BCD396XT Lockup Problem?

[dwlipp]

Is anyone else having problems with their XT locking up periodically? Mine is locking up (to the point that the power needs to be removed from the scanner to get it restarted) a few times a week. When it locks up it freezes on a talkgroup and does not pass audio. I generally notice that it has locked up when I notice that I haven't heard any audio in a while and check the display to discover that things have frozen up.

My scanner is powered down and restarted at least once a day, if not more often. So far the only thing that may be a consistent operating condition when this happens is that I believe that I have had he backlight powered on each time this has happened. Other than that I can only say that it has always happened when I am scanning a Motorola SmartNet system but that is what I am scanning 99% of the time.

Just wondering if anyone else is experiencing this and if so if they have noted any operating conditions under which it is more likely to happen?

Thanks,
Dallas

 

[W6KRU]

There have been very scattered reports about this. It has been reported on T's and mine has done it. It has happened three times, I think, to my T and every time it was it was in direct sunlight through the windshield of my truck while I was out in the desert on a warm day. It has never happened sitting on the desk?

Where is yours when this happens?

 

[dwlipp]

There have been very scattered reports about this. It has been reported on T's and mine has done it. It has happened three times, I think, to my T and every time it was it was in direct sunlight through the windshield of my truck while I was out in the desert on a warm day. It has never happened sitting on the desk?

Where is yours when this happens?

I don't think that it is location specific as it has happened in my vehicle, at my desk, and a few minutes before I posted my inquiry while sitting in my living room (it is dark here now so sunlight definitely was not an issue).

I had a T that I got the moment that they were available and never had a problem with it locking up. In the month or so I have had my XT it has locked up an average of two to three times a week.

 

[W6KRU]

I don't think that it is location specific as it has happened in my vehicle, at my desk, and a few minutes before I posted my inquiry while sitting in my living room (it is dark here now so sunlight definitely was not an issue).

I had a T that I got the moment that they were available and never had a problem with it locking up. In the month or so I have had my XT it has locked up an average of two to three times a week.

OK. Sounds like it's not a thermal thing. My XT has never done it and it's almost always on.

 

[policefreak]

Do you use the GPS feature at all? I heard that one of the things the new upgrade for the BCD396xt would do is eliminate an issue where the radio would lock up when the GPS feature was used for some reason. Who knows? Maybe just for the heck of it you should try the upgrade.

 

[DaveIN]

I'd back up the files with FreeSCAN, then re-initialize the radio and see if it still occurs. Does this happen on P25 voice output or analog voice as well?

 

[1Partsman]

I have had a similar problem with my xt...do not use gps...mine just stops on a channel and stays there...I notice it when it goes silent for a while...all it takes to restart is pushing scan and it goes again....can't figure out how to program P25 in my area because it is not listed on RR......so that is not involved....

John

 

[dwlipp]

Do you use the GPS feature at all? I heard that one of the things the new upgrade for the BCD396xt would do is eliminate an issue where the radio would lock up when the GPS feature was used for some reason. Who knows? Maybe just for the heck of it you should try the upgrade.

I don't use the GPS feature at all.

I am not inclined to install the upgrade because it appears that it removes the option of using Display Mode 3 in a useful manner for Motorola systems and they are primarily what I scan. The lockups are less annoying to me than I think the losing the Display Mode 3 functionality would be.

Thanks for the suggestion though.

 

[dwlipp]

I'd back up the files with FreeSCAN, then re-initialize the radio and see if it still occurs. Does this happen on P25 voice output or analog voice as well?

I have reloaded the configuration multiple times using FreeScan as I am adding and tweaking systems and I haven't noticed a change one way or the other. Admittedly I haven't completely re-initialized the radio but I think I will wait a while and see what other feedback folks come up with before I give that a try.

It is a good suggestion though and I will let everyone know how it goes should I end up giving it a try.

Thanks.

Dallas

 

[dwlipp]

I have had a similar problem with my xt...do not use gps...mine just stops on a channel and stays there...I notice it when it goes silent for a while...all it takes to restart is pushing scan and it goes again

When mine locks up it is completely locked up and the keypad is completely non-functional so it sounds like we might be having either different issues or at least different manifestations of the same issue.

Thanks for the input.

Dallas

 

[phoenicks]

Started having problems with mine over the weekend. Have had it lock up, and I need to remove a battery and re-install it to get it to scan again! When it locks up, the key pad is totally locked up. Anybody have a suggestion? Have had the radio since Dec, and it seems to do it on Mot II 800 system.

 

[Danny6569]

locking up

I dont know if youre talking about the whole scanner freezing up or just a talk group id ? my 396 xt has got stuck on a talk group id before, ive noticed that my 396 xt gets stuck on a talk group id when i have it sitting on my stereo, and it would not scan at all unless i moved the scanner to a different location then it was fine, i started noticing it when i didnt hear anyone talking for a while, then i looked at it and it was just stuck, im guessing the stereo was interfering with it, because the scanner works fine everywheres else except for near my stereo! but as far as the whole thing locking up and not being able to push any buttons or anything else, ive never had that problem.

 

[seth21w]

Try running a fresh set of new alkalines and see if it still freezes!