BCD436HP - Runs Hot - Terrible Batterry Life

[kickinghorse]

My BCD436HP was purchased a year ago last Christmas. It has worked flawlessly up until now. I put it on the USB to charge and it showed a battery error. Batteries wont take a charge. I put in some fresh AA alkalines. The scanner seemed to work fine but the keypad and display seemed to be quite warm. So were the new batteries. They did not last very long. The scanner works fine with no batteries and running on the USB charger. They keypad, the display and the charger are all running at a warmer temperature than was normal. This would would appear to be a problem with the scanner and not the batteries or charger.

Am I looking at an impeding Uniden meltdown and impending fireball? Is this a known problem and is it repairable or am I looking at an expensive item for the electronics recycler?

One year of light usage i as pretty disappointing service life.

 

[TecEnduro9]

Stupid question: You did install rechargeable batteries? That has been the only time i have seen my scanner say battery error is when I tried to charge regular batteries on accident. As for the keypad getting warmer than normal I don't have a clue. I haven't heard of this being a problem. Try some rechargeable Ni-MH batteries and see what happens

 

[kickinghorse]

The problem first occurred with the stock rechargeable batteries that came with the radio. They needed a recharge and the radio felt warm, When I plugged in the USB charger it said "battery error.

Like I said before, I put in 3 non rechargeable alkaline batteries. The radio worked fine, but the radio and the batteries got warm and they were dead in less than 15 minutes. No charger was used - I know better than to ever attempt to recharge alkalines.

With no batteries in the unit and just running on the USB charger - the radio works fine - but it an the charger are running uncomfortably warm. It never used to generate any warmth at all to speak of..

 

[jonwienke]

Send the scanner to Uniden. Something is shorted.

 

[marksmith]

If something is shorted it must only be in the battery connection if the radio seems to work fine on USB. Batteries do go bad over time. If these were a year old and the same batteries used and recharged in the radio every day for a year, they could have died. You would get the error you describe. I presume when you put the Alkaline batteries in the radio that you switched the battery type switch. Leaving it on rechargeable batteries, but using alkalines could heat things up as they are 1.5v instead of 1.2v

 

[kimbertown]

What battery type switch? Not aware of any battery switch in the BCD436HP. I have two 436's and have not seen any battery switch for Rechargeable vs Alkaline. Please provide a picture of this switch.

 

[jonwienke]

436 doesn't have a battery type switch.

 

[kickinghorse]

If something is shorted it must only be in the battery connection if the radio seems to work fine on USB. Batteries do go bad over time. If these were a year old and the same batteries used and recharged in the radio every day for a year, they could have died. You would get the error you describe. I presume when you put the Alkaline batteries in the radio that you switched the battery type switch. Leaving it on rechargeable batteries, but using alkalines could heat things up as they are 1.5v instead of 1.2v

As I said before - the radio and the USB charger now run hot with no batteries installed.

I would never use the alkaline batteries with the USB charger.

Fresh alkalines (no charger attached) only last for 15 minutes. With that kind of discharge rate the batteries naturally would get warm - and so does the radio.

If the battery or USB connection was shorted the radio would not work.

The only thing I might think of that would cause this kind of current draw would be an internal voltage regulator in the radio has gone bad or something very wrong with the display - although the display brightness and contrast controls still function normally

Is there an internal voltage regulator in these radios?.

 

[UPMan]

I recommend you do not place batteries in the scanner and immediately send it to repair. As mentioned, sounds like something is shorted in the battery circuit. This could lead to a very dangerous meltdown.

 

[kickinghorse]

I recommend you do not place batteries in the scanner and immediately send it to repair. As mentioned, sounds like something is shorted in the battery circuit. This could lead to a very dangerous meltdown.

That's the answer I was looking for from someone knowledgeable. Thank you.