Icotec Troubleshooting – If you are having an issue with your ICOtec caller, here is a short list of troubleshooting exercises to try prior to contacting us.
1. Batteries.
The number one issue with all service is due to poor battery quality or charge level. Please first try new (ideally DURACELL) batteries, the better the battery, the better the performance, especially in cold temperatures. We recommend you use Duracell batteries, to be sure you are using the best. Also be sure that the batteries are installed in the proper direction, again, a rather common oversight.
Be sure that your batteries are new and double check the battery level in the remote.
GC300 / GC350 Remote Battery Check – press and hold down on any call button and observe the green LED, if it either flickers, flashes or dims, you have a low battery level and you should change the battery prior to continuing.
GC500 Remote Battery Check – please see the battery level indicator on the LCD screen.
2. Remote not talking to unit.
Occasionally your unit batteries may die while the unit is running. This can disrupt the communications between the main unit and the remote control. The remedy for this is very easy, you will need a small paperclip or a small pin.
GC300 / GC350 Re-Pairing
Turn the power switch on the caller on, find the small hole to the left of the power switch, insert the paperclip or pin to depress the microswitch inside the unit and the red LED should start flashing. Now press and hold any of the call buttons on the remote. Your caller should respond with the call within 3-5 seconds. If this does not cure the issue, please turn unit off, recheck your batteries and try the re-pairing process once more.
GC500 Synching
If you update the calls on your GC500 SD Card, or you find your remote is not “talking” to the base unit then you need to re-sync the remote with the base unit. This is a very simple process but needs to be done properly or it will not work. The steps are as follows:
- Switch the caller and remote ON.
- Plug one end of the “SYNC” cable into the SYN port on the caller and then the other end into the port on the left hand side of your remote. The SYNC cable is the 3.5mm stereo jack to 3.5mm stereo jack cable supplied with your machine.
- After a few seconds the screen will show “Updating Songs / Sounds” – and above this, you will see the display scroll through the calls on the SD card. The display will then flash “OK” 10 times – and then return to your (now updated) call list.
- Switch off your remote and base unit and disconnect the cable.
- Power the remote and the base unit back up – and your remote and base unit should now be synced with each other.
If at any point this process fails, switch off and repeat.
3. Struggling to load new calls to your GC350 / GC500..?
If your caller is not recognising calls you have added to your SD card, there’s a few things you can check:
1. Are the files the correct format..? They must be either .MP3, .WAV or .ICO files for the caller to recognise them. MP4, M4A, WMV etc will NOT work.
2. Have you named the calls properly..? They must be named in the following format: 001 Callname.mp3 – so, three digits (001 to 024 for the GC350 and 001 to 199 for the GC500) then a space then the call name and file extension.
Using a Mac…? Check out this post explaining how you can load calls to your GC350 / GC500 or Outlaw using a Mac
Download the Manuals…
If you’ve done that bloke thing and thrown away the instructions, don’t panic… You can download them here:
Night Stalker Instruction Manual
Low Volume / No Sound
All power indicator lights are working properly but you still have no sound (or low volume), with the GC300, plug a set of ear buds or headphones into the external speaker port to check for sound coming through them, DO NOT PLACE HEADPHONES OR EAR BUDS IN YOUR EARS WHILE TESTING FOR SOUND, THE SOUND IS VERY LOUD AND COULD CAUSE DAMAGE TO YOUR HEARING, if you hear sound through the external port, the main speaker is potentially the issue and you will need to contact us.
With the GC350 and 500 make sure power is off, remove the SD card and turn power on, the caller should speak to you telling you to “Please insert SD card”, if the caller does not, then main speaker is potentially the issue. Contact us for instructions for warranty coverage or repair instructions.
SD Card Issues
If you have tested for the batteries and the speaker and are still not getting calls through your GC350 or GC500, the next step is to determine if the SD card is working properly. Using a Microsoft based PC ONLY, DO NOT USE A MAC COMPUTER, you will need plug the unit into the computer with the provided USB cable to access the files on the SD card. Once you find the drive that has the ICOtec sound files, copy and paste the files into an empty backup folder on your desktop, you will need to access them again later, be sure this step is completed prior to reformatting the SD card. Next, you’ll need to format the SD card to erase any possible errors. Be sure to format the card to FAT or FAT32 format and copy/paste the sound files back on to the main root of the SD card. Files can’t be placed into a folder on the SD card, they will not play. With the GC500 the remote will need to be updated via the supplied synchronization cable (3.5mm double male ends).
Still no joy..?
If that does not fix the problem then please contact us via our CONTACT US Page and we’ll tell you what to do next. Please do not send the Icotec back to us WITHOUT contacting us first as often it can be fixed via email.