Batboard

I have an ASTRO Saber III which is discharging the battery when switched off. I don't know the exact current being drawn, but it is very small. A fully charged battery is flattened over a few days.

I also notice that the green LED is on very dimly when switched off.

Is this common, or a fault of some sort?

Thanks
Mike

It's DEFINITELY a problem. If you're adventurous, you can carefully disassemble the radio and check all contacts and for any foreign objects on the board that might be causing it.

Here's a test that's worth doing: Remove the housing from the radio and stick a charged battery on the housing. Let it sit for several days and see if the battery goes down. If it does, the problem's in the housing flex circuit and that's cheaper than a repair inside the radio. I don't think that'll be your problem, but it's worth it to find out.

Soft power-off??

No. Definitely a problem that needs to be repaired. SPO doesn't ghost the LED.

Elroy

Thanks guys,

Elroy, I have tried to open the Saber, but changed my mind when things didn't happen as I thought they would.

Can you give me a quick dimantling procedure for opening the ASTRO Saber III?

Thanks
Mike

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Mike Alpha on 2001-11-04 04:06 ]</font>

Once you open up the two round screws on the bottom, and take out the screws, just pull the radio out from the top of the case. Just about everything is locked in place by connectors (all plug in, no screws that I remember). This is also a good time to clean out the inside! Just becareful putting everything back together. When I installed my DVP module, one of the pins bent (couldn't see it) and it was causing a fail code.

To remove the round slotted screws on the botton, you need to file a little gouge out in a flat head screw driver, and it will come out very easy. The price from Motorola for the screw bit is like $20!

Just know that the two slotted spanner nuts on the bottom of the housing are NOT meant to be fully removed. The correct procedure is to loosen them until they spin freely and then pull the radio out of the housing by grabbing the antenna. DO NOT push on the spanner nuts or you may end up pushing the threaded studs right out of the frame and then you have a problem.

As has already been mentioned, you can make the appropriate tool by filing a notch in a suitably sized flat bladed screwdriver.

Do NOT remove the battery contacts from the housing. It's not necessary and can complicate things.

Elroy

Also, be very careful to NOT push the PTT switch when pulling the chassis out of the radio. Motorola makes a strong point about this in the manuals, because you can damage the button and/or switch if the button catches on the chassis as it slides out of the case. Use the antenna to pull the chassis out and hold the case by the front and back only, not the sides!

Tom, W2NJS
...Tom in D.C.

Thanks guys,

I've opened it up and had a good look around inside with nothing obvious showing.

I checked the resistance of the radio at the battery contacts when switched off and got a reading of 1.1Meg ohm - not enough to flatten a battery!.

But I have noticed that the green LED did not start to glow until the radio had been switched off for about half an hour. It's as if a capacitor is slowly going resistive over time causing an increase in switched-off current drain. I'd love a circuit diagram of the radio!!!

Considering the complexity of the radio's inards, I'll just have to live with removing the battery when not in use..

Thanks for your help.
Mike