BCT15X Uniden USB Cable Help

[frankgh]

Hi All, My first post.

My wife suprised me with a BCT15X for Christmas. She is a great woman!

She got it from Scanner Master with the Uniden cable and ARC-XT. I went to SM and got the driver downloaded and installed. It seems the computer is seeing the cable but is not seeing the scanner. There is no "PC Control" in the BCT15X settings menu. I have tried setting the serial port rate to 115200 and 57600 but still nothing. What did I miss?

Thanks, Frank

 

[greenthumb]

Moved to the Uniden forum.

 

[rvictor]

When you use a cable through a serial to USB adapter or a cable that contains the adapter such as the Uniden USB-1 cable, the driver allows the computer to see that cable as if it were a serial port with a particular COMM x designation. You need to make sure that your computer has assigned a comm port to the USB cable and that the ARC software is set to that comm port as well as to the same baud rate as the scanner (Normally 115,200 unless you've changed it from the default.) You should be able to find the comm port number by finding the device in the device manager.

If you can't get the scanner communicating with ARC-XT, you might want to try downloading FreeScan and see if you can get FreeScan to recognize it. Sometimes particular drivers work with one program and not another.

Dick

 

[frankgh]

Hi Dick,

I have since found the hundred or so other threads about his problem. I swear I did a search first!! Just a poor one I guess. Why would Uniden continue to use such a legacy system as a serial port connection. Would it have added so much cost to make new units with a USB port?

Rant over.

I've tried the drivers on Scanner Master's site and a driver dated 09/2009 from prolific. Port numbers line up as do baud rates. I've tried it on an XP machine and 2 Vistas. I've used it with ARC-XT and Freescan. The computer is seeing the cable but nothing is seeing the scanner. Oddly, freescan gives me a message saying it seeing the scanner and the model is: then just a blank. I'll go to Radio Shack today and get a new cable and try it tonight.

 

[iMONITOR]

Hi Dick,

I have since found the hundred or so other threads about his problem. I swear I did a search first!! Just a poor one I guess. Why would Uniden continue to use such a legacy system as a serial port connection. Would it have added so much cost to make new units with a USB port?

Rant over.

I've tried the drivers on Scanner Master's site and a driver dated 09/2009 from prolific. Port numbers line up as do baud rates. I've tried it on an XP machine and 2 Vistas. I've used it with ARC-XT and Freescan. The computer is seeing the cable but nothing is seeing the scanner. Oddly, freescan gives me a message saying it seeing the scanner and the model is: then just a blank. I'll go to Radio Shack today and get a new cable and try it tonight.

Uniden is not the only scanner manufacture still using a serial port computer interface. GRE/Radio Shack are still using them as well. It's just that GRE supplies a serial-to-USB adapter cable, and Radio Shack sells one optionally for their versions of the GRE scanners.

Are you trying to use the rear RS232 DB9 serial port on the BCT15X? If so, you need to use a null-modem cable (pins 2 & 3 reversed). The rear port is intended to be used for a GPS. Normal programming/control via serial port is done through the front port.

 

[frankgh]

Hi,

I'm using the front port w/ the uniden usb-1 cable. I've tried the drivers on scanner master and the setp driver from prolifics site. I've tried it on an XP machine and 2 machines running vista. I called scanner master today. They have no more insight for me either. I might have a bad cable. Any know where I can get a new cable locally? I might just have to send the one I have back and wait for the new one.

I do have an old laptop w/ a serial port on it. I'm going to try that next.

 

[iMONITOR]

I think when possible, serial ports are still the best choice. I added a PCI card to my desktop with two DB9 serial ports specifically for that purpose.

The card was only $14.00 brand new on Ebay.

 

[UPMan]

Not seen many bad ones, but it isn't completely unheard of. Make sure the "cowling" around the plug (scanner end) is fully seated. I've seen a couple where the connector got pushed in and failed to make good contact in the scanner.

Also, for driver info I've just created USB-1Drivers < UnidenMan4 < TWiki. Sounds like you've already gotten the latest, but for anyone who searches and finds this thread, now there is a good link to go along with it.

 

[frankgh]

Well, with the serial cable plugged into the serial port of my old laptop, things work great! I might have to add a PCI card to my desktop. Now I just gotta learn all the new software. I am picking up so great traffic with the few freqs I've sent so far.

Thanks for the input!

 

[iMONITOR]

Here is the link to the one I purchased on Ebay:

Two Serial ports Dual DB9 RS232 PCI CARD netmos 9835 - eBay (item 260447431927 end time Jan-11-10 15:24:31 PST)

 

[fieldho]

I think when possible, serial ports are still the best choice. I added a PCI card to my desktop with two DB9 serial ports specifically for that purpose.

The card was only $14.00 brand new on Ebay.

I did the same. Some say it's old school but I like the solid feel of the serial as compared to a USB. If they make a scanner with USB3 capabilities, I might try it just so I could get some use out of my USB 3 ports. I know they're 2 compatible, but I like the capabilities of 3.

 

[fieldho]

Whoops, I didn't notice how old this post was.