BOO Uniden...Bad BCT8s

[hastingsmedic]

Well as much as I hate to do it, I have to give Uniden a huge thumbs-down for their BCT8s.

I have had nothing but problems with them on our Motorola type II VHF High Analog Fleetnet system.

I read about similar malfunctions with garbled audio and missed calls from other users, and I had my personal BCT8 "go off"; but after ordering 12 BCT8s for local Paramedics and Firefighters and having FOUR of them malfunction, I am taking a dim view of their quality control. That is 25% of the scanners I bought that are inoperative.

Granted, all four of them have sequential serial numbers, and it might be a bad batch, but they aren't the first ones I've come across that don't work properly.

I realise that you get what you pay for, but the Radio Shack 2051 is the same exact scanner( I mean EXACT ... parts could be interchangeable) which sells for less, and I have had no problems with it!

Hastingsmedic

 

[STiMULi]

The BCT8 is a poor choice for a trunking radio.

I own one.

 

[ve3zo]

FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Some who knows my plight. I am having the same problem. I have a T8 in my car and it has stopped trunking the Windsor fleetnet system (intermittently ). However, my friend has one in his car and it receives it fine...I know this because we parked right next to each other.
I thought it was an antenna issue, but after trying 3 different types it still did the same thing.


I am going to call the powers that be at Uniden and find out what is happening.......if they know.

Chris
VE3CTP

 

[ve3zo]

I am going to call the powers that be at Uniden and find out what is happening.......if they know.


So I called both Uniden and Lectron Radio.

Uniden is telling me that it sounds like there may be a problem, although their tech department has not been told of any issue.

Lectron Radio is telling me that "garbled audio" is something that they have had many compaints about and that since there are analog and digital transmission in the same system the scanner doesn't really know what to do.

Also Lectron Radio told me that the scanner is working properly if it tracking another system.
EX.... I have the City of Windsor 800 Mhz system in the scanner as well and it has no problem tracking that system at all.

Perhaps someone from Uniden will read this post and maybe get this problem solved.

Chris
VE3CTP

 

[hastingsmedic]

Nonsense

I am getting really frustrated with all the different answers I get when I look into this issue. Lectron told me the same thing... digital interference... but I call B.S. I have three BCT8s and they can be sitting beside each other and only one will be garbled. That doesn't sound like interference, that sounds like a manufacturing defect or at least a component or two that is out of spec.

Incidentally, after posting here, I was contacted directly by Uniden regading my scanner, and at their request I sent it directly to their engineer ... so they can't say they aren't aware of the issue. They have audio samples of the garbled transmissions as well ... whether they admit there is something wrong, well, that is another issue.

I know they aren't the top-of-the-line trunking scanner, but they are sold as VHF trunking, and if SOME of them don't VHF trunk, then they are malfunctioning. Period.

Hastingmedic

 

[DaveIN]

So Uniden is looking into the problem or no?

 

[KI4LIV]

The BCT8 is a poor choice for a trunking radio.

I own one.

Maybe for Motorola - but for EDACS they work quite well! I sold mine off a while back due to money problems, and picked one up again because of how well it trunks my local EDACS system.

 

[STiMULi]

I don't doubt you at all. All I am saying is that for the money you would be better off with some triple conversion reciever as a trunking radio.

It is a low quality reciever. Uniden knows that. They will be dumping them hard in about 2 or 3 months because of the BCT15.

I own one and I will be selling it for just that reason

 

[WX5JCH]

I use my BCT8 everyday, no problem receives very well. Trunked and analog. If anything it's too sensitive in urban areas, it gets a lot of intermod.

 

[ve3zo]

Here is an observation that I made, every morning when I go to work approx. 6:30am. the T8 will trunk the VHF fleetnet system without a problem. then about 15 min later it will stop trunking the system, almost like it only works when it cold.

Also last night I brought the scanner in to try to solve this problem. I did a factory reset twice.and I had it hooked up to an outside antenna. Yet it still would not track the system.

I think mine will be going in for service.

Chris
VE3CTP

 

[ve3zo]

Those of you who had a T8 that had a problem. would it be possible to get the serial number. I want to see if my number is close. I purchased mine in August of 2005.

Chris
VE3CTP

 

[sacscan]

The problem I have noticed with BCT8's is poor CC only trunking. If there is any intermod or other interference on a voice channel the scanner will stay on that frequency and you will hear all the interference long after the carrier drops on the last TGID received.

If I program all the frequencies used by the system and turn CC-only off the scanner trunks fine.

 

[hastingsmedic]

Temperature Issues

Yes, the temperature thing..... check out this thread from a couple of months ago:

http://radioreference.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28370

It deals with this exact issue we're talking about.... I too noticed the temperature factor. In fact my scanner would work perfectly if I left it in the fridge.

As well, there seems to be some issue with the case, because it would work alright if I removed the shell from the scanner, maybe that was related to the heat thing... I dunno.

There you go, another observation which leads me to believe that it is a component problem, and not "interference" (the answer you will probably get when you take it in for service. Don't accept it, get a replacement).

I don't have the scanner in front of me, but if I recall, the faulty serial numbers were ending "3131" "3132" "3133".

Hastingsmedic

 

[ve3zo]

My serial number is 4328, but I am going to call Lectron Radio and give them a brief synopsis of what is happenning before I send it in.


Chris
VE3CTP

 

[ve3zo]

The radio did the "cold thing" last night. It worked fine for 15 or so minutes then like clockwork it stopped trunking fleetnet.
Here is my question.....is there a cure for the cold thing and how was it cured. Does Lectron radio or Uniden have a solution? I do not wnt to send this radio in for service if I am going to get it back with a repair invoice saying no problem found.


Chris
VE3CTP

 

[ve3zo]

For those of you whose BCT-8's only work when they are cold, I called Lectron radio regarding the status of my t8. Well they fixed it and the problem was a faulty transistor and capacitor. If your radio stiil has this problem, send it in for repair or at least to get diagnosed.

Chris
VE3CTP

 

[MetalCarnage]

Even Uniden will have there bad batch of radios, its a shame no company is perfect, but thats reality, i wouldnt go placing a bad rap on uniden just for one line of radios though....

 

[ve3zo]

Even Uniden will have there bad batch of radios, its a shame no company is perfect, but thats reality, i wouldnt go placing a bad rap on uniden just for one line of radios though....

I agree., one bad apple should not spoil the barrel. When things are mass produced there is bound to be at least one that does not work.

Chris

 

[Dubbin]

When things are mass produced there is bound to be at least one that does not work.

One yes but 4 out of 12 is unacceptable.

 

[ve3zo]

One yes but 4 out of 12 is unacceptable.

Yes, I would tend to agree. Send them in for service and see what happens.

Chris