ATS 25 PRO+ AIR

 The 6th ATS has arrived one week ago from Hamgeek, paid 104 euros. Few words about this: Hamgeek sells ATS receivers at a lower price than other web market places and delivers the parcel with an acceptable delivery time, just 15 days. On top of this Hamgeek is a web shop that sells products dedicated to radio hobby. Visit at www.hgeek.com.

A this point I have a basic ATS-25 first model that I bought some years ago, an ATS-25 Max, an ATS-25 X1, these all without any WIFI connection; an ATS-25 AMP, and ATS-25 Max Decoder both with WiFi connection, and the last one the ATS-25 Pro+ Air with wifi, Bluetooth, VHF reception (airband and 2 meters Ham Band).

As general evaluation: the 25Max, 25X1 and the 25Max Decoder are much better in reception and audio quality than the first version (ATS-25), they are much better also from the screen graphics. The ATS 25 AMP features manual selection between Hi-Z and 50 Ohm aerial and a LNA circuit, wifi  connection is very good and easy. The 25 Pro+ Air is in all details as good as the 25 Amp, but connectivity with WiFi is slightly more complicated to get working properly not during setting but during connection itself, Bluetooth works good in my model. The option of selecting Hi-Z or 50Ohm antenna is available in the menu of the setup and on the touchscreen but cannot be activated, I guess the receiver makes this selecion automathically, I remember I read this somewhere, not sure though.

After the 25 Max Decoder all versions have decoders for various modes: CW, FT8, PSK, RTTY Hell being the 25 PRO+ Air the one with more decoder options, for example PSK is not available in the ATS-25 AMP either in the MAX Decoder.

Reception in AM has Sync LSB and Sync USB which quality is acceptable even not being the best ever heard.

NFM is written in the modes as possible selection only in the ATS25 PRO+ because of the 2 m Ham band availability which is not there in any previous models. However NFM is shaded and cannot be activated.

The ATS 25 Pro+ Air has also the possibility to change colours and buttons aspect within the setup menu with many colours and shades.

here in the above picture the ATS25 PRO+ connected via buetooth to the Muzen external speaker that I bought in Kuala Lumpur in March 2024.

the scanning function works well as in previous models but the scale of the frequency has only 1 MHz, 100 kHz and something like 50 kHz and 10 kHz, the jump between 1 MHz and 100 kHz width is to wide, would have been better having an intermediate 500 kHz as an example.

To activate Air band reception and 2m Ham Band reception you need to change the chip from SI  4732 to SI 5351,this operation can be done within the setup menu as in the picture below. The receiver will reboot shutting down and starting again immediately after.

On the 2m band I was not able to receive anything even with the two meter GP antenna except the CW beacon IQ2MI on 144,415 kHz (in CW or SSB). In 2 m the selectable receiving modes are AM, CW, Digital modes and SSB, NFM - as written above - is shaded and cannot be selected, why is this happeing is unknown to me.

Airband available in AM and Sync L / U. I could not receive anything as well.

UPDATE January the 24th: the receiver does receive also on 2 m HAM band, to tune an NFM transmission the user has to keep the AM on same frequency of NFM but tune the BFO to - 3 kHz with a badwidth filter of 3000 Hz. AM transmissions on Airband can be easily received knowing strong signal frequencies from airport in the surrounding area.Various digital signals can be received as well on the 161 MHz Marine Band.

Shortly about the tuning knob: this ATS 25 Pro+ Air has a metal tuning knob which should be an aesthetic upgrade compared with previous models where the knob is in plastic. This new metal knob does not bring any advantage: it has a very smooth surface and the grip between the knob and fingers is difficult; operating with 1 finger for small adjustments is almost impossible it simply does not turn unless you firmly take it with two fingers.

Reception of HZH Navtex from Jeddah

 Earlier this moring, I found a new entry in the log of YAND:

HZH received on 518 kHz at 1:20 UTC January the 2nd 2025.

RX: ATS 25 Amp

Antenna: miniwhip PA0RDT