PSR-310 Static on Volume Control

[eagleswings01]

Hi Guys,

Whenever I adjust the volume on my 310, there is a static sound that comes (through the speaker) from moving the knob. It sounds like a scratching noise.

Maybe I'm going crazy, but I don't remember the static being there when I first got the 310. For some reason I remember it being silent whenever I moved the volume knob.

Do any of you guys have this issue?

Thanks,
Mike

P.S.
In the interest of full disclosure, I just tried holding the squelch dial firmly in place (so that it doesn't move) and moved the volume knob again - I still get the exact same amount of scratching noise.

 

[GTR8000]

Same thing with my 410. Started life out quietly, now I get static whenever I turn the volume knob. If I turn it a few times back and forth quickly, it eventually goes away for the time being. Good old GRE quality! :roll:

 

[eagleswings01]

That's a bummer! I wonder if there is anything that causes it (internally) or if it's just a QC issue like you mentioned?

 

[kruser]

That's a bummer! I wonder if there is anything that causes it (internally) or if it's just a QC issue like you mentioned?

Dirty, dusty and dry environments are a major cause but I think the number one cause is from nicotine deposits if you are a smoker.

Noisy controls can be revived with DeOxit spray or Tuner Cleaner from radio shack.
Be warned that the radioshack tuner cleaner also has a lubricant in it that will get all over everything else. If you try it, try and place a tissue or something around the control to try and catch the overspray. Also keep it off of plastics. I think the radioshack cleaner is pretty plastic safe these days however but some plastics may still melt from the cleaner so be careful. Some people have luck just giving a quick squirt at the shaft after you pull the knob off but you are much better off opening the radio so you can squirt it in where the wire leads are soldered.
Another drawback to this is the lubricant will cause future dust and debris to collect inside the control much faster.
This does work but it is usually not a permanent fix although I've had some noisy controls that cleaned up well and never did get noisy again.
The DeOxit brnd spays are considered better by many but I doubt you would find it at retail locally. Places like Digikey or Mouser should both sell it. I think the DeOxit brand may be sold with and without the lubricant.
Both will help greatly but if the control is physically worn out from use, the problem will come back very fast.

If you use the radioshack stuff, do it far away from everything else as that stuff comes out fast and will splatter all over everything nearby as it is hard to control and get short bursts out of the can.

The shortest or quickest burst of the chemical that you can possibly release is plenty to clean those controls unless you miss with your aim and it does not go into the control. It does come with the small red tube for hitting a small area.

 

[GTR8000]

Dirty

Nope.

dusty

Nope.

dry environments

Nope.

nicotine deposits if you are a smoker

Nope.

It started not long after I got the scanner brand new. The scanner looks as new as it did when I took it out of the box, and I actually don't fiddle with the on/off/volume knob all that much, so it's certainly not wear and tear.

Just a crappy quality part.

 

[eagleswings01]

I would have to agree with Chauffeur6 - I don't smoke, the scanner is very clean and not dusty, and 90% of the time it is in our house which has humidifiers.

Additionally, it has been stored in a case and I use canned air to clean it periodically, even though no dirt is visible.

I might have to contact Grecom this week to see what they have to say about the situation.

 

[kruser]

Your temporary fix by rotating back and forth several times points to dirt in the control. That is something the products I mentioned will fix.
Temporarily most likley but you will never know unless you try.
If it were caused by a lose wire or something, rocking the control back and fourth would normally not cure it.

And yes, the control is likely just a crappy component especially coming out of China.
Normal every day dust in a home will cause noise in the cheap controls.
Better controls will have a better fitting shaft (often greased which acts as a seal) and some even have an O ring seal on the shaft to keep dust out. High end test equipment will have sealed controls. The sealed controls cannot be cleaned with a control cleaner when they get dirty.
I guarantee GRE did not use sealed controls though!
They used the cheapest controls they could find more than likely.

I've replaced thousands of "dirty" controls and also cleaned thousands when the owner did not want to spend the small amount of money to replace the control.
I agree that contacting GRE is in order if these radios are still fairly new.

 

[KB4REA]

Same here...

Mike,
My 310 & 410 have the same static sound when adjusting the volume. There's a thread about this that seem to have good and accurate info, I just forget where I saw it and what to search for to find it again but I'll spend a few minutes now and look. There was a remedy for it but if I remember right it was only a temporary fix. It might of been in the radio shack forum somewhere.

