This weekend I finally got to do some extensive testing of the Anytone AT-D878UV DMR radio while doing armed VIP security. We had a team of four guys but just I and the team leader had the radios. I added an earpiece and mic to both radios that way we totally looked that part of executive protection specialist….
I put in 3 different 64 character encryption keys. I know we didn’t really need 3 but since we were working the job for 3 days I thought it would be a good SOP to switch the encryption key daily.
The area we were running security was a large ranch with multiple buildings. We started on VHF.
Day one was pretty mundane. The only real radio problem we had was the team leader bumped the radio to a different frequency. Like I posted in my team comms article the main problem I have with these radios is that you cannot lock the keys. I know what that manual says but it doesn’t work. There may be a setting in the computer programming I am missing but as of now I cannot find the right one.
Day 2 we did some roaming patrolling. I did a comms check in multiple places. At 2 miles away with the team leader down in a valley with no line of sight we had no communications. 1 mile away with direct line of sight of the ranch we had no problem with communication.
Day 3 we did not use the radios. The music was so loud at the reception that we couldn’t hear each other through the ear piece. So there is nothing to report for day 3.
Final thoughts for the Anytone AT-D878UV for this weekend. It worked exactly as expected. We didn’t try sending SMS which we probably should have. My only complaint with these radios for this weekend which has been my biggest complaint is the fact can’t manually lock and unlock the keypad. Thats the only probably we had over the weekend. Everything else worked perfectly.
Wyoming Survival 
In the CPS: optional settings > key function > keyboard lock & knob lock = on.
Then long press * to lock, short press green bar menu button then short press * quickly to unlock.
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I messed with those settings before and couldn’t get it to work. I will try again. The commercial version could only be unlocked by the computer when I got it.
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Hey when I got home I messed with the settings and it works. Thanks for the help!!
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yeah I have had other radios where you couldn’t lock the keypad and people inadvertently bumped the radio off frequency not being able to contact them. Not good when you need someone. This is a serious issue in my opinion and if anyone cant fix this issue or be it you just didnt find it, it could cause real problems. Thanks for posting this I was seriously looking at one of these radios. I see in the comments someone figured it out good to know.
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Yes they did and I worked so as of right now this puts this radio on the top of my list for team radios.
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