PSR-800 shutting off every 15 minutes

[Gilligan]

I have a PSR-800 that I've had for about a year. Hadn't had any problems until this summer, when I started realizing that my scanner was shutting off after running only about 15-20 minutes when it was powered with batteries. It makes no difference whether it's alkaline or nimh - it's the same either way. It will run with no problems and then just shut off. I looked at the logs and can see the voltage drop dramatically within a few minutes. I put brand new AA Duracell batteries into it, thinking there would be no way it would act up with good alkalines, but it still does it. This may help -- If I simply turn it on in menu mode, it won't decrease the battery. But if I start stepping through recordings or scanning actual transmissions, it decreases dramatically and then shuts off. I'm attaching a copy of the logs so you can see what I'm talking about. Does the scanner automatically shut off somehow? I noticed that in the first log, when I didn't power off the scanner but it shut off on its own, it didn't even reach the alert battery level.

Here are my battery values:

14 bars - 4.80 5.26
12 bars - 4.70 4.98
10 bars - 4.60 4.80
08 bars - 4.50 4.68
06 bars - 4.40 4.57
04 bars - 4.30 4.47
02 bars - 4.20 4.34
00 bars - 4.10 4.21
*ALERT - 4.08 4.08

LOG #1 -->
2012-11-28 13:16:16
2012-11-28 13:16:16 Power up!!!
2012-11-28 13:16:16
2012-11-28 13:16:16 BattLevel: 488 488 488
2012-11-28 13:16:16 IconState: 12
2012-11-28 13:16:21 BattLevel: 485 463 463
2012-11-28 13:16:26 BattLevel: 483 463 464
2012-11-28 13:16:31 BattLevel: 479 451 451
2012-11-28 13:16:31 IconState: 10
2012-11-28 13:16:36 BattLevel: 476 451 454
2012-11-28 13:16:41 BattLevel: 471 447 447
2012-11-28 13:16:46 BattLevel: 468 447 452
2012-11-28 13:16:51 BattLevel: 464 447 448
2012-11-28 13:16:51 IconState: 8
2012-11-28 13:16:56 BattLevel: 460 447 449
2012-11-28 13:17:01 BattLevel: 456 447 448
2012-11-28 13:17:01 IconState: 6
2012-11-28 13:17:06 BattLevel: 453 447 457
2012-11-28 13:17:11 BattLevel: 452 447 457
2012-11-28 13:17:16 BattLevel: 451 447 454
2012-11-28 13:17:21 BattLevel: 452 447 457
2012-11-28 13:17:26 BattLevel: 452 447 453
2012-11-28 13:17:31 BattLevel: 453 447 457
2012-11-28 13:17:36 BattLevel: 453 447 453
2012-11-28 13:17:41 BattLevel: 454 447 455
2012-11-28 13:17:46 BattLevel: 454 447 454
2012-11-28 13:17:51 BattLevel: 455 447 454
2012-11-28 13:17:56 BattLevel: 455 447 456
2012-11-28 13:18:01 BattLevel: 454 447 452
2012-11-28 13:18:06 BattLevel: 454 447 455
2012-11-28 13:18:11 BattLevel: 454 447 451
2012-11-28 13:18:16 BattLevel: 454 447 454
2012-11-28 13:18:21 BattLevel: 452 442 442
2012-11-28 13:18:26 BattLevel: 451 442 444
2012-11-28 13:18:31 BattLevel: 451 442 452
2012-11-28 13:18:36 BattLevel: 450 442 443
2012-11-28 13:18:41 BattLevel: 450 442 451
2012-11-28 13:18:46 BattLevel: 448 442 442
2012-11-28 13:18:51 BattLevel: 447 442 443
2012-11-28 13:18:56 BattLevel: 446 439 439
2012-11-28 13:18:56 IconState: 4
2012-11-28 13:19:01 BattLevel: 445 439 442
2012-11-28 13:19:06 BattLevel: 444 439 448
2012-11-28 13:19:11 BattLevel: 445 439 450
2012-11-28 13:19:16 BattLevel: 445 439 449
2012-11-28 13:19:21 BattLevel: 445 439 449
2012-11-28 13:19:26 BattLevel: 446 439 450
2012-11-28 13:19:31 BattLevel: 446 439 448
2012-11-28 13:19:36 BattLevel: 447 439 452
2012-11-28 13:19:36 IconState: 6
2012-11-28 13:19:41 BattLevel: 447 439 447
2012-11-28 13:19:46 BattLevel: 448 439 450
2012-11-28 13:19:51 BattLevel: 449 439 447
2012-11-28 13:19:56 BattLevel: 449 439 449
2012-11-28 13:20:01 BattLevel: 448 439 448
2012-11-28 13:20:06 BattLevel: 448 439 448
2012-11-28 13:20:11 BattLevel: 448 439 449
2012-11-28 13:20:16 BattLevel: 448 439 447
2012-11-28 13:20:21 BattLevel: 448 439 450
2012-11-28 13:20:26 BattLevel: 448 439 446
2012-11-28 13:20:31 BattLevel: 448 439 449
2012-11-28 13:20:36 BattLevel: 447 439 446
2012-11-28 13:20:41 BattLevel: 448 439 448
2012-11-28 13:20:46 BattLevel: 447 439 446
2012-11-28 13:20:51 BattLevel: 447 439 447
2012-11-28 13:20:56 BattLevel: 447 439 448
2012-11-28 13:21:01 BattLevel: 447 439 446
2012-11-28 13:21:06 BattLevel: 447 439 449
2012-11-28 13:21:11 BattLevel: 446 439 444
2012-11-28 13:21:11 IconState: 4
2012-11-28 13:21:16 BattLevel: 447 439 448
2012-11-28 13:21:16 IconState: 6
2012-11-28 13:21:21 BattLevel: 446 439 443
2012-11-28 13:21:21 IconState: 4
2012-11-28 13:21:26 BattLevel: 446 439 447
2012-11-28 13:21:31 BattLevel: 446 439 445
2012-11-28 13:21:36 BattLevel: 446 439 446
2012-11-28 13:21:41 BattLevel: 446 439 447
2012-11-28 13:21:46 BattLevel: 445 439 444
2012-11-28 13:21:51 BattLevel: 446 439 447
2012-11-28 13:21:56 BattLevel: 445 439 443
2012-11-28 13:22:01 BattLevel: 445 439 447
2012-11-28 13:22:06 BattLevel: 445 439 442
2012-11-28 13:22:11 BattLevel: 445 439 446
2012-11-28 13:22:16 BattLevel: 445 439 444
2012-11-28 13:22:21 BattLevel: 444 436 436
2012-11-28 13:22:26 BattLevel: 443 436 437
2012-11-28 13:22:31 BattLevel: 442 436 443
2012-11-28 13:22:36 BattLevel: 442 436 437
2012-11-28 13:22:41 BattLevel: 440 434 434
2012-11-28 13:22:46 BattLevel: 441 434 444
2012-11-28 13:22:51 BattLevel: 439 431 431
2012-11-28 13:22:56 BattLevel: 439 431 444
2012-11-28 13:23:01 BattLevel: 439 431 441
2012-11-28 13:23:06 BattLevel: 438 431 434
2012-11-28 13:23:11 BattLevel: 438 431 444
2012-11-28 13:23:15
2012-11-28 13:23:15 User power down!!!
(SCANNER POWERED OFF ON ITS OWN)

