436 Serial Firmware bug

[Vonskie]

After writing screen scanner and working directly and programmatically with the serial port.

I have noticed that when you put it in "." serial mode at times it will not communicate over the serial port. The only way to fix it is to restart the scanner and put it in "." serial mode again.

Have noticed this when using a program like realterm and when programmatically working with the ports.

It does not happen all the time but it happens enough to be slightly irritating.

Other than that I think the 436 is an excellent scanner and I have really enjoyed it.

 

[mrkelso]

During the night my 536 rebooted for no reason in the mass storage mode. I was running VC part of the ARC beta when it happened. These machines have some bug and Uniden has some work to do yet. What bothers me is that i paid $1100 and change on 2 radios to become a beta tester. I won't make this mistake again with this company.

 

[Jay911]

During the night my 536 rebooted for no reason in the mass storage mode. I was running VC part of the ARC beta when it happened. These machines have some bug and Uniden has some work to do yet. What bothers me is that i paid $1100 and change on 2 radios to become a beta tester. I won't make this mistake again with this company.

Ignoring the obvious part which I've bolded... what was the last device you received, of any kind, that was 100% bug-free?

 

[AZScanner]

Ignoring the obvious part which I've bolded... what was the last device you received, of any kind, that was 100% bug-free?

I've got a stapler that has always worked bug free.... :lol:

-AZ

 

[Dafe1er]

After writing screen scanner and working directly and programmatically with the serial port.

I have noticed that when you put it in "." serial mode at times it will not communicate over the serial port. The only way to fix it is to restart the scanner and put it in "." serial mode again.

Have noticed this when using a program like realterm and when programmatically working with the ports.

It does not happen all the time but it happens enough to be slightly irritating.

Other than that I think the 436 is an excellent scanner and I have really enjoyed it.

I will add that when disconnecting the scanner from the software/ PC and trying to reconnect the scanner I have to restart my BCD436HP EACH time to get back to the serial mode.

 

[mrkelso]

Ignoring the obvious part which I've bolded... what was the last device you received, of any kind, that was 100% bug-free?

I have a pocket knife that works flawlessly

 

[Dewey]

I think the "subtle" point in Jay's post, which I agree with, is how can you be so sure that it was the scanner's fault, and not the fault of the beta software???

 

[mikewazowski]

Gentlemen, let's keep this on topic.

Thanks.

 

[UPMan]

We've not published a serial spec or completed firmware support for serial protocol.

 

[LIScanner101]

We've not published a serial spec or completed firmware support for serial protocol.

What does this mean exactly? Does this mean that currently there is no Uniden support of the serial port? Please help me understand this.

 

[UPMan]

It means that any software out there trying to use the serial port for doing stuff is likely to not work very well. Once we release firmware that supports the serial port, we'll also publish the specification for using the serial protocol.

Have you tried it with your scanner?

 

[Dafe1er]

It means that any software out there trying to use the serial port for doing stuff is likely to not work very well. Once we release firmware that supports the serial port, we'll also publish the specification for using the serial protocol.

Have you tried it with your scanner?

I have and it works only if you reset the scanner. Now granted I have only used this software to do anything using the serial option.

I wonder how those using the beta software of a third party company are doing? Do they need to rest the scanner each time to use the serial mode also?

So, some people may have a good time with program XX and some might have an issue with program BB?

I take away that this is yet another thing NOT working before release that at the minimum should have been. IMO.

 

[LIScanner101]

It means that any software out there trying to use the serial port for doing stuff is likely to not work very well. Once we release firmware that supports the serial port, we'll also publish the specification for using the serial protocol.

Have you tried it with your scanner?

Thank you for confirming my assumptions.

 

[fxdscon]

Thank you for confirming my assumptions.

Which scanner do you have, the 436, or the 536?

.

 

[UPMan]

We released our 3rd f/w update for the wifi module to the developers, today. LIScanner: Do you want me to forward it to you so you can try it on your BCD536HP? I'm not making this as a blanket offer, but you seem to be having so many problems with your unit, I'll make an exception for you.

 

[KE4ZNR]

Which scanner do you have, the 436, or the 536?

.

Funny how he always seems to neglect to answer this important question.
Marshall KE4ZNR

 

[LIScanner101]

Actually, it's not funny at all. What IS funny how you and others seem to feel that a non-owner of one of these issue-plagued scanners cannot voice their concerns on any of these pages without being silenced or "fined" for it as I have.

I wrote an email to Uniden Inc. yesterday about all these issues. As I expected, I didn't get a reply, but I am pleased to see that at least now owners can get a NEW unit back when they send in their scanner for the headphone issue. I'd like to think my email had something to do with this change in approach, but it's probably just a coincidence. For now, I'm just pleased that Uniden is finally doing right by its customers.

My work is done - over and out

 

[UPMan]

Not sure who you sent it to, but it isn't in my email box. In any event, there is nothing we'd say to you in a private email that we wouldn't say in a reply to a public post.

Your email had nothing to do with it (obviously, I guess, since I never received it), it was always going to be part of the process. Standard warranty terms are that we warrant the product to be free from defect. Remedy is that we will repair your unit at no cost to you other than shipping/handling. This campaign does not (and could not ever have) negated that option.

 

[fxdscon]

a non-owner of one of these issue-plagued scanners

Thank you for confirming my assumptions.

.

 

[Jay911]

The OP was talking about the radio not going into serial mode, which I've only experienced once (and all I had to do was unplug and replug the computer end of the USB cable again to resolve this); the second post complained that the radio went into Mass Storage Mode overnight uncommanded. I don't know how that could happen since a keypress seems to be required. Perhaps the computer recycled the USB ports (I've seen that happen plenty of times with plenty of different computers) and the prompt to hit E for mass storage or . for serial port was showing up on the screen. Or, as I was trying to hint at earlier, perhaps beta software somehow commanded the radio to switch over to mass storage mode through an undocumented (or documented but poorly coded/executed in the beta software) command.

All you clowns who keep on hollering about not buying another Uniden radio as long as you shall live, though, that's fine. Means all the more for the rest of us. If I had the $, I'd pick up at least two 536s right now (and this is from a guy who has multiple GRE, Uniden, and RS and other radios).