PSR-800: Suddenly No Audio

[CanesFan95]

And it is no longer a $600 radio. At one point it was a $99 radio, thanks to Rat Shack.

What's that all about?

 

[CanesFan95]

Well, I've tried just about everything and it's just not putting out audio. 2 different cards, formatted, upgraded to 4.4 then back to 3.8, PSR-800 software wouldn't work, etc.

Opened it up with the golden screwdriver and then there's another board you have to unscrew to get to the speaker. So I did. Speaker wires and solder joints look fine. Nothing I've tried has worked. Plugged headphones in and out a few times, nothing.

This is a major bummer. I fear this scanner is basically toast at this point. Can't IMAGINE what would have caused this.

 

[scosgt]

Possible shorted out speaker jack.

 

[CanesFan95]

Well, I tried something else. The record feature. This scanner still records. I can play back transmissions on the computer but not on the radio. So evidently, it's still receiving and demodulating RF. But DANG IT, still no audio out the speaker. It really is shocking how this thing could just crap out like this. After 5 years, it's looking like an expensive decision is on the way. What on EARTH could have caused this???? This radio would have been usable for at least another 5 years, especially with the DMR added. DANG IT.

 

[Wackyracer]

Well, I tried something else. The record feature. This scanner still records. I can play back transmissions on the computer but not on the radio. So evidently, it's still receiving and demodulating RF. But DANG IT, still no audio out the speaker. It really is shocking how this thing could just crap out like this. After 5 years, it's looking like an expensive decision is on the way. What on EARTH could have caused this???? This radio would have been usable for at least another 5 years, especially with the DMR added. DANG IT.

Once your in playback on the scanner. Did you press SEL on the keypad and turn the audio up?

 

[CanesFan95]

Yes, I hit the >/|| SEL button and put the volume all the way up but no audio.

 

[CanesFan95]

Another funny thing I've noticed is that ever since I lost the audio, the battery life meter on the display is inaccurate. It always shows the battery a lot lower than what it actually is. A lot of the time, it'll look like the battery is almost dead when the batteries were recently charged and only used a little bit. The scanner never shuts itself off though.

 

[Wackyracer]

Reinstall the cpu firmware and the dsp firmware, then report back.

 

[Wackyracer]

Send it to G&G communications in NY

 

[Docrec97132]

WS 1080 AND PSR GRE problem

When i spoke with Wistler people about GRE compatability, They said NEVER USE THEIRS ON A GRE _PSR scanner! They are very strong on this warning as it will damage your scanner in many different ways!
You will end of with something no usable again?
Since GRE went down, it makes it very hard to restore it to the last upgrades since they do not exist. You can put the original software in ad get back up following all directions. But you will not find the upgrades that you should have had when you attempted the WS_1080 upgrade.
Good Luck and this warning is placed a lot of places to make sure you do not do it.

 

[Wackyracer]

When i spoke with Wistler people about GRE compatability, They said NEVER USE THEIRS ON A GRE _PSR scanner! They are very strong on this warning as it will damage your scanner in many different ways!
You will end of with something no usable again?
Since GRE went down, it makes it very hard to restore it to the last upgrades since they do not exist. You can put the original software in ad get back up following all directions. But you will not find the upgrades that you should have had when you attempted the WS_1080 upgrade.
Good Luck and this warning is placed a lot of places to make sure you do not do it.

I don't believe it!...my PSR-800 works as well as my Pro-668 with the unofficial upgrade. Which is 10 times better then where RS bankruptcy and whistler's lack of providing any further support left it..

 

[Docrec97132]

PSR Upgrades

Really? After talking with them and reading this warning everywhere and I mean everywhere in Bold print --I believed them. I tend to get scared of this when I had one bad crash and never recovered and it cost me big time.
So you went to the Whistler site and downloaded it to a disk ? and then in to the PSR 800?

 

[Wackyracer]

Really? After talking with them and reading this warning everywhere and I mean everywhere in Bold print --I believed them. I tend to get scared of this when I had one bad crash and never recovered and it cost me big time.
So you went to the Whistler site and downloaded it to a disk ? and then in to the PSR 800?

Not exactly or directly, I used the grefwtool and ver 3.8 firmware that originally came from whistler then to me by a group member who saved it when they would do each whistler update.

