996XT cable question

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daneg

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So I'm going to try and pick up a 996xt soon and just a question about the cable. My friend has a serial to usb cable he bought from best buy awhile ago but no longer needs it and I can get it. Does anyone know if its the correct cable? Dynex serial to usb cable is what its called
 
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garys

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Most USB to serial adapter cables will work. Be sure to download and install the latest drivers for the cable before you try to connect.
 

daneg

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Ok cool. I don't need the scanner drivers right? Just the cable ones.
 

UPMan

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If it is the DX-UBDB9 Dynex 16" USB PDA/Serial Adapter Cable, then it uses the Prolific PL2303 chipset. You can use the drivers linked at USB-1Drivers < UnidenMan4 < TWiki with that cable. The scanner is an RS232 device. It doesn't have drivers (or, rather, RS232 support is built into the operating system and has been standardized for many years, so no vendor driver is needed).
 

ka3jjz

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Scanner drivers?? There's no such thing; you need the USB drivers to allow the PC and scanner to connect.

Be sure to use this to connect to the front port on the scanner; the rear port would require a null modem adapter, and you couldn't use it to upload firmware updates in any case. Our wiki has an article called 'Connecting Scanners via USB' that describes the process of loading drivers and so forth in some detail. More on that in a moment...

Are you familiar with DMA memory, trunking and the like? If not, I'd suggest going to our wiki and reading up before you proceed. Go to the blue toolbar under the Scanner Master ad and float your mouse over wiki and select wiki home . You will find the USB article on the right; somewhat down from that is the Popular Topics area - click on the Uniden DMA FAQ.

73 Mike
 

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So I'm going to try and pick up a 996xt soon and just a question about the cable. My friend has a serial to usb cable he bought from best buy awhile ago but no longer needs it and I can get it. Does anyone know if its the correct cable? Dynex serial to usb cable is what its called

To avoid a headache:
1. Obtain the driver for the cable it should come with the cable.
2. Install the driver for the serial <>USB cable on your computer.
3. Open the windows device manager

( When you plug in the device to the USB port windows may ask to search windows update for a hardware driver for your device, if so click yes.)

4. Plug in the USB Cable to the computer, windows should set up the device and PORTS (COM LPT) should appear in the device manager.
5. Press the little + box to expand it and look for the port number for the COM device. It should be between 1 to 8.

6. The COM port number is the one you will select when you run your radio programming software.
 

ka3jjz

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As for software, go get the freeware package FreeScan Our wiki also houses the User Guide

You can always move over to one of the paid packages (ARC-XT, ProScan) later, but this software is more than enough to get you off the ground 73 Mike
 

daneg

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UPMan said:
If it is the DX-UBDB9 Dynex 16" USB PDA/Serial Adapter Cable, then it uses the Prolific PL2303 chipset. You can use the drivers linked at USB-1Drivers < UnidenMan4 < TWiki with that cable. The scanner is an RS232 device. It doesn't have drivers (or, rather, RS232 support is built into the operating system and has been standardized for many years, so no vendor driver is needed).

It is indeed the dx-ubdb9 cable. So I won't need to use the cd drivers for the cable? Just use that link? Install the driver before I even connect it to the scanner right?
 

UPMan

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Not sure what is on the CD, but the links at the site I provided have the latest drivers for all operating systems (they were last updated in December, 2009).
 

eaf1956

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4. Plug in the USB Cable to the computer, windows should set up the device and PORTS (COM LPT) should appear in the device manager.
5. Press the little + box to expand it and look for the port number for the COM device. It should be between 1 to 8.

.

Note: I am running my feeds on an OLD DELL WIN XP PRo and the Device manager only shows COM 1 and LPT1. I am using COM Ports 1 for Evansville, In Feed, Com Port 6 for Henderson, KY Feed and sometimes COM Port 8 for programming. I have seen the Porlific USB ports show Up on some computers in the DEVICE Manager but it DOESN'T on this one even though they are there and working. Just wanted to prepare him in case that happens to him.

