Best discriminator tap cable setup

[jfr]

Hi folks,
I've repurposed an old BCD250 and added a disc tap for use with DSD. I did it based on the instructions at discriminator.nl. As such, the headphone signal is available between the tip and ground. The discriminator output is available between the middle ring and ground. Obviously, if I fully insert the one end into the scanner and the other end into the laptop, it's not going to work because the non-tap audio is being delivered as well (screwing up the decode). I know the tap is properly installed because if I pull the patch cord half way out of the headphone jack on the scanner, I can get Unitrunker and DSD to work just fine. My question is how do I get just the tap data into the laptop. Would using a splitter into separate L-R channels) work if I then only put the left channel into the mic jack of the laptop??

Thanks,
-JR

 

[SCPD]

Unitrunker supports decoding from left or right channel. Most folks use this to decode from two separate discriminator-tapped receivers. Don't know what options there are for DSD.

I usually use a mono cable and a "Y" adapter (two female to one male) that splits out left and right.

 

[jfr]

The problem is the tap output is on one side and the headphone out (same sound but not tap-quality) is on the other side. Both coming in at the same time is not good. I have no balance slider on the inputs for my mic-in. I guess I need a way to break out L-R and only input one of those into the laptop.

-JR

 

[Tweekerbob]

You may want to consider purchasing a USB soundcard. eBay has some that many have used in the $1-2 range, and there are several under $20. They should have a line-in input that can be panned from left to right.

 

[RF23]

The problem is the tap output is on one side and the headphone out (same sound but not tap-quality) is on the other side. Both coming in at the same time is not good. I have no balance slider on the inputs for my mic-in. I guess I need a way to break out L-R and only input one of those into the laptop.

-JR

You might try two "Y adapters", one will need to be a stereo Y adapter to plug into your scanner and the other one a mono Y adapter to plug into the channel you want of the stereo Y adapter. This should give you two feeds for that channel only.

Just watch out about using a mono plug into a female stereo jack it can short out the left channel to ground (at least in Unidens anyway).

Hope this works for you.

 

[SpectreOZ]

Each to their own but all my discriminator tap installs include a different socket (be that 3.5mm mono OR RCA), the latter being an excellent way to avoid/prevent incorrect cable hook up

 

[jfr]

I'm good-to-go now! I ran a break out cable (L/R) out of the scanner and fed the right channel into the laptop. Perfect decodes in UniTrunker and DSD+! Now I'm trying to figure out how to get that audio into the RR feed software, since it uses the "input". I would only broadcast digital control channel noise!

-JR