Ethernet access on a Scanner? YES!

[STiMULi]

A friend of mine was telling me that he has ethernet access to his HF radio via the internet. I asked what kind of radio it was that and how did he do it?

He told me it didn't matter what kind of radio it was so long as it had some sort of serial access. In his case it was CI-V converted to Serial.

He told me about the ports erver converters made by DIGI. It allows you to run virtual COMM ports on your PC that addressed by a Driver for the Digi Portserver II. You set up the comm port and the IP address that it is to go to and then you run your application on that port.

The DIGI depending on the type will have 1 or more addressable ports that you connect your serial device to.

When you run your radio control application it uses the driver to get to that serial port and you have remote control over ethernet.

He uses windows Netmeeting as the means to hear what is going on but he is also transmitting from his computer microphone. For most of us it will be all 1 way.

I have bought a 16 port Digi Portserver II on ebay for $40. I have not recieved it yet to demo it but I have seen the operation from my friends PC inside the Police Station behind the firewall. Too Cool

Here is the link for the auction I won. He listed 24 for sale and only sold 10. I make no promises about anything I have listed here so if you can work out a deal with this guy and all is well for you and your equipment good for you. If not you did all of this at your own risk.


Brochure http://www.digi.com/pdf/prd_ts_portserver2.pdf
User guide http://ftp1.digi.com/support/documentation/9200271b.pdf

I'll let you know when mine is up and I will allow some remote control.

I already have the audio server waiting for the control
More on that later when I get the rest of it working


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NOW WHY ARE NEW SCANNERS NOT DESIGNED WITH
ETHERNET ACCESS???
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Most of us would pay the extra $$$. While they are at it go ahead an embed some audio server in it as well. Why not? Just a few bucks more!!!

If anyone has done any of this already please advise on this thread. I did a couple of searches and found no references.

 

[Butelsoftware]

We develop an application called 'scanner over Ip' and support BC785/796 scanners.

Gommert

 

[STiMULi]

Yes you do! I saw that this weekend. Cool! So does the designer of ScanStar software. I think that one is a whole PC wich is really the way to go if you are going to spend all those $$$.

I am kind of looking for more of the home grown variety though.

Tell us about the interface that BUTEL uses to control the radio...

 

[Butelsoftware]

Interface? The scanner is connected to a pc and that pc is connected to you lan/wan/wireless network.

I know the devices you mention, but they can not stream the audio back to you. That requires a pc and then you can also control the scanner over a free serial port.

Gommert
www.butelsoftware.com

 

[STiMULi]

So what I understand then is...

The serial port on the remote PC is connected to the scanner.

The PC is running a audio server of some sort.

The Local PC uses and interface that remotely controls the scanner.

I could also be someting like VNC and a shoutcast server to do the same thing but not as clean of an interface. I guess with the VNC senario allowing connection to the whole OS is a liablity but the remote scanner is controlling only that application.

If the app hangs though I bet that you are recommending some sort of VNC like control over the PC for restoration.

I saw on the ScanerMaster site that additional licenses could be purchased for remote control. How does the application avoid conflict with 2 people trying to control the same scanner at the same time or is that 1 license 1 scanner through 1 PC that could control 4 scanners?

The DIGI port server uses the original application so really doesnt use the PC for control . The PC is really just a means of transporting the audio.


I had given the multiscanner senerio some thought. I was applying the way I listen to a few scanners at the same time. If there is someting I have to hear all other scanners stop. Otherwise they would all bet mixed together.

How well is your set-up synchronized? less than 5 seconds? less than 2 seconds?

I realize you do not want to give too much away but I am just interested.

Thanks!

 

[Butelsoftware]

This is a dedicated client/server application, the server software at the remote side handles comms with the scanner and audio streaming and keeps these in sync.
Audio delay is less then 1 second because longer delays make it not practical to control a scanner. For streaming only the delay is not that important.

We do target the professional market with our Scanner Over Ip solution, if you are interested contact me direct for tech info or our sales dept. in US.

Gommert