Radio Shack USB Scanner programming cable

[SCPD]

I'm having trouble with getting the cable to work on my computer. The cable is part # 20-047 and the instructions say that it will work with my PRO-95. I've followed the instructions that came with the cable for installing the drivers. I tried the install, first, on my laptop since I have a USB port and no serial port. I've also tried it with my desktop computer with no success either. I've used the Win95 program successfully with the Radio Shack serial cable but when I use the USB cable the scanner goes into "clone" mode every time I plug it in.

Has anyone encounterd this problem before? Am I doing something wrong? Is there anything I need to do/check before I return the cable as being possibly defective?

 

[KE5BCP]

It is normal for it to go into "clone mode" when you plug in the USB cable.

 

[LGLHOOK]

You need to plug in your cable and then at the top tool bar for Win95, under scanner, will say "upload to scanner". This should start the process for you.

 

[SCPD]

It's not normal for the scanner to go into "clone" mode when I plug in the cable. I've tried plugging in the cable with the scanner powered on and powered off. I've used the Gray serial cable in the past, and present, without any problems. The scanner goes into "clone" mode the instant the USB cable is plugged into it when it's either powered on or off. The only response I can get from the scanner is either to press the "up to send" button or "remove cable to exit" as per the directions on the scanner screen. I've also tried, previously, the "Upload to scanner" and "Download from scanner" function with the same negative results.

I purchased the USB cable because my laptop doesn't have a serial port. I thought maybe my laptop was hosed up but I get the same results when I attempt to use the USB cable on my desktop machine. The Gray serial cable works great on my desktop machine though. Before I return the cable I was checking to see if anyone here had a similar problem with the cable or if I have a defective one.

 

[Bucko]

I use the same cable 20-047 with Win97 & Win96 and it is normal for it to go to clone mode when you plug it in, both my 2055 & 2096/ 96 do it. Like you said, when I used the serial cable it did not do that. You will need to reconfigure your Win95 for the proper Com port which is most likely Com port 4.

 

[loumaag]

Depending on whose serial cable you have, it may or may not go into "clone" mode when you plug it in. The GRE cable, sold by RS apparently does not (but then again it didn't reliably work with all the GRE scanners); the original cable (marketed by the person who built the first cable and holds the patent on it) type does (both reliably work and puts the radio into "clone" when plugged in). Apparently the new RS "USB" scanner cable does that now...

I wonder if the patent fight is over and GRE finally started using the original reliable circuit...