Every organisation that makes use of barcode technology needs a means of scanning such barcodes quickly and easily, and one device that has proved a godsend in making this possible for a great number of businesses, is the Symbol RS419 Ring Scanner.
Also sometimes referred to as the Motorola RS419 or Zebra RS419 due to the original Symbol Technologies company having been acquired by Motorola in the 2000s and then Zebra during the 2010s, this ring-style scanner offers many usability advantages.
The workers at your retail store, warehouse or distribution centre might be using this device alongside one of Zebra’s wearable mobile computers to scan items (almost literally) at their fingertips, in an elegant hands-free fashion that significantly bolsters productivity compared to some of the alternative barcode scanners out there.
But could you and your team members be getting even more out of your RS419s? Below, we’ve detailed some of the steps that you might look to take to ensure you look after this device well and realise its potential for making life easier for your staff.
Make Sure You’re Wearing This Scanner Correctly
It might seem an overly obvious point to make, but let’s start at the very beginning, with the basics of how one uses a Symbol RS419.
This modular, wearable laser scanner is used with the WT4090 and WT41N0 wearable terminal. The person who wishes to use the RS419 simply wears it on their index finger, with the thumb-operated trigger enabling them to get scanning. An interface cable connects the RS419 to the wearable terminal, so that the device can be powered and collect the required data.
It is also worth bearing in mind that there are two variants of the RS419: a short-cable version that can be connected to a wrist-mounted wearable terminal, and a long-cable version, to which a hip-mounted wearable terminal can be connected.
Be Responsible in How You Clean Your RS419
We’ve written previously about the importance of looking after barcode scanners responsibly, and cleaning is certainly a key part of that.
In the case of the Zebra, Motorola, or Symbol RS419, that should include always wearing eye protection, and only using cleaning products with 100% of their active ingredients consisting of one or more of the following: isopropyl alcohol, bleach/sodium hypochlorite, hydrogen peroxide, or mild dish soap.
If you opt to use a sodium hypochlorite (bleach) based product, you should always follow the recommended instructions of the manufacturer, and you should avoid allowing any bleach-based product to come into contact with the metal electrical contacts on the device.
Whichever product you use, you should not apply liquid directly to the device; instead, use pre-moistened wipes or dampen a soft cloth.
Educate Yourself on How to Solve Common Problems with The Scanner
While you and your employees should have a generally positive experience with the RS419, some issues might occur over its lifetime of use; several of these are detailed in Zebra’s manual for the device, alongside proven remedies.
Examples of such problems that people might experience with this Symbol barcode scanner include the laser failing to display when the trigger is pressed, or the device not decoding a barcode.
Possible causes of the former problem range from the interface cable not being secure, to the scanning application on the wearable terminal not having been launched. As for barcode scanning issues, these could be caused by problems as simple as the barcode being unreadable as a result of it being smudged or broken, or the exit window being dirty, which can be remedied with a lens tissue.
Sometimes, of course, you might encounter problems with a barcode scanner that might not be rapidly or easily fixed with the solutions suggested in the product manual. In that situation, you might have to admit there is likely to be a more fundamental problem with the scanner necessitating the attention of repair professionals like our own here at Mobile Computer Repair.
If this is the situation for you, please don’t hesitate to contact our team to receive tailored advice and a competitive quote for any repair work that may be needed.