LOG #2 -->
2012-11-28 15:30:15
2012-11-28 15:30:15 Power up!!!
2012-11-28 15:30:15
2012-11-28 15:30:15 BattLevel: 484 484 484
2012-11-28 15:30:15 IconState: 12
2012-11-28 15:30:20 BattLevel: 481 459 459
2012-11-28 15:30:25 BattLevel: 478 449 449
2012-11-28 15:30:25 IconState: 10
2012-11-28 15:30:30 BattLevel: 475 449 458
2012-11-28 15:30:35 BattLevel: 472 449 456
2012-11-28 15:30:40 BattLevel: 470 449 459
2012-11-28 15:30:45 BattLevel: 467 449 454
2012-11-28 15:30:45 IconState: 8
2012-11-28 15:30:50 BattLevel: 464 449 457
2012-11-28 15:30:55 BattLevel: 461 449 452
2012-11-28 15:31:00 BattLevel: 458 449 457
2012-11-28 15:31:05 BattLevel: 455 449 453
2012-11-28 15:31:05 IconState: 6
2012-11-28 15:31:10 BattLevel: 454 449 454
2012-11-28 15:31:15 BattLevel: 455 449 452
2012-11-28 15:31:20 BattLevel: 454 449 450
2012-11-28 15:31:25 BattLevel: 454 449 453
2012-11-28 15:31:30 BattLevel: 453 449 452
2012-11-28 15:31:35 BattLevel: 453 449 455
2012-11-28 15:31:40 BattLevel: 452 447 447
2012-11-28 15:31:45 BattLevel: 452 447 454
2012-11-28 15:31:50 BattLevel: 452 447 451
2012-11-28 15:31:55 BattLevel: 452 447 452
2012-11-28 15:32:00 BattLevel: 452 447 454
2012-11-28 15:32:05 BattLevel: 452 447 452
2012-11-28 15:32:10 BattLevel: 452 447 454
2012-11-28 15:32:15 BattLevel: 452 447 450
2012-11-28 15:32:20 BattLevel: 452 447 454
2012-11-28 15:32:25 BattLevel: 451 447 449
2012-11-28 15:32:30 BattLevel: 452 447 453
2012-11-28 15:32:32
2012-11-28 15:32:32 User power down!!!
(THIS TIME I ACTUALLY POWERED IT OFF)

[troymail]

Does it do the same on external power?

