BC246T: Any Linux stuff to program a BC246T?

[Spadowski]

I recently moved to a new area and obviously my scanner programming is useless now so I'm having to reprogram it. I've done a bunch of searching but can't seem to find anything. I have Windows 10, but my scanner cable is the older version that doesn't work in Windows 10 and financially, due to health and recent divorce, I'm in no position to buy another cable.

So I'm hoping there's something I can use in Linux to program it and find out just what I can hear around where I now live.

If anyone has any hack to get the old cable working in Windows 10, that'd be useful too since I used to use Freescan.

Basically any help programming it so I don't have to do it manually.

 

[wtp]

before you get 100 ideas...what system are you trying to program as some will not work with the 246T.

 

[Spadowski]

before you get 100 ideas...what system are you trying to program as some will not work with the 246T.

Mostly just basic stuff right now like air etc... Local airports... I've not done much checking to see what's what around where I am. I know there's trunking systems but I've not figured out what type they are yet. I know the BC246 is quite old at this point.

 

[fxdscon]

If anyone has any hack to get the old cable working in Windows 10, that'd be useful too since I used to use Freescan.

-
If you still have your old genuine Uniden USB-1 cable that is used for the BC246T, and you want to get some additional use out of it, there is a workaround.

I’ve been using my older cable with older drivers on Win10 and 11 since Microsoft released them. One caveat... on some of the larger Windows updates, you may need to quickly run through the driver procedure again to re-install the older driver. Once you have the driver download stored on your computer, and are familiar with the procedure, it takes less than 30 seconds to re-install the older driver if needed after a Windows update. If you can't get this procedure to work, there is no other work-around for the older USB-1 cable.

Download the "PL-2303 Vista Driver Installer.exe" from the following link, make sure you download the first file on that page.... the one dated 10/22/2006.

Uniden | A World Without Wires

Run that exe file to install the drivers on your computer, and then restart your computer and connect the cable to just your computer.

Next, open your "Device Manager", and under "Ports (COM & LPT)" look for an entry for the cable... it will most likely have a yellow exclamation point and a note about the PL2303HXA chip being phased out.

Right click on that PL2303HXA line, and select "update driver", then select "browse my computer for drivers".

Next, select "Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer", then highlight the top driver (the oldest one) in that list, "Prolific USB-to-Serial COMM Port Version: 3.2.0.0 [7/31/2007] and click "Next".

Now check Device Manager again under the "Ports (COM & LPT)" and see if the "Prolific USB-to-Serial COMM Port" is now listed there with a port number assigned to it…. If so, you can now use the cable.

 

[Spadowski]

-
If you still have your old genuine Uniden USB-1 cable that is used for the BC246T, and you want to get some additional use out of it, there is a workaround.

Oh that's terrific! Thank you! Yes, I do have the cable. That's how I know it doesn't work as I tried it earlier today.

 

[fxdscon]

Oh that's terrific! Thank you! Yes, I do have the cable. That's how I know it doesn't work as I tried it earlier today.

-
Let us know if you get the old cable working.

 

[ka3jjz]

This is more than a bit dated, but it might give you some hints as to how to proceed with the software...

Software Setup For Linux - The RadioReference Wiki

wiki.radioreference.com

Mike

 

[lwvmobile]

FWIW we were able to get Freescan to work in Wine using a USB serial port cable a while back. Here is the thread. Maybe it'll be of some help to you.

 

[Spadowski]

-
If you still have your old genuine Uniden USB-1 cable that is used for the BC246T, and you want to get some additional use out of it, there is a workaround.

You are a legend! THANK YOU! That worked!

 

[Spadowski]

Sadly Freescan is still going "Scanner? What scanner?" *sigh*

 

[lwvmobile]

Sadly Freescan is still going "Scanner? What scanner?" *sigh*

Was that in Windows, or in WIne?

 

[fxdscon]

You are a legend! THANK YOU! That worked!

Glad to hear it worked. One other caveat I've noticed... is if you ever need to use a newer Prolific USB to Serial cable made for WIN10 for some other newer device, the updated WIN10 driver for that new cable will be auto installed over the older Prolific driver for the USB-1 cable causing it to stop working again.

Just repeat the above procedure when you want to use the older USB-1 cable again. I only have a few scanners left that use the old cable and I don't change programming on them very often, so re-installing the old driver every now and then rather than buying a newer USB-1 cable isn't a big deal.

 

[Spadowski]

Was that in Windows, or in WIne?

Windows