296 to computer

[sdurham]

I have a 296 and have had it for a year. I am not new to scanning but his scanner is kicking my but. I have tried to hook it up to my lap top and desk top via usb adapter to lap top ( because uniden dosn't ship usb on new scanners since pc makers quit put serial ports on computers in 2002) anyway I digresed... I can not get my 296 to connect to either my Laptop or desk top. I have tried ( I think ) everything I can. Doe anyone have any ideas on what I can do to get this to work.

 

[fmon]

When you plug in the USB>Serial adapter, does Windows respond with Found New Hardware USB Device? If not, open the Device Manager and look for any Yellow ! point or ? mark. If any exist, try correcting by clicking on and (re) install drivers.

 

[MacombMonitor]

Most USB-to-Serial adapters are supplied with driver software that needs to be installed before Windows will properly recognize them. Did you do this?

 

[Al42]

And if it didn't come with a driver, look on the manufacturer's web site for one.

Also, look in device Manager and see what serial port the adapter claims to be installed at - that's the one to point your software to. And each USB port on your computer (if you have more than one) will install the adapter as a different serial port, unless you manually select the port number for the adapter when it's in that USB port. (If you plug it into each port in turn, and select the same COM port number in each one, the adapter will always look like the same COM port number.)

 

[sdurham]

thanks for the help

sorry so lat on reply just got home. it does show up as new hardware but norsponce. That is when I went to the desk top witha seirial adapter on it. I still do not get any response. Can someone tell me what I am suppose to see when it works right. thanks....

 

[fmon]

sorry so lat on reply just got home. it does show up as new hardware but norsponce. That is when I went to the desk top witha seirial adapter on it. I still do not get any response. Can someone tell me what I am suppose to see when it works right. thanks....

As I stated above, open the Device Manager in the Control Panel and determine if any yellow ! point or ? mark are present. If one is present, right click and select remove. This should cause the device wizard to ask for installation of drivers. Your driver disk should already be in the correct drive.

 

[dlbrock]

I tried this before and could not get it to work. I am a computer consultant so I have the experience required to do this. However, I finally had to give up and just purchase the serial cable. I think the cable is around $20.00 and time is money now a days. Sorry this is no help but it may get you up and running quicker.

 

[MacombMonitor]

I tried this before and could not get it to work. I am a computer consultant so I have the experience required to do this. However, I finally had to give up and just purchase the serial cable. I think the cable is around $20.00 and time is money now a days. Sorry this is no help but it may get you up and running quicker.

I agree! I've had Uniden scanners working both with serial cables, and USB-to-Serial adapters. The adapters are sometimes very finicky, and even when they do work, they introduce a slight delay in the communication stream between the radio, and the computer. Often I would find the software when used in Virtual Control mode, was not as smooth. Some USB adapters would only work for programming the scanner, and Virtual Control wouldn't work at all.