PSR-800 DSP version?

[jacon12]

John, no I used the card reader to go through formatting and downloading data as per the instructions. I can't get my computer to recognize the scanner is hooked up, maybe a driver problem, thus the reason for going the card reader route. It looks like EZ scan permits that option which it did download the files mentioned above. I'm just not sure if the firmware was downloaded also. The only options I had were the ones I stated above so that's what I did.

 

[jackj]

The firmware is loaded into the scanner, not the microSD card. If the firmware was on the card then you would be able to update it without putting the scanner into a special mode. The only stuff on the card are the scanner options, like the backlight brightness, etc and the library data. Your computer won't recognize the scanner if the scanner doesn't respond to the computer. I think you have some major problems with your scanner, sorry.

 

[jacon12]

The firmware is loaded into the scanner, not the microSD card. If the firmware was on the card then you would be able to update it without putting the scanner into a special mode. The only stuff on the card are the scanner options, like the backlight brightness, etc and the library data. Your computer won't recognize the scanner if the scanner doesn't respond to the computer. I think you have some major problems with your scanner, sorry.

That's bad news, especially since Grecomm is now defunct. I really liked this little scanner too.... but, 'stuff' happens in life It's not heavy enough to make a good boat anchor so paper weight it is then. I'll salvage the sd card out of it and wait for the Uniden BCD436 to start shipping again. I may call one of the scanner repair places and see what they say, I guess.
Thanks guys for all the help!
Jarrell

 

[radchuck03]

PSR 800

I had problems similar with my PSR 800 scanner. The library frequency database will not upload into my scanner from my computer for some strange reason. However, it is not a total paperweight it does monitor conventional frequencies and the weather Channels. What I really need is an original SDcard with the original frequencies. I paid almost $500 for the scanner. It is the only digital trunking scanner with phase 2 capabilities that I own. This is the very last time then I'm going to own any scanner that has everything stored on the SD card. I heard that Uniden will fix it for $50 flat fee plus $10 shipping and handling. I might give them a call tomorrow and let them know what my problem is, maybe I will luck out. It is a shame that the company that made this scanner went bankrupt.

 

[jacon12]

I had problems similar with my PSR 800 scanner. The library frequency database will not upload into my scanner from my computer for some strange reason. However, it is not a total paperweight it does monitor conventional frequencies and the weather Channels. What I really need is an original SDcard with the original frequencies. I paid almost $500 for the scanner. It is the only digital trunking scanner with phase 2 capabilities that I own. This is the very last time then I'm going to own any scanner that has everything stored on the SD card. I heard that Uniden will fix it for $50 flat fee plus $10 shipping and handling. I might give them a call tomorrow and let them know what my problem is, maybe I will luck out. It is a shame that the company that made this scanner went bankrupt.

Sorry to hear about your problem. Yes, I was thinking about this last night, that modern scanners are essentially little computers and we all know how haywire computers can go sometimes. Being able to plug a scanner into a Windows or Mac machine, download databases, tweak settings in the computer software and send it to the scanner is very nice.
Unless you have a problem.
One of the biggest faults with computers has always been drivers, those finicky little pieces of software that let the computer talk and listen to whatever we've got plugged into it. If they load right everything is great. If they don't you've got a problem. And drivers get there little claws way down in the computers operating system so thoroughly that if something goes wrong you almost have to have a degree of some type to fix it.
Your problem is a bit different from mine in that I had the luck to, ... (I'm certainly no expert but I'm learning the hard way), to completely lose the firmware that is evidently stored somewhere in the computer when it comes from the factory. I'm guessing that is the equivalent to taking the operating system off your computer and expecting it to fire up and act right when the on button is pressed. How the heck that happened I'll never know.
Thanks for the tip on Uniden doing repair work on Grecomms, I didn't know that. I doubt they could help me though, unless they just happen to have the firmware for an 800 and can load it on for me.
Good luck with yours!
Jarrell

 

[detroit780]

Updates

Go here and download the SD card formatter tool
https://www.sdcard.org/downloads/formatter_4/

Format your SD card. Open EzScan software go to update RR database. It will download to EzScan. Then copy library to the SD card. Then you can pull in data from the library to the SD card via the radio or EzScan.

Actually I have a PSR800 Pro18 Pro107 and BCD436HP. All use the SD card and RR library. It's pretty easy to update the library every week if you want or just want a month and do your updates monthly if you prefer. All depends on how often you main system adds talk groups or if you travel a lot.

