BCD436HP/BCD536HP: sd card access error

[KCB769]

when I turned on my radio I get sd card access error. Plugging cord to computer only charging works, no usb mass storage message. Any suggestions. I tried cleaning contacts on card and radio to no effect. Thanks in advanced. Albert (purchased 3-21-15)

 

[Bucko]

Sounds like the common SD card failure to me, you may want to try another SD card.

 

[jp4571]

Card failure?

I have the same error message. I have tried 5 different cables and 3 different cards (bought a new one) but nothing seems to work. I have rebooted the computer several times but to no avail. I can install the card in a card reader and have no trouble accessing it--just not when it is installed in the radio. Any suggestions?

 

[Voyager]

Are you running the latest firmware? (1.10.02)

 

[Tedm]

Hi,

I have had mine for about 9 months and have had to send it in 3 or 4 times for that problem.

The radio malfunctioned the last time I got it back but has been stable since after a reset.

My dad worked for NASA and once told me when you have more than 3 items [436 very complicated item] somethings going to malfunction. Statistics always catch up.

Good luck.

Best Regards
Sincerely,
Ted

 

[Haley]

Has anyone found a solution to this? I am extremely ticked off right now. I have had my 436 for about 9 months, I liked it not as much as the 396xt though. And just started really warming up to it with ProVoice upgrade I purchased----worked great for a month.

So long story short, I did the library update this morning, 436 was running (just getting some good stuff on a PV channel), and got the low battery warning. Turned it off and put new charged eneloops in, turn it on and I get the SD Card access error. I always have charged sets ready to go. If someone is going to tell me it's the card, and it's a common Uniden problem , I may be done with them. I have/use all the scanners in my sig. line) . I have never once had a problem with any of them, except the 436. And I actually like/ed it, it just has too many quirks for me. Thanks for any help, Mike

 

[Haley]

Update------I took the batteries out , let it sit for about 10 mins. put them back in , powered up seems to be working , for now. I don't have a really good feeling about it though. Matter of fact if it did not have the PV capabilities, I wouldn't even be using it. On my end , the PV was a HUGE benefit , so I thank Uniden for that. But my trust in them , has really been tested with this model. Mike H.

 

[Tedm]

Card

Hi,

It says it is a 1.08.06.

I do not know what it was when I bought it.

It went in for repairs a number of times and maybe they updated it.

========================

I do not know a lot about about these cards,

I did some research and bought the one that appeared best based on that.

Then to improve my odds of success I bought the one the person at the store recommended.

Neither worked.

Best Regards
Sincerely
Ted

 

[Voyager]

Did you format it as FAT32? Did you then initialize the card using CLEAR USER DATA in Sentinel? Then, did you write the scanner data to the card?

Also, the latest FW is 1.10.02

Oh, and card issues are not a Uniden problem - Whistler and GRE has them, too. So they are card issues.

 

[Tedm]

436 Card

Hi,

I had only had it about a month when it happened and was not familiar with different format protocols.

The person at the store was and said he would do it for me.

Then I found out that one of the scanner stores going to care cards just for the 436 in a couple of weeks so I decided I would wait.

I had made a back up copy of the card so I felt confident I could fix things if they went bad.

When they went bad the scanner totally stopped working and would not recognize any card.

I used the diagnostic equipment for my computer which showed the card and the other 2 to be in perfect condition.

Uniden when I talked to them said the kind of problem I was having could only be fixed at their repair center.

I got it back and it immediately failed right out of the box.

Uniden again said the problem was of a type it would have to go back again.

So no I never got a chance to test the cards or have formatting issues because the problem was not with the cards but the scanner as I understood my talk with Uniden.

It failed within 24 hours of getting back last time but has not had a problem since and removed when I followed the programs instructions.

As of today I updated it to the version you refer to.

I hope nothing goes wrong again.

This card thing seems to be the weak spot in an otherwise very good scanner.

I hope they resolved when I sent it in last time.