 

[KB4REA]

Here's one thread about it, the one I was thinking of.

It seems to be a common issue as there were a number of other threads. I searched using "volume" and "static".

What was weird was for one day a month or 2 ago, my 410's volume knob was smooth as butter - meaning very quiet, no static - and the only thing that changed really was the temperature in my condo; it was very cool.

 

[eagleswings01]

Kruser - thanks for your detailed reply. I guess that does make sense about it being dirt. To me, it definitely doesn't seem like it should be a worn part as I've had the scanner about six months, haven't used it a ton, and I purchased it brand new.

I'm not sure I'm brave enough to try the cleaner. I may just live with it.

Thanks again,
Mike

 

[eagleswings01]

Hey Josh - thanks for chiming in! Have you tried any cleaner like mentioned in that thread and by kruser? Would using canned air work to blow the junk out?

Thanks again,
Mike

 

[KB4REA]

Hey Josh - thanks for chiming in! Have you tried any cleaner like mentioned in that thread and by kruser? Would using canned air work to blow the junk out?

Thanks again,
Mike

No, I haven't tried any of the suggestions...the noise bugs me but I guess not quite enough to mess with it, maybe if it was a more permanent fix I would give it a try. I'm not sure about the canned air, it might do the trick.

 

[kruser]

You guys got started on this subject and now I've found that my PSR 500 and my Pro197 both have noisy controls!
My PSR600 is fine still.
All are seldom used radios for me.
I'd never thought about checking mine until I read the other thread that someone linked too earlier in this thread.

Someone in the linked thread (I think) mentioned plain contact cleaner. That is usually not good as it will also remove any factory grease. That could also be the problem. Cheap quality controls may not even have grease around the wiper. A true control cleaner that also has a lubricant would probably have the best chance at lasting for some time.
Pure contact cleaner will work but will not last very long at all and your control will wear out much faster as the wiper wears through the thin carbon inside the control or the wiper contact itself wears out from friction due to the lack of lube.

 

[eagleswings01]

So it looks like it might be better to leave this alone and live with it! Sorry to hear about us infecting your radios! Maybe it was sympathy pains!

 

[sphipps]

Both my PRO-106 and PRO-164 scanners have "scratchy" volume controls to the same degree. I'm just going to consider it normal. When I try to fix stuff like this... it doesn't go too good.

 

[kruser]

I decided to investigate my 197 today. I found that it is not worth trying unless you are replacing the control.

No way to use a spray contact cleaner or anything for that matter.
They use a cheap but sealed control. The thing is a dual control with the power switch mounted on the rear of the control.
It is held together with small rivets so no way to get any cleaner inside as it also has sealed leads on all sections.
It is not marked with any manufacturer markings either but it is the same blue color that Bournes uses on some of their controls. It must be the economy line if they did make it as they usually offer well made controls.

I guess the only way to repair would be to replace the control and hope the new one is better quality. Something tells me the new one will also go noisy in a year or less though so I'm just going to live with it.
The volume pot is the middle chamber so no way to work any contact cleaner into it even by hoping it will run down the shaft.
I'd cut the rivets if I had something to use in their place but they are small diameter and I had nothing here that could have been used to hold the assembly together again.
I think I will order a spare control or two in case mine becomes worse.
That is only if they sell the control without the small board it is mounted on otherwise they would likely ask an arm and a leg for the entire control and jack board as an assembly.
The RadioShack service manual for the 197 does not list a RS part number so I assume it must come from GRE. They list three different part numbers for the same control and who knows what the difference is. Maybe one is a newer version of the control that solves this noise problem. The numbers they list for the same control are: RG82BS-2A1-B103-0EC2 or GE-03D-0200 or GR-08D-1220.

​

Has anyone ever ordered a board level component or mechanical part from GRE before?

Maybe Doug will know if he sees this.
The Radio Shack service manual for the Pro-106 and 197 both show they use the same exact control in both radios, just the knobs are different. The service manual has no Radio Shack part numbers (RSU numbers) for any of the parts at all so I have no idea if a company owned store can order the parts or not from the numbers as they are listed in the manuals.
I have a couple good managers here in town that know what they are doing so I may call one of them and ask unless Doug chimes in with an answer. One of the guys I know well has been a store manager for at least 40 years. I met him when I was a young teenager and he is still a local store manager to this day. He has switched stores a few times though. He must be getting close to retirement.