BCD436HP/BCD536HP: SD card read error

[dmchalmers]

What is this an why? How do i fix this?

 

[J-Wrock]

Your scanner is having trouble reading the data off the SD card. What model of scanner? Assuming that you didn't take the card out at any point, then that suggests the card just wore down (it happens). To fix it, you'll just need to buy a new SD card less than 32GB in size, put it in your computer, use Sentinel to clear all user data on the card, write your favorites to the new card then put the card in the scanner. If that sounds completely confusing, there should be YouTube videos that show how to do this. The good news is your radio itself isn't broken and cards are inexpensive!

 

[nessnet]

It is suggested to use the SD Card Formatter program to format the card properly first.
THEN, do a clear user data in Sentinel.

SD Memory Card Formatter for Windows Download - SD Association

SD Memory Card Formatter END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT NOTICE: BY DOWNLOADING, INSTALLING OR USING THE PRODUCT, THE ENTITY OR INDIVIDUAL ENTERING INTO THIS AGREEMENT AGREES TO BE BOUND BY THE FOLLOWING TERMS. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH ANY OF THESE TERMS, DO NOT DOWNLOAD, INSTALL, OR USE THE PRODUCT...

www.sdcard.org

 

[mc48]

Take the card out and wipe the contacts with IPA and reinstall, if that does not help, remove it again and format the card, reinstall and then clear user data then write the program to the scanner. I use windows formatter and it always works.

 

[dmchalmers]

Your scanner is having trouble reading the data off the SD card. What model of scanner? Assuming that you didn't take the card out at any point, then that suggests the card just wore down (it happens). To fix it, you'll just need to buy a new SD card less than 32GB in size, put it in your computer, use Sentinel to clear all user data on the card, write your favorites to the new card then put the card in the scanner. If that sounds completely confusing, there should be YouTube videos that show how to do this. The good news is your radio itself isn't broken and cards are inexpensive!

Thank you sir, I'll pick up another card an see what happens not sure if my laptop has a slot or i need an adapter. This same thing happened when i first bought my bcd436hp

 

[dave3825]

What is this an why? How do i fix this?

What was the last thing you did before that popped up?

@dmchalmers

What scanner is this on?

 

[dmchalmers]

Was on my bcd436hp i was scanning an went to discovery to lock on a tower an i did auto store, check to db then hit discovery an boom.

 

[dave3825]

The problem you’re going to face will be if you never had the sd card out before. On the 436 the card slot is in the battery compartment. It’s a real **** design and if one is not delicate, the hinged part will come off.

Not sure if you have to remove the card to try fixing it, but I would watch some of the videos on YouTube showing how to put the thing back together before attempting to remove the card.

Here is one such video from one of our members.

SD Door came off on the BCD436HP

I was on vacation last week and not even a few hours visiting back home the sd card door came off. I was like this isn't good. So today I made a video on how to put back on. Uniden BCD436HP sd card door - YouTube

forums.radioreference.com

 

[Chris0516]

The problem you’re going to face will be if you never had the sd card out before. On the 436 the card slot is in the battery compartment. It’s a real **** design and if one is not delicate, the hinged part will come off.

Not sure if you have to remove the card to try fixing it, but I would watch some of the videos on YouTube showing how to put the thing back together before attempting to remove the card.

Here is one such video from one of our members.

SD Door came off on the BCD436HP

I was on vacation last week and not even a few hours visiting back home the sd card door came off. I was like this isn't good. So today I made a video on how to put back on. Uniden BCD436HP sd card door - YouTube

forums.radioreference.com

@dmchalmers As mentioned above. The placement of the SD Card, in the BCD436HP, is. What I think of as, 'so close, yet so far'. Taking the battery out is the easy part. Sliding the latch, to remove the SD Card. Is easy, too. Because the latch has a spring connected to it. The real test becomes, when. You put any SD Card in the BCD436HP. That same latch will suddenly spring up, if. The SD Card is not secured properly.

I added a Youtube video:Replace/Insert SD Card on BCD436HP

 

[dmchalmers]

I discovered after i ordered new sd card thats its actually a micro sd card. gonna look in dollar store an ace hardware tomarrow

 

[dave3825]

Do your self, and the rest of us a favor, buy a quality card.

 

[dmchalmers]

Do your self, and the rest of us a favor, buy a quality card.

I did myself two Big Favors Bought Quality Card and called talked with Uniden Tech. They have me sending in for repair an say NO BODY on here should have suggested sd card as the issue. He repeating in our conversation they "UNiden" have no tech support why someone "EXPERT" on here would get that idea theres a reason it locked up.