Best Regards
Ted

 

[Voyager]

If you made a backup, you can just format it as FAT32, then copy the backup to the card and you should be set. (for future reference)

 

[sparklehorse]

So long story short, I did the library update this morning, 436 was running (just getting some good stuff on a PV channel), and got the low battery warning. Turned it off and put new charged eneloops in, turn it on and I get the SD Card access error.

What do you have your low battery warning voltage set to? It's user configurable, from 3100 to 3400 mV. The default is 3300 mV. I had my 436 set at 3100 for a while, but noticed the voltage on the drained cells was really low when I'd place them in my charger. So I've since bumped my voltage up to 3400. I'm not an electronics engineer, but I think it may be possible the 3100 setting could allow some NiMH cells to drop to too low a voltage. And I have to wonder if that hasn't occasionally caused a sudden loss of power for some folks, which is probably the single most common cause of SD Card corruption.

.

 

[Haley]

Sparklehorse,
Thanks for that info. I did go into my settings, I still have it on 3300, I bumped it up to 3700. Probably too high, but doesn't hurt to see how it does. Your theory makes sense to me, I appreciate the help. Mike

 

[sparklehorse]

Yeah, I think on my BCD396XT the low battery beep comes on when the unit shows about 3.48 volts, or 3480 mV. So it seems odd to me you now have the option on the 436 of letting them go all the way down to 3100 mV, or 1.03 volts per cell. I've read NiMH can usually discharge to .9 volts per cell without issue, but I've also read they're nearly exhausted at 1.2 volts. So I don't think there's much of a runtime benefit in letting them discharge to 1.03, and if you've got cells with differing levels of health/capacity I would think there's some risk of sudden power loss.

.

 

[Tedm]

436 Card

Hi,

I could not put the card in with the file because the radio would not except the card.

I had the Uniden person on the phone advising me and was told after about 30 minutes the radio would have to be sent in as it was the Unidens person opoin that the radio was defective.

Best Regards
Ted

 

[buddrousa]

It is not just a Uniden problem it is starting to show in the the Whistlers also. It is a fat32 problem not Unidens

 

[Voyager]

I would not entirely trust the CSR. I've found that often the knowledge here is superior.

You said you used diagnostics. Do they involve a card reader? If so, you can perform the format and CLEAR USER DATA and even the data write using the card reader rather than the scanner.

In fact, you can even update the firmware that way. It will transfer to the scanner on first power-up (so make sure your batteries are charged and/or you use AC power.

 

[Tedm]

Hi,

I did try it with several cards and with the help of the CSR.

I know what you mean some CSR are better than others.

That is why I called back several times and sent it in after I got the same answer from 3 different people.
-==================
I know a lot more about the scanner than I did then.

I also believe I understand how to do this kind of formatting.

When I first heard about it I had no idea what was being talked about.

If something goes wrong again I will ask here too.

At the time I was not a subscriber and did not use this Site much.

Now I have and people seem to know what they are talking about I plan to use it before sending in the scanner again.

Best Regards

Ted

 

[1075]

If you made a backup, you can just format it as FAT32, then copy the backup to the card and you should be set. (for future reference)

Is there somewhere this process is explained step by step, for the technologically challenged like me? I recently upgraded to a 16Gb card in my 436 following a YouTube tutorial, and was never prompted to format the card. Now I have 3 different drives (C, D, & E) showing when I "write to scanner".

 

[Tedm]

I now know how to do a FAT32.
Just look for it when I do the format.
As I say this is all new to me.

Why is this such a problem for the 436?

It is a sophisticated device I would think it could work around this problem.

Also when this device was marketed I would think that the people who built it would consider fact just because the person knows radio does not mean they know computers.

I only saw by accident how useful computers are with these scanners and started doing it with my 396T.

Then I bought the 436.

I think they marketed to early.

As far as I can tell this is a software defined radio so I guess like all software it is going to have problems and need up grades.

=====================
In 1985 I bought the Regency MX7000. It was about the most advanced scanner of its time.

It turned out there was a problem with that caused some units to be off by 5 KHz.

After 3 returns to the repair center it got fixed and I still have it.

It has some problems now but it is over 30 years old so that is to be expected.


Best Regards
Sincerely,
Ted