396XT Blown Speaker Help

I've had my BCD396XT since July of 2009 (meaning there is no existing warranty) and today (1-9-13) I turned it on to find no audio coming from the internal speaker. The last time I used it was on Monday (1-7-13) and I did not notice it having any problems, although later in the night radio traffic seemed to stop, but I just thought it was a quiet night around town. Audio from the headphone jack still works and sounds great. I am aware that some people have had issues with the internal speaker in this model so I have always avoided turning the volume up past 12, even though some frequencies/systems and users are hard to hear at volume level 12. I'm not sure exactly when the internal speaker went out or why, but at this point that is less important to me than figuring out how to solve my problem. At this point, I do not want to send it in to Uniden for repairs because I believe that nothing was done on my end to cause this problem and that the internal speaker of a scanner should never go out if the volume never exceeds 12 out of 15 (that's only going up to 80% of max volume). Basically, I'm not going to pay Uniden money ($50+$10 shipping) to fix something that I believe is a manufacturing defect, especially when Uniden is just going to install another low-quality speaker that has the same chance of going out as the one that came with my scanner. I've always been a fan of Uniden products, which is why I own several of them, but this really upsets me because the scanner is only 3.5 years old and has been very well taken care of, so there is no logical reason why the internal speaker should fail. I believe Uniden dropped the ball when deciding what speakers to put in the BCD396XT. I still have scanners from the late eighties that have their original internal speakers and they work perfectly. If I drop over $500 on a scanner than it had better be a quality product with quality parts that will not fail after a few years, especially when I used extra caution with the volume after reading about others having their internal speakers fail. Heck, I would pay a little more to ensure that I was getting a quality speaker that would not fail after a few years of careful use. This experience has definitely affected my once positive view of the quality of Uniden products.

So, it looks like I'll be making this repair on my own. My first question is, where do I find a speaker that is compatible with the BCD396XT? I have looked all over the Uniden web site, but the only speaker that comes close seems to be for the BCD396T: Internal Speaker For BCD396T - Accessories at Uniden . Will this speaker work for my BCD396XT? If it does, then Uniden needs to update their website to reflect this fact.

I have also searched YouTube and RadioReference for instructions on how to install the internal speaker into a BCD396XT, but all I've come up with is this wiki page that applies to the "BCD396," no reference to whether it is supposed to be the T, XT, or both: Replace a Blown Speaker in the 396 - The RadioReference Wiki . Will these instructions work for installing an internal speaker into the BCD396XT?

I've seen other users refer people with the same problem as me to the above links, but no one has directly said that the above speaker will work for the BCD396XT and that the instructions on how to install a new speaker will work for the BCD396XT. I'm looking for confirmation of those two facts before I start tinkering with the internal parts of a $500 scanner.

I am also interested in finding out if anybody has found a better internal speaker for the BCD396XT than the one Uniden sells (assuming it works for the XT). I would like to only make this speaker repair once, so if a better quality internal speaker exists, I would like to know the name of it and where it can be found.

Thanks in advance to anyone that reads my whole post and responds!

Open your 396XT de solder the speaker take it to Bang and Olufsen or POLK or Radio Shack and look for a general coverage speaker of the same size ,purchase it screw it in to place resider the wires and TADA if blown speaker was the only problem you will now have beautiful audio once again.the other question is have you plugged a headphone into the headphone jack to make sure you have audio there because three is no use replacing your speaker if it is the radio thats dead! so check that first. and as long as thats ok like i say call any speaker company in the world give them the dimensions of the speaker and ask if the make a general coverage speaker in those dimensions and you can buy it (do not forget depth of magnet as its a handheld you can't fudge on that it ha to be the same depth otherwise case will not screw together.

Yes, you can use that speaker. You can also call Unisen Parts for purchse. Many more parts are available to be purchashed by calling them.

Jacob

Check this out first just to be sure it is the speaker. An ohm meter can tell if the speaker is really defective. It is also possible that the headphone jack is "stuck" in the open position resulting in the speaker being muted.

If that was my radio it would be going to Uniden repair. You will get a 90 day warranty on parts and labor. If anything goes wrong during the 90 day warrany period just send the scanner back and they will fix it for free.

If it uses the same as the 396t you can get one here (they may have a listing for the XT I didn't look): BSPG0590001 Uniden Scanner, Parts, Speaker, I've replaced one in a 396t and it's a fairly simple job as long as you have moderate soldering skills and take proper ESD precautions.

The 396t procedure involves about 12 screws and 3 solder joints (2 on the speaker).

check first

i have had a bcd396t for about 7 years and on occasion the earphone jack gets tempermental
the simple fix has been to plug any 3.5m into it a couple of times
i would try that first

If you do not know who to do this I would send the 396T to Uniden repair. If you do not know what you are doing you can do more harm to the scanner. I have had a lot of repairs done by Uniden on my scanners over the years..jclarkr6 can call Uniden Parts and Repair at 1-800-554-3988.When you get the scnner back the repair will cover the cost of the speaker and any other repairs that Uniden finds wrong with the scanner.You will also get a 90 Day warranty on parts and labor. If anything goes wrong within the 90 days like the speaker goes out again just send the unit back to Uniden and it will be replaced under the warranty. If you need futher and I can be of help to you and any others you can contact me by sending me a pm. I am a Pro Uniden customer and user for years.This is what this hobby on the Uniden Fourm is all about Helping each other.

To jclarkr6:

That tutorial for the T series applies to the XT series as well. It's essentially the same exact design.

BSPG0590001 is the correct part # for the speaker, which covers all of the T and XT handhelds.