I had problems similar with my PSR 800 scanner. The library frequency database will not upload into my scanner from my computer for some strange reason. However, it is not a total paperweight it does monitor conventional frequencies and the weather Channels. What I really need is an original SDcard with the original frequencies. I paid almost $500 for the scanner. It is the only digital trunking scanner with phase 2 capabilities that I own. This is the very last time then I'm going to own any scanner that has everything stored on the SD card. I heard that Uniden will fix it for $50 flat fee plus $10 shipping and handling. I might give them a call tomorrow and let them know what my problem is, maybe I will luck out. It is a shame that the company that made this scanner went bankrupt.

 

[jacon12]

Go here and download the SD card formatter tool
https://www.sdcard.org/downloads/formatter_4/

Format your SD card. Open EzScan software go to update RR database. It will download to EzScan. Then copy library to the SD card. Then you can pull in data from the library to the SD card via the radio or EzScan.

Actually I have a PSR800 Pro18 Pro107 and BCD436HP. All use the SD card and RR library. It's pretty easy to update the library every week if you want or just want a month and do your updates monthly if you prefer. All depends on how often you main system adds talk groups or if you travel a lot.

Yes, it sounds like that would solve his problem, copying the database directly to a 'correctly' formatted sd card. As a matter of fact I would even recommend purchasing a new card, downloading the formatter and following the instructions given on the Grecomm website (there is a link to that page above in this thread), the instructions are at the bottom of the list. You can use your card reader to write the data base etc directly to the card and then use the card in the 800. It should not be a problem because he still has the cpu and dsp files in his scanner.
I know that if I somehow get my 800 up and running again I will be sure to have a back up sd card with everything loaded on it. Just in case.
Jarrell

 

[bailly2]

re: psr 800 dsp version

sorry if you already did this, after formatting the card with checkdisk and installing the drivers for the radio have you tried turning off the radio, unplugging it, hold the menu button and plug the usb cable on the radio into the computer?

 

[jacon12]

sorry if you already did this, after formatting the card with checkdisk and installing the drivers for the radio have you tried turning off the radio, unplugging it, hold the menu button and plug the usb cable on the radio into the computer?

No, but that's a good idea. I did try taking the batteries out then in again to see if that would help it reboot. I will try the other part of your suggestion as soon as I get the driver situation corrected. In all my trying different things, reformatting, reloading data bases etc. I managed to let Windows load it's drivers instead of the correct Grecomm drivers and I'm not sure how to remove those. Could be I end up going to the local computer guy and see if they can get it corrected.
Whew, it's been one thing after another but it's no one's fault but mine.
Jarrell

 

[bailly2]

re: gre psr 800 dsp version

you can remove those drivers by going into device manager (control panel, then system, then hardware) right click on the icon for the radio and select uninstall

 

[jacon12]

you can remove those drivers by going into device manager (control panel, then system, then hardware) right click on the icon for the radio and select uninstall

bailly, thanks for the tip. I had tried that but the scanner wasn't listed anywhere in device manager, like it was before.
Jarrell

 

[jacon12]

bailly, thanks for the tip. I had tried that but the scanner wasn't listed anywhere in device manager, like it was before.
Jarrell

I've just tried the scanner with my Windows 8 laptop and the scanner at least shows up in device manager which it doesn't on my 'main' computer (Vista). I went through the procedure of installing the correct driver from the EZscan software disc (Windows was telling me there was no driver installed for the scanner) and everything was moving along until the message:
Windows encountered a problem installing the driver software for your device.
Windows found driver software for device (on the cd) but encountered an error while attempting to install it.
The 3rd party INF does not contain digital signature information.
Check with the mfg.
I have no idea what an INF is or where to find it, but Google is my friend. , but at least I took a tiny step forward (I think?). One of my computers does at least recognize the scanner is there! YEAAAA!!!!
Jarrell
P.S. if some readers are following this thread and now have doubts about doing upgrades on their scanner... Don't think that way. What happened with me is a one in a million, I had a computer glitch during the process and things got a little dicey. IF I get mine back up and running I'd do the upgrade (to P25 phase 2) in a heartbeat. It wasn't the softwares fault, it wasn't Grecomm's fault. If anything it was my fault OR it was just one of those things that happen in life.

