Having Uniden repair a PRO-197

[rpb1762]

Hey, all. A quick and easy question.

Has anyone sent a PRO-197 to Uniden for repairs? If so, what kind of experience did you have with them?

I have three (yes, 3) PRO-197 units that have memory issues...they lose objects (including trunked system, system talkgroups, and conventional channels) after the unit has been on for short time. I have not been able to figure out a cause and Uniden repair may be the last resort for them.

Thanks in advance!
Randy B.

 

[fxdscon]

Hey, all. A quick and easy question.

Has anyone sent a PRO-197 to Uniden for repairs? If so, what kind of experience did you have with them?

I have three (yes, 3) PRO-197 units that have memory issues...they lose objects (including trunked system, system talkgroups, and conventional channels) after the unit has been on for short time. I have not been able to figure out a cause and Uniden repair may be the last resort for them.

Thanks in advance!
Randy B.

.
Might be interesting to perform the eeprom memory test, there have been reports of the memory failing on those....

At the Welcome screen, quickly press zero then 5. You must press zero while the "Welcome" screen is still showing.

Run that memory test quite a few times to see if an error shows up. If the memory is bad, you'll get a "EEPROM ERROR" on the screen.

 

[YoShep69]

Just curious, why would Uniden repair a GRE scanner?
I would send it to Whistler.

 

[Nasby]

Just curious, why would Uniden repair a GRE scanner?
I would send it to Whistler.

Sadly, Whistler won’t repair these or other Radio Shack / GRE units (even though they are pretty much identical to the WS1065). Uniden advertises that they will repair other model scanners, not just Uniden models.

 

[fxdscon]

Just curious, why would Uniden repair a GRE scanner?
I would send it to Whistler.

.
This is from the Uniden Repair Site.... they have been repairing other brands for a flat rate price for some years now....

Uniden now repairs other brand model scanners. Service fee: $69.95 plus shipping.

From:

Uniden | A World Without Wires - Uniden Repair Center

 

[rpb1762]

.
This is from the Uniden Repair Site.... they have been repairing other brands for a flat rate price for some years now....



From:

Uniden | A World Without Wires - Uniden Repair Center

fxdscon​

Did the memory test as suggested and got the "EEPROM ERROR" message (as I expected I wouild)on the first try. I would assume that a repair would be the replacement of the EEPROM chip and a reload of firmware.

Which takes me back to my base question: Has anyone had any experience with Uniden Repair doing any work on a PRO-197 unit. If so, how was he experience? Was the unit repaired? Replaced with a similar unit? Declared the unit unrepairable? Offered a refurbished Uniden product as replacement?

RB

 

[fxdscon]

Did the memory test as suggested and got the "EEPROM ERROR" message (as I expected I wouild)on the first try. I would assume that a repair would be the replacement of the EEPROM chip and a reload of firmware.

.
In addition to investigating Uniden as a source of repair for your Pro197, maybe give these guys a call. Some members here have spoken highly of them:

G & G Communications....

Home Page

.

 

[YoShep69]

.
This is from the Uniden Repair Site.... they have been repairing other brands for a flat rate price for some years now....



From:

Uniden | A World Without Wires - Uniden Repair Center

Wow, had not seen that before!

I’m really surprised with Whistler’s stand on this.

 

[rpb1762]

Wow, had not seen that before!

I’m really surprised with Whistler’s stand on this.

.
In addition to investigating Uniden as a source of repair for your Pro197, maybe give these guys a call. Some members here have spoken highly of them:

G & G Communications....

Home Page

.

fxdscon​

I talked with Gerry about this issue when it first appeared on one of the other units. He wasn't really very helpful, suggesting I call Whistler and see if they have had issues like this with the WS-1065 (or others in that family of scanners). I kinda got the idea he didn't want to get involved in it at all. Just my opinion, of course.

 

[fxdscon]

fxdscon​

I talked with Gerry about this issue when it first appeared on one of the other units. He wasn't really very helpful, suggesting I call Whistler and see if they have had issues like this with the WS-1065 (or others in that family of scanners). I kinda got the idea he didn't want to get involved in it at all. Just my opinion, of course.

.
Thanks for letting us know.

 

[dispatch235]

That is a very common problem on the Pro 197, 106, 641, 652, and the Whistler equivalents even. When MOSWIN first came to the area many of the first responder community adopted the Pro197 since Radio Shack had some pretty good close out prices on them. With the exception of a couple of them they have all developed the eeprom dying slowly until they would no longer hold programming. Whistler still sells the same design but doesn't acknowledge there is a problem. A couple RR members here in MO repaired theirs with a different retrofit eeprom but I haven't heard if they are still working now. If uniden can repair them with a retrofit that would be great, those radios had great audio.

 

[Ensnared]

.
In addition to investigating Uniden as a source of repair for your Pro197, maybe give these guys a call. Some members here have spoken highly of them:

G & G Communications....

Home Page

.

Is this the person in NY? If so, he did a wonderful job on my PSR 500, BNC module and power outage issue.

 

[fxdscon]

Is this the person in NY? If so, he did a wonderful job on my PSR 500, BNC module and power outage issue.

7825 Black Street Rd., LeRoy, N.Y.

 

[Ensnared]

7825 Black Street Rd., LeRoy, N.Y.

Thank you very much. I just found the email. He wanted a money order, no cards, LOL. Excellent work!

 

[hiegtx]

fxdscon​

I talked with Gerry about this issue when it first appeared on one of the other units. He wasn't really very helpful, suggesting I call Whistler and see if they have had issues like this with the WS-1065 (or others in that family of scanners). I kinda got the idea he didn't want to get involved in it at all. Just my opinion, of course.

Looking at G & G's web page, I see notes on units he no longer accepts for repairs. While your specific model is not on the posted "no repair" list, I do see comments that there are some parts for your model, and the related GRE models, as well as other Radio Shack labeled models, as to parts that he simply cannot get anymore. He may have sensed that your radio's problem would involve that category.

 

[rpb1762]

Looking at G & G's web page, I see notes on units he no longer accepts for repairs. While your specific model is not on the posted "no repair" list, I do see comments that there are some parts for your model, and the related GRE models, as well as other Radio Shack labeled models, as to parts that he simply cannot get anymore. He may have sensed that your radio's problem would involve that category.

That is certainly a possibility. And, to compound the issue of "no parts available", his web pages are waaay outdated which means that even if something WAS still available when he created the pages it may be long gone (like Radio Shack) by now.