BCD436HP/BCD536HP: BCD436HP Stopped Working

[CSIguy]

I have a Uniden BCD436 HP that will not power on. It was working fine and plugged into my vehicle. I heard a slight frying sound and the scanner has not turned back on since. I could also smell the electrical burnt smell. I pulled the case off and cannot see anything that looks smoked, but something apparently is. I am trying to determine if it is worth sending it back to Uniden and paying the money with the risk it can't be fixed for less than the cost of a new one. My other option is to sell it for parts and sell the GPS unit I have for it. I do not need it like I did because my agency has given me a radio. I don't know which way to go. I am not planning to buy a new one either way. Thoughts and opinions are appreciated.

 

[doctordialtone]

Thoughts and opinions

You may as well toss it.

Nobody will offer you anything worthwhile for parts and you don't want to repair it.

 

[tvengr]

Are you using a cigarette lighter plug adapter to power the scanner. I would check the voltage coming out of the adapter. It should be about 5vdc. If an inverter supply, make sure you don't have AC on the output. To be safe, I would scrap that adapter. I would just send the scanner to Uniden with a note saying it will not power up. It would be well worth the repair charge if Uniden charges the standard rate. You may have an overvoltage protection circuit in the scanner that burned and protected the rest of scanner. Pull out the batteries and inspect the SD card for damage. A friend had a 536 which appeared completely dead with no backlight or display due to a bad SD card.

 

[donc13]

I have a Uniden BCD436 HP that will not power on. It was working fine and plugged into my vehicle. I heard a slight frying sound and the scanner has not turned back on since. I could also smell the electrical burnt smell. I pulled the case off and cannot see anything that looks smoked, but something apparently is. I am trying to determine if it is worth sending it back to Uniden and paying the money with the risk it can't be fixed for less than the cost of a new one. My other option is to sell it for parts and sell the GPS unit I have for it. I do not need it like I did because my agency has given me a radio. I don't know which way to go. I am not planning to buy a new one either way. Thoughts and opinions are appreciated.

Uniden charges a flat $80 fee to repair an out of warranty scanner.

 

[buddrousa]

Like don said $80 repair sell it for $350 you recoup $270 verses throwing it away and losing all your money.

 

[hiegtx]

Unless the scanner has very severe damage, such as escaping out the window of your vehicle at freeway speeds, Uniden repairs them for the flat fee of $80. You would also pay, probably $10 to $15, to ship it in for repair using a method that provides a tracking number (USPS, FedEx or UPS ground). Generally, they repair the scanner even if the cost nudges over the repair charge, You've already taken a look, and saw nothing resembling charcoal or molten lava, despite the burned smell, so I suspect they'd fix it for the flat rate. Obviously, I'm not Uniden, but they have been consistent in their repair policies.

In the event that they cannot fix it it (far too much damage, which does not appear to be the case for your scanner), they would contact you to offer a discount on a replacement, or return it without repair if that's what you want done. If returned, unrepaired, yes you would be out the repair fee (for inspection & return). My guess (and only my guess, not a guarantee) is that it would be repaired for the base fee.