BCD436HP/BCD536HP: Deafness?

[Voyager]

On a guess, J101 was the antenna jack. Which if there was an open would explain the deafness issue. They may have just replaced it which fixed the problem. Why they reloaded the database, I have no idea.

BTW, I haven't carried a portable radio on my belt since I stopped being a paramedic either.

That would be my guess, too. Why they updated the database? Likely as a matter of policy. They would also likely replace a cracked screen even if that was not related to the original issue.

I don't know why the J101 issue is being ignored and some people think it was the database update that cured the issue. :roll:

 

[plaws]

On a guess, J101 was the antenna jack. Which if there was an open would explain the deafness issue. They may have just replaced it which fixed the problem. Why they reloaded the database, I have no idea.

BTW, I haven't carried a portable radio on my belt since I stopped being a paramedic either.

Yeah, but that was, like, an MX360 a million years ago, Gary, and it was tuned to Operations. :-D

In all seriousness, is there a schematic for the BCDx36HPs floating around?

 

[plaws]

I don't know why the J101 issue is being ignored and some people think it was the database update that cured the issue.

I understand about it being policy to reload the DB - they would likely do things like format the uSD as well, just so they know where they were starting from when troubleshooting.

The antenna jack would certainly cause a deafness issue ... but I'd sure like to know definitively ...

 

[Voyager]

I understand about it being policy to reload the DB - they would likely do things like format the uSD as well, just so they know where they were starting from when troubleshooting.

The antenna jack would certainly cause a deafness issue ... but I'd sure like to know definitively ...

Maybe you could call them to see what J101 is. And no, there is no schematic available due to the ECPA. UPMan has commented on that exact issue previously.

 

[mancow]

Maybe you could call them to see what J101 is. And no, there is no schematic available due to the ECPA. UPMan has commented on that exact issue previously.

Yet the GRE/Radio-Shack ones are available. I have one here for the 197. :roll:

 

[garys]

I'm back home and have my 436HP programmed and connected to an outside antenna. It is anything but deaf.

I think my 536HP has an even hotter receiver. It's in my truck and I run a Hustler scanner antenna. I was in East Boston and heard Brockton FD very clearly on VHF.

I understand about it being policy to reload the DB - they would likely do things like format the uSD as well, just so they know where they were starting from when troubleshooting.

The antenna jack would certainly cause a deafness issue ... but I'd sure like to know definitively ...

 

[garys]

One good thing was that they got lighter as the years went on. My last one was an XT2500. Piece of junk, but a lightweight piece of junk. I held onto my XT3000 (or whatever it was) as long as I could, but they finally made me turn it in about a year before I retired.

Yeah, but that was, like, an MX360 a million years ago, Gary, and it was tuned to Operations. :-D

In all seriousness, is there a schematic for the BCDx36HPs floating around?

 

[Voyager]

Yet the GRE/Radio-Shack ones are available. I have one here for the 197. :roll:

As I understand it, some RS stores sold them in error. This has been posted on this forum in the past.

 

[plaws]

I'm back home and have my 436HP programmed and connected to an outside antenna. It is anything but deaf.

I think my 536HP has an even hotter receiver. It's in my truck and I run a Hustler scanner antenna. I was in East Boston and heard Brockton FD very clearly on VHF.

Yes, but would you buff a job in Brockton if you were in Eastie? :lol:

Mine worked fine, too, until it didn't. Now that it's back, it seems fine. Nearly everything here is trunked, though, so it doesn't really get a good test. And because of that, and because I live less than 2 miles from a system site and work the same distance from another, it's not actually that critical for me. If I still lived up there it'd be a different story, of course.

 

[signal500]

BCD436HP Deafness?

I understand about it being policy to reload the DB - they would likely do things like format the uSD as well, just so they know where they were starting from when troubleshooting.

The antenna jack would certainly cause a deafness issue ... but I'd sure like to know definitively ...

I received my 436 back from Uniden service today. "The following parts were replaced or actions performed during the repair of your unit. Q2, Q3"

Nothing about reloading the database.

 

[AA6IO]

You know, maybe Uniden should give some of us (those really into scanning and pretty loyal) to Uniden just a little bit more info. If we knew what Q2, Q3, and J101 are, maybe we would feel a bit more easy knowing there were some simple, and repairable, explanations for a lot of these issue, whether audio related, sensitivity related, display related, or whatever.
A guy like K4DPS (Doug) above must sell (indirectly) a lot of radios for Uniden with all of the excellent videos he posts on how to use these things. Can't we just have a simple schematic, of if not, a least an explanation about why these parts are being replaced and the "symptoms" (sorry, that's my medical side) they are causing.
Sure, most people probably don't care, just send it in, and that's it. But there are some of us, especially on RRDB, who really would like to know some of this info. Maybe that's the "radio amateur" in me. Who knows, maybe I'm wrong. I haven't bought a new ham rig in several years. Maybe they don't come with schematics either. Perhaps with our friends in China and India, they get their hands on it, and you'll see a Chinese version of the 536HP for $100. If that's the case, then I understand the secrecy. If that's not the case, how about some info.
Sorry for the rant.

