8500 X50 Self Calibration Failure: Service Required

I have had this detector 2 years and the self calibration has been bombing out for the past 6 months. I have no interest in sending it in. Does anyone know the fix for the detector? I may break it open and fix it if I know which direction to go inside; otherwise, I'll likely trash it and buy another, different brand. I have read some on the V-1. I hard wired the 8500 detector about 6 months after purchasing. Is there any truth to hardwiring causing this problem or is it just a defective detector? Thanks.

It has nothing to do with hard wiring. It has more to do with heat and age. It's probably not something you can fix yourself since Service Required messages usually end up needing a replacement antenna.

If you trash it, you can always send it to me in Florida. :D Of course I'll pay the shipping.

Try resetting it by press the mute and the top buttons on top holding it up and power the unit on. See what happens.

I'll try resetting it. I don't recall the book mentioning anything about resetting the detector. I wonder what is happening to the antenna as far as heat damage. To self calibrate, how does the anttenna come into play?

I will likely open it up to see if there is any obvious heat damage that can be repaired. I always leave the detector in the car, although not on the dash. I thought someone may know the actual fix because from what I read on this board, many have the same problem.

Smith1000,
The antenna is made of Aluminum which expands and contracts
in Hot and Cold weather. If left in the car during extremes you
will see this happen to the detector faster. I've had my X50 for
almost 4 years now and have never had a Self Cal message.
I make it a point to bring the detector in with me most of the
time when I can.

Just curious, do you leave your detector in the window
in the direct sunlight? If so, that's what caused it. If
not, could just be high temps in the car during the summer.

I'd rule out a bad unit, you've had it to long for it to be
defective.

how bad is it to leave it in if it's right behind the tint strip. no sunlight affects. just the temperature sways during winter between really cold and moderate and summer cooking of the cabin.

or if one's better than the other? leave it in the car during the winter but take it in on hot summer days if the windows aren't down?

I remove the unit from the window when I leave the car; however, there have been times I have left the unit in the car during the day. This has happened on weekends when home.

Sounds like I will likely find a broken or separated antenna within the unit. If so, I may be able to fix that fairly easily. I'll take a look and see what it has going on inside. Possiby, the antenna can be allowed some slack to expand and contract freely. Based on the size of the unit, there can't be a whole lot on the inside. Thanks.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Orbital75

Smith1000,
The antenna is made of Aluminum which expands and contracts
in Hot and Cold weather. If left in the car during extremes you
will see this happen to the detector faster. I've had my X50 for
almost 4 years now and have never had a Self Cal message.
I make it a point to bring the detector in with me most of the
time when I can.

Just curious, do you leave your detector in the window
in the direct sunlight? If so, that's what caused it. If
not, could just be high temps in the car during the summer.

I'd rule out a bad unit, you've had it to long for it to be
defective.

---

I don't think it has anything to do with expanding/contracting aluminum. ...just transistors operating at their maximum operating temperature for too long, and deteriorating at an accelerated rate.

I also think variance in transistor quality accounts for the varying experience WRT to self cal messages and heat tolerance. I also think this explains why some X50s are unbelievable, and others more "human". My one blue X50 thinks it's a V1.

The X50's horn does not contain a separate LO board. Instead the LO circuitry is part of the main board under the horn. The expanding and contracting aluminum horn relative to the circuit board can cause the horn-to-board screws to eventually become slightly loose, resulting in poor grounding of the horn and/or the loss of a tight RF seal around the LO electronics on the circuit board which are enclosed by the horn.

Since it is so easy to remove the X50's bottom cover and check that the horn-to-board screws are tight, this really should be checked first before sending in an X50 for service -- especially if the X50 is out of warranty. After checking the screws and hopefully finding one or more of them slightly loose, be sure to hold down the appropriate buttons to factory reset the X50 upon the first power-up after checking the screws. With luck, the X50 will then complete its power-up sequence with no self cal or service required message. :)

This is great information. I snugged up the horn to board screws. They seemed tight enough already (enough for grounding I would think), but they did turn slightly. I also snugged up the horn screws from the topside. One of those screws, a flat, inset screw was loose. The topside screws only hold the horn together tight.

I live on a gravel road and have about 3-4 miles to go to the highway. Screws coming loose has been a problem in the past. I had an old laptop that would drop screws. The vibration in the vehicle works things loose.

I reset accordingly and have it in the house now and there has been no self calibration failure so far. It did not go into the self calibration mode following the reset; however, it does not self calibrate every time, so it may or may not be fixed. I'll see how it does. Thanks.