Minitor V Problems

[mathewsvrs]

I have two Minitor V VHF 2Ch. Stored Voice pagers.

1. The first is a bit beat up and I wanted to take it apart to clean the contacts. In doing so, I turned what appeared to be a screw on the circuit board that crumbled exposing a red coiled wire. The pager has not received audio since I broke this part. Does anyone have any input as to the name of the part, part number, or where/cost to get it reparied?

2. The second is new to me and in excellent shape that was sold "as is". It powers on appropriately on the charger, but will not stay on when removed from the charger (battery is confirmed to be charged by green light on charger and being able to power on my other pager). Any ideas as to the cause of this?
Note: I have not programmed this unit yet as I am waiting on a part to arrive for my programmer.

Please Help!!!

[SteveC0625]

Originally Posted by mathewsvrs

I have two Minitor V VHF 2Ch. Stored Voice pagers.

1. The first is a bit beat up and I wanted to take it apart to clean the contacts. In doing so, I turned what appeared to be a screw on the circuit board that crumbled exposing a red coiled wire. The pager has not received audio since I broke this part. Does anyone have any input as to the name of the part, part number, or where/cost to get it reparied?

The Minitor V is designed to be repaired only at the depot. Even experienced techs don't open them as they are certified "intrinsically safe" and opening one will immediately decertify it. And the components on the circuit boards are so tiny as to make fixing one on the bench to be nearly impossible and certainly impractical. Motorola does not even publish a service manual to my knowledge.

The "screw and wire" thing that you have trashed is probably a tuning coil. It can not be replaced except by a trip to the depot. If you have a MOL account, it's $78 flat rate, more if you have to take it to a repair shop who will in turn just send it to the depot. But since you have opened it and broken something inside, they may not even be willing to touch it.

Originally Posted by mathewsvrs

2. The second is new to me and in excellent shape that was sold "as is". It powers on appropriately on the charger, but will not stay on when removed from the charger (battery is confirmed to be charged by green light on charger and being able to power on my other pager). Any ideas as to the cause of this?
Note: I have not programmed this unit yet as I am waiting on a part to arrive for my programmer.

Please Help!!!

You might try cleaning the battery contacts, but that's it. If cleaning does not solve the problem, it needs to go to depot.

Now, here is the kicker. Motorola does not repair and return the unit you send them. They pull a repaired unit from the shelf, program and label it with your serial number, and send you what is essentially a nearly new pager. They then evaluate the pager you sent them and either repair it or junk it.

I recently sent in a five year old Minitor V for possible replacement of the on/off volume pot. They sent back what appears to be a next-to-new pager that works perfectly and shows the latest firmware, etc. when in engineering mode in the programmer.

[NCFire11]

Originally Posted by mathewsvrs

I have two Minitor V VHF 2Ch. Stored Voice pagers.

1. The first is a bit beat up and I wanted to take it apart to clean the contacts. In doing so, I turned what appeared to be a screw on the circuit board that crumbled exposing a red coiled wire. The pager has not received audio since I broke this part. Does anyone have any input as to the name of the part, part number, or where/cost to get it reparied?

Why not just use a toothpick to gently scrape the contacts. It would've saved you a lot of trouble. I agree its going to have to go to the depot, if they'll take it.

Originally Posted by mathewsvrs

2. The second is new to me and in excellent shape that was sold "as is". It powers on appropriately on the charger, but will not stay on when removed from the charger (battery is confirmed to be charged by green light on charger and being able to power on my other pager). Any ideas as to the cause of this?
Note: I have not programmed this unit yet as I am waiting on a part to arrive for my programmer.

Please Help!!!

If the battery powers your other pager appropriately, I would also say it is either an internal problem, or possibly, but not likely, dirty contacts.

[brian209]

Originally Posted by mathewsvrs

I have two Minitor V VHF 2Ch. Stored Voice pagers.

1. The first is a bit beat up and I wanted to take it apart to clean the contacts. In doing so, I turned what appeared to be a screw on the circuit board that crumbled exposing a red coiled wire. The pager has not received audio since I broke this part. Does anyone have any input as to the name of the part, part number, or where/cost to get it reparied?

2. The second is new to me and in excellent shape that was sold "as is". It powers on appropriately on the charger, but will not stay on when removed from the charger (battery is confirmed to be charged by green light on charger and being able to power on my other pager). Any ideas as to the cause of this?
Note: I have not programmed this unit yet as I am waiting on a part to arrive for my programmer.

Please Help!!!

1) send it in for repair to Motorola. The only time they have sent me something back as "un-repairable" is when the pager went in the water (toilet or pool, usually) and the user didn't immediately get to me for drying.

2) swap batteries, charge it but look for it to go green very quickly which sometimes means the battery is really taking a charge. Find someone with a good pager to verify your batteries are working.

Brian

[mathewsvrs]

Thanks for all the help guys. Would UCC repair them both under their flat rate repair that states all internal parts and labor included? Here is their website with that claim: Minitor Repairs

The one that won't turn on when off of the charger seems to have all clean contacts inside and out and the battery is confirmed to be charged. I'd really like to fix this one without sending it in if possible. Does anyone have any more ideas on it?

[Michael-SATX]

Mathewsvrs, hey I read your post and thought of this company that also works on
Motorola Minitor Pagers, I hope you and maybe others find them interesting ...

G & G Communications