Serial Port on Bearcat BCD996XT Connector Gender

[N3GPA]

WOW, I did not expect so much good feedback,

What i did was order a startech (from startech.com) USB to Seria adapter, part number ICUSB2321X, the type that is plug and play, actyally they make pretty nice stuff. I have used their bits and bobs for adapting all kinds of stuff in the past.

I have not tried to load any data up to the scanner yet as i do not know if i need a "null Modem" adapter because of the Male to Male gender issue. the cable is USB on one end and standard Male serial on the other. it is a smart cable and loads its own drivers when you plug it in. It even remembers your com port settings for the next time you want to use it. I began programming before PC's were invented and Serial I/O was the onlt type of communications you could do with a device from a mainframe or supermini. So it is no mystery to me.

I just have a gut feeling i will need to use a null modem adapter and wanted to know if this is true.

Thanks!
Jen

[Kingmobileaudio]

I think would have easier if you just had the USB-1


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[KevinC]

Originally Posted by N3GPA

WOW, I did not expect so much good feedback,

What i did was order a startech (from startech.com) USB to Seria adapter, part number ICUSB2321X, the type that is plug and play, actyally they make pretty nice stuff. I have used their bits and bobs for adapting all kinds of stuff in the past.

I have not tried to load any data up to the scanner yet as i do not know if i need a "null Modem" adapter because of the Male to Male gender issue. the cable is USB on one end and standard Male serial on the other. it is a smart cable and loads its own drivers when you plug it in. It even remembers your com port settings for the next time you want to use it. I began programming before PC's were invented and Serial I/O was the onlt type of communications you could do with a device from a mainframe or supermini. So it is no mystery to me.

I just have a gut feeling i will need to use a null modem adapter and wanted to know if this is true.

Thanks!
Jen

Just plug that cable into the one that came with the scanner and then plug that cable into the jack on the front of the scanner.

I think you're making it harder than it really is.

[Kingmobileaudio]

The cable that comes with the scanner won't work on the front?


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[N3GPA]

Hi,

the only cable that came with the scanner was a power cable for mobile use and the 120v power supply. It's not a problem, I am only trying to find out if i need a straight thru gender changer or one that has the three pairs of wires crossed (null modem) type because of the Male to Male issue with the cable I am using. If you do not know It's OK, someone will see this post who does.

Thanks again,
Jen

[KevinC]

Originally Posted by N3GPA

Hi,

the only cable that came with the scanner was a power cable for mobile use and the 120v power supply. It's not a problem, I am only trying to find out if i need a straight thru gender changer or one that has the three pairs of wires crossed (null modem) type because of the Male to Male issue with the cable I am using. If you do not know It's OK, someone will see this post who does.

Thanks again,
Jen

Did you purchase the radio new? If so, check the cardboard packing closely for the factory cable.

[KevinC]

Originally Posted by KevinC

Did you purchase the radio new? If so, check the cardboard packing closely for the factory cable.

But if by some chance you didn't get one you will need a null-modem adapter.

[N3GPA]

The cable was tucked way inside the side of a piece of cardboard in the bowels of teh packaging, which i was lucky to have saved. Any body want a serial adapter?

Thanks a thousand,
Jen

[KevinC]

Originally Posted by N3GPA

The cable was tucked way inside the side of a piece of cardboard in the bowels of teh packaging, which i was lucky to have saved. Any body want a serial adapter?

Thanks a thousand,
Jen

Good deal.

[novascotian]

I have had nothing but trouble in trying to program my radios with a USB adapter. I have a PRO-97, 396XT and a Chinese transceiver... I have pretty much given up trying to program. Somehow I was able to do all of them initially but now nothing. Just a lot of COM port problems and whenever I would go from one radio to another it would be another round of hit and miss adjustments. I am running a laptop with Vista. Just recently I took my 396 to work and it was so slick and easy to plug in the serial cable and it was all done quick as a wink, well maybe longer than a wink, but no problems at all, so now I am going to buy an older laptop with a serial port and XP and use that. My life will be much easier. And by the way I have seen that comment about loading the driver before connecting the radio, both in instructions, and again here in a previous post... but never does it say what is the remedy if you did that... as in are you messed up forever? Maybe that is my problem!

[N3GPA]

I had to pick up a serial adapter for this machine as it only has a bunch of USB Ports and a couple NIC ports. It runs the Windows 7 64 bit O/S. I just plugged in the serial adapter and it loaded it's drivers by itself. then all I had to do was use it like any other serial device.

A couple years back the computer industry started eliminating the serial data ports as well as parallel ports on computers moving towards the much faster and way WAY cheaper USB interface. One of the great advantages was you no longer have to deal with fixed "port" nubers and the inevitable port conflicts that accompany them.

I find it odd that the Scanner maker would use a male serial connector on their device, as it is definately a periferal device, not a computer so should be sporting the female connector. Maybe they think more of themselves

So Bottom Line was the cable that came with the radio has a female Serial connector, the adapter i purchaces in anticipation works as advertized. by the time i figured it all out I had already programmed the radio manually, which is a good thing as it teaches you how their memory scheme works. Most inportantly I got to meet some members of this community.

Thanks everyone for helping me out!

Jen - N3GPA
Sunny Floriduh

[ChrisP]

Originally Posted by N3GPA

I find it odd that the Scanner maker would use a male serial connector on their device, as it is definately a periferal device, not a computer so should be sporting the female connector. Maybe they think more of themselves

I believe the intention for the 9-pin connector on the rear was not for programming, but for input of the GPS data for location based scanning. The GPS receiver is a peripheral device, so using the male connector for the data input would be correct. The scanner would be the device receiving the data, like your computer.

- Chris

[N3GPA]

Chris, you are absolutely correct if that is the intended purpose of the port. It makes sense. Jen

[dwmradref]

@ kb2vxa - I'm with you - I had another (non-radio) device that needed RS232, and tried one of those Taiwanese USB converter deals, and it was the biggest waste of time in the last 20 years. Blue screens, drivers that didn't install right, dropouts in comm.

So I too bought a little multiport serial card and threw that usb stuff away (along with the periodic BSOD). Anyway, now I've moved into modern scanning equipment (psr500, after a couple of RS trunkers), and find everybody using usb so they can have serial. No way! Not gonna do it.

Problem is, I don't see anywhere a cable, or a wiring description, of how to connect the stereo 1/8 inch jack for the PC IF to a real RS232 port. It can't be very hard to do (with only 3 conductors in the jack). Even I could build that, if need be.

Do you have any info on the electrical schematic necessary to go from rs232 (9 pin, 15 pin, 25 pin, I don't care, I'll figure those parts out) to the PC IF jack, or have a line on a supplier (rather have a real pro--built cable if I can.) Come to think of it, one must be TXdata, one RXData, and one ground? What do you know?

Thx in advance,

Dave