[Gilligan]

No, it works fine for days plugged in. The problem is with batteries, same problem for alkaline as with rechargeable. I used to have 2600 mah rechargeables that ran it for like 12 hours. Even brand new Duracells should run it for 8 hours at least. But I can't get it to last more than 20 minutes before it shuts off.

[jackj]

Sounds like it's pulling too much current and discharging the battery fast, that's assuming that your cells are good and close to their ratings. You should open a repair ticket with GRE.

[redburgundy]

I sent my PSR-800 in for repair a few weeks ago. When I talked to Mike, the service tech at GRE America, he said that the RF module was defective, it was drawing 1 amp, ten times what it should.
Do you have any way to measure the current your radio is drawing?

[gewecke]

These reports are really discerning, as I've considered pulling the trigger on PSR 800 but the more I read, maybe not. Maybe I'm better off with my pro-106.

73,
n9zas

[IowaGuy1603]

Originally Posted by gewecke

These reports are really discerning, as I've considered pulling the trigger on PSR 800 but the more I read, maybe not. Maybe I'm better off with my pro-106.

73,
n9zas

You will never find a perfect electronic product.

I have had one for 18 + months and the problems I had with it were my fault (and GRE fixed them cheaply)

I just received my 2nd one today & the ease of plugging in the SD card that was already programed for the radio ALONE made the buy a good one for me

It also tracks the simulcast system much better than the Uniden's my friends have.

To each his/her own, but the scanner is the best one I have ever owned in 35 yrs of scanning

[MaryMikulin]

Hi,
I agree with Gewecke. I have closely read the PSR-800 threads and kept track of the situation with GRE's inability to continue manufacturing.
The unit seems a bit buggy and kinda not as much fun to interface with as the PSR-500/600.
Plus, there has not been any progress in Scanners dealing with Simulcast issues. Most of my local agencies are transitioning to Simulcasted systems such as Oakland, CA. I cannot monitor the new system--only the old EDACS. Alameda County and San Mateo County will also be making the transition as well. I'm not shelling out $450/$500 until I know I will be able to actually hear my local systems. I am sitting on the fence and will continue to monitor new developments.

Cheers,

m.m.

m.m.

[jamesa53]

Wasn't there a firm ware update that changed these levels? And where did you get that log-didnt know the scanner was capable of that

I'd email that log to GRE and see what they have to say first

[Swipesy]

Be careful of making the exceptions the rule. Yes there are PSR 800 units with issues but those are small in relation to the units that have no issues. I had a PSR 500 for 6 years and loved it. Unfortunately I dropped it and it was beyond financially wise to repair. So now I have an 800 and it has not had one issue in 3 months. Works better on P-25 systems then the 500, the display is better, capacity is better, etc. etc. Bottom line don't hold off buying an 800 because some have issues. Those units are not the rule.

[avery_k]

This is really shooting in the dark as I don't have a PSR-800, only the 500, but is there a setting somewhere to change the auto-shutoff voltage? Looking at the logs, it seems the radio is shutting off before it's even hitting the alert level. That or there's something not right with the voltage feedback circuit in the power section.

[jackj]

Voltage feedback?

The low voltage shut down is not adjustable using the EZScan software. The voltage is dropping way too fast according to the log. The OP either has a major problem with the scanner or has some bad cells in his battery. It sounds to me like he has a scanner problem since it does it while using either rechargeable or alkaline cells. He should open a trouble ticket with GRE.

[mke65]

I have owned mine for 6 months bought a lightyly used one.

best scanner I have owned in over 35 years of scanning.

Is it perfect? no. Is anything perfect?

[boatbod]

Is the backlight configured to be on all the time? It's a bit of a battery hog so you only really want it on when powered by USB or when you're pressing buttons.

[drkatzjr]

I have had the same problem. The scanner works as it should for about 20min, tracking the system
I listen to. I use the Energizer x9 batteries.


Then the scanner (PSR-800) no longer receives a signal--it does not "shut of," but simply goes quiet.

[Gilligan]

Mine is now lasting less than 20 seconds. I opened a ticket with GRE and it looks like it's going to have to go back in the shop. Oh well, at least they should be able to fix it.

Regarding the backlight, no it makes no difference.