If I'm reading that correctly, the 1 after the Z (383z18001189 ) indicates built in 2021, the 8 means built in Vietnam, possibly the '1189'th' one built this year, so likely the first part of this year.
'Joe Bearcat' started his "Help me help you" thread Jan. 23'rd, and started collecting reports of issues, and had already starting browsing through existing threads. We know that, at some point, he referred comments & suggestions to management, regarding chronic issues, whether with the repair process disconnects, or problems created during production (cold solder joints, the dreaded hum, etc). We, of course, don't know how long it took for management to review the issues, and pass them on down the line with instructions on corrective action that needed to be implemented.
My guess is that once a unit is manufactured & boxed up for shipment, it joins a number of other scanners & other devices that Uniden makes in a container to be shipped to the U.S. That ocean voyage is likely three weeks or so, and then there's also the well documented problems with ships anchored off the west coast, waiting for an open dock where they can get offloaded. That's more delays before it begins it's trip through the distribution progress, before landing at a dealer to be sold.
Probably, your unit was built before any process changes were in place & being used. That's unfortunately something you cannot control or verify before purchase. What I wish Uniden would do is, in lieu of a 'recall', or service campaign as was done on the x36HP series scanners to deal with the RTC & display issues, is to provide an extended warranty covering the specific CSJ repairs. If you remember when the 536HP was first released, some early production units had a hum issue of their own, due to an unauthorized sub of one of the parts by the manufacturing facilty. My 536HP was an ealry production unit, & had that issue. I sent it in, and got a replacement unit, with a sticker applied to the exchange unit that it now had a three year, not one year, warranty,
