Pro 2004 (GRE) corrupted O/S from a low memory battery

[videobruce]

This being GRE manufactured Scanner sold under the RS Realistic name, I elected to place this here especially since RS sold so many scanners over the years.

Out of nowhere when I went to use this (last time was around a month or two ago that I used it) the when I went to use this, the O/S apparently was corrupted showing a blank display (other than the backlight), no audio (other than the normal 'pop' when it was powered up), no squelch action (no inter-station noise), no response from any button and no response from my signal strength meter (Bill Cheek mod) which the needle will usually will bonce around as it is scanning.

As in basically toast/fried as in dead other than a slight 'pop' in the audio when it was turned on and the backlight.

The 1st thing I did was to check the memory battery which was low, but NOT dead. I replaced it, but little change. With nothing to loose, I did a reset and it came back to life, but I lost all the memory.

So my question, has anyone else had anything like this happen and why on earth would a 'low' memory battery cause this???
BTW, I live in a city than never has lightning issues and my equipment is grounded, no static related discharges to the radio.

 

[videobruce]

Mods; If this would be better in the RS sub-forum, it's ok to move it.

 

[Ubbe]

OS are hardcoded into the CPU so that will never corrupt or be a problem. The memory for channels use a very old type of memory chip that needs a constant voltage to keep its programmed data. If the power supply are always connected if will use that power and never take anything from the battery. But if you leave the scanner disconnected it will eventually drain the battery and all memory will be lost.

It might be different memory chips used in Pro2004/5/6 as my Pro2006 can be in storage for a year or two between being used and its battery still have sufficient voltage left to keep the memory data intact.

Newer memory chips are of a totally different kind and keep their memory even if they have no voltage feed to it. It's the same with USB memory sticks that doesn't need any back up power source. But that kind of technology wasn't available, or where way too expensive, at the time when the Pro2004 where designed.

/Ubbe

 

[moonbounce]

I would almost bet that the radio has cold solder problems, and or you need to clean the on/off volume control. I had a Pro 2004 that I returned to Radio Shack because of all the problems I had with it, they gave me a Pro 2006 to replace it, I still have it. And like Ubbe says it won't be the O/S. Take the cover off it and gently press on the circuit board and see if the radio react, you probably have to dig around to find something that is causing the problem.

 

[kc2asb]

When I have had my 2006 unplugged for long periods, it would lose the stored frequencies and each channel would just display "000.0000 MHz". I would still get white noise from the speaker and the beeping due to the low battery.

There might be something else going on with your 2004, such as aging electrolytic capacitors, as mentioned in this very old thread.

pro2004 HELP!!!

When I turn on the scanner There are no frequencies being scanned.reset it and it starts scanning.Touch the keypad and it goes dead again.Any suggestions?

forums.radioreference.com

 

[scanlist]

Considering these radios are approaching 40 years old it is not surprising if they start to malfunction or fail.

You indicated the 9v memory battery was low at the time of failure so it is no surprise that the memory was starting to become corrupt and as a result the radio failed to run.

It was not uncommon to have to do a reset on some of these scanners to recover when they started acting up back in the day.

.

 

[videobruce]

Corrupted or loss of memory shouldn't have caused the lack of receiver, a blank display or loss of inter station broadband noise. There was no indication of a low battery the last time it was in use.

 

[moonbounce]

Corrupted or loss of memory shouldn't have caused the lack of receiver, a blank display or loss of inter station broadband noise. There was no indication of a low battery the last time it was in use.

All a low battery will do is emit a beep, it won't affect the operation of the radio, at least that is as per my Pro 2006 I would imagine the Pro 2004 is the same.

 

[videobruce]

Never had a 'beep' which seems to mean it wasn't a low battery!

 

[moonbounce]

Never had a 'beep' which seems to mean it wasn't a low battery!

If it were my radio I would be taking it apart and cleaning the keypad it sounds like there is no contact being made when any key is pressed. Also If the radio was not plugged in when it wasn't being used it probably drained the battery and wiped the memory after a month of not being used and possibly not plugged in. A battery doesn't have to be dead to be nonfunctional, all it has to do is go below a certain voltage and it will not work. Anyway just my suggestions, hope it all works out for you.

 

[scanlist]

You indicated after performing a reset that "it came back to life".

Does it keep memory and receive now with a fresh 9v battery or does if wipe out everything you have hand programmed when you turn it off and turn it on again? If this is the case then it's time to consider retiring the old workhorse.

We are talking 1980's processor and memory technology here. Electronics were quite robust compared to what industry attempts to pass off as such now. Having a 30+ year old scanner that is still functional is a tribute to the late GRE corporation.

I bought one in 1988 with 7A7 date code (July 1987) and have had to perform the reset a couple of times over the years. Still works when I dig it out of the closet and fire it up now and then.

.

 

[videobruce]

It's a "membrane type of keypad, you can't "clean" them.

It only came back to life until I powered it down. When I powered it back up, exact same thing. So it's NOT the battery. Someone else suggested the 5v rail issues.

Anyway, between the fact I'm really not using it and the hassle of tearing about the board to access the back side, I trashed it. Not worth the hassle especially considering the poor intermod performance it has especially on the VHF high band around 160 MHz due to FM radio station broadcast. And that is with a FM trap filter.

Thanks for all the input.

 

[videobruce]

I have two other scanners, one is a Icom IC-2730 and they both blow away the 2004 AFA intermod, but neither have a decent signal level meter/indicator, especially the 996P2 which is utterly worthless.

 

[scanlist]

Props to those offering to provide guidance in this thread.

So this went from my really old scanner decided to crash and any ideas why with people here offering to provide possibilities to why it happened and suggestions on how to revive it to I threw in the trash anyway oh and scanners suck because they don't have a real signal strength meter like my mobile ham radio.

Unfortunate,

.

 

[videobruce]

Props to those offering to provide guidance in this thread.

They were thanked !

Other far more issues I have to deal with, in all, it just wasn't worth tiring to repair this. It's called cut your losses.

 

[wtp]

the wife took my older radios and made them into a little display thing in an entertainment center.
she even threw in some extra crystals around the pro 7 for looks.

 

[kc2asb]

Anyway, between the fact I'm really not using it and the hassle of tearing about the board to access the back side, I trashed it. Not worth the hassle especially considering the poor intermod performance it has especially on the VHF high band around 160 MHz due to FM radio station broadcast. And that is with a FM trap filter.

It's your radio, so you can do what you want. However, trashing a radio that was possibly easily salvageable was not warranted, IMHO. You even said it started working after doing a factory reset. Really sad.

You could have just offered it for the cost of shipping in the RR classifieds, or given it away locally. Somebody would have been happy to have a PRO-2004.

And intermod? Even higher-end radios experience this. Also not a justification for trashing a radio.

 

[wtp]

still better than nothing !

 

[kc2asb]

View attachment 187366still better than nothing !

Exactly. And this was not some $30 throw-away radio from Amazon. The PRO-2004 was one of the best scanners Radio Shack ever sold and is still sought after today.

 

[wtp]

i am still using mine, everyday.