From jqtaylor@boi.hp.com Mon Aug 30 14:48:19 1993 Newsgroups: alt.radio.scanner Path: news.cs.tut.fi!news.funet.fi!sunic!uunet!spool.mu.edu!sdd.hp.com!hpscit.sc.hp.com!cupnews0.cup.hp.com!news1.boi.hp.com!jqtaylor From: jqtaylor@boi.hp.com (John Quill Taylor) Subject: Re: PRO-39 Memory Life Sender: news@boi.hp.com (News Server Project) Message-ID: Date: Thu, 19 Aug 1993 22:12:22 GMT References: <1993Aug19.205648.11957@nntpd.lkg.dec.com> Nntp-Posting-Host: hpdmd48.boi.hp.com Organization: Hewlett-Packard / Boise, Idaho X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL0.11] Lines: 65 James Mikelis (mikelis@gnpike.enet.dec.com) wrote: : Does anyone know how long the memory will last on a PRO-39 once the low : battery circuit kicks off the scanner because of weak batteries? At least overnight (it's happened a few times to me). -jqt - - - - - - - - - *** Bob's Tip of the Month *** (from Monitoring Times, January 1993, Dial 1-800-438-8155, Great Magazine!) Realistic (R) PRO-39 Cellular Restoration (Page 107) [with a few comments added by someone who witnessed such restoration -jqt] The recently released PRO-39 handheld scanner from Realistic (R) is a fine performer, but its 800 MHz range is interrupted by the factory censoring of cellular frequency coverage. Long-time MT supporter Larry Wiland of Youngstown, Ohio, would like to share the simple fix. Remember, however, that it is unlawful to listen to cellular phone calls. (NOTE: These procedures may void your warranty. Do not attempt them unless you are familiar with small component soldering. Monitoring Times accepts no responsibility for damages resulting from attempting this modification.) TOOLS NEEDED: Fine-tipped soldering iron, desoldering wick, small Philips screwdriver, long-nosed pliers, rosin-core solder. (1) [Turn off your radio. Removing the batteries when the radio is ON can erase the memory! -jqt] Remove the battery door, holder and [battery pack] from the bottom of the radio. (2) Remove the four screws from the back of the scanner and carefully lift the back off. (3) Unplug the two wiring harnesses at their connectors and remove the six bright colored screws [that hold] the circuit board in place. Unsolder the ground wire from the lower right corner of the circuit board. Unsolder the two wire connections from the BNC antenna connector at the board. Carefully lift the board (grasping it near the Molex connector) and set it aside. (4) Remove the two bright colored screws from the next circuit board. Carefully unplug the two-wire connector [and remove the board, as I recall -jqt]. Unsolder and lift the rectangular metal shield exposing the diodes. (5) Carefully unsolder and remove diode D6 only; this will restore the missing cellular frequencies which can be searched in appropriate 30 kHz steps. This completes the cellular restoration. Reverse all procedures to reassemble the radio and test it by entering any frequency between 869-894 MHz. [If you are as lucky as I was, the memory will still contain your other frequencies! -jqt] Curious about the other diodes? D4 would enable 68-88 MHz coverage, but deletes 30-54 MHz; D5 (present) allows 800 MHz band operation; and D7 would make cellular spacing 12.5 kHz (incorrect). Thanks Larry!