Uniden BCD396XT firmware 1.08.14
================================

WHAT THIS IS
------------
Uniden firmware version 1.08.14 for the BCD396XT handheld scanner, published
on Uniden's BCD396XT firmware page on 2009-11-09 (the attachment date in
Uniden's table). It includes the 1.07.00 changes (Uniden states updates are
cumulative).

What changed: Adds storage of Unit IDs with alpha tags in channels; fixes a
lock-up on the copyright screen caused by memory corrupted by a bad PC
programming upload; fixes a bad hit count with some PC software; saves Hold
status immediately instead of at power-down; adds the ATT indication in Close
Call Only mode; fixes a bug that could stop APCO P25 decoding.

This is not the newest firmware. The final BCD396XT release is 1.11.01
(announced January 2013), which improves performance on P25 simulcast (LSM)
sites. 1.11.01 has never been published as a standalone file; it is delivered
only by Uniden's BC_VUP 3 updater, which downloads it from Uniden's server
(see the BC_VUP 3.03.00 entry). Use this older file only to roll back, or if
BC_VUP 3 can no longer reach Uniden's server.

APPLIES TO
----------
Uniden BCD396XT only.

Do not use on the BCD396T (a different scanner with its own 3.x firmware
line), the BCD996XT (its own firmware), or any other model. No firmware file
for one model should ever be loaded into another.

BEFORE STARTING
---------------
  - A Windows PC. BC_VUP 2.0.0.7 is a 2008 Windows installer; the Windows
    versions it runs on were not stated by Uniden.
  - BC_VUP 2.0.0.7, the updater Uniden paired with the 1.07.00 and 1.08.14
    files (available in this archive as its own entry).
  - A serial connection to the scanner: Uniden's USB-1 cable (Prolific PL2303
    USB-to-serial) with its driver installed, or a PC RS-232 port. Uniden:
    "Uniden only supports the USB-1." Note the COM port number Windows assigns
    (Device Manager > Ports).
  - The scanner's AC adapter. The update procedure requires removing the
    batteries and powering the scanner from the adapter.
  - A backup of the scanner's programming, made with the programming software
    in use (for example FreeSCAN). Uniden does not state that an update erases
    programming, but a backup is the recovery path.
  - Close every other program that uses the COM port (programming software,
    PDA synchronisation software).

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

BCD396XT_V1_08_14.zip
    567,879 bytes
    SHA-256 42756532b8ce15ec2c08ee44315e67a36e920cec9f3216235423bed3e0b21431
    The vendor zip contains:
      BCD396XT_V1_08_14.scn  (1,876,858 bytes, dated 2009-10-20)
README.txt
    This file.
SHA256SUMS
    SHA-256 checksums of the files above.

INSTALLATION
------------
Source: Uniden's firmware page as it stood when this version was current
(https://web.archive.org/web/20100801004322/http://info.uniden.com/twiki/bin/view/UnidenMan4/BCD396XTFirmwareUpdate).

 1. Unzip BCD396XT_V1_08_14.zip to the desktop. It contains one file,
    BCD396XT_V1_08_14.scn.
 2. Unzip BC_VUP_v2.0.0.7.zip and run BC_VUP_v2.0.0.7.exe to install the
    updater. If a version of BC_VUP was installed before, delete the old
    install files first; Uniden says they are in a "BCSS" directory.
 3. Run the installed BC_VUP application and follow the on-screen
    instructions. No registration key is needed.
 4. When prompted, select the BCD396XT_V1_08_14.scn file unzipped in step 1.
 5. When prompted, turn off the scanner, remove the batteries, and hold down
    both the L/O and 6 keys while plugging in the AC adapter. The backlight
    comes on and should stay on until the end of the update.
 6. Let the update run to completion without disturbing the cable or power.

The exact wording of BC_VUP 2's on-screen prompts could not be confirmed.

VERIFYING
---------
The BCD396XT Complete Reference documents the version display: MENU > Settings
> See Scanner Info > Firmware Version. The scanner shows "Version #.##.##" and
its 14-digit serial number. After this update it should read Version 1.08.14.

IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG
-----------------------
From Uniden's troubleshooting notes:

  - If an error occurs, repeat all steps, including removing power, holding
    L/O and 6, and plugging in AC power. Repeat that step even if the
    backlight is already on.
  - Almost all update errors, and a scanner that powers up after the update
    with a blank display and the backlight on, come from an incorrect COM port
    selection or from another program holding the COM port.
  - Some third-party USB-serial adapters do not work or need updated drivers;
    Uniden supports only the USB-1.
  - After an interrupted update, normal operation can be restored only by
    applying the update successfully. Start again from the beginning.

DOWNGRADING
-----------
Uniden does not document downgrading. BC_VUP 3 normally offers only the latest
version. Older .scn files such as this one are what make a roll-back possible
in principle. A RadioReference thread ("Rolling back firmware", 2017,
forums.radioreference.com/threads/rolling-back-firmware.356125/) records a
BCD396XT owner who rolled back from 1.11.01 and called it "a tiresome
process", and another who preferred 1.10.00 for their area; the method used
was not posted. Whether BC_VUP 2.0.0.7 accepts an older .scn over newer
firmware could not be confirmed.

PROVENANCE
----------
File:        BCD396XT_V1_08_14.zip
Source:      https://info.uniden.com/twiki/pub/UnidenMan4/BCD396XTFirmwareUpdate/BCD396XT_V1_08_14.zip
Wayback:     https://web.archive.org/web/20210210224454/http://info.uniden.com/twiki/pub/UnidenMan4/BCD396XTFirmwareUpdate/BCD396XT_V1_08_14.zip
Retrieved:   2026-09-18
Vendor page: https://info.uniden.com/twiki/bin/view/UnidenMan4/BCD396XTFirmwareUpdate
Status:      verified

Downloaded from the live attachment on Uniden's BCD396XT firmware page, where
Uniden still hosts it. Status verified: the vendor's own URL.

MORE INFORMATION
----------------
  - BCD396XT Upgrades & Firmware:
    https://scanners.fubsypoly.com/uniden-bcd396xt/vol-5/
  - Uniden BCD396XT firmware page:
    https://info.uniden.com/twiki/bin/view/UnidenMan4/BCD396XTFirmwareUpdate
  - BCD396XT Complete Reference (Reference Library):
    https://scanners.fubsypoly.com/library/uniden-bcd396xt-complete-reference/
  - RadioReference thread for 1.11.01:
    forums.radioreference.com/threads/new-396xt-1-11-01-firmware-available.257324/
