2 PSR800 questions

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Gar45

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Hey all.. I have 2 questions regarding the PSR800 I need help with. One is can anyone tell me what the size of the external speaker jack is on the top of the radio? The book says 3.5 mm but when I bought an external speaker/mic of that size, the jack on the radio is too big for it. Secondly, does anyone know where I can get a replacement data cable for this radio. A regular USB cable doesn't work when I try to update/download new talk groups into it. Thanks!!
 

AuntEnvy

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I'm not sure what actual size plug it is but I've always known it to be a "mini". The same size as any normal/regular headphone for an Ipod, if you will.

As for the usb, I highly recommend getting a card reader and placing that directly into the compute slot for updates etc. It's much faster.
 

Gar45

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Hi. Thanks for the info. Yes, I pulled the card out to update the talk groups etc. Problem is I can't make very many changes to the radio itself. Example, I want to change the setting so that if I accidentally hit a button, nothing happens until I hit it again.
 

AuntEnvy

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Not sure about that particular feature but any settings you select/enable has to be saved/written to the SD card.

So, once you've programmed all the things you want it to do in the software you save it to archive then "copy configuration to sd card" from the menu list in the top left corner.

If programming or selecting settings/features with the unit itself you have to make sure you select the "save changes" in the menu list.
 

Swipesy

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Hey all.. I have 2 questions regarding the PSR800 I need help with. One is can anyone tell me what the size of the external speaker jack is on the top of the radio? The book says 3.5 mm but when I bought an external speaker/mic of that size, the jack on the radio is too big for it. Secondly, does anyone know where I can get a replacement data cable for this radio. A regular USB cable doesn't work when I try to update/download new talk groups into it. Thanks!!

You are correct in having a USB Interface cable available. You never know when you may need to reinstall the Firmware DSP or CPU updater and not having a cable on hand would be an aggravation. What you want is a standard USB Interface Cable. Just make sure that it has the proper size plug that fits in the radio slot. You do NOT want a regular USB cable but a USB Interface Cable which can be found on EBay.
 

jaspence

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PSR800 questions

If you really tried to plug in a speaker/mike, you are lucky nothing was damaged. A standard mini stereo plug is what you need.

I have over 50 hand held radios, including 5 scanners and none of them have the feature of letting you push the wrong button and then confirm your action. That would make manual programming a nightmare.
 

N8IAA

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USB to USB Mini will work. Use one with mine all the time to power it in the shack.
3.5mm stereo/mono plug fits fine in mine. Sometimes just a bit snug.
Larry
 

Gar45

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If you really tried to plug in a speaker/mike, you are lucky nothing was damaged. A standard mini stereo plug is what you need.

I have over 50 hand held radios, including 5 scanners and none of them have the feature of letting you push the wrong button and then confirm your action. That would make manual programming a nightmare.




So what you are saying here then is I shouldn't plug in a speaker/mic to the psr800? Obviously I don't intend to use the mic button..I just want to be able to put the radio in my back pocket and have the speaker volume clipped to the front of my shirt/vest so I can hear the radio traffic in a noisy environment. Any suggestions?
 

Gar45

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You are correct in having a USB Interface cable available. You never know when you may need to reinstall the Firmware DSP or CPU updater and not having a cable on hand would be an aggravation. What you want is a standard USB Interface Cable. Just make sure that it has the proper size plug that fits in the radio slot. You do NOT want a regular USB cable but a USB Interface Cable which can be found on EBay.



Thanks for the info. Hopefully I can find one on Ebay.
 

Gar45

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USB to USB Mini will work. Use one with mine all the time to power it in the shack.
3.5mm stereo/mono plug fits fine in mine. Sometimes just a bit snug.
Larry



The issue I have though is the radio supposedly has a 3.5 mm jack on top. The speaker/mic I bought supposedly is a 3.5 mm plug. However, when I try to plug it into the radio, the jack on the radio is bigger than the plug. So one of them can't be a 3.5 mm but I can't figure out which one is and isn't.
 

jaspence

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PSR 800

Aspeaker mike has the wrong ring configuration on the plug. A stereo plug has a ground and a left and right channel. Some speaker mikes today have a mike connection and a mono connection for the speaker. Even if you don't intend to push the mike button, an accidental push will short the jack. Some speaker mike systems designed for phones have a mike ring and left and right stereo rings, which will not line up properly in the jack.
 

Gar45

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Hmm..ok, so do you know of any external speakers equivalent to a speaker/mic that I might be able to use for my purposes?
 

kb3isq

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I don't know of an amplified lapel speaker, just plugging in a lapel speaker will not have much volume as you are then using the earphone setting. R/S used to have a lapel speaker cat no 20-009. I ave one and tried it but at max volume it is still quite low. BTW the 3.5 mm or 1/8 inch jack is not stereo. You would be much better off using a decent ear bud.
 

Gar45

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At this point, anything is probably better than having the radio in my back pocket. I have the volume cranked to 30 and it is still hard to hear when there is traffic outside around me. Thanks, I will see what the shack has if anything.
 

kb3isq

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That is correct it depends on if it is a mono or stereo jack, the jack on the PSR800 is mono as with all other GRE scanners. Some stereo earphones will work some require a stereo to mono adapter
 

kb3isq

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A good ear bud can be found on E-bay under

Consumer Electronics, Radio Communication, Parts & Accessories, Headsets & Earpieces
Look for: 3.5mm Surveillance Plug Coil Tube Earbud Audio Kit for Two-way Radios ($9.89)
 
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