Posted: 3/22/2026 6:28:41 PM EDT
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I ordered a new toy, an Anytone AT-5000. It is being sold as an all mode CB radio with appropriate power limitations in AM, FM, USB & LSB modes. It does have the option to be reconfigured, following a jumper change, as either a pure 10 meter rig or for general HF operation on 10 - 12 meters. In HAM & HF modes, max output is about 25 watts. The attractive feature was mainly the small size, and light weight with the same form factor as an RT95, roughly 6.4" x 4.9" x 1.5". |
| Does it have the Noise Reduction Circuitry? The CB guys over on RR forums seem to think that's the only way to go on 11 meters. Are you going to use it for a base or mobile? The last time I had the old Cobra 25 in the FJ Cruiser, I wasn't impressed with the receive. I started to order a AT-5555 Mod2. |
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Originally Posted By K9-Bob: Breaker Breaker 19 !  Does this work 10m repeaters? It should. Supports DTCSS/DCS and I'd be shocked if it didn't do splits since you can program that into their other radios. Here's the user manual. I'm really hoping they come out with a bluetooth mic like they have for the AT-D578UV, if they do that would let you remote mount the main radio and just use the mic, which is a huge issue with new cars since there's so little real estate around the dash and you have to avoid airbags, etc. Ironically I just finished a 3D print for my AT-500 mount in my Outback about a month ago. Looks like that's getting revised soon. |
| would be sweet if it offered digital modes. JS8 call is getting pretty popular. and useful. |
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Originally Posted By K9-Bob: I wonder if it ships from China? Tracking shows it's shipping from Canada. They're made in China so my guess is they go to a Canadian warehouse and then to the US. Maybe a route around customs. One of the Amazon reviews indicated a customer had a customs delay that Anytone offered a discount to make up for the wait, but the tracking isn't reflecting anything like that, just label printed. I also noticed the radio is now shipping from Amazon on the listing, and a week ago it was shipping from Anytone. |
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Originally Posted By nikdfish: @seek2 Got picked up by UPS in Canada & processed/released by customs (Canadian?). Should be US bound at this point. Thanks for the update! I checked mine and still just showing label created. I ordered another one since it was showing ships from amazon (and I can never have too many radios), so we'll see which one wins the race. If my tracking changes I'll post here as well. |
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Originally Posted By slappomatt: would be sweet if it offered digital modes. JS8 call is getting pretty popular. and useful. Why wouldn't it? Just need a digirig or signalink or whatever interface. For the 10 meter crowd have seen some stuff on the newish "Hamgeek 6699" which from what I saw looks more capable of typical amateur stuff. Not sure about repeaters. |
This is...a clue - Pat_Rogers
I'm not adequately aluminumized for this thread. - gonzo_beyondo
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CO, MI, OR - Please lobby your legislators to end discrimination against non-resident CCW permit holders
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Originally Posted By Gamma762: Why wouldn't it? Just need a digirig or signalink or whatever interface. For the 10 meter crowd have seen some stuff on the newish "Hamgeek 6699" which from what I saw looks more capable of typical amateur stuff. Not sure about repeaters. The AT5000 owner's manual shows audio available on the mic jack, so at least it'll be a one-cable solution for that. The reason it might not be good for digimodes -- we'll see once the radios are out there in numbers -- is that many of these CB-oriented radios tend to have absolutely horrible frequency stability with a lot of drift and offset, and some have large-ish tuning steps, as they have a CB-style clarifier control for fine tuning RX. We're talking 100Hz moves in a matter of a minute at power which is going to be an issue for narrow digimodes. Both the AT-6666 and 5555 I have seem to have the drift/offset issue. It's very noticeable compared to something similar like a G-90 and it looks super bad compared to a big radio (7300 or similar), I'm assuming they cheaped out on the oscillator. Reports are the 5555NII doesn't have this issue but I haven't tested that personally. |
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@seek2 Arrived intact, no shipping damage, no customs duty. Cover with speaker does not have a "warranty void if broken" seal. Opened it using a T8 torx bit. Jumper was on 1-2 (as expected for locked down CB mode), moved it to 2-3 to enable HAM/HF modes & re-installed cover. Accessories in box included the programming cable  . Power cable does not include a disconnect option, just an in-line fuse on the red (+) lead.EDITED TO ADD: A manual is included in the box, but only references CB mode operations. Does not cover differences related to HF/HAM modes such as freqs, power or menu differences. Not sure when I'll take the time to play with it other than doing configuration. I'm working on a possible portable HF antenna build, uses a 20' fiberglass pushup & some telescopic whips. Final form will include clamp-on tripod legs & screw-on antenna base. Might do an elevated V. |