You have a cpu chip, you have programming coding done (firmware) for that specific chip. If all 3 scanners use that cpu chip then all 3 chips should function with firmware written. Did whistler tell you The firmware for the ws1080, PSR-800 and Pro-668 are different due to marketing. Marketing has limited the function of those 2 devices so they can add features to a scanner that cost MORE( ws1080) while limiting features on scanners that cost LESS.

Here is the deal with firmware. It can come from the source, you can install it via "the official" program from the manufacturer and you can still have a problem for dozens of reasons of which operator error will top the list. But many other things can cause issues while installing firmware, such as power interruption, bad cables, electronics failing, corrupt download etc. This is the reason for the warning.

Over simplifying here but If you get the firmware in and it works, it is not likely to cause your scanner to stop down the road.

 

[EricCottrell]

Hello,

There are differences between the PSR-800 and WS-1080 in at least the battery charge circuit. No problem for me since I do not charge the batteries in the scanner. For other sets of similar GRE/Whistler scanners there are more differences due to updates required in the design.

The Whistler warning is due to the firmware protection scheme employed that prevents firmware from one model being used on another model. I suspect it was implemented by GRE to prevent Canadian firmware for the PSR-500/600 being used on the US model. So Whistler firmware cannot be directly loaded on a GRE scanner as the main app firmware will end up erased because the checksum does not match. The scanner has a bootloader that allows reloading of the correct firmware if the main app firmware is erased.

It is possible to transcode the firmware file so it can be loaded into another scanner, but it only makes sense on models using similar hardware. It is more than the same CPU. The models have to use the same flash size and I/O configuration.

73 Eric

 

[Wackyracer]

My PSr-800 is cloned from my pro-668 settings. I have no problem charging nimh batteries in either of them with the ver 3.8 firmware.

 

[CanesFan95]

Well, here's an update. Sent the scanner to G&G Communications in New York. They were able to restore it back to a PSR-800 and now it's working again. The audio is back! They said they had to call Whistler and talk with one of their engineers who provided a special software program to restore it. G&G Communications said they have 3 other PSR-800s in for repair with the exact same symptoms after doing the WS-1080 hack mod. They work fine for about a week or two after the mod and then the audio goes out. They were able to restore 2 of them and the other one is truly bricked and can't be fixed.

For a repair bill of $67.50 + shipping, fortunately they were able to salvage my $500 scanner, and now it's back to normal. I WILL NOT be doing the hack again. It was my risk and didn't work out.

G&G said the Whistler engineers don't *like* how someone figured out how to do this hack, but that they technically didn't do anything wrong (as in not illegal, I believe)

 

[Wackyracer]

As someone who has personally done at least 4 upgrades, 3 on pro-668 and one on a psr-800 and guided many others with the upgrade without any problem as long as they followed the directions completely would like to know what exactly happened and the exact procedure, I would be willing to trade my pro-668 for your psr-800 so I can try and duplicate what happened.

 

[CanesFan95]

The odd thing is this. At the Orlando Hamfest, I found a PSR-800 for sale. $190, got tempted and went ahead and snatched it up. Did the mod on it back then and it still works fine today. Not in the best cosmetic condition, but it works. No problems, no loss of audio. G&G had the broken PSR-800 for about a month or so (mostly in a waiting queue). So right now I actually have 2 PSR-800s, one is a working WS-1080. So maybe the mod only messes up some units but not others for some reason?

It's great having the original unit back as it is in very good condition, much better than the hamfest one.

 

[Wackyracer]

The odd thing is this. At the Orlando Hamfest, I found a PSR-800 for sale. $190, got tempted and went ahead and snatched it up. Did the mod on it back then and it still works fine today. Not in the best cosmetic condition, but it works. No problems, no loss of audio. G&G had the broken PSR-800 for about a month or so (mostly in a waiting queue). So right now I actually have 2 PSR-800s, one is a working WS-1080. So maybe the mod only messes up some units but not others for some reason?

It's great having the original unit back as it is in very good condition, much better than the hamfest one.

Yes, it certainly appears to be the exception but not the rule. I would upgrade it , IMO it is almost useless the way it is. or sell it for $200 the way it is.

 

[Nasby]

Whistler has engineers?????