@lwolfspidertoo I should have bought the nice vintage 736R I was just offered instead of this thing. I'd be talking on it instead of trying to figure out how to get it on an analog repeater, ANY analog repeater with this thing. The TH-F6 is a breeze compared to this dinky box of menus. Biggest disappointment out of the box ever because, very very very slow to get going if you're not ready with a computer that'll run their software (which you can't get off the Alinco site, but only some vendors). Going to have to buy a computer (I have three all full Linux and Wine is refusing to cooperate) to program the damn thing and I might just sell it instead.
The only thing still lacking in the display is the SFR option where it is possible to talk in digital mode on the same frequency while TS1 is on one side and TS2 on the other. Both parties should be in DMO/SIMPLEX mode. If the 500 model can't do it, the 520T model should do it without error. The next problem of that test is whether when the SFR mode is switched on, the sensitivity of the receiver weakens, and this is tested as follows: We use an interlocutor that comes with a very low signal just so we can establish a digital connection, and then we turn on the SFR and that interlocutor tries to talk to us again. If it passes through the SFR, it means that the SFR option does not suppress even small signals and does not reduce the coverage zone as it happens on Anuton devices.
I got this radio a couple of months ago from DX and I am loving it. Performance is great. Sound is solid, both in the radio and in the handheld mic's speaker. It is very easy to set up using the software and I have been rolling my own codeplug, adding and adjusting as needed. Use it with my pistar and a Diamond X50A for VHF/UHF and have quite a lot of fun with it! Take care with the mic gain settings or you'll have folks telling you that you are coming in hot. Haha. KO4OEH
Beats me I've had this thing out of the box for hours and have YET to figure out how to hit my local repeater. Most complicated and weirdly menued thing I've ever tried to operate. GeEZEbus!
Again, the radio manufacturers have lost touch with reality. The reality is that, in modern vehicles, there's very little room to mount a full size radio in most of them. When will the manufacturers get with the program and realize that their product(s) need a remote head configuration as an option? I've considered the Anytone AT578 for mobile operations but it doesn't have remote head capability. This Alinco radio is no different so many of us will have to pass on it unless we want to clutter our passenger compartment with equipment. I own a full size SUV (Jeep Grand Cherokee) and have just enough room to mount the control head for my Icom 5100A. A radio without the remote head option would be fine if I wanted to use it at home but, I don't have a home shack as I do all my ham radio operations on the road as I prefer to spend time with family when I'm at home. Here's to another negative strike against Alinco, Anytone, et al.
ONly remote head radio I have found is the Connect Systems CS800D. They have monoband and dual band radios available in the same form factor. The head also has a speaker, so a remote speaker is not required. Mine is on order, so we'll see when it arrives how it compares to the features of the others.
we exported most all our manufacturing to China because folks always want it cheepist. And now we get a lot of cheap stuff and have to sort out all the tech issues on our own. fmr.
@@SimonTemplarVK3XEM Anytone radios are made in China. Alinco their MD-5 Radios are made in Japan and looking at the front of the box this radio also made in Japan.