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@seek2 After playing around a bit, I wanted to clarify/correct a portion of the instructions for frequency expansion/band control found in the .xslx file provided by anytone regarding frequency and power expansion. Note that this information is not present in the user manual. To select a CB/HAM/HF mode (after the jumper is moved to 3-2), press and hold FUNC during power up, then release. Use the knob or arrows to select mode. Press & hold power button to power off. Chosen mode will be present on subsequent power up. The original text for band changing included the following instruction: "Press and hold FUNC+BAND until the current band is flashing". That does not work. To change bands, click the FUNC key and a "FUNC" message appears at the top of the display. While it is still present, click the BAND key. That will cause the current band value to start flashing. Use the arrows or knob to change the value to the desired one. VFO mode is not mentioned in the text or the manual. Access the VFO mode by clicking FUNC, while the "FUNC" message appears at the display top, press and hold the band key. "VFO" will appear in place of the channel number. Repeat the process to exit VFO mode. Granularity of VFO steps is controlled by clicks on the knob to change the position of the value to change when the knob is rotated. |
| What I'd really like on one of these is just some programmable memory channels like any VHF/UHF radio has, along with a VFO mode. That doesnt fit with the CB mentality though. |
This is...a clue - Pat_Rogers
I'm not adequately aluminumized for this thread. - gonzo_beyondo
CO, MI, OR - Please lobby your legislators to end discrimination against non-resident CCW permit holders
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CO, MI, OR - Please lobby your legislators to end discrimination against non-resident CCW permit holders
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The manual says 16 memory channels, but the manual is for CB configuration. When I checked, it looks more like 99 memory channels in HF configuration. This is just from playing with the front panel. Haven't loaded the control software yet. It does have a VFO on HAM & HF modes. |
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Any idea if the memory store includes CTCSS/DCS codes? It looks like is does in the manual. If it has that, it's there, channel-wise. Only thing I don't see is channel labels, just numbers. Looking forward to testing the bluetooth. I wish Amazon carried their bluetooth PTT, looks like I'll have to get that from PowerWerx or similar. I'm pretty sure it will allow the BT to be paired with the in-car audio, and if so no mic will be needed, just a PTT button. Amazon updated the delivery time on the second order, however that hasn't even shipped yet, and claims I'll have the first order on Monday, but UPS still shows that just as label printed. |
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Originally Posted By Gamma762: What I'd really like on one of these is just some programmable memory channels like any VHF/UHF radio has, along with a VFO mode. That doesnt fit with the CB mentality though. I looked at things a bit more. The AT-5000 in HF mode has a VFO mode and 99 memory channels. Mem channels retain all (?) channel settings & are accessible in the software once initiated. The software does not allow access to mem channel slots with no data. Attached File There is no option, that I know of, to name channels. |
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Originally Posted By nikdfish: I looked at things a bit more. The AT-5000 in HF mode has a VFO mode and 99 memory channels. Mem channels retain all (?) channel settings & are accessible in the software once initiated. The software does not allow access to mem channel slots with no data. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/128622/Screenshot_2026-04-02_151046_jpg-3740163.JPG There is no option, that I know of, to name channels. Originally Posted By nikdfish: Originally Posted By Gamma762: What I'd really like on one of these is just some programmable memory channels like any VHF/UHF radio has, along with a VFO mode. That doesnt fit with the CB mentality though. I looked at things a bit more. The AT-5000 in HF mode has a VFO mode and 99 memory channels. Mem channels retain all (?) channel settings & are accessible in the software once initiated. The software does not allow access to mem channel slots with no data. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/128622/Screenshot_2026-04-02_151046_jpg-3740163.JPG There is no option, that I know of, to name channels. Cool. |
This is...a clue - Pat_Rogers
I'm not adequately aluminumized for this thread. - gonzo_beyondo
CO, MI, OR - Please lobby your legislators to end discrimination against non-resident CCW permit holders
I'm not adequately aluminumized for this thread. - gonzo_beyondo
CO, MI, OR - Please lobby your legislators to end discrimination against non-resident CCW permit holders
