Mobile Radio vs Scanner for feed

Status
Not open for further replies.

SlipNutz15

Wacker
Feed Provider
Joined
Aug 6, 2005
Messages
633
Location
Central PA
I looked around for threads before asking. Is there anything against using a mobile radio with a headphone out port (like a TK880) for a scanner feed? I understand that dangers of overloading a soundcard with too high volumes, etc, but I have one sitting around and was thinking about using it in place of a scanner?
 

W8VFD

Member
Feed Provider
Joined
Jul 8, 2005
Messages
202
Location
Northeastern Ohio
Go for it!

Before I expanded my feed to include 800MHz traffic fom our statewide system I was running at TK-780H as a scanner feed radio with good results.
 

timkilbride

Member
Database Admin
Joined
Feb 9, 2006
Messages
1,882
Location
Linn Co Iowa
I use a Kenwood TK-790, Harris M7100, and Motorola CDM1250 for feeds. The Kenwood and Motorola have a fixed audio level output on one of the accy pins. I run that to the mic input of my sound cards. I can still use volume knob for the local speaker without affecting the audio going to the feed. The Harris is a different beast, but it will work.

Tim
 

SlipNutz15

Wacker
Feed Provider
Joined
Aug 6, 2005
Messages
633
Location
Central PA
@timkillbride - for your CDM1250 what is the pin and do you use a female 1/8" plug into the accessory plug in the back and then use a patch cable from that female plug to your sound card?

Since it's a fixed audio level how do you boost it on your feed?
 

timkilbride

Member
Database Admin
Joined
Feb 9, 2006
Messages
1,882
Location
Linn Co Iowa
@timkillbride - for your CDM1250 what is the pin and do you use a female 1/8" plug into the accessory plug in the back and then use a patch cable from that female plug to your sound card?

Since it's a fixed audio level how do you boost it on your feed?

Pin 11 is flat audio. This is programmable in the CPS to change to filtered audio, which is what you will probably want.

Pin 7 is ground.

I just used a female mono connector on the CDM 1250 and then use a male to male mono cable to go from the radio to sound card input. I don't recall if there is any DC voltage on pin 11, I'm guessing there is.

In your sound card mic input properties you can adjust the level for the feed audio.

Tim
 

PACNWDude

Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2012
Messages
1,336
+1 on CDM1250 and using radios.

If you have the radio and it can be used with your sound card, there is no problem using that instead of a scanner for your feed. In many cases, the audio is "cleaner" from a radio as it is a commercial grade device and made with better components that don't drift off frequency as much, and can handle constant use.

Some older scanners can get problematic after being left on a few years. I'm thinking about my older Pro-20XX ones when I make that comment.

I'm currently using CDM1550LS+ radios to feed some audio to other items for telemetry, the same as you would for an internet feed.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top