Subject: BRAVO pagers - undocumented test features


This information was copied from an article posted in rec.ham.radio in
August 1991.  


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.