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The order I have shipping from Anytone that was placed 3/23 is still showing "label printed" with no further updates, with a claim on a Monday delivery (that won't happen unless they overnight it, which wouldn't jibe with the tracking already issued.) The second order shipping direct from Amazon placed a week later (3/31) is in transit and expected on Tuesday. If you're getting one of these things make sure you go with the ships from Amazon option, instead of direct from Anytone, which looks like they're playing games on fulfillment speed. The lag between order and ship times for both indicates they must not have a lot (or any) in stock. |
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Regarding MEM channels ... In HF mode (and probably HAM mode) there is the potential for 99 MEM channels. It took me a bit to get a handle on how they worked & the proper button sequences, so the following may be useful to someone with similar confusion. The manual refers to accessing MEM channels in two ways which are essentially using vs editing. To use a MEM channel's stored frequency and settings, click the "FUNC" button & while the "FUNC" message is showing, click the "EMG/MEM" button. Use the rotary knob to select the desired MEM channel. Once finished using the MEM channel mode, a second sequence of "FUNC" followed by "EMG/MEM" exits the MEM channel use mode. NOTE: you can only select memory channels with data. If all channels are empty then nothing will happen in response to the above key presses. To edit (add/remove data) a MEM channel, press and hold the "EMG/MEM" button until the MEM channel marker appears. At this point you can rotate the rotary knob until the desired MEM channel is located. Once selected, you can either add the all current channel data to an empty MEM channel slot (denoted by a blue flashing "MEM") or you can erase data from a currently occupied slot (denoted by a red flashing "MEM". The action is initiated by a click & hold on the "EMG/MEM" button. Once done (add or remove), you are again in the "use" mode and you exit with another "FUNC" then "EMG/MEM" button sequence. If there is no action for a period of time, the MEM edit mode terminates and the prior channel view reappears. Lastly, when using the setup software ("AT-5000_1.00") in HF mode, only MEM channels with data are accessible. You cannot select & modify empty MEM channels. |
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I haven't played with it yet, but I got one of the AT-5000s I ordered. I'm specifically going to test frequency stability at power once I get some time (either later tonight or tomorrow.) As I posted above, getting these has been a challenge. I'm trying to get two. I've placed four orders, all through amazon. Every order that I've placed other than the one I have in hand has had delay notices, with the original order now at two weeks with "label printed." Amazon is offering to refund that one in a couple days but keeps a rolling update of the arrival day to two days in the future in spite of being label-only status. Both of the other orders have had delay notices appear a couple days after the order, with one of them having the delay date get updated to an even later delay so that the timing of it coincides with the current target date of the last order placed. ETA 4/10: The original order is still at "label printed" and Anytone is claiming it's been sent but delayed at customs (I am very skeptical this is true) but said they'd refund $10 when the radios are actually delivered. We're currently just shy of three weeks on that order. Amazon sent another delay notice on another order, which makes it the third delay for that order. I cancelled that one. I expect I'll be getting a notice on the other pending order as well. While it's not SSB capable, I'm thinking I'll be better off with the President William II in my vehicles since I won't have to wait for a BT module that may or may not ship. The William II is a black box with a BT-connected speaker mike with all control functions; announced but not yet shipping. |
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Quick update on stability tests. Starting in CB mode, power up for a couple minutes and then key down in FM mode (so 100% duty cycle) for one minute, no more than a 5Hz shift (probably less, like 2-3 Hz but not zero.) Well inside the envelope for most digital modes. Updated: One-hour stability was solid, I didn't see any movement from the key-down test frequency, the uncertainty in the frequency measurement is about 2-3 Hz and it's within that. I'm assuming there's a TXCO inside but I haven't opened it up yet. The good news is if it's that solid, and the main oscillator can be adjusted, SSB without any clarifier use should be possible, and at least at CB power levels (measured at 3.5 watts output) digital modes will be fine. One thing that's concerning is while the manual mentions the bluetooth modes, it's not coming up on my menu at all. So the question is if that's a module or a missing software update feature. We'll see if that pops up in HF mode. Mods and full power 10M test will have to wait until tomorrow. ETA Update #2: Apparently the bluetooth features depend on a module that has to be installed and is not yet for sale.  