396 Charging problem

[jagr707]

OK guys I have a weird problem. For some reason, at completely random times, my 396t simply refuses to recognize that it is plugged in. I have tried using a variable voltage wall wort instead of the one that came with it with no improvement. This only seems to happen when I really want to listen to something of course!

Any ideas? Or does someone have any idea how much it would cost to send it in for repair?

Thanks,
J

 

[ac9f]

396t problem

I have a similar problem. With alkaline batteries in it and the switch to alkaline batteries, I will plug in the wall wort to run it off of AC and the batteries will die. It is like it does not know it is plugged in and should run off of the house current, thus draining the batteries dead. Anyone else have this problem too or know what is wrong?

 

[jagr707]

oh BTW I am using rechargeables

 

[Viper43]

I wouldn't recharge batteries in the 396, many have had issues doing this. I bought a RS 30 minute charger that works great and came with 4 AA and 4 AAA batteries. RS #23-1305. If it's under warranty the cost is only for shipping, but when you get it back do not charge the batteries in the scanner, set it to alkaline and forget it, the charge circuit is really bad.

V

 

[linuxwrangler]

Sounds like you could have a flaky power cord. It can be hard to diagnose as it is intermittent but you could hook up a voltmeter and wiggle wires to see if there are any obvious problems.

 

[Dubbin]

Sounds like you could have a flaky power cord. It can be hard to diagnose as it is intermittent but you could hook up a voltmeter and wiggle wires to see if there are any obvious problems.

Very unlikely considering he tried more then one.

 

[jagr707]

I wouldn't recharge batteries in the 396, many have had issues doing this. I bought a RS 30 minute charger that works great and came with 4 AA and 4 AAA batteries. RS #23-1305. If it's under warranty the cost is only for shipping, but when you get it back do not charge the batteries in the scanner, set it to alkaline and forget it, the charge circuit is really bad.

V

I will have to try that, the batteries are old anyways (I got it brand new in 05). I will have to dig around for the box as I am not sure how long the warranty is for.

Thanks for the replies! Overall I am just mad as most of the time is is plugged in and connected to the computer so I can use advanced virtual control. Even with the batteries out it still won't work.


Thanks!
J

 

[scanrrman]

Broken connection where the AC adapter plugs into the scanner???? As many times as I plug in and out, I'm surprised it hasn't happened to me.

 

[linuxwrangler]

Very unlikely considering he tried more then one.

I should have added (and now someone else has also commented) "and/or plug/socket". The connectors on the 396 aren't well shock-isolated. Actually the earphone jack is not isolated at all - it is surface-mount soldered to the top of a PC board. I had to pull my 396 apart to resolder a broken joint and add some epoxy to reinforce the cracked jack case.

I don't use the charger so I've never had trouble with that jack. As such, I haven't had cause to investigate how it is mounted.

 

[ve2vfd]

I also pull out the batteries and charge them with an external charger, but I am concerned that the the 396 is so flimsy that the battery door can't possibly hold up, I'm afraid to break it.

Anyone had problems with the door?

Pat

 

[linuxwrangler]

I also pull out the batteries and charge them with an external charger, but I am concerned that the the 396 is so flimsy that the battery door can't possibly hold up, I'm afraid to break it.

Anyone had problems with the door?

Pat

I haven't. The door opens and closes easily. I am careful to place it properly and never force anything but I change batteries 1-2 times per day which adds to many hundreds of battery changes without incident.

 

[Viper43]

I will have to try that, the batteries are old anyways (I got it brand new in 05). I will have to dig around for the box as I am not sure how long the warranty is for.

Thanks for the replies! Overall I am just mad as most of the time is is plugged in and connected to the computer so I can use advanced virtual control. Even with the batteries out it still won't work.


Thanks!
J

With the batteries out and it won't power up thats probably a broken socket where the charger plugs in. As mentioned these are not very sturdy pieces, and I think the RS/GRE scanners have Uniden beat there.
You may be able to fix it yourself if your any good with a soldering iron.
Either way I wouldn't charge the batteries in the scanner, their circuits not the best and can cause all kinds of things to go bad. The least of which is the heat thats built up during charging and can damage components.

V

 

[jagr707]

arrgh ok surgery just makes me nervous, especially on a $500 piece of equipement. And yes it gets hot sometimes. I will ditch the batteries and get an external charger for it and keep the switch in the middle when it is hooked up.

I just think it is sad that they skimped on the charging system and connections when the rest is such versatile and a worthwhile product.

Thanks again for the help,
J

With the batteries out and it won't power up thats probably a broken socket where the charger plugs in. As mentioned these are not very sturdy pieces, and I think the RS/GRE scanners have Uniden beat there.
You may be able to fix it yourself if your any good with a soldering iron.
Either way I wouldn't charge the batteries in the scanner, their circuits not the best and can cause all kinds of things to go bad. The least of which is the heat thats built up during charging and can damage components.

