BCD396XT/BCD996XT: 4-pin Mini-USB Cable & Front Port

[wradar]

Good evening, all! I recently purchased a used BCD-996XT from eBay, and it came with a 4-pin mini-USB programming cable. (It doesn't appear to be Uniden, and I'm almost positive it's not the USB-1 cable.) Since it came with the scanner, I presume the previous owner was using it.

Anyhoo, it doesn't seem to fit in the front plug very well. Additionally, I can't get my computer to "see" the scanner. I am using FreeScan, and a Prolific-based USB-to-serial adaptor that works with the other serial programming cables I have (Kenwood commercial radios, PRO-2096 scanner), and Windows XP on a laptop I've used to program the afore-mentioned radios/scanner.

I'm not sure if the cable pins are making full contact with the pins in the front port. Other than that, I'm out of ideas.

Troubleshooting I've done without success:

- Changed baud rates of COM1 port (port that the USB adaptor is using)
- Changed baud rates on the scanner and in FreeScan
- Used the "Autodetect" function for finding the COM port in FreeScan

Any other ideas? Am I supposed to put the scanner in "program" mode, or is it just suposed to work once I plug the cable in and try to read from it in FreeScan?

Thanks for any help!
-Will

 

[ccs247]

This should work:

 

[Voyager]

Can you post a pic of the cable? If it really is USB, it won't fit the scanner. The OEM programming cable has a DB-9 on one end and a 4-pin semi-proprietary plug for the scanner. That end has a shield only on one side of the connector.

The USB-1 has the same scanner end, but has a USB plug on the other end and a 'lump' in the middle (which is a USB-serial converter).

 

[Voyager]

Great pic. The black part is the OEM Uniden cable.

 

[wradar]

The cables I have are like the photo above. See the pics below.





The cable plug I have is a 4-pin mini-USB (not a 5-pin). I was under the impression that this plug was a viable replacement for the propriatary-ish Uniden plug. Is that not the case?

 

[fxdscon]

The cables I have are like the photo above. See the pics below.





The cable plug I have is a 4-pin mini-USB (not a 5-pin). I was under the impression that this plug was a viable replacement for the propriatary-ish Uniden plug. Is that not the case?

It's a little hard to tell without some real good close-ups, but if your cable has an actual 4 pin mini USB plug on the scanner end, it will not fit the scanner's front port. The scanner's front port is a serial port, and uses a non-standard connector on the end of the Uniden cables.

Trying to insert an actual 4-pin mini USB plug into the port can likely damage the port.

.

 

[Voyager]

The cable plug I have is a 4-pin mini-USB (not a 5-pin). I was under the impression that this plug was a viable replacement for the propriatary-ish Uniden plug. Is that not the case?

That black cable is definitely NOT a stock Uniden cable. the Uniden cable is not a mini USB. All else fxd said applies.

 

[wradar]

Got it, thanks, everyone. I wonder if the seller just sent me the wrong cord, then, or what. Oh, well. I'll just buy the correct one and be good to go.

Have a great weekend!

 

[mancow]

It might be an old Canon camera cable. I had one that was similar enough to the Uniden that it fit.

 

[ofd8001]

Also, just throwing this out, you could get the Uniden USB-1 cable. This has the USB end (to connect to computer without adapater) and the correct end for the scanner.

Probably a little easier to come by.

 

[Butelsoftware]

It looks like a Uniden cable for the old BC250/BC296.

Gommert
Butel Software

 

[mikewazowski]

As Gommert said, that's an old 250/296 cable.

I've grabbed it many times thinking it was the cable for my HP-1.

 

[Voyager]

HP-1 cable (well, any Uniden USB cable) has a ferrite bead (I think that's what it is) near the scanner connector.

 

[mikewazowski]

He's got a serial cable for a 250/296 which I sometimes mistakenly grab for my HP-1 serial cable which does not have a ferrite bead.

 

[Voyager]

Noted. I thought all the Uniden USB cables had them.

Heck, if I knew where he was, I might trade him the correct cable for that one, as I don't have a 250/296 cable. (not that I really need one, but you never know...)

 

[KD2HCR]

This is what the cable looks like