ETA #3: Did the drift test at full power and it's pretty solid, maybe 2 Hz or so at full power (I'm measuring 23W out) for 90 seconds. Radio didn't seem to get that warm. I couldn't seem to switch bands in the expanded CB mode, but in HF mode I could, per nikdfish advice above on switching bands by doing FUNC then BAND in normal operation. I seem to be having some issues with DCS and low audio levels received from my handheld that the AT-500M doesn't have, but I haven't debugged that yet. ETA #4: I have memory channels working, but to my surprise, it doesn't seem to store the mode (AM/FM/USB etc) for the channel. It stores the frequency and mode-related information (CTCSS/DCS) which will enable in the correct mode, but if you're in USB and switch to a stored channel it'll be USB as well, and you can store channel 1 as FM and channel 2 as USB and they'll both be whatever was the last mode selected. That seems like an odd design choice. ETA #5: Found a reproducible bug on receive. In my normal operation, I leave the radios set to a specific channel with DCS enabled. I stored this channel/DCS combination on the new AT5000, and when it's powered up it doesn't use DCS for squelch and signals above the threshold level can open the squelch, signals without the correct DCS will come through. Once you tune to a different channel and come back, the DCS squelch will activate and you need the correct DCS code to break squelch. Bit of an annoying quirk since my radios are set to come on when I turn on the car and you have to take steps to make them quiet. |
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These things really are unobtainium. Anytone just refunded my original order without me even requesting it, claiming it was damaged at customs (even though it was never picked up) -- they didn't offer to re-ship them, either. Meanwhile Amazon is stopped doing fulfillment for their orders after offering that for the past couple weeks, so it's back to Anytone sending direct (if that happens) if you want one. I have one order left that hasn't been cancelled that's supposedly coming on this Tuesday, and I think I know how that's going to go. (ETA 4/11 - Amazon contacted me on that one asking if I still wanted it and pushed the delivery out another couple days.) I guess we're lucky to have received any of them at all! |
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Originally Posted By seek2: It should. Supports DTCSS/DCS and I'd be shocked if it didn't do splits since you can program that into their other radios. Here's the user manual. I'm really hoping they come out with a bluetooth mic like they have for the AT-D578UV, if they do that would let you remote mount the main radio and just use the mic, which is a huge issue with new cars since there's so little real estate around the dash and you have to avoid airbags, etc. Ironically I just finished a 3D print for my AT-500 mount in my Outback about a month ago. Looks like that's getting revised soon. A buddy that bought one of my 578s got the blutetooth mic for it and hates it with that radio, the delay the audio, everything. Of course it may be perfect for your use and radio.
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@nikdfish Just a quick thank you for documenting stuff, I'm trying to get this thing working on digital modes and there's no way on earth I'd have gotten the VFO on ham bands working without your posts. Still haven't got PTT working but it looks like RX is, it's just 10M is now dead. If anyone was wondering why, that was me, bringing up a new single-band radio always kills the band in question. Now the challenge will be can I get everything back to where it was in time for tomorrow's 20M digital net.
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Been running the AT-5000 on WSPR for a few hours, it's definitely GTG on digital modes for RX, no meaningful drift and getting the same values on SNR and seeing the same stations as my IC-7300 using the same antenna for each. A rig this cheap of course doesn't have a lot of filter options, but seems to be doing OK although 10M isn't exactly on fire today. I did notice a little bit of out of channel interference looking at the waterfall and listening, so the front end isn't completely filtering out strong off-channel stations, but nothing crazy bad so far. Still having TX issues since I haven't quite figured out the interface cable, but it looks like the AT-5000 has the same pin-out on the mic as the AT-D578 VHF/UHF mobile dual band, so I've ordered a digirig cable for that unit and will see if that gets me up and running on the TX side. |
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Originally Posted By nikdfish: @seek2 Have you tried VOX for TX? @nikdfish I have, and I still haven't figured it out, but I haven't spent a ton of time diagnosing it yet. There were some strange issues (front panel controls not working when cable was plugged in) with my homemade cable that I expected would go away with a store-bought one... Nope, it has the same issue. I have a different set of digirig cables coming monday that have CAT control (not that the AT5000 is supported by anything yet) so we'll see how that goes. One of the other Anytone rigs with the same pinout apparently needs a 10K resistor in one of the control lines and my suspicion is that's the issue for both cables I've tried. I did turn VOX and and try different levels but nothing would make TX switch on. I know there's 2 or 3 microphone options as well so I need to try more permutations. Slight tangent but the radio is working very well on 12M RX as well. I've let it run on WSPR for both 10 and 12M for a large chunk of a couple days now and it's been rock solid. |
