BCD396T with external Speaker

[cfairchi]

I just bought a BCD396T and the manual says not to use it with an external speaker other than the "recommended amplified extension speaker" to the headphone jack!!! What is up with this? I was hoping to be able to hook it up to my car stereo auxilary jack. Why would they make this so hooking up to something else would damage the radio?? I have never heard of this before and it just seems stupid!! Is there some way I could hook it up to my stereo without damaging my BCD396T? It just seems really silly that they could not make this $500+ piece of electronics capable of hooking up to an aux jack which is very common in cars these days! Or is this just a CYA warning?

 

[KC1UA]

I use mine with a Motorola external speaker all the time at work. I haven't had any problems. I use it at home with a Radio Shack non-powered speaker and it works fine. I've interfaced it with the sound card of any number of computer systems to stream audio and it hasn't caused me any grief.

 

[Napalm]

I think its only if you hook a speaker up which shares the same ground/-ve line?

I can't remember, but I posted a similar thread to this re: connecting to a PC line-in.
http://www.radioreference.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32431

There ya go.

 

[Al42]

Or is this just a CYA warning?

No, it's a cover the audio output IC's ass warning. The "ground" side of the earphone jack isn't grounded, so connecting it to your grounded stereo - if the scanner is grounded through a power adapter or grounded antenna - will short some of the circuitry.

Get an isolation transformer (the Radio Shack 273-1374 for $3.99 will do fine) and hook it between the scanner and the stereo, one winding to the plug going to the scanner earphone jack, the other to the cable going to the stereo. Both windings are the same, so it doesn't matter which one goes to which.

Or get one of those cassette adapters - the ones that plug into the earphone jack and look like a cassette. Wal-Mart sells them. Or get an adapter that transmits to your FM radio. There are a few safe ways to "connect" the scanner to a car stereo.

 

[cfairchi]

So if I am using AA battery power and the hadndheld unit antenna then I should be ok attaching the headphone jack to my stereo right?

 

[yaesumofo]

I also use an external speaker with my 396. It is called a loud mouth and it is made by barjan.
It sounds better than the stock speaker.
I have a feeling that UNIDEN worried about mismatched impedance and the radios audio amplifier blowing.
Yaesumofo

So if I am using AA battery power and the handheld unit antenna then I should be ok attaching the headphone jack to my stereo right?