InterceptRadio.com Forums

Hi there,
Last night after getting home from camping I was unloading the cab of the pickup when my BC245XLT slid off of the seat and hit the asphalt. :(
It cracked the case on the side which is a small problem. The problem I am concerned with is that the volume levels have decreased considerably (I have to turn it all the way up to hear it, even with my hearing aids on) and it has a real hollow sound to it. Not an echo but a hollow type sound. Does anyone have any thoughts as to what the problem might be, other than I broke it.
Radio shops have been addressed many times in the forum. Does anyone know of any in the south end (live in Auburn) or is ABC about the closest?
Should it not be practical to repair it I would welcome any suggestions as to what to replace it with. I use it mostly with Valley Com, Grays Harbor and Pacific Counties, the Portland and Yakima Valley areas and the Frasier Valley in BC. I would want something that would meet the needs of these areas for a long time (please.) I am also on a retirement income so I don't have a lot of extra funds.
Many thanks,
Wayne

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Wayne
KF7FYL

Sean or Wiz or anyone else-If I decide I need to purchase a new radio maybe you could give me an idea as to what I should be looking for to purchase a handheld scanner to use for (hopefully) years to come in the greater King County/Seattle area.
I would appreciate it,
Wayne

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Wayne
KF7FYL

OK, Here's the deal as of today.

1) The present King County-wide system is nearing end of life (it is some 15 years old now, using technology from the 80's)
2) The FCC wants us to narrow band
3) The FCC wants us to go digital

So, we are investigating our options at this point. In plain english, this means if you are buying a new scanner today, AND YOU EXPECT TO REPLACE IT IN 3-4 YEARS, buying digital may be a waste of money- depending on how much out of area scanning you expect to do and the systems you want to monitor. If you expect to keep the scanner for 5-10+ years, you should consider the extra expense of digital. But keep in mind there are other things out of our control that may still render your purchase obsolete sooner than you desire.

From a Seattle point of view, I do not see us moving to encryption for all comms in the future. Again, that could change with the threat of attack level.

I am very much aware that this is a fuzzy answer, but it is based on the best info we have today. Things could change for the worst in '09.

Hope this helps in your decision, Gramps.

Wiz

First step on the scanner investigation: Does the earphone connection sound the same as it used to? If it's unchanged, you did something to the speaker, which could be easy to fix, or at least easy to work around. If the audio to the earphone connector is bad, it's tougher fix... needs somebody with test equipment etc.

I've seen this issue before in Motorola's 'MaxTrac' line of radios. I think what might have happened is that you cracked the resistance element in your radio's volume control. You may also have knocked a capacitor or two loose (assuming surface-mount parts).

If you don't feel like springing for a new scanner at the moment, the repair may be easier than you think.

Happy tweaking.

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Bruce Lane, KC7GR
Owner, Blue Feather Technologies
Motorola programming and conversion service available. See http://www.bluefeathertech.com/rf.html
"Salvadore Dali's computer has surreal ports..."

Thanks to you who responded.
Wiz-I appreciate the information. You said it was fuzzy information. It is also the best you have at the moment and I appreciate it.
I followed the advice and checked the earphone plug with a headset. The volume sounded fine and clear with the headphones.
I will also pursue an evaluation to see if it is the speaker, a resister, a crack in the volume control, etc.
I will follow up.
Wiz-gramps I am and love the role. I don't know if you are a "gramps" or not. You may have to become "The Kid" when I think of you in this forum.
Many thanks,
Gramps --- Gampawayne

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Wayne
KF7FYL

Bruce-kc7gr:

How can I email you?

Wayne

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Wayne
KF7FYL