Scanner is dead (well sort of)

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Mitsufan

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My PRO 106 no longer works on ac power. With batteries in and the cord plugged up, it shows a blank screen, remove the ac adapter it turns on (not removing the batteries). So I can run it on batteries at least! Thing is, I could get a ip board for it to fix it (short story on this...a few years ago I had it on my nightstand and I woke up smelling sulfur and noted the scanner was bulged out and batteries leaking ect. Sent it off and they just put a new case on it and halfway repaired the circuit board and now has given out)...OR I could save up and get a uniden BCD436HP or BCD536HP..both which do Digital phase II. Wanting thoughts or suggestions before I go dropping $$$$. Thanks! :)
 

SCPD

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Feb 24, 2001
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New Unidens

My PRO 106 no longer works on ac power. With batteries in and the cord plugged up, it shows a blank screen, remove the ac adapter it turns on (not removing the batteries). So I can run it on batteries at least! Thing is, I could get a ip board for it to fix it (short story on this...a few years ago I had it on my nightstand and I woke up smelling sulfur and noted the scanner was bulged out and batteries leaking ect. Sent it off and they just put a new case on it and halfway repaired the circuit board and now has given out)...OR I could save up and get a uniden BCD436HP or BCD536HP..both which do Digital phase II. Wanting thoughts or suggestions before I go dropping $$$$. Thanks! :)
Save your money for the new Unidens. Have them both, and very pleased with the quality of the radios. Definitely no regrets here with my purchase. But sorry to hear about your problems with the 106, as I'm very partial to that radio as well.
 

QDP2012

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My PRO 106 no longer works on ac power. With batteries in and the cord plugged up, it shows a blank screen, remove the ac adapter it turns on (not removing the batteries).

You might have already tried these ideas:
  • if you are using one of the Radio Shack Adaptaplug style AC power-cords, the tip might have been incorrectly attached to the cord resulting in a reversed polarity situation, which will prevent the scanner from powering-up while the cord is connected. Disconnect the tip, rotate it 180-degrees, and reconnect; then try using it again to power the scanner.

  • If Adaptaplug-polarity is not the problem, then you might consider using a multi-meter to test the the cord's output. The "brick" might have failed, and you might simply need to replace the power cord. Sometimes residential power-surges can cause "bricks" to fail.

Hope this helps,
 

bama9999

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Jan 15, 2006
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I agree with Hugh and recommend one of the new Uniden's. I have the 536 and love it. Seems that most of the new agencies joining MSWIN are using phase 2, which as you know the Pro106 won't receive. So even if you do get it repaired, there's going to be a lot of traffic you'll be missing. Other than the Uniden's, you do have the option of a PSR800 if you can find one, and also Whistler is supposed to be coming out with a couple of phase 2 capable radios later in the year.
 

jim202

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You might have already tried these ideas:
  • if you are using one of the Radio Shack Adaptaplug style AC power-cords, the tip might have been incorrectly attached to the cord resulting in a reversed polarity situation, which will prevent the scanner from powering-up while the cord is connected. Disconnect the tip, rotate it 180-degrees, and reconnect; then try using it again to power the scanner.

    Hope this helps,



  • Bad idea to just cut the cord and reverse the polarity of the wall wart without first trying to identify what the center tip should be. Positive or negative voltage on the power cord connector should be verified with a volt meter first. Then look at the scanner to see if they have any markings next to the connector.

    Most devices and scanners I have seen like to have the center tip of the connector to be positive. Putting in the wrong polarity could damage what circuitry there is inside the scanner. It's bad advice to just reverse the connection without knowing what you have and what you need.
 

QDP2012

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Bad idea to just cut the cord and reverse the polarity of the wall wart without first trying to identify what the center tip should be.

An Adaptaplug adapter and tip are designed to separate and join together with no need for cord-cutting. Each has markings to indicate which position relates to which polarity setting. If the OP's adapter and tip could have been separated accidentally, then polarity might have already been reversed accidentally, and the situation needs to be checked.

Regardless, your cautionary statement about polarity is very correct. My previous choice of words was intended to highlight a potential problem and a potential solution, and was given with the assumption that the person doing the troubleshooting had enough experience to know how to examine the adapter-and-tip along with an owner's manual to determine which polarity setting is correct.

But, we all know what "assuming" does.

Thanks for catching the grammar and sharing the cautionary statement. It's always better to be safe than sorry.

Thanks,
 
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