BC355N/UBC355CLT: Speaker output mono (TS) or stereo (TRS)?

[Remon]

Being cautious as I am and before plugging something in I want to make sure if the external speaker output on the UBC355CLT (I added BC355N in the title because there wasn't a prefix for it) is mono or stereo?

Some Unidens require a stereo (tip+ring+sleeve) plug while others need a mono (tip+sleeve) plug. One can short and damage the audio circuit if incorrectly used.

The user manual wasn't helpful.

 

[doctordialtone]

Being cautious as I am and before plugging something in I want to make sure if the external speaker output on the UBC355CLT (I added BC355N in the title because there wasn't a prefix for it) is mono or stereo?

According to the former product manager:

Uniden Bearcat Scanners With Mono Vs. Stereo Jacks

Has anybody created a list of which Uniden scanners have jacks that are mono vs. stereo. I know that the HP-1 has a stereo jack, but I think my BCD996XT is a mono jack. Have most of the portables lately been stereo and the base/mobile units been mono, or isn't it quite that simple?

forums.radioreference.com

 

[n1chu]

No. I can’t see how you might damage any scanner simply by using a stereo plug when a mono plug is called for and vice versa. It’s done all the time, either by mistake or ignorance (there are those that still don’t understand the difference between stereo and mono… they usually answer with “If the plug fits it must be the right one!”). But you are not going to hurt the scanner simply by not using plugging in the wrong plug.

 

[dmfalk]

Since the tip is the common lead for the two other contacts, no, you're not going to electrically damage the speaker/headphones or the scanner! (If a stereo speaker/headphones is plugged into a mono output, you will get a funky out-of-phase pseudo-stereo audio....)

 

[tvengr]

According to the former product manager:

That thread is from 2012. The BCD536HP, BCD996P2, and SDS200 began manufacture in 2014, 2015, and 2019. The older scanner speaker outputs were mono. The newer scanners require a stereo plug for external speaker to avoid shorting out half of the audio amp. Also, the output is floating. It cannot be grounded. The Uniden BC23A speaker has a stereo plug and an isolation transformer inside the speaker case to avoid grounding the speaker output.