Any Recommended Scanner with a Discriminator Tap

[andrewkim]

I'm planning to get a Radio Shack Scanner for my ATCS Train Monitor. The Software said it requires a scanner with a discriminator tap if I want to use a scanner. Do you have a recommendation(s) to a Radio Shack scanner that has a discriminator tap?

BTW: This is my first time at RR.com

Andrew

 

[Thayne]

I don't think any radio shack scanners come with a tap. Someone on here probably has some advice as the easiest to tap; or maybe someone has one already tapped you can buy. Almost any old scanner will work for that purpose.

 

[mtindor]

Most cheap old radio shack scanners are easy to tap - So many of them have the common 'TP4' tap point.

Check the RR Wiki - Discriminator output - The RadioReference Wiki

In general, RS scanners are very easy to find the tap point on. Installing a discriminator tap is another story - You need to have a little bit of technical skill, a soldering iron, one or two components (like a proper resister and/or capacitor), some nice small wire, a jack to terminate the tap with, etc.

Search the forums and Wiki for "discriminator tap"

Mike

 

[mtindor]

Also in the RR Wiki you can find a link to many of the Radio Shack scanners. And next to each scanner there is a clickable link where you can read more about that specific scanner. And in those scanners that RR has documentation for a discriminator tap, you'll find a link inside that scanners description that describes the discriminator tap.

Radio Shack Scanners - The RadioReference Wiki

Mike

 

[gmclam]

Try the GRE-500

It depends on exactly what you are going to do with the discriminator tap. If you want to feed older software like UniTrunker, then I believe the answers above are correct. But if you just want to see discriminator data, the GRE-500 has a 'tap' built in with an ASCII output. From the wiki: "Built in discriminator data output in simple ASCII output using the PC/IF port"

See here: PSR-500 - The RadioReference Wiki

 

[Astrak]

It depends on exactly what you are going to do with the discriminator tap. If you want to feed older software like UniTrunker, then I believe the answers above are correct. But if you just want to see discriminator data, the GRE-500 has a 'tap' built in with an ASCII output. From the wiki: "Built in discriminator data output in simple ASCII output using the PC/IF port"

See here: PSR-500 - The RadioReference Wiki

The Pro-106/PSR500 only output data that the radio recognizes which is really only trunking data. It won't output ATCS,POCSAG...etc.

 

[andrewkim]

Well, what I'm trying to use my scanner for is for this ATCS Monitor software. I'm trying to use it over the Air. I'm actually considering to use the Pro-95 and modify it to add the discriminator output.

Here is the link to it:
ATCS Monitor for Windows

 

[mtindor]

Well, what I'm trying to use my scanner for is for this ATCS Monitor software. I'm trying to use it over the Air. I'm actually considering to use the Pro-95 and modify it to add the discriminator output.

Here is the link to it:
ATCS Monitor for Windows

TP4 - Pro 93/95/96 Tap - The RadioReference Wiki

Here is an example - http://www.radioreference.com/forums/general-scanning-forum/125220-i-neeed-detailed-info.html

The people in the thread above did not use a capacitor or resistor or anything else special. For various reasons, certain components are recommended to be inline on the tap (for protection of the circuit, to remove unwanted noise). If you choose to do it as barebones as possible like it shown in that thread above, do so at your own risk. Many people report that it works fine and that they never have had a problem - Others may tell you horror stories.

As mentioned before, search for "discriminator tap" in the forums. Read a bunch of posts by people who did tap their scanners. Pay attention to posts by slicerwizard, unitrunker, ericcarlson, and some others who know what they are talking about when it comes to tapping correctly.

Mike

 

[andrewkim]

TP4 - Pro 93/95/96 Tap - The RadioReference Wiki

Here is an example - http://www.radioreference.com/forums/general-scanning-forum/125220-i-neeed-detailed-info.html

The people in the thread above did not use a capacitor or resistor or anything else special. For various reasons, certain components are recommended to be inline on the tap (for protection of the circuit, to remove unwanted noise). If you choose to do it as barebones as possible like it shown in that thread above, do so at your own risk. Many people report that it works fine and that they never have had a problem - Others may tell you horror stories.

As mentioned before, search for "discriminator tap" in the forums. Read a bunch of posts by people who did tap their scanners. Pay attention to posts by slicerwizard, unitrunker, ericcarlson, and some others who know what they are talking about when it comes to tapping correctly.

Mike

Appreciate the info, Mike.