ProScan: Official Software Thread

[klinquist]

Thanks, I looked into it. Basically websocket and jQuery $.get does the same thing. Communications using HTTP over TCP. I think using jQuery uses less overhead and less expensive calls plus users shouldn't have to deal with installing node.js.

I'm not sure what you mean by "view only". It has remote control capability. If you want to save time sniffing, just right click on the web page and click on view source. The full html and javascript text will show in your text editor.

websockets use *way* overhead than HTTP GET calls (I write web APIs for a living for Stringify, an IoT automation platform)... Mostly because it's all push - if the frequency on your scanner didn't change for the past hour, then there is near zero traffic (apart from an occasional keep-alive) between browser and server! This gets even more significant if you introduce SSL (I'm reverse proxying my ProScan instance over SSL to keep..well, anybody from seeing my traffic). Each HTTP GET requires SSL/TLS negotiation.

I understand it has remote capability. I was talking about sniffing traffic between the 'server' and the scanner itself -
the UDP traffic.

I'm suggesting that ProScan itself could be more lightweight and extensible if, for instance, the Windows app was speaking the same APIs as the Web app. Perhaps you already have most of this done via abstractions in your Windows app source.

I'm not necessarily suggesting that people install node, but it would be somewhat trivial to offer a Raspberry Pi "ProScan server in a box" image. Someone can buy a $50 pi kit, image the SD card with the ProScan image, and be up and running immediately. It could automatically search to see if you have a scanner plugged into its USB port *and* scan your local LAN for the 536HP on Wifi .

I know this isn't likely to happen, and I've already got more projects than I know what to do with, but just some thoughts/ideas.

I think the app is amazing, btw. I bought it before my scanner even arrived after seeing what it could do. I wish there was a Mac version.

 

[ProScan]

it would be somewhat trivial to offer a Raspberry Pi "ProScan server in a box" image. Someone can buy a $50 pi kit, image the SD card with the ProScan image, and be up and running immediately.

If it was trivial, that would be great. ProScan is a MS 2.0 Net Framework app so I would think the Raspberry Pi would need the MS 2.0 Net Framework installed.

if the frequency on your scanner didn't change for the past hour, then there is near zero traffic (apart from an occasional keep-alive) between browser and server!

That's what we are doing. The display, keyboard, frequency, & text are not resent if no changes.

This gets even more significant if you introduce SSL

Would my app really need SSL? No personal info is involved. So someone sniffs the data. All they could see is the Stream Description, Channel Text Tags. Nothing really secret.

I'm suggesting that ProScan itself could be more lightweight and extensible if, for instance, the Windows app was speaking the same APIs as the Web app.

I disagree. Communications between two things requires the same protocol. No communications between API's needed.as that would make it more heavyweight and less extensible.

I think the app is amazing, btw.

Much appreciated. Thanks

 

[ProScan]

I was talking about sniffing traffic between the 'server' and the scanner itself -
the UDP traffic.

Don't have to sniff. Go to the Test & Extras tab. You'll see the data coming from the scanner. The first three letters in upper case are the protocol commands. It's not my API, just scanner protocol commands.

 

[klinquist]

That's what we are doing. The display, keyboard, frequency, & text are not resent if no changes.

I understand they aren't resent, but the browser is still polling for changes. Since the scanner screen is so little data, the screen data is a fraction of the size of the entire request. Websockets wouldn't poll for changes.

Would my app really need SSL? No personal info is involved. So someone sniffs the data. All they could see is the Stream Description, Channel Text Tags. Nothing really secret.

In today's world I think everything needs to be SSL. If for no other reason, just simple privacy: I don't want my employer / ISP / government knowing that I am listening to a scanner. Even this RadioReference is SSL.

I disagree. Communications between two things requires the same protocol. No communications between API's needed.as that would make it more heavyweight and less extensible.

Let me explain what brought me to the 536HP and ProScan. I bought a 436HP and a big antenna that I planned on putting on my house roof and running the cable into my office. That turned out to be more difficult than originally planned, so I bought a 536HP and put the antenna on the garage roof - put the 536HP in the garage. Now, I am able to listen to my scanner from inside the house... but I don't like that it still requires me to keep my old windows computer drawing ~50W on all the time when a pi is between 1-2W. I've already got a pi in the garage with a few RTLSDR dongles attached that are tracking planes via ADS-B at 1090mhz and tracking my power usage by listening to my smart meter beaconing consumption at 900mhz. It would be neat if the same pi could essentially serve up ProScan.

I may PM you my little proof of concept just for kicks. I didn't know you were showing the commands in the Test & Extras tab... I'll check it out, thank you!


