Trouble updating my BCD396T scanner.

[Bades]

Hello,

I have owned my BCD396T scanner for quite some time, use it frequently, and have only recently decided to update its firmware. Normally I have friends help me add channels and do other complicated procedures to it as I have had trouble in the past. So far I have gone online and downloaded the loader according to this website (BCD396TFirmwareUpdate < UnidenMan4 < TWiki) and when booting it asks me to connect the scanner to my PC. I remove the batteries, plug in the AC when I realize that the only cord I can find does not connect anyway on my computer. One side of the cable is a small "usb like" connector that fits into my scanner while the other is a 9-pin "monitor like" cable that doesn't seem to fit anywhere on my computer. I even tried the actual monitor and it does not fit there either. I am unsure if I even have the cables needed to update my scanner. I have a 2 year old Win 7 PC if that helps.

Any help would be appreciated!

 

[shteb13]

first off welcome to the forum, I am fairly new myself and the guys here are awesome!!

In response to your question, you will need a serial to usb adapter, it will convert the large connector that you unsuccessfully attempted to plug in, to a standard usb port. You may need to install a driver, but the included cd should help you with that. Hope that helps!

 

[CoolCat]

Hello,

I have owned my BCD396T scanner for quite some time, use it frequently, and have only recently decided to update its firmware. Normally I have friends help me add channels and do other complicated procedures to it as I have had trouble in the past. So far I have gone online and downloaded the loader according to this website (BCD396TFirmwareUpdate < UnidenMan4 < TWiki) and when booting it asks me to connect the scanner to my PC. I remove the batteries, plug in the AC when I realize that the only cord I can find does not connect anyway on my computer. One side of the cable is a small "usb like" connector that fits into my scanner while the other is a 9-pin "monitor like" cable that doesn't seem to fit anywhere on my computer. I even tried the actual monitor and it does not fit there either. I am unsure if I even have the cables needed to update my scanner. I have a 2 year old Win 7 PC if that helps.

Any help would be appreciated!

The cable that comes with Uniden DMA scanners is a serial cable. If you don't have a desktop computer then you probably don't have a serial port to connect it to.

If you want to do the firmware update yourself, then you will need to purchase the Uniden USB-1 cable or (as shteb13 suggested) a USB-to-serial adapter.

Alternatively, since your friend has been programming the scanner for you I assume he/she either has a computer with a serial port (or a USB cable or adapter). Just have them update the firmware for you.