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Got it figured out. Compounding errors. One was the TRRS cables I have had R1 and R2 switched between two cables (so color code for one didn't match the one I used to figure out the color code.) Lucky enough this only seemed to impact the PTT and mic lines. The other issue was the wrong serial port was selected for PTT in WSJT-X. Once I got that figured out both the home made cable and the store bought cables work. No need for the 10K resistor; the PTT line and the mic buttons are on separate inputs, apparently. There is still some strange intermittent blocking of the front panel controls that I haven't figured out, happens with either cable. I'm starting to think it may be some kind of firmware bug because it's not consistent. With "low" power set using USB, power out for a single tone signal looks to be about 3W. With "middle" it's about 10W. The input levels to get to the noted power change between low and middle, on WSJT-X I'm running about -36dB (adjusted at the mixer level) for low and -26dB for middle. I'm not going to test high because the radio gets quite warm, warmer than the key down tests I did, seems to imply the amplifier is more efficient on FM but I haven't tried measuring power in v. out across different modes. The USB signal seems to have significant noise if under-driven, I'm guessing there's an ALC sweet spot (and of course using ALC on digital modes is a sin, but there's no choice here.) |
 Let's make this a REAL RADIO! |
This is...a clue - Pat_Rogers
I'm not adequately aluminumized for this thread. - gonzo_beyondo
CO, MI, OR - Please lobby your legislators to end discrimination against non-resident CCW permit holders
I'm not adequately aluminumized for this thread. - gonzo_beyondo
CO, MI, OR - Please lobby your legislators to end discrimination against non-resident CCW permit holders
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Small update -- it turns out front panel controls do work consistently with my homemade cable, but not with a commercial cable. 10M is pretty dead today but 12M is rocking, did a WSPR session and drift was reported at 4 Hz using 10W and a touch less than 4 Hz on 1W. |
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Originally Posted By seek2: Small update -- it turns out front panel controls do work consistently with my homemade cable, but not with a commercial cable. 10M is pretty dead today but 12M is rocking, did a WSPR session and drift was reported at 4 Hz using 10W and a touch less than 4 Hz on 1W. Is this the same as your homemade? Attached File |
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Originally Posted By nikdfish: Is this the same as your homemade? https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/128622/cable-AT578-1-1137200757_png-3749376.JPG Very close, but different ground treatment. I ended up with: S to pin 8 R1 to pin 6 R2 to pin 1 T to pin 4 All of these are the same as your diagram. I do not have pin 7 (which anytone list as SP/KEY ) connected to pin 8 and I also do not have pin 5 (MIC ground) connected. On the mic that came with the AT-5000, pin 7 is used for the up/down/PF buttons, and pin 5 is connected to the shield wire of the mic cable, but it is not terminated at the microphone (free floating on mic end, so it's grounded on one end only.) I think the commercial cable I have has all those grounded together (I can see wires there, but no wires on pins 2/3, so they're probably connecting pins 8/7/5) and I think that's where the front panel control issue is coming from, I thin pin 7 is particular since it controls up/down from the mic. FWIW the D578 and similar radios seem to all show the pinout you're showing and it almost works except for panel controls. |
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A couple of observations from recent videos & playing around. If you have the WX mode enabled, a long press on the "mode" button, when "func" has not been pressed, will get you in & out of it. The setup software lets you add additional entries to the WX list, apparently up to 40 total. They can be anything in the general 134 - 174 mhz range, like 2M & marine frequencies. Each entry can be included or excluded in WX list scanning. VFO mode can be enabled for WX mode. The radio seems to retain the frequency changes made using the clarifier for that channel+mode. You may need to go back & clean things up after use. |
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Got to play using two AT-5000s a little more doing local communications, the NRC on the SSB is quite good, and thanks to the solid frequency stability they were both within a few tens of Hz and no clarifier or additional tuning is needed. Might be due to 10M being kind of dead, but the radio was nearly silent, just a little bit of that vocoder-type bubble noise buried in the quiet hiss, worse if you set to the maximum NRC level, but mid-level (3 of 5) was good without being too bubbly. If it could be dead silent I'd probably prefer it over FM, but I think most people would be OK with it for a couple hours. A couple of these paired with a 10/11M EFHW in a vertical configuration would be solid local comms for most, probably out to 20 miles or so, I still need to play with them range-wise with both set up like this (my tests were base (EFHW) to mobile with the mobile having just a 24" center loaded antenna, on FM this is typically solid at 4-5 miles and workable to about 7 miles in my area with a lot of ridges/valleys in the terrain, fairly sure SSB will open the range up a little.) Noise reduction really did help a lot on the SSB side. |