psr 500 low batt

[rickster51]

My GRE PSR500 has just started reading LOW VOLTAGE Recharge or Replace batteries . I initially thought maybe the shaft on the charger had oxidized so I used D-OXIT on it . No luck , then I used FRESHLY Charged NiMh batteries , no luck . I even tried using the BLACK batt pack with fresh ALK batts , no luck . I use WIN500 for programing . The unit has ALWAYS had NiMh batteries . The charge only last from 20mins to maybe 1 hour then the unit pops up the low volt message . And yes my battery voltage values in the win500 are at default ..... I am SOME KIND of flustered

 

[grumpy_hermit]

Do you see normal behavior when the unit is plugged in with no batteries?

 

[rickster51]

yes plugged into the wall wart everything is normal - even the flash to show charge blinks --- only when battery power is used do I get the low volt message

 

[rickster51]

I originally went into WIN500 and changed the voltage to a lower level because the low volt beep was coming on way too early (after it began to beep it would play another 4 to 5 hours) Then I changed from a 2300MAh that I thought had just got old , went to a 3000 MAh and left it to that lower volt setting I changed it too . Then the problems began and the low volt recharge or replace batt error message . Since I have went into the win500 program and made ALL the VOLTAGE settings to DEfault and uploaded that into the psr500. To NO AVAIL !

 

[grumpy_hermit]

I would probably try a reset on the radio and then upload the file with win500. It might help and shouldn't hurt anything.

 

[rickster51]

been there early this morning ---- did NOT work !!!

 

[DonS]

Have you tried the 0 2 reset sequence at power up (press 0 then 2 when the "welcome message" is displayed, then press ENT to confirm)?

 

[rickster51]

YES I had done that twice before - have not got a confirm but it does the global defaults ...here is what I do on /when welcome pops up /0 2 /press any key to continue (in 6 secs) /and I press enter. Then I upload to scanner VIA win500 . And I just DID it 2 more times

 

[DonS]

If you follow your 0-2 GLOB init by an upload from Win500, that upload overwrites the 0-2 GLOB init.

Try this:
* upload from Win500
* power-cycle the scanner and do the 0-2 GLOB init
* see if the battery indicator behavior changes

 

[rickster51]

I am NOT following your instructions could you elaborate ?

 

[DonS]

Turn the scanner off
Turn the scanner on
When the "welcome message" appears, press 0 then 2 then ENT
You have now performed the "0-2 GLOB init". This resets the battery level thresholds to the factory defaults.

DO NOT upload from Win500. If you do, the data from Win500 will overwrite the defaults you just set above.

Test your scanner. See if the battery indicator behaves better. Report back.

 

[rickster51]

ok Don will do --- don't know if the glitch is in the scanner or the win500 ---never have had the win500 do anything wierd . I WILL REPORT back ////probably tomorrow ///give the batteries a good test
thanks

 

[rickster51]

no need to wait Don got the battery message again . Even tried 4 other batteries --same result

 

[Ed6698]

My GRE PSR500 has just started reading LOW VOLTAGE Recharge or Replace batteries . I initially thought maybe the shaft on the charger had oxidized so I used D-OXIT on it . No luck , then I used FRESHLY Charged NiMh batteries , no luck . I even tried using the BLACK batt pack with fresh ALK batts , no luck . I use WIN500 for programing . The unit has ALWAYS had NiMh batteries . The charge only last from 20mins to maybe 1 hour then the unit pops up the low volt message . And yes my battery voltage values in the win500 are at default ..... I am SOME KIND of flustered

What are you using to charge your batteries? When you put the alkaline batteries in. did you change the setting in WIN 500 or the scanner itself to alkaline?

 

[DonS]

I can't believe I didn't ask that, but it bears emphasis:

When changing between NiMH and Alkaline batteries, are you telling the scanner about the battery type? It's in the PGM GLOB menu.

 

[rickster51]

Initially I CHANGED the time for charge from 99 to 16 as that is about all the NiMH (3000maH) should take .I also TRIED to reduce the voltage as the blink and the ALERT would come on (and this was happening before the NiMH to 3000 maH was in stalled ---thinking the older 2300 maH batteries were old) . So once I changed the time and the voltage setttings I BEGAN to immediately get the LOW BATTERY recharge or replace message . It is now set at NiMH the time is back to 99 the voltage settings are back to SUGGESTED voltages on the win500 software . I also have used an EXTERNAL charger to charge these NUMEROUS NiMH batteries as well as using the yellow batt pack and still get the low batt message . TODAY I am going to try and reset the software to ALK and stick in the BLACK batt pack to see if I get the low batt message .

Don S. last night the scanner played for almost 4 hours ---however the low battery icon and the beep alert came on within minutes of the new EXTERNALLY charged batteries being installed and the unit "ON" . . The reset of 0,2 upon boot gave the same indicators with icon blink and beep alert within minutes . So I installed the fresh charged externally batteries and again did the 0,2 on boot and then I installed the win500 again and got the longer ON status ...... but the icon blink and beep alert played for a little longer than it has been . MORE LATER this evening on the ALK pack results . THANKS for everyone's help hope to figure this out soon ...still frustrating

 

[Ed6698]

These are my exact settings I use for my PSR 500 in WIN 500, NiHM batteries, charged in a external charger, I am using Panasonic Eneloop Pro rechargeable, 2550mah. I get great battery life.

I kinda based my settings from this, scroll to Bat Icon Cal towards the end of webpage.

Easier to Read Pro-106/197/PSR500/600 Digital Scanner Manual

 

[rickster51]

Well Don and the others ---have NOT had a chance to try the ALK batt pack . But I DID a few times the global reset ...... did NOT upload from the WIN500 . I then put in an externally charged set of ENERGIZER batteries(the old 2300maH ones) and turned on the scanner about 8 30 pm ...got up about 5 am this morning it was still scanning then the icon began to blink with the alert beep about 8 am --it finally stopped scanning and displayed the low batt message about 11 am . I am NOW going to plug in the wall wart and try charging these same batteries will have an update again tomorrow about 9 am ! Will let you know "IF" the batteries charged up and then what happens when I turn it on . LATER & thanks again for ALL the suggestions ...

 

[rickster51]

My settings were reset to those SUGGESTED VOLTAGES via the easy to read site !

 

[Ed6698]

One thing I notice happens with the battery settings in those suggested values, do not have much time left once the warnings start, compared to default values.
I always have charged batteries for my scanners, cycle 4 sets of batteries between the 2 scanners. Almost always get over 8 hours runtime, depending which batteries I use or radio. I am cycling 4 different brands of batteries as of now. I never use my scanner to charge the batteries ever, I always use a quality external charger, that is the only way to get maximum performance out of rechargeable batteries.