ProScan: Official Software Thread

[ProScan]

ProScan Version 1.7 Build 2 includes the RadioReference Imports feature, improved Scanner Over IP, and bug fixes.

Supported scanners are the BCD996T, BC796D, BC785D, BC780XLT, BC296D, and the BC250D.

I'm thriving to make this the best Computer Aided Scanning program and suggestions are very much appreciated.

http://www.proscan.org/index.htm

Bob

 

[spywiz]

From Control Panel.

 

[spywiz]

I don't understand how the output on the scanner to an external speaker is ok. But output from scanner to sound card mic input is nothing.

 

[RandyKuff]

It's more than likely some stupid setting we are missing...

 

[RandyKuff]

Without having all the stuff in front of me... I'm at a loss...

I got to bow out... Have to be up early tomorrow...

 

[spywiz]

I am thinking the same thing, but it's driving me nuts. I'll try to put it on my desktop tomorrow. Thanks for all of your help. On another note, my Father lived in Lorain for most of my young life. He and my Mother divorced when I was 5 years old. Dad was an Air Traffic Controller at Cleveland ARTCC in Oberlin. He was also a commercial rated pilot. He was flying a charter flight from Lorain to Teterboro, NJ. and return to Lorain. This was in October of 1974. He crashed in a fogged in airport at Lorain. He lived through the crash but was in the hospital for several months. He broke nearly every bone in his body. He had bad trouble for the rest of his life from the injuries, but continued to work for the FAA until he retired at age 62. He was 33 when he crashed. He died of cancer in Tarpon Springs, FL. in 2006. I used to have a newspaper clipping from the local newspaper showing the crash site as well as info on my Dad. But after a career in the military and many, many moves I have since lost it. His name was Charles O. Dedman. I used to visit Lorain every summer. If I remember correctly he lived on Temple Ave.

 

[spywiz]

I just looked it up. This where he lived. I haven't seen that house in over 40 years. Google Maps

 

[jonwienke]

The reason I mentioned a ground loop isolator is because Unidens all use a push-pull audio amp in all their scanners. The sleeve isn't ground, it's an inverted copy of the signal at the tip. If you plug that into a device that grounds the sleeve, the audio gets shorted to ground. That can shut down the audio amp, or cause a variety of distortions, depending on how personally the amp takes being shorted. If you don't have a ground loop isolator to prevent the sleeve from shorting to ground, you're asking for trouble.

 

[freqseeker]

Ok you had me curious so I got out my Surface Pro 7, a USB sound card, and my SDS100. I don't have the cabling to use the internal card.
The Surface only has one USB C and one USB A port. So I used a four port hub for USB A.
USB sound card set up well. Selected it as default and disabled internal microphone as you did. It did not work when primary sound device was selected. I added a ground loop isolator and same thing. So I played around with the microphone settings in windows. It started working, but I noticed the audio was in sync with my SDS200 sitting next to it. Strange thing was the 200 wasn't connected to usb or ethernet. What the heck!
Well I selected the built in microphone on the Surface by mistake and it was hearing the speaker audio, duh. Back to basics and I started over.

Next step was to bypass the four port hub. SDS100 works with ProScan plugged directly into USB A port. My next step was to unplug the SDS100 and plug the USB sound card directly to the USB A port. The audio to ProScan now works properly but did hum real bad, so I added a ground loop isolator and all is well.
I didn't have another unused USB hub so I tried again using different ports on the hub. Now the audio is working and the scanner is being controlled as it should.

My conclusion on my end is a bad USB hub or a Windows issue handling it. The SDS100 draws a lot of power. I was thinking the port doesn't supply enough power for both the sound card and the radio. A powered hub may help. The radio didn't say it had a voltage issue like it did with my Ford factory USB connector.

How are you using the USB sound card and the radio connection? Seems like a hub issue may be your problem. I can't comment on why the internal sound card isn't working as I don't have the cabling to test it.
I looked into some of the USB C hubs that add USB ports, ethernet port etc... but didn't pull the trigger. Maybe I will now.
I am curious about your setup.
Keep us updated. I hope my experiment helps.