 

[jacon12]

I found the way to get around the no digital signature found problem and got correct driver installed on my laptop. Used the EZscan software to try and update CPU and DSP firmware on the scanner. Actually I'm trying to get it installed period, not just updated. But it won't do it. So! Evidently if the scanner has no firmware already installed from the factory you can not update that firmware.
On to plan B, whatever that is.
Jarrell

 

[Swipesy]

I found the way to get around the no digital signature found problem and got correct driver installed on my laptop. Used the EZscan software to try and update CPU and DSP firmware on the scanner. Actually I'm trying to get it installed period, not just updated. But it won't do it. So! Evidently if the scanner has no firmware already installed from the factory you can not update that firmware.
On to plan B, whatever that is.
Jarrell

Jarrel, you do not use EZScan to upgrade the scanner's firmware. The PSR 800 has to be plugged into the computer and the upgrade software .exe file walks you through the upgrade of the CPU and DSP . you need two files - (1)CPUUpdater_PSR800_U1.7.exe and (2) DSPUpdate_PSR800_1.3.exe. Also be sure you are running EZScan Version 1.08.

John

 

[jacon12]

Jarrel, you do not use EZScan to upgrade the scanner's firmware. The PSR 800 has to be plugged into the computer and the upgrade software .exe file walks you through the upgrade of the CPU and DSP . you need two files - (1)CPUUpdater_PSR800_U1.7.exe and (2) DSPUpdate_PSR800_1.3.exe. Also be sure you are running EZScan Version 1.08.

John

Won't work John. To use those exe. files the scanner has to communicate with the computer. Normally what you do is while holding down the menu key plug the computer/scanner usb cord and a line that says 'waiting for usb' shows on the scanner screen. Then you proceed with doing the 'test' button thing to see if the two are talking to each other. Since no 'waiting for usb' line comes up on mine, (remember I have no cpu or dsp firmware at all on my scanner) the install program tells me theres no communication and the 'install' buttom remains greyed out. Same with trying to install the dsp files, test it... no communication, install button remains greyed out. And this is with the proper grecom drives installed and the computer showing the scanner on comport 3.
After all this time I have a strong feeling that if you don't have cpu/dsp firmware already in place on your scanner there is nothing the end user like me can do.
thank you for taking the time to think this out and suggest things to me.
Jarrell

 

[Swipesy]

Jarrell,

I don't think it matters if there is currently CPU or DSP on the scanner. These programs will put the version on. What about putting the CPU & DSP exe files on a thumb drive and going to a public library and using their PC to get the scanner updated? You could also put the RR database on the thumb drive and at least get your scanner running.

John

 

[jacon12]

Jarrell,

I don't think it matters if there is currently CPU or DSP on the scanner. These programs will put the version on. What about putting the CPU & DSP exe files on a thumb drive and going to a public library and using their PC to get the scanner updated? You could also put the RR database on the thumb drive and at least get your scanner running.

John

John, my laptop recognizes the scanner. The drivers are installed, I checked that in device manager. They are from Grecomm, not Microsoft. The computer will 'talk' to the scanner via the little installation programs within the CPU and DSP exe files. The problem is the scanner doesn't talk back so the program never let's you get as far as the installation process. The RR database is installed on the sdcard, I did that first thing with the sd formatter program that formats the card correctly in a card reader and lets you download the database directly to the card via the card reader. Another file that is loaded this way is one from Adobe that has to do with the multicolored blinking lights on the scanner.
The laptop has Windows 8 on it and it shows the scanner in the device manager on com3, I'm assuming that's com port 3. It also has a listing for the scanner, in device manager, as a mass storage device usb device. That entry uses a Microsoft driver.
The only thing I can figure that is going on is the cpu and dsp firmware reside in the scanner on a chip of some type, not associated with the sdcard. This is loaded at the factory long before an sdcard is ever put into it. There is no way, that I've found so far, to reload that firmware without having some firmware already in place on the chip.
Jarrell

 

[bailly2]

re: gre psr 800 dsp version

have you tried doing a factory reset? press menu, settings, default vals...should roll back the firmware to version 1.0

 

[jacon12]

I wish I could! No, when batteries are in the scanner the screen continuously shows the boot version, there is no blank screen like you normally see when the power is off. Pressing ANY key does nothing. Either there is no firmware on the built in chip inside the scanner to roll back or the chip itself is toast.
I really liked that little scanner too... sooooo simple and easy to use.
Jarrell

 

[Halfpint]

Dang! I wish you were close to me, I live in Colorado, so that we could get together. I've got a bit of `experience' with supposedly `messing up' both PSR-700s and PSR-800s and recovering them. (I've got a pair of each.)