. In other words, if you have 3 radios with the same radio ID, i.e. your DMR ID, only one should be turned on at the same time. I actually don't know what would happen if you put the same DMR ID into two radios as the radio ID, and tried to use both simultaneously, but at least it's bad practice. For limited simplex testing purposes, perhaps it's OK to put a fake DMR ID in one of them, but certainly don't do that and transmit on a repeater input.

I also recommend being a little careful with using others' code plugs. And, no knock on Doug, but repeaters get changed over time, and I wish I knew a good way to keep up with that. I'm trying to remember whether an RDT file from an 878 can import directly into the 578 - I think it might be a little fiddly, or not work at all, and as noted in the linked thread, there are firmware revision issues to deal with as well. RMHAM supplies different RDT files for the 868, 878, and 578, and I figure there must be a reason for that.

If I had Win10, I'd probably be using Contact Manager to manage my DMR config. I've never used it, but I've heard a lot of good things about it - enough that I feel OK recommending giving it a try. It will read configs from many types of radios, and output the same data in the form needed for some other type.

ETA: Hmm, don't know why I didn't see Joe's reply. Well, good to see it's now working. 🙂


   
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