Testing the ATS25 Max-Decoder Receiver
Thank you for Manuel Lausmann for submitting his videos where he tests out and upgrades an ATS25 Max-decoder receiver. The ATS25 Max-decoder is a low cost portable HF receiver which has a large number of decoders built in such as RTTY, Hell, FT8 and FT4. Manuel notes that more decoders are still to come, such as SSTV. The built in decoders make it superior to it's predecessors the x1 and x2.
We note that the ATS25 Max appears to be around US$75 on Aliexpress, but these appear to be Max units without the "-decoder" add on. So if you are looking at purchasing one, please make sure to check that you are getting one with the text "max-decoder".
Manuel also notes that older models of the ATS25 can be retrofitted with a decoder PCB and converted into an ATS25 Max-decoder with a firmware update written by Bernhard Binns.
Note that Manuel's videos below are narrated in German, however the YouTube subtitle auto-translate feature works well enough to understand what is being said. In the first video Manuel demonstrates and reviews the ATS25 Max-Decoder, showing off some of the decoding features.
In the second video Manuel shows how to update an old model ATS25 in to the ATS25 Max by soldering on the decoder board.
I bought the ATS25 Max Decoder II from Amazon. It was deaf on SW on its whip antenna, all it could receive sounded like screen noise. Tried hooking it up to my Wellbrook loop antenna – still deaf. All my other portables that use a whip, easily picked up frequencies this ATS25 did not. Plus it still has soft mute, turning off the volume completely when tuning to a new frequency. Not a loud “chuff”, softer, but still so annoying. It did OK on FM but it’s waaaay overpriced, far too much to pay for a receiver that can’t receive SW. Since I am an SWL for the price it’s not worth it IMO. I sent it back the same day for a refund.