 

[J-Wrock]

I did myself two Big Favors Bought Quality Card and called talked with Uniden Tech. They have me sending in for repair an say NO BODY on here should have suggested sd card as the issue. He repeating in our conversation they "UNiden" have no tech support why someone "EXPERT" on here would get that idea theres a reason it locked up.

So, Uniden had you send the radio in for repair? Sounds like there was more going on than just you getting a "SD card read error" message which is what I read from your initial post. Hopefully this solves the issue for you. However, 9.9 out of 10 times that I've seen an "SD Card read error" either reported here on the forums or experienced in real life on my own radios, replacing the SD card solves the issue. I never claimed to be an expert, just someone who has first-hand experience with what I thought the issue was. Then again, I might not have had all the details either. Uniden does have an expert on Radio Reference. His name is @jasonhouk and he frequents the forums quite regularly. Best wishes for you when you get the repair complete. Sorry you felt you were misguided here on the forums.

 

[jasonhouk]

@dmchalmers

While sending it in for repair will definitely get it resolved, replacing or reformatting the MicroSD card is the standard first troubleshooting step for a reason, it solves the vast majority of "SD Card Read Error" messages on these models.

When the scanner hits a corruption issue (often triggered during a power loss or a write operation like Auto Store in Discovery mode), the file system on the card gets corrupted, or the card itself fails. Uniden's repair department often reflash/replace components or the internal SD mechanism if hardware is truly damaged, but for most users, swapping in a quality High Endurance MicroSD card (32GB or smaller, formatted with SD Card Formatter) and clearing user data via Sentinel gets the unit running without the cost and downtime of a factory repair.

Uniden will get your 436HP back to you quickly and running smoothly!

 

[dave3825]

I did myself two Big Favors Bought Quality Card and called talked with Uniden Tech.

The only favor you did yourself was getting a quality card.

As far as Uniden goes, maybe it was a good idea to send because, I am not knocking you at all, (I will later in my post though ) because the door that's on the 436 can be a real nightmare unless one has very good fine motor skills. It is a lousy design and was most likely the cheapest option Uniden could find at the time of design and production.

They have me sending in for repair an say NO BODY on here should have suggested sd card as the issue.

I have to call bull**** on that one.

If the screen says SD CARD ERROR, its either a bad card, or its not seated properly/making good connection. Its that simple.

Even authorized Uniden distributors say the same thing.

Uniden Expert Programming For the BCD536 & BCD436 Police Scanner Radio

Your scanner will work right out of the box! Uniden Custom Programmers will add county programming to your scanner. We remove the guesswork, tedium, and frustration from from manually programming your scanner for your area. Our programming department will preload your selected county/counties...

bearcatwarehouse.com

Uniden most likely told you to perform the basic steps to fix the problem, and if I had to guess, you most likely did not like the advice or troubleshooting steps being offered. So you choose to come here claiming Uniden said we are all wrong. Go Figure.

I have had Uniden scanners long time and any and every time I had sd card error, it was either not seated properly or corrupt/failing card. In all cases, either reseating or replacing the card fixed it. Sometimes just reformatting the card will fix the issue but if the card is failing, then thats just matter of time before the error returns.


On my 436, its always been fixed by reseating the card. Had that scanner for 10 years and its still the original card.

Sds200 on the other hand, that card corrupted twice and only happened during programming with a bad cable. Now it gets programmed wirelessly with @ProScan software.

 

[RandyKuff]

This kind of problem is when an external card reader comes in handy to troubleshoot the issue...

As in card issue or scanner issue...

More than likely a card issue...

 

[wa8pyr]

Ditto on buying a quality card. Uniden buys cheap cards in bulk, and while they’re generally ok, there’s inevitably going to be a few wonky cards out there.

 

[dmchalmers]

Ditto on buying a quality card. Uniden buys cheap cards in bulk, and while they’re generally ok, there’s inevitably going to be a few wonky cards out there.

Could be? But the wonky card has been working great 5+ years.

 

[J-Wrock]

Wonky or not, replacing a SD card is a quick and relatively cheap troublehsooting method. If it fixes the problem then one isn't sitting around waiting for the radio go to and from Uniden for repairs. If it doesn't work, one is out a few hours at most and not much money and now has a spare SD card to boot! And even if the card isn't wonky, eventually, like all hardware, it will fail so after 5+ years of working great, it just might give up the ghost. Or not. Hard to say

 

[buddrousa]

UpMan the man that designed the x36's and the SDS scanners would always say replace the SD card first when ask here about SD card errors.