KC9LVX
 

daneg

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To avoid a headache:
1. Obtain the driver for the cable it should come with the cable.
2. Install the driver for the serial <>USB cable on your computer.
3. Open the windows device manager

( When you plug in the device to the USB port windows may ask to search windows update for a hardware driver for your device, if so click yes.)

4. Plug in the USB Cable to the computer, windows should set up the device and PORTS (COM LPT) should appear in the device manager.
5. Press the little + box to expand it and look for the port number for the COM device. It should be between 1 to 8.

6. The COM port number is the one you will select when you run your radio programming software.

Wait, can't I just download the drivers from the link that's post...connect it and go about doing what I want? Why do I need to install two different things then change com ports around? I'm confused
 

daneg

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Scanner drivers?? There's no such thing; you need the USB drivers to allow the PC and scanner to connect.

Be sure to use this to connect to the front port on the scanner; the rear port would require a null modem adapter, and you couldn't use it to upload firmware updates in any case. Our wiki has an article called 'Connecting Scanners via USB' that describes the process of loading drivers and so forth in some detail. More on that in a moment...

Are you familiar with DMA memory, trunking and the like? If not, I'd suggest going to our wiki and reading up before you proceed. Go to the blue toolbar under the Scanner Master ad and float your mouse over wiki and select wiki home . You will find the USB article on the right; somewhat down from that is the Popular Topics area - click on the Uniden DMA FAQ.

73 Mike

What port on the front? There is no serial port on the front of the 996xt.

The cable is serial on one end, and usb on the end that connects to my computer....what am I missing? Will that serial to usb cable I posted work? That port on the front looks really small from just looking at the pictures or do I need a special cable to use the front??
 
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UPMan

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The jack on the front of the BCD996XT is serial. You connect the cable that came with the scanner to that port, then plug the other end of that cable into your Dynex USB --> RS232 adapter.

UPDATE: Now that I think about it, you could probably plug that Dynex connector directly into the scanner's rear port with no other adapters. You'd want to increase the port speed from the default of 4800 bps, though (it is defaulted to NMEA standards used by GPS devices).

For the previous question, steps 1/2 put the drivers on your computer (but don't install them). When you plug in the cable (step 4), the drivers are installed and become active. When the driver is active, the cable is assigned a COM port (that can actually be pretty much any value, but I've never seen one automatically assigned a port > 20). I don't think the post you qouted was telling you to switch ports around...it was telling you how to tell what COM port assingment was made. You need this information to set up whatever scanner application you will be using.
 
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daneg

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The jack on the front of the BCD996XT is serial. You connect the cable that came with the scanner to that port, then plug the other end of that cable into your Dynex USB --> RS232 adapter.

UPDATE: Now that I think about it, you could probably plug that Dynex connector directly into the scanner's rear port with no other adapters. You'd want to increase the port speed from the default of 4800 bps, though (it is defaulted to NMEA standards used by GPS devices).

For the previous question, steps 1/2 put the drivers on your computer (but don't install them). When you plug in the cable (step 4), the drivers are installed and become active. When the driver is active, the cable is assigned a COM port (that can actually be pretty much any value, but I've never seen one automatically assigned a port > 20). I don't think the post you qouted was telling you to switch ports around...it was telling you how to tell what COM port assingment was made. You need this information to set up whatever scanner application you will be using.


Oooh ok. So the cable I posted here will indeed work? Just plug it into the cable that came with it?
 

eaf1956

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Null Adapter cable

UPDATE: Now that I think about it, you could probably plug that Dynex connector directly into the scanner's rear port with no other adapters. You'd want to increase the port speed from the default of 4800 bps, though (it is defaulted to NMEA standards used by GPS devices).

.

Not w/o a NULL modem cable or adapter. Sure it may fit the connector but the software won't see the scanner
 

daneg

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Just front port and not the back? Right??

Edit:

Just a simple request. Can someone post a picture of the cable that comes with the scanner? That one DOES plug into the front correct? Sorry I am just being sure, I am trying to read the manual but it doesn't say.
 
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