Oh - and here's the URL to my ProScan instance, SSL . It's another raspberry pi running NginX that is doing the SSL termination - reverse proxying /scanner to port 5000 on my windows computer, and /scannerrecordings is actually a share on my Synology NAS.

https://geekflat.linquist.net/scanner

 

[drako24]

support uniden ubc3600xlt

Hello
Will there be support for uniden ubc3600xlt ??

 

[ProScan]

Hello
Will there be support for uniden ubc3600xlt ??

Probably not at least not at this time. Too many other ProScan things working on.

 

[jonwienke]

Too many other ProScan things working on.

Any chance one of those items would be an adjustable AGC for recording and remote listening?

 

[ProScan]

Any chance one of those items would be an adjustable AGC for recording and remote listening?

No, I'm not sure on the AGC how well that would work. Doing R&D on Web Server stuff for perhaps a later release.

{edit} Also been doing some database stuff.

 

[CanesFan95]

Keep up the great work. This software is so well polished, it's remarkable.

 

[ProScan]

Keep up the great work. This software is so well polished, it's remarkable.

Will do. Appreciate it.

 

[Nysff]

Feature Request

Can you possible add a feature to allow the ProScan Software to Detect, Display and Store MDC1200 Codes?

 

[iMONITOR]

Hi Bob!

I know ProScan is licensed and can only be installed on one PC at a time. However, the system I use for controlling my scanner, uses a smaller monitor, mounted above normal eye level making it a little uncomfortable for viewing while programming/editing.

Is there anyway I could program/edit on one PC and run virtual control on another? I'm thinking maybe something like RealVNC or TeamViewer. Any suggestions?

Thanks

 

[ProScan]

Hi Bob!

I know ProScan is licensed and can only be installed on one PC at a time. However, the system I use for controlling my scanner, uses a smaller monitor, mounted above normal eye level making it a little uncomfortable for viewing while programming/editing.

Is there anyway I could program/edit on one PC and run virtual control on another? I'm thinking maybe something like RealVNC or TeamViewer. Any suggestions?

Thanks

Actually each license allows for activation on two computers. That was changed from one activation per license when RSOIP (Remote Scanner Over IP) came out. You could use RSOIP for remote programming provided the RSOIP on the client side is logged in as Control mode. That is all scanners except the BCDx36HP due to they need to be in Mass Storage mode and therefore no serial comms.

 

[iMONITOR]

Actually each license allows for activation on two computers. That was changed from one activation per license when RSOIP (Remote Scanner Over IP) came out. You could use RSOIP for remote programming provided the RSOIP on the client side is logged in as Control mode. That is all scanners except the BCDx36HP due to they need to be in Mass Storage mode and therefore no serial comms.

Excellent, thank you! You always have an answer and respond quickly!

 

[curtisdevault]

Good to know, I didn't know you can program the using the remote mode.

The PC I am using as my "server" is not connected to a monitor or keyboard, so I just use TeamViewer to remote into the machine to program. It is also really handy to have available just in case something happens and you're out of town and your remote scanner stops functioning. Happened once to me and I when the power went out and shut the computer down. When it restarted ProScan wasn't running, I have since fixed that. Cheers.

 

[NoahKaatz]

Is there an time prompt for auto resume/scan while logging?

Hi,

I've dug through this posting and the manual, but can't find if this feature is available. I'm switching from ARC396PRO for my BCD396T.

While logging, ARC has a setting to automatically resume scanning after a predetermined amount of time. For example, while scanning a frequency range, the ARC396PRO will log the hit, then resume scanning after five seconds whether or not the transmission is complete. I can't find a similar setting in ProScan, so letting the logging run unaided causes the scanner to hang for extended periods on long data bursts.

I've seen in the release notes that 10.5 added "Resume Scan / Search after predetermined amount of time", but I can't find the feature in the software.

Thanks for your help.

 

[jonwienke]

It's there, but a bit buried.

In the Options dialog, General tab, check the "Show Mute Icon & Frequency, Tune, Jump Controls" box.

Click on a little white square in the upper-right corner of the main ProScan window until the Resume Scan/Search pulldown appears. I have mine set to 5 minutes, and temporary lockout.

 

[NoahKaatz]

Perfect. Thanks very much.

 

[jasonhouk]

Version 12.6 I'm having an issue where the virtual scanner window when using scanner only view mode re positions itself out of frame/border after cycling though other windows/programs.

J

 

[ProScan]

Version 12.6 I'm having an issue where the virtual scanner window when using scanner only view mode re positions itself out of frame/border after cycling though other windows/programs.

J

I'll look at this before the next release.