Steve AA6IO

 

[Voyager]

Anymore, I'm sure the competition is a side effect, but the reason for the lack of manuals is the FCC's requirement that info be kept private that could be used to restore Cellular to scanners. If Q2/Q3 is in the front end, it could be part of that circuit.

That said, anyone who knows electronics should know that J101 is a jack, and Q2/Q3 are transistors. Why were they replaced? They went bad for some reason. Could some of us replace them? Likely - especially an antenna jack, keypad, or the like. Most cannot replace a surface mount component, however.

 

[garys]

Yes, but would you buff a job in Brockton if you were in Eastie? :lol:

I wouldn't buff a job in Brockton if I were in Brockton! :twisted:
I try to minimize my time in Brockton whenever possible.

Mine worked fine, too, until it didn't. Now that it's back, it seems fine. Nearly everything here is trunked, though, so it doesn't really get a good test. And because of that, and because I live less than 2 miles from a system site and work the same distance from another, it's not actually that critical for me. If I still lived up there it'd be a different story, of course.

There's plenty, the majority in fact, of none trunked radio systems to listen to up here. If you came back, you'd probably be surprised at how much hasn't changed.

 

[jchisholm]

I *may* have found my source of months of frustration. I think the receiver may be deaf. I programmed in 162.400, which is my local weather channel and even with the squelch zeroed .. shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh .... nothing.

This is after trying all the local trunked and conventional systems.

All this time I thought it was programming error ... but maybe not.

Anyone else have a radio that has gone deaf? Is this common?

OTOH, is it possible that the CPU is goofed up and not actually tuning the the RF section? I see that there is a 2+9+MANUAL (sorry, DEPT) master reset. I'll see if that does anything.


Edit: three-finger salute did nothing

Yea mine went completely dead just out of the blue. No receive even NOAA.
Not very impressed, furthermore since I purchased it on ebay, live in Canada and it's doubtful that the
US Uniden service would even look at it.
So IMO this whole "replace Q2/Q3" stuff for these deaf radios is a bunch of hoo-ha. I disassembled mine (pretty easy, just a few philips screws), took the boards out and gave the contacts where the boards mate a shot of isoprol contact cleaner. Pay particular attention to the one stacking muti-conductor connector, it's obvious once you have the boards out.
Popped it back together and it now works fine (like new at any rate)
I'm submitting that low quality copper contacts is being used and a little bit of natural oxidization is making these scanners go deaf.

 

[SCPD]

mine also seems deaf for no reason with no change

I concur, it sounds like a repair issue. I'd skip the call and start at:

Repair

Paul I know this is an old thread my 436hp worked great for 2 months now nothing has changed and our vhf multicast system never picks up... while my bcd996p2 receives 5 weather stations and 3 bars antenuator on and 5 with antenuator off..
the bcd436hp receives 1 weather stations with only 1 bar max... and antenuator is off...
vhf on the bcd436hp is extremely weak
uhf no reception
800+ no reception
vhf lo is very noisey
have tried in several locations also within 1/2 mile of gore mountain in north creek NY i recieve absolutely nothing including noah on 162.4500mhz
and wqli541 is unencrypted and is missing all phase 1 transmissions

Serial # is 6800****

all custom favorites and all antenuators off... have tried 2 faves one with att on and one with att off and still nothing...

I was told to send the bcd436hp in as no channel reception however there is some weather reception just very very weak when all other radios are full signal on weather stations..
i tried different antennas and also used the sma to bnc adapter from my home patrol 1 which is known to be a good bnc adapter...
also have tried stock antenna and a 770 diamond duelband and 400mhz is dead...as well as 800 where the bcd996p2 receieve it well and the 396xt recieve full signal... all with stock antennas

 

[plaws]

Paul I know this is an old thread

*Very* old! I'd completely forgotten that I'd sent in the radio twice, once for this issue and then again for the clock issue. I have since added the PRV and DMR keys and, really, the radio has been much better even without the two new modes. I'm pleased to see that I'm not the only one that had this issue. Well, not pleased for you, but you know what I mean.

I still have to say, 2+ years in, that this is the least satisfying radio I've ever bought and I've had a ton of mostly Uniden radios over the last 30+ years. It took me a LONG time to get it to the point where I could just turn it on an listen to what I wanted to listen to.

 

[SCPD]

Well now my screen does not light at all.. however you can see the numbers if you use a led flashlight and shine it into the display window... and when i say see it is very faint Like when a computer monitors backlight burns out.. but UPMan swears my unit was manufactured with the dim display issue fixed... funny thing is scanner works better then ever with no display lighting and using proscan as a remote for the scanner i can do everything i need to.. Bought a trx1 and what a difference in VHF Reception and dmr is crisp and clear... But dmr is in conventional mode no way to track it.. and my 396xt still runs circles around the trx and the 436 in analog and p25 p1