Scanner overheating

[Hobbyscan]

Any ideas why the portable (Uniden BCD396XT) would be getting hot? Battery switch is in alkaline mode with alkaline batteries. Unit only lasts a few minutes with fresh batteries. Top gets hot-no smell. Batteries are hot to the touch when taking out. Even if the scanner is turned off, the whole thing gets hot. What the heck is going on with this thing? What could I check internally? Have already opened it up, but didn't have the time to delv into it. Also it stopped taking a charge a while ago with NiMH batteries.

Should this scanner work by AC/DC wall/car charger without batteries?

Any ideas welcome before I send it in for repair. Would like to fix myself, if possible.

Thanks all.

 

[FlashP]

Generally you don't see that kind of behavior in a major appliance

That sounds bad. Yes, it can run on external power alone, but I wouldn't trust that the same thing won't happen and smoke the rest of the circuitry.

 

[SARCommCoord]

You have a short somewhere. Rapid discharge of the batteries, and the heat are all indications of a short.

 

[77Impala]

These scanners work fine with a wall charger. Try running the scanner with a power supply with NO batteries installed and see if it still heats up.

I would look around the battery compartment area and where it connects to the main board. Also the battery charger switch for possible shorts. Could be some thing simple as a piece of material fell on to the positive and negative leads on the main board.

 

[Voyager]

Could also be an internal short in the cells (bad batteries).

 

[Hobbyscan]

DC charger does not work with batteries out. Also speaker seems to be dead. Anyone with a similar problem know what a repair shop might charge to look in to it/fix? Thanks again.

 

[Hobbyscan]

Got it opened up a little further. The only discoloration I can see is around the Sel/Vol/Sql leads. Other than that I don't see anything else that's burned. Here again the knob seems to work somewhat -no audio- but vol knob shows on screen it's working, and turn selection works. Probably have to send it in is what it's looking like.

 

[77Impala]

Sorry to hear that. I was hoping something very simple was the problem.

 

[firerick100]

If your going to send it in go to the uniden website and it will tell you what you need to do

 

[W8RMH]

If it is getting hot and will not charge you have a short somewhere, which is a fire hazard. Do not use it until Uniden checks it out. Unfortunately since you opened it any warranty will be void, however their repair rates are reasonable.

Uniden - Online Repair Form