Radioshack Pro-83 white noise problem

I have had a Pro-83 since last Summer (2005) and really like it. It usually lives in the car when I am driving, and is subject to New England's seasons.

Over the summer, it behaved fine.

This winter, though, even though the season has been rather mild, the radio has started to act like the squelch is open full time, with constant white noise. The scanner function properly continues to search for active frequencies as does the signal stalker. If the squelch was open, the scanner and signal stalker functions would obviously be sitting on a frequency and not move.

I've tried playing with both the squelch and volume knobs, but no change from squelch, though the volume does help "squelch" some of the headache I can start to develop.

This white noise problem occurs regardless of whether I use rechargable batteries or the DC adapter, and regardless of use of the radio in the house or in the car.

The white noise has been known to subside after some time. But I ask readers if they have also experienced this? If so, what could be causing it? It is NOT automobile interference because the scanner does come into the house at times and present the same problem. It would be difficult to believe it is squelch since the rest of the functions behave as if the squelch _is_ working properly.

What else could I be missing? Has the radio become defective? It was purchased new, out of the box.

Thanks for any ideas/leads/hints.

Scott

Reply to
Scott Ehrlich
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Radio could be defective, but it is more likely that the "white noise" is an actual RF signal...possibly from something recently introduced in your area: Broadcast radio transmitter (AM, FM, TV), cellular telephone base station, broadcast TV or radio station adding a digital transmitter; etc. Investigate. You didn't say whether your location or time of day affected the noise....

Reply to
webpa

Day or night. Doesn't matter. With or without antenna. Whether in the car driving through area towns or on my desk at home.

It is something in/with the radio.

Would be _REALLY_ nice is the Optoelectronics Digital Scout had a built-in speaker. I'd dream about that in my car... Though next best thing to no built-in speaker would be to get the cheapest scanner it can control...

Scott

Reply to
Scott Ehrlich

Howdy Scott.....sounds like time to get a schematic and dig out a scope. Output (speaker) back to input and see where your noise is originating from. Wish I had a "silver bullet" for your problem but thats where I'd be (and have been many times).

Reply to
G

Think I found the silver bullet! ;-)

Since this radio is well out of warranty, I opted to remove the back cover. It revealed a circuit board. After a casual look around the inside, I discovered the board was connected to another circuit board.

I happened to have the batteries installed and the radio on.

After checking the connections and seeing what was where, I discovered the "top" circuit board (what is first revealed when the back is removed) became loose from the "bottom" circuit board. I also learned it is connected via a simple surface-mount connector (familiar kind, but I forget its name at the moment). I also discovered I lost volume/squelch.

When I reconnected the "top" board to the "bottom" board via that connector, the volume returned (squelch was open by chance). I turned the squelch closed, and the speaker became quiet.

Apparently, the connector between the boards had become lose.

Simple solution!

Scott

Reply to
Scott Ehrlich

Good job Scott! Every repair should start with a look and smell - guess I'd assumed you'd had the covers off already.

Good listening.

Gord

Reply to
G

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