Uniden BC_VUP firmware updater 3.03.00
======================================

WHAT THIS IS
------------
Uniden's current BC_VUP 3 firmware updater (files dated August 2015), the
download Uniden's BCD396XT and BC246T firmware pages link today. It downloads
the chosen firmware (BCD396XT 1.11.01, BC246T 2.60.00) from Uniden's server
and writes it to the scanner.

BC_VUP (Uniden's pages call it "the firmware update tool") is Uniden's updater
for its serial-connected scanners. BC_VUP 3 differs from BC_VUP 2 in that the
user picks a model and a version from a list and the updater downloads that
firmware from Uniden. The installer's configuration names an FTP server at
ftp.uniden.com as the firmware source. Uniden: "Usually only the latest is
available for selection."

Uniden did not publish a change list between 3.00.01 and 3.03.00.

APPLIES TO
----------
Per Uniden, BC_VUP applies only to these models: BC125AT, BC246T, BC346XT,
BCD325P2, BCD396XT, BCD996P2, BCD996XT, BCT15 and BCT15X. In this archive it
is tagged to the BCD396XT and BC246T.

It does not apply to the BC350A or BC355N, which have no PC interface and no
updatable firmware, nor to Sentinel-era scanners (HomePatrol, BCDx36HP, SDS
series).

BEFORE STARTING
---------------
  - A Windows PC with an internet connection (BC_VUP 3 downloads the
    firmware). The installer declares .NET Framework 4.0 as its runtime.
  - The scanner's programming cable: for the BCD396XT and BC246T this is a
    serial connection, normally Uniden's USB-1 USB-to-serial cable with its
    Prolific PL2303 driver installed (see the USB-1 driver entries).
  - Uniden: "It is a good idea to start with a well charged set of batteries
    for portable units." For the BCD396XT and BC246T the troubleshooting notes
    also call for the AC adapter (see below).
  - A backup of the scanner's programming.
  - If an earlier BC_VUP was installed, delete its old install files (Uniden:
    they are in a "BCSS" directory).

CONTENTS OF THIS ZIP
--------------------
The zip published on fubsypoly.com wraps the vendor file(s) byte-for-byte,
unmodified.

BC_VUP_V3_03_00.zip
    678,645 bytes
    SHA-256 0e7f8e2042b2de6a9de3b6e3a89d2e358306d2689c090b1f812642d73cf8d7fc
    The vendor zip contains:
      BC_VUP_V3_03_00/setup.exe  (470,528 bytes, dated 2015-08-25)
      BC_VUP_V3_03_00/Setup_BC_VUP.msi  (775,168 bytes, dated 2015-08-25)
README.txt
    This file.
SHA256SUMS
    SHA-256 checksums of the files above.

INSTALLATION
------------
Installing (Uniden, "BC_VUP Firmware Updater Installation",
https://info.uniden.com/twiki/bin/view/UnidenMan4/InstallingBC_VUP):

 1. Unzip BC_VUP_V3_03_00.zip to a folder (Uniden's example is C:\Uniden\). It
    creates the folder BC_VUP_V3_03_00 holding setup.exe and Setup_BC_VUP.msi.
 2. Run "Setup.exe" (not Setup.msi). The application BC_VUP3 is installed.

Updating a scanner (Uniden, "Using BC_VUP Firmware Updater",
https://info.uniden.com/twiki/bin/view/UnidenMan4/UsingBC_VUP):

 1. Run BC_VUP.
 2. Select the scanner model (BCD396XT or BC246T).
 3. Select the firmware version (usually only the latest is offered: V1_11_01
    for the BCD396XT) and click NEXT.
 4. Connect the scanner to the PC with its programming cable. The first time,
    Windows installs the cable's driver (older models, including these, may
    need the driver installed by hand first). Note the COM port shown; it is
    also listed in Device Manager under Ports.
 5. Press NEXT, then OK. BC_VUP asks for the COM port; AUTO DETECT usually
    works if the number is not known.
 6. Press NEXT. BC_VUP confirms the model and firmware.
 7. Press START. Do not disconnect the cable while the update runs.
 8. When BC_VUP reports the firmware is written, power the scanner down,
    disconnect the cable, and power it up again.

For the BCD396XT and BC246T, Uniden's firmware pages add: when prompted, turn
the scanner off, remove the batteries, and hold L/O and 6 while plugging in
the AC adapter; the backlight stays on until the update ends.

VERIFYING
---------
BCD396XT: MENU > Settings > See Scanner Info > Firmware Version shows "Version
1.11.01". BC246T: MENU > See Scanner Info > Firmware Version. BC_VUP itself
reports the model and current firmware when it connects (step 6 above).

IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG
-----------------------
  - Almost every failure is the COM port: the wrong port selected, or another
    program (programming software, PDA sync) holding it. Close them and retry.
  - Check that the USB-1 driver matches the cable's chip. Older cables use the
    PL2303HXA, which Uniden says needs the older 1.5.0 driver package on
    Windows 8 and later.
  - Check the scanner's serial/PC-control baud setting (BCD396XT: MENU >
    Settings > Set Serial Port; BC246T: Xfer Information > PC Control).
  - An interrupted update leaves the scanner unusable until an update
    completes; repeat the whole procedure from the start, including the L/O +
    6 power-up.
  - If BC_VUP 3 cannot download the firmware (for example if Uniden's server
    is unavailable), BC_VUP 2.0.0.7 with a local .scn file is the only offline
    route; this archive holds BCD396XT 1.07.00-1.10.00 and BC246T 2.60.00.

DOWNGRADING
-----------
Uniden: "Usually only the latest is available for selection." BC_VUP 3 offers
no documented way to install an older version. Whether it can load a local
.scn file could not be confirmed.

PROVENANCE
----------
File:        BC_VUP_V3_03_00.zip
Source:      https://info.uniden.com/twiki/pub/UnidenMan4/BCD396XTFirmwareUpdate/BC_VUP_V3_03_00.zip
Wayback:     https://web.archive.org/web/20210410195305/http://info.uniden.com/twiki/pub/UnidenMan4/BCD396XTFirmwareUpdate/BC_VUP_V3_03_00.zip
Retrieved:   2026-09-18
Vendor page: https://info.uniden.com/twiki/bin/view/UnidenMan4/InstallingBC_VUP
Status:      verified

Downloaded from Uniden's live page attachment; the byte-identical file is also
served at https://www.uniden.info/download/files/BC_VUP_V3_03_00.zip (same
SHA-256). Status verified.

MORE INFORMATION
----------------
  - BCD396XT Upgrades & Firmware:
    https://scanners.fubsypoly.com/uniden-bcd396xt/vol-5/
  - Installing BC_VUP:
    https://info.uniden.com/twiki/bin/view/UnidenMan4/InstallingBC_VUP
  - Using BC_VUP:
    https://info.uniden.com/twiki/bin/view/UnidenMan4/UsingBC_VUP
  - BCD396XT firmware page:
    https://info.uniden.com/twiki/bin/view/UnidenMan4/BCD396XTFirmwareUpdate
  - BC246T firmware page:
    https://info.uniden.com/twiki/bin/view/UnidenMan4/BC246TFirmwareUpdate
