I hope this will be an easy one. I have a Bearcat scanner 210xl. Under
normal light I can't read the display, but when I turn out the lights I can
watch it scan. Any ideas what to check?

Thanks, Jim

does the display brighten when room darkens? if so, there is a sensor
that detects room lighting conditions and attempts to compensate.
locate sensor and put filter or tape over it.

Jim wrote:
I hope this will be an easy one. I have a Bearcat scanner 210xl. Under
normal light I can't read the display, but when I turn out the lights I can
watch it scan. Any ideas what to check?

"Jim" wrote in message news:0ubah.10025$d42.7388@trndny07...
I hope this will be an easy one. I have a Bearcat scanner 210xl. Under normal
light I can't read the display, but when I turn out the lights I can watch it
scan. Any ideas what to check?

Thanks, Jim


The 210XL has a LCD display. These symptoms are typical of a transmissive LCD,
that is, one that has a backlight that illuminates the display from behind. The
backlight is probably defective, or the LCD display itself is bad. One other
possibility is that the LCD backplane drive voltage (usually a low frequency
square waveform) is low or has stopped.

Unless you're adept at figuring out a circuit without benefit of schematic, any
of these problems will require service manual/schematic and ability to
troubleshoot the circuit. Test equipment such as a scope is invaluable here,
but you might get by with a DVM if you know what you're looking for and where to
find it.

--
Dave M
MasonDG44 at comcast dot net (Just substitute the appropriate characters in the
address)

Some days you're the dog, some days the hydrant.

Jim wrote:
I hope this will be an easy one. I have a Bearcat scanner 210xl. Under
normal light I can't read the display, but when I turn out the lights I can
watch it scan. Any ideas what to check?

Thanks, Jim


Checkout this link------I had the same problem and fixed it with a
capacitor replacement. The display is not a LCD but a fluorescent one.

http://repairfaq.ece.drexel.edu/REPAIR/F_BC_Repair.html

Scan down about half the page to "Symptom: Blank Display".
Let us know if this fixes your problem.
Bill

Jim wrote:
I have a Bearcat scanner 210xl.

I have one of those too. It looks something like this, from Brett's
Scanner Photo Gallery:

http://n7olq.home.att.net/Radio/Galleryframe.htm

http://n7olq.home.att.net/Radio/Images/bc210xl.jpg

I do not recall that the display reacts to room lighting. I have long
considered its exceptionally bright display one of its biggest
virtures, as you can clearly see what frequency you are on when it is
in use as an underdash scanner in a car. Also, it has the loudest audio
output of any of my mobile scanners. On the downside, it has only 18
channels.

I do not have the service manual for it, so I can't help you with your
problem. If need be, I can make voltage measurements on mine for
comparison with yours.

Best wishes.