Anytone Ares 2

[SuperLid]

My 2c -They are not a disposable radio if you have the tools and knowledge to work with them. It's a new era for radios, that needs a new set of know-how to work with. Some people are getting caught out messing with new rigs despite the warnings from us all, so that's 100% on them.

I don't think it's any worse now than it was before - the number of radios getting messed up is the same, by the same people!

The ARES2 can modulate to 100% perfectly on AM, but not much over 100%. That is correct by design, and as you said it is closer to the AM performance of most HAM rigs from the big 3. Some don't like that kind of performance, ("My Dosy won't swing") and that's OK.

FYI - Improvements will likely come soon for better "NPC" AM performance in the ARES2 (NPC is broken in the current firmware) - but that feature exists only to keep a particular user group happy. To each their own, but it will stay switched off in my rigs until I can see a clean waveform. (I am mostly a SSB and FM user though, so I don't have a dog in the AM fight!) ; )

As you have found, the ARES2 RX is fantastic. It's almost impossible to go back to listening to the other brands RX, after spending some time with the ARES2. There is no comparison IMO. (The Ranger hissssssssssss is hard work! hihi)

With the DX10 you mentioned - it is a beast on AM TX, but it is because of some pretty wild (uncontrolled) overshoot and some distortion. (It will drive a box hard if that's your plan, but it probably won't be the cleanest while doing it). The RX AGC performance will probably be the biggest issue you find with that PCB. See how you go, I still think it's a fun little radio regardless but I am always working the RF Gain on it.

73

Coincidentally, I put my QT-40 (Ares II) on line last night, after using my IC-7300 for about a week. The RX is really good on this thing. They did something different with it, than the 6666 and 5555's. I have not spent the time to analyze what they did, but they did. It is better for sure.

Rangers.....please don't get me started .

 

[Enterprise312ok]

They are not a disposable radio if you have the tools and knowledge to work with them.

What tools does one need to repair an Aries II bricked by the customer in service menu or a botched firmware upload?

 

[BC Coyote]

The firmware doesn't seem to be publicly available for any of these Anytone radios.
Not sure anything can be done at all if the radio is bricked. They are garbage at that point. Toss it and buy a new one.

IF it's not totally bricked and you can do a reset and get it so it will power up again, then it might be saveable. It depends on what was messed with in the service menu. If they tried to change the calibration of the meter for example, you need a signal generator to get that value back in the service menu. It's not a parameter you enter manually, the radio gets it's parameter from the SG you connect......

So it's not just a matter of putting the right values back in the various fields in the service menu....... Also each radio is different as far as the values in that menu. Those from one radio won't work properly in another radio.

Judging from this and other internet sources it seems like there is VERY large number of people that are bricking these radios because they just can't resist the urge to mess with the service menu or firmware. As Pez said it's a new world of radios (for better or worse) ! It's too bad, as they work very well right out of the box and a lot of good radios are now being ruined.

Folk who absolutely have to fiddle and scewdriver things would be well advised to stick with old school radios and stay away from anything new that is firmware based !

 

[Enterprise312ok]

Folk who absolutely have to fiddle and scewdriver things would be well advised to stick with old school radios and stay away from anything new that is firmware based !

These radios are nearly perfect for one like You who does not care for am operation, ssb and fm on this rig work nearly perfect. I have noticed running it as a base on 21 am that it gets lost in the mix during crowded band conditions. My yeasu has more punch an am than the areas II.

 

[BC Coyote]

I've heard mixed reviews on the Ares 2 performance on AM ! You're not the only one who finds it a bit lacking.......
I have the 5555N2, and while it gets good reports on AM it doesn't have anywhere near the punch and classic AM sound that I get with my 148GTL and Turner +3......

You're correct that I very rarely use AM.......occasionally I'll check out 26.915 as there are some great sounding old school AM radios being used on that frequency !

 

[johnjl11661]

I happened to be playing with an ARES 2 today, so I thought I would take a few pics of the typical results on AM, to show what you should expect to see after a good alignment. (Note: NPC OFF).

View attachment 67338
View attachment 67339
View attachment 67340View attachment 67341View attachment 67342View attachment 67343

At 101.3% measured, if I'm being picky, there is just the slightest bit of positive peak slanting on the falling edge, I could wind it back slightly to improve that. But it's still pretty good.

73

hi i have the ares 2 you dont happen to have the stock firmware file pls as the firmware i got the new update has messed my radio up i have no rx no tx thanks

 

[Shadetree Mechanic]

Finally someone did a video about the service menu. He shows something about a capacitor to help 11 meter operation, I can't tell what it does?

 

[Eldorado828]

Here's something I'd not heard of before. A capacitor change in the final section.... I don't know about that.

Then look at the 2nd harmonic and all those spuries.
Not what I expected when the video sta9.


Edit: I was late to the party, shadetree had already reported this.

 

[Eldorado828]

Finally someone did a video about the service menu. He shows something about a capacitor to help 11 meter operation, I can't tell what it does?

@Shadetree Mechanic , you'd already posted something similar and I didn't catch it before my post. My apologies dude

 

[Shadetree Mechanic]

@Shadetree Mechanic , you'd already posted something similar and I didn't catch it before my post. My apologies dude

It seems that great minds think alike. Haha!

 

[Enterprise312ok]

Glad bells cb spilled the beans, I don't have the patience to randomly flip switches and such. The swing just kills me on these, I am really enjoying the crt ss6900v in that department.

 

[Eldorado828]

Glad bells cb spilled the beans, I don't have the patience to randomly flip switches and such. The swing just kills me on these, I am really enjoying the crt ss6900v in that department.

As does the quad 6. It swings like a Hollywood after party

 

[SuperLid]

Glad bells cb spilled the beans, I don't have the patience to randomly flip switches and such. The swing just kills me on these, I am really enjoying the crt ss6900v in that department.

I spilled the beans on here a while back. The 68pF is nothing new either. It is a mod that was used by Stryker, that doesn't really do much of anything.

 

[SuperLid]

Finally someone did a video about the service menu. He shows something about a capacitor to help 11 meter operation, I can't tell what it does?

It does nothing.

 

[Pez]

Here's something I'd not heard of before. A capacitor change in the final section.... I don't know about that.

Then look at the 2nd harmonic and all those spuries.
Not what I expected when the video sta9.


Edit: I was late to the party, shadetree had already reported this.

Guys, please exercise a great deal of caution here. Some of the information he gave in the video and what he thinks the menus are for, is incorrect.

And that second harmonic does not exist on my radios here. (Maybe this harmonic is because of the cap change OR the "alignment" of incorrect settings).

Also 50w+? No.

So please be very careful.