You can also check some of the part #'s that have been posted here:

http://info.uniden.com/twiki/bin/view/UnidenMan4/PartsRequest

W9NES said:

I am a Pro Uniden customer and user for years.

Click to expand...

A what? Did Paul issue you certificate with a gold star from Bearcat University bestowing that title upon you? :twisted:

W9NES said:

If you do not know who to do this I would send the 396T to Uniden repair. If you do not know what you are doing you can do more harm to the scanner. I have had a lot of repairs done by Uniden on my scanners over the years..jclarkr6 can call Uniden Parts and Repair at 1-800-554-3988.When you get the scnner back the repair will cover the cost of the speaker and any other repairs that Uniden finds wrong with the scanner.You will also get a 90 Day warranty on parts and labor. If anything goes wrong within the 90 days like the speaker goes out again just send the unit back to Uniden and it will be replaced under the warranty. If you need futher and I can be of help to you and any others you can contact me by sending me a pm. I am a Pro Uniden customer and user for years.This is what this hobby on the Uniden Fourm is all about Helping each other.

Click to expand...

Chauffeur6 said:

A what? Did Paul issue you certificate with a gold star from Bearcat University bestowing that title upon you? :twisted:

Click to expand...

Good Grief, here we go again.

Don't worry, nothing you say, no bit of advice is adequate or correct in W9ES's eyes. His way is the only right way.:roll::roll:

(Dull repetitive sound of forehead thumping nearest wall)

chauffeur6 said:

a what? Did paul issue you certificate with a gold star from bearcat university bestowing that title upon you? :twisted:

Click to expand...

lol !!

5...... 4........ 3....... 2...... 1........

.

If you're comfortable with unsoldering/soldering, then this would be the simplest repair you could do on your own, if it is in fact the speaker that is not working. The use of an ohmmeter would be a quick verification of whether the speaker is bad.

If I was in your situation, I would purchase the best speaker I could find vice using a stock replacement.

I really appreciate everybody taking the time to reply to my post. I've tried plugging and unplugging a 3.5 mm cable into the headphone jack repeatedly, but the speaker still won't work (although the audio from the headphone jack is fine). After carefully considering everyone's advice, I've decided to still go ahead and attempt the repair on my own. I have soldered a few things in the past, so I believe I am capable of doing this. Now that I know I can use the speaker installation guide on the RR wiki, I am much more confident about making the repair. I went ahead and ordered two speakers (figured I might as well have a backup) off the Uniden site for about $3.25 each since they were so cheap. While those speakers are being shipped, I will attempt to find a better quality speaker and, if I can find one before I'm ready to do my repairs, the better speaker will be installed.

I also wanted to find out what my options were if I screwed up the repair, so I called Uniden to ask if I could send my 396XT in for repair if I attempted to repair an internal component, such as a speaker, and I did something that adversely affected the scanner. I was told that I could send my scanner in to be repaired and it would cost me just under $60 (including shipping), which is the same price that it would cost me to send the scanner in to have the speaker repaired if I didn't attempt the repair on my own. I really appreciate Uniden providing that type of service for its products and that level of customer service for Uniden customers. While I am not happy about the speaker blowing out on my 396XT, I must say that I have always been pleased with the Uniden products that I have purchased and this is the first time I have had a major problem with a Uniden product. If I attempt this repair and somehow manage to screw it up (which I don't believe will happen), then I would be willing to pay Uniden $60 to resolve the issue. I figure I'll try to save myself $50 and attempt the repair on my own and if I screw up the repair or I can't do it, then I'll send it to Uniden and gladly pay $60 to get my favorite gadget back in working condition. Thank you again to everybody that responded to my post!

If you have done any amount of soldering you should be just fine. You only need to solder at the speaker and relatively speaking its not that micro of a situation. The Wiki is nicely detailed to keep you out of trouble. And heck, you still have the backup of sending it in. Best of both worlds.

The most challenging part of the repair is going to be physically removing the old speaker, as it's held in there pretty good with the glue they use. Everything else is pretty straightforward, the key is to have a lot of patience and to take your time. I would suggest that after you install the new speaker, you secure it with a little hot glue around the edge so that it's held in securely and won't vibrate against the case.

I had sent this to a friend back when his 396XT speaker was blown and I found it on the message board so I hope this helps:

From the scanner message board:
RadioShack is the Answer for the 396 speaker

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ok everyone... I found a solution to our problem.

Once again RadioShack comes through...

Go into any Radio Shack store and have them order RSU product # 12469771


SPEAKER INTERNAL 24ohm .5w speaker

It is $7.69 + $2.50 ground shipping, and is at this moment IN stock.

Should only take a few days to get to you.

I just ordered mine.

-- Kevin

Thanks,
Mike

Thanks for the extra tips, guys. I'll definitely add a little hot glue to the edges of the new speaker to help keep it secured.

KB8RVP, thanks for letting me know about the RadioShack speaker. I'll look into getting that right away.

It's always good to know that I can count on the RR forums for great advice! Thanks again!

My speaker blew in my 396t AGAIN!
I will have to order another one. My co-worker turned it up all the way thinking he was turning it down and blew it. I keep it below 13 on the volume.

Ouch!

mully95 said:

My co-worker turned it up all the way thinking he was turning it down and blew it.

Click to expand...

In Plumber's terms, "Righty Tighty Lefty Loosey". Would you please demonstrate this to your co-worker under the hot water faucet?

doctordialtone said:

In Plumber's terms, "Righty Tighty Lefty Loosey". Would you please demonstrate this to your co-worker under the hot water faucet?

Click to expand...

LOL!

Once I get it repaired I guess I will keep the scanner in the truck.