Subject: BRAVO pagers - undocumented test features This information was copied from an article posted in rec.ham.radio in August 1991. This article may not answer many of the questions that were asked by the original poster, however, it may be useful to some of you on usenet. The author of this information is unknown. I saved this information because I have a BRAVO pager and found these tidbits of information useful. ~jack_ .........................Begin recorded message.......................... IF YOU HAVE A MOTOROLA BRAVO PAGER THIS WILL HELP YOU WITH SOME OF THE FEATURES OF THIS UNIT YOU MY NOT KNOW ABOUT. SELF TEST: TO PUT UNIT INTO A SELF TEST TURN OFF PAGER. NOW HOLD DOWN THE GRAY ARROW KEY AND BLACK LOCK KEY AT THE SAME TIME AND TURN ON PAGER. THIS TELLS THE CPU IN PAGER TO GO INTO A SELF TEST. YOU WILL GET A 2 SECOND LONG BEEP, RELEASE THE GRAY & BLACK BUTTON AND PUSH THE GRAY BUTTON BEFORE THE 2 SECOND BEEP ENDS. IF YOU DID ALL THIS IN TIME YOU WILL HAVE "SPL" OR "PAGING P?" AND NOT THE DOTTED LINE YOU ARE USED TO SEEING WHEN YOU TURN ON PAGER . BY PRESSING THE GRAY KEY IT WILL GO TO A DISPLAY TEST, PRESS AGAIN AND YOU WILL GET THE PAGERS CAPCODE (CAPCODE IS THE UNIQUE SERIAL NUMBER WHICH THE PAGING TRANSMITTERS TRANSMITS TO YOUR PAGER TO TURN ON YOUR PAGER WHEN SOMEONE PAGES YOU). WAIT AND IN ABOUT 3 SECONDS IT WILL DISPLAY YOUR SECOND CAPCODE (IF YOU HAVE ONE-MOST DON'T) PRESS THE GRAY KEY AGAIN AND IT WILL CHECK CONTROLS, PRESS IT AGAIN AND IT WILL TEST VIBRATOR FUNCTION (IF YOUR PAGER HAS IT). TURN OFF PAGER AND TURN ON AGAIN TO DISABLE SELF TEST. SPECIAL PROGRAMMED FEATURES: TAKE OFF BATTERIES CLIP AND IN CENTER TOWARD THE FRONT OF PAGER YOU WILL SEE A PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD EDGE PINS (JUST LIKE THE BACK SIDE OF A NETENDO CARTAGE. THIS EDGE PINS ARE PLUGGED INTO A CORE PROGRAMMER. THE PROGRAMMER CAN CHANGE. CAPCODES: SEE ABOVE AUTORESET TO MANUAL: YOUR PAGER IN AUTORESET WILL BEEP 8 TIMES THEN STOP BEEPING. MANUAL RESET THE BEEPER WILL KEEP BEEPING TILL THE COWS COME HOME OR YOU PUSH A BUTTON TO LOOK AT THE MESSAGE. DISPLAY: ENGLISH PROMPTS OR INTERNATIONAL-SYMBOL SCREENS DISPLAYED. SILENT MODE CHIRP: FOR A SINGLE BEEP WHEN YOUR PAGED. NOT FOR USE ON VIBRATOR PAGERS. BEEP ON BAD DATA: YOUR PAGER HEARS IT'S CAPCODE BUT RECEIVED BAD DISPLAY MESSAGE, IT WILL PUT "EEE" ACROSS DISPLAY TO SHOW BAD RECEIVE. IF THIS IS FEATURE IS NOT ENABLED AND YOU RECEIVE BAD DATA YOUR PAGER WILL NOT BEEP AND YOU WILL HAVE NO IDEA SOMEONE TRYED TO PAGE YOU. ****************************************************************** NOW LETS SAY YOU ARE UNHAPPY WITH YOUR PAGING COMPANY "A" BUT OWN YOUR PAGER. YOUR $200.00+ PAGER IS TUNED TO THEIR FREQUENCY AND YOU WANT TO GO TO ANOTHER PAGING COMPANY BUT NOT LOSE ALL THE MONEY YOU SPENT FOR YOUR PAGER. THE ANSWER IS TO RECRYSTAL PAGER TO THE NEW FREQUENCY OF COMPANY "B". BUT WE MUST ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS FIRST TO SEE WHAT IT WILL COST. 1. WHAT IS YOUR PAGERS CODING FORMAT (POCSAG) OR (GSC) THE EASY WAY TO TELL IS TO DO A SELF TEST AND READ CAPCODE. IF IT'S 7 NUMBERS IT'S POCSAG. IF IT'S 6 NUMBERS AND 1 LETTER IT'S GSC. IF YOUR PAGER DOES NOT MATCH THE SAME CODING FORMAT AS COMPANY "B" IT WILL COST MORE THEN IT'S WORTH TO CHANGE. 2. WHAT BAUD RATE IS YOUR PAGER WORKING AT ? DO SELF TEST AND IF DISPLAY SHOWS PAGING P1 PAGER IS WORKING AT 1200 BAUD OTHER WISE YOU ARE SAFE TO ASSUME 512 BAUD IT MUST MATCH COMPANY "B" BAUD RATE TO BE WORTH YOUR TIME. 3. ARE YOU IN THE SAME FREQUENCY BAND 931 MHZ OR 450 MHZ ETC. IF COMPANY "A" AND COMPANY "B" ARE NOT IN SAME BAND IT WILL TAKE A NEW RECEIVER BOARD TO CONVERT PAGER AND COST TO MUCH TO TRY. IF ALL THE ANSWERS ABOVE SHOW YOU ARE COMPATIBLE YOU CAN CALL COMPANY "B" AND TELL THEM YOU WANT TO DO BUSINESS WITH THEM AND NEED A CAPCODE NUMBER SO YOU CAN GET PAGER RECRYSTALED AND HAVE A CAPCODE PROGRAMMED AT THE SAME TIME. NOW YOU CAN HAVE COMPANY "B" RECOMMEND A SHOP THAT WILL RECRYSTAL PAGER OR LOOK UP ONE YOURSELF. THE LEAST EXPENSIVE I HAVE FOUND IS: ECONO-COMM 3710 N.W. 16TH ST. LAUDERHILL, FLA. 33311 305-581-4980 305-581-4985 LAST TIME I CHECKED RECRYSTAL OF PAGER COST $19.00 AND REPAIR COST OF $16.00 WITH A 30 DAY WARRANTY. BUT PRICES ARE ALWAYS CHANGING SO CALL FIRST BEFORE YOU SEND ANYTHING, AND MAKE SURE YOU INSURE PAGER IN SHIPPING.  Copied from the QRZ! Windows Ham Radio CDROM