Anytone at-5555n II (version 2)

[Dr_DX]

If you are going from 13.8 to 12.0v on SSB, you are warbling.

Make sure you are using DC fuses (32v) rated at least 20a. Even if you are, swap them out for new ones. I have seen fuses not blow but under current, develop high resistance on one end. Make sure you are using the original power cord or heavier.

 

[TimmyTheTorch]

If you are going from 13.8 to 12.0v on SSB, you are warbling.

Make sure you are using DC fuses (32v) rated at least 20a. Even if you are, swap them out for new ones. I have seen fuses not blow but under current, develop high resistance on one end. Make sure you are using the original power cord or heavier.

All of the different things I tried (power supply, power cord, fuses, mics, cussing, complimenting) did not help so I sent it a few towns over to have a tech I've used before have a look at it.

In the meantime, I've been using my Lincoln II+V4. Although the receive on it is nowhere near as good as the Q5N2, it sure does work well with the Carl Built 200HD on both AM and SSB. Great SSB modulation, plenty of safe power, lots of contacts. If only the receive was better and the speaker was clearer. I may give something like the Driver Extreme (DRX-9010) speaker a try.

 

[TimmyTheTorch]

Well, I got the results back from the doctor/tech. Not good news. Here's his diagnosis:



I bought this radio on March 22, 2023 from a vendor in Michigan that is well known and respected by many on this site (including me). He did the 11 meter mod and also fixed up the modulation and lowered the power some to make it sound better. I doubt these things have anything to do with the problem with the radio. I am also doubtful I will have any luck with any Anytone warranty given the radio was purchased 16 months ago. I'm told they're not much on standing behind their products.

Edit: On their website:

 

[BC Coyote]

He did the 11 meter mod and also fixed up the modulation and lowered the power some to make it sound better. I doubt these things have anything to do with the problem with the radio.

I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the fact that it was modded. Mine is bone stock and is still working perfectly.
"fixing up the modulation" etc. implies the radio is now operating outside it's design tolerances, one of the consequences of which can be a radio which dies long before its time.

There is no warranty if you bought from Anytone. Only the CRT rebadged radios have a warranty and I believe it is only 12 months.

I recommend buying another, and keeping it stock this time.

 

[Eldorado828]

Well, I got the results back from the doctor/tech. Not good news. Here's his diagnosis:

View attachment 69452

I bought this radio on March 22, 2023 from a vendor in Michigan that is well known and respected by many on this site (including me). He did the 11 meter mod and also fixed up the modulation and lowered the power some to make it sound better. I doubt these things have anything to do with the problem with the radio. I am also doubtful I will have any luck with any Anytone warranty given the radio was purchased 16 months ago. I'm told they're not much on standing behind their products.

Edit: On their website:

View attachment 69453

I'm pretty sure I know who the vendor is and maybe you should send him an email just to make him aware of the issue at least. Maybe it's something that could be relayed to anytone with the result of a possible remedy. It could also put them on alert as well.

 

[TimmyTheTorch]

I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the fact that it was modded. Mine is bone stock and is still working perfectly.
"fixing up the modulation" etc. implies the radio is now operating outside it's design tolerances, one of the consequences of which can be a radio which dies long before its time.

There is no warranty if you bought from Anytone. Only the CRT rebadged radios have a warranty and I believe it is only 12 months.

I recommend buying another, and keeping it stock this time.

While I certainly can't eliminate anything as the root cause, my understanding of what was done was that it was actually bringing the radio back into spec, not taking it out of spec. But I also do not have any technical expertise to back that up.

Now to decide what second radio to get. I really only need one with about 35 watts PEP but I also want excellent receive, noise cancelation and an easily readable display. And good quality and nice clear modulation. Maybe I can make a CRT SS 8900 short case or one of its kin work for me when they are generally available.

 

[TimmyTheTorch]

I'm pretty sure I know who the vendor is and maybe you should send him an email just to make him aware of the issue at least. Maybe it's something that could be relayed to anytone with the result of a possible remedy. It could also put them on alert as well.

Yup, I did sent an email both to the vendor and to ken6833@qxdz.cn, whom I am told has something to do with Anytone.

I am not looking to blame anyone for anything. Stuff happens, it's just this time it caught me off guard because I have really been behaving myself and taking good care of all my gear. Not even running the Carl Built 200HD with the Q5, just straight radio. Nice low SWR, bonded and grounded to beat the band, good clean power supply, etc.

 

[Dr_DX]

Timmy - send me a PM

 

[Pez]

Yup, I did sent an email both to the vendor and to ken6833@qxdz.cn, whom I am told has something to do with Anytone.

I am not looking to blame anyone for anything. Stuff happens, it's just this time it caught me off guard because I have really been behaving myself and taking good care of all my gear. Not even running the Carl Built 200HD with the Q5, just straight radio. Nice low SWR, bonded and grounded to beat the band, good clean power supply, etc.