V

 

[gregmoss]

Here's the problem, whenever you use the wrong charger or one that don't quite match up with the scanner. Guess what? It burns out the inside charger circut within the scanner. Now whenever you try too use the uniden ac power adapter/charger that came with the scanner, it displays of your scanner LCD illegal voltage. It will not recharge, nor will you be able too use your supplied ac power adapter period. You'll have too send it in too uniden for repair. Or take bateries out each time, too recharge them. This happen too me twice with the br300t and bcd396t. Smell the area where you plug in your ac power adapter/charger. It will probably reek of a burned plastic smell.

 

[Viper43]

arrgh ok surgery just makes me nervous, especially on a $500 piece of equipement. And yes it gets hot sometimes. I will ditch the batteries and get an external charger for it and keep the switch in the middle when it is hooked up.

I just think it is sad that they skimped on the charging system and connections when the rest is such versatile and a worthwhile product.

Thanks again for the help,
J

Just put your switch on alkaline, it won't send the current through the batteries that way.

V

 

[Viper43]

Here's the problem, whenever you use the wrong charger or one that don't quite match up with the scanner. Guess what? It burns out the inside charger circut within the scanner. Now whenever you try too use the uniden ac power adapter/charger that came with the scanner, it displays of your scanner LCD illegal voltage. It will not recharge, nor will you be able too use your supplied ac power adapter period. You'll have too send it in too uniden for repair. Or take bateries out each time, too recharge them. This happen too me twice with the br300t and bcd396t. Smell the area where you plug in your ac power adapter/charger. It will probably reek of a burned plastic smell.

The problem is the socket where the charger plugs in broke on his scanner. Anyway, the charge circuit is really screwed up on these things, so don't charge the batteries in the scanner as mentioned in a number of posts here and other places and you'll be fine.

I have the RS 23-1305 charger and it came with 4 AA and 4 AAA batteries for around $30 or $40 and it charges the batteries in 30 minutes.

V

 

[Mark01]

With the batteries out and it won't power up thats probably a broken socket where the charger plugs in.

It could be that, wich would be simpler to fix with a soldering gun.But it could also be a blown protection diode on the Dc input jack, they will blow if you connect an AC adapter set to the wrong polarity.. in this case negative polarity.

If that diode is blown the radio will power up with the batteries,but if the batteries are out and your trying to run it just with the Ac adapter and nothing works it may be just a blown diode.I have had this happen to my 396,Uniden just recently began affixing warning labels on the back of the 396 that states"Power must be 6V positive 12v or incorrect polarity will damage the scanner" The older ones did not have this sticker and the manual does not explain it clearly that you should only use a positive tip power supply,the only mention is a brief sentence in the back of the manual in the specification section of a DC Power Jack (EIAJ TYPE-2 Center Positive).This is a definate oversight on Unidens part .

 

[gregmoss]

>With the batteries out and it won't power up thats probably a broken socket where the charger plugs in.< Yep! Totally agree with you. I've been down that road twice, with the bcd396t and br330t. Never had this problem before with any other scanners i've owned. And i've owned many of them, from US to oversea Import scanners. I totally regret even sending them in too uniden for repair, because the repair status time is not too good.

 

[slicerwizard]

Here's the problem, whenever you use the wrong charger or one that don't quite match up with the scanner. Guess what? It burns out the inside charger circut within the scanner.

No it doesn't. It takes a reversed polarity power source to damage anything, and even then, it isn't the internal charger that gets damaged.

Now whenever you try too use the uniden ac power adapter/charger that came with the scanner, it displays of your scanner LCD illegal voltage. It will not recharge, nor will you be able too use your supplied ac power adapter period. You'll have too send it in too uniden for repair. Or take bateries out each time, too recharge them. This happen too me twice with the br300t and bcd396t. Smell the area where you plug in your ac power adapter/charger. It will probably reek of a burned plastic smell.

Yeah, you plugged in something that provided negative voltage to the pin of the power jack and you burned up the protection diode. Since the diode is right behind the jack, that's where the stink is. That diode is now providing a near dead short across the power jack.

 

[slicerwizard]

The older ones did not have this sticker and the manual does not explain it clearly that you should only use a positive tip power supply,the only mention is a brief sentence in the back of the manual in the specification section of a DC Power Jack (EIAJ TYPE-2 Center Positive).This is a definate oversight on Unidens part .

An oversight? Are you serious? The power requirements are clearly marked on the scanner, right next to the power jack. Are you really in the habit of just plugging in any old adapter to your scanners?