If the vendor is who I think it is, then you should have contacted him in the first instance, and sent it to him in the first instance, for inspection - and not someone else. He is the best in the business and will do everything possible to help.
FYI - The fault you are describing can't be created by messing with the alignment settings - this is a most certainly a hardware fault. And a rare one, I have never heard of this issue on this model radio before. Hopefully you get a good outcome.

 

[TimmyTheTorch]

If the vendor is who I think it is, then you should have contacted him in the first instance, and sent it to him in the first instance, for inspection - and not someone else. He is the best in the business and will do everything possible to help.
FYI - The fault you are describing can't be created by messing with the alignment settings - this is a most certainly a hardware fault. And a rare one, I have never heard of this issue on this model radio before. Hopefully you get a good outcome.

It's no big secret I am referring to Scott's Radios. I have purchased 3 radios and a bunch of other stuff from him. In my eyes, he's A+, what a vendor should be and I plan on continuing to use his services.

The main reason I did not bother initially contacting him is because of these statements on his site. I knew his rules and was respecting them. But I also have a hunch he'd still go above and beyond to try to help. So instead, I pestered a more local tech whose services I have used several times in the past.

And I also sent an email to the address Scott has listed on his site for the Chinese contact.

 

[SuperLid]

Well, I got the results back from the doctor/tech. Not good news. Here's his diagnosis:

View attachment 69452

I bought this radio on March 22, 2023 from a vendor in Michigan that is well known and respected by many on this site (including me). He did the 11 meter mod and also fixed up the modulation and lowered the power some to make it sound better. I doubt these things have anything to do with the problem with the radio. I am also doubtful I will have any luck with any Anytone warranty given the radio was purchased 16 months ago. I'm told they're not much on standing behind their products.

Edit: On their website:

View attachment 69453

I don't understand, what frequency instability has to do with excessive current draw on voice peaks. Something is drawing current, pulling down the B+ which may be causing the instability. That's my first guess without having the radio in front of me.

 

[BC Coyote]

it was actually bringing the radio back into spec

LOL! Radios are built to spec. Any modification done after that is taking it out of spec. It isn't rocket science...........

 

[TimmyTheTorch]

LOL! Radios are built to spec. Any modification done after that is taking it out of spec. It isn't rocket science...........

There's a real BC lad, full of truth. This is coming from a lad that was born and raised in southwestern Ontario but somehow ended up in the USA. My aunt and cousins all live in Vancouver and Victoria.

To me, no assembly line is perfect and deviations are bound to occur. At least for physical instead of electronic parts, even the cumulative impact of very subtle differences in small components (that may individually all be within required specs) that are built up into a larger assembly can have a surprisingly noticeable impact on the larger component. So much so that the result is an out-of-spec final assembly. At least that's been my experience. But like I said, that's physical stuff. Maybe modern electronic assembly processes are immune from this sort of thing.

 

[Pez]

There's a real BC lad, full of truth. This is coming from a lad that was born and raised in southwestern Ontario but somehow ended up in the USA. My aunt and cousins all live in Vancouver and Victoria.

To me, no assembly line is perfect and deviations are bound to occur. At least for physical instead of electronic parts, even the cumulative impact of very subtle differences in small components (that may individually all be within required specs) that are built up into a larger assembly can have a surprisingly noticeable impact on the larger component. So much so that the result is an out-of-spec final assembly. At least that's been my experience. But like I said, that's physical stuff. Maybe modern electronic assembly processes are immune from this sort of thing.

One of the things Scott's Radios does, is IMPROVE on the published specs in many areas. The main item is often the IMD/TOI tests, where he aligns to reduce the third order IMD/TOI products significantly - meaning a very clean signal with minimal "splatter" on adjacent channels. The radios are very good out of the box but he makes them better.
This is especially important when running an amplifier, if you care about being clean (and everyone should care).

It's not snake oil, but actual measurable improvements.

 

[Eldorado828]

One of the things Scott's Radios does, is IMPROVE on the published specs in many areas. The main item is often the IMD/TOI tests, where he aligns to reduce the third order IMD/TOI products significantly - meaning a very clean signal with minimal "splatter" on adjacent channels. The radios are very good out of the box but he makes them better.
This is especially important when running an amplifier, if you care about being clean (and everyone should care).

It's not snake oil, but actual measurable improvements.

I own a few done by Mike and they're excellent performing radios. Squeaky clean, lots of unsolicited compliments from the receivers that hear it.

With that said, I've had no problems. I have a 7900v turbo, 6666, and 5555N2 done by Scott's and all are outstanding radios. There were videos to show the before and after, all were OK before but the spectrum showed quite a clean up after he was finished.