 

[spywiz]

@jonwienke thank you sir for the explanation of the ground loop isolator. Got one coming from Amazon. @freqseeker thank you sir for your testing to help out. I have had the hand to forehead moment like yours with the external Mic. As a matter of fact, I think that I have done that exact same thing before. What type of cord did you use to bring your audio to the computer? I use the USB-A port to connect serial to the scanner. I am able to control the scanner that way but no audio. So I have tried a regular mono-mono, and a week-long, and a stereo,with headphone and Mic - to all the above. With no joy. However, from scanner output to ext. Bose speaker works fine. Scanner to cordless Bluetooth adapter works fine. I have tried these into the input on the top left of the screen where the 1/8"Jack is. Opposite side of the USB. I ALSO TRIED USING MY USB soundcard into the USB-C giving it more power. Then I plug my line out from scanner into the USB card that has now gone through the USB-C jack. Still can't get it to go. I'm ordering the ground loop isolator. I am going to install Proscan on my desktop in the morning and see what happens. I will definitely keep ya updated. Thanks for the input and help. -Bobby

 

[ProScan]

For a test to see if you need a ground loop isolator, You could try to isolate the scanner from ground by removing the USB cable. If using a base antenna that's grounded, put the rubber duck antenna on. See if you have audio to the Win Mixer.

 

[freqseeker]

What type of cord did you use to bring your audio to the computer?

Just a standard stereo patch cable. I tried a stereo to mono adapter on the microphone side but it made it worse.

For a test to see if you need a ground loop isolator, You could try to isolate the scanner from ground by removing the USB cable. If using a base antenna that's grounded, put the rubber duck antenna on. See if you have audio to the Win Mixer.

I can verify the ground loop isolator wasn't necessary when the USB cable was unplugged.

 

[spywiz]

Well, I got up this morning and the green light was on, on my SDS100, to indicate that the battery was fully charged. I unplugged it from the wall charger and pressed the power button. NOTHING!!! I plugged it back into the USB wall charger and pressed the power button again. The scanner powered right on. I looked at the screen and noticed that the battery voltage was "Batt. V--.-" . It would not even show 0 (zero). I unplugged it while it was still powered on and it went off within 1-2 seconds. I went through these steps several times and it would not turn on under (only) battery power. It worked fine with external power, but when unplugged, with battery in or out, it powered off. I boxed it up sent it back and another one is on the way. I am wondering if something "ganked up" the battery while trying to get the audio out to record.?? Something to do with the "ground loop" as @jonwienke had warned. I don't know, but I won't be trying "anything" with the replacement that is not well documented. But I can't imagine that just plugging in an audio accessory cable, from the audio out jack would cause a catastrophic failure of a piece of equipment at this price! Seems like it should have a design change/update to correct this. Anyway, that's why I always get an extra warranty on equipment this expensive. Cheap insurance!! I'll let ya know how things go when the new one arrives. -Bobby

 

[spywiz]

Just a standard stereo patch cable. I tried a stereo to mono adapter on the microphone side but it made it worse.


I can verify the ground loop isolator wasn't necessary when the USB cable was unplugged.

I ordered a ground loop isolator yesterday. It should be here tomorrow.

 

[IndyScan]

I ordered a ground loop isolator yesterday. It should be here tomorrow.

I have one waiting at home for me (at least the notification said it was delivered). Hoping it takes the noise out of the recordings & streaming so I can put it online and have something with quality audio.

 

[IndyScan]

Just got home & hooked it up. Wow, it's night night and day with the ground loop isolator. NO noise at all. Hum is gone, clicking is gone, etc. Totally worth the $10.

This is what I purchased: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019393MV2 and there are many other in the same price point.

This will make remote listening a LOT more pleasant.

 

[spywiz]

Just got the new radio! Setting everything back up. Can't get it to access the Uniden server for Firmware and Database update. Server may be down? Ground Loop Isolator came today too.

 

[spywiz]

Well, I got the Ground Loop Isolator and attempted the setup again. Still, No Joy!! What the heck am I doing wrong? I'm doing everything @freqseeker showed in his post above. I don't want to end up like the last one.

 

[freqseeker]

Well, I got the Ground Loop Isolator and attempted the setup again. Still, No Joy!! What the heck am I doing wrong? I'm doing everything @freqseeker showed in his post above. I don't want to end up like the last one.

You were using USB C if I recall. This is what I used for audio input using USB A port. USB Sound Adapter
Maybe there's an issue with USB C. Do you have a USB A hub?

 

[ProScan]

ProScan Version 16.8 Just Released!

• Changed - RSOIP Published Servers list now auto updates each minute.
• Fixed - RRDB Import wasn't always importing location data on conventional systems.
• Fixed - Dragging database nodes was acting sluggish. Broke in ver. 16.6.

ProScan supports the BCT15, BCT15X, BC250D, BC296D, BR330T, BC346XT, BC346XTC, BCD325P2, BCD396T, BCD396XT, BCD436HP, BCD536HP, BC780XLT, BC785D, BC796D, BCD996T, BCD996XT, BCD996P2, SDS100, SDS200, SDS100E, SDS200E, UBCD3600XLT, & USDS100 scanners.

ProScan is the most powerful and feature rich scanner software in the world !!!

Made in the USA

 

[IndyScan]

Dragging database nodes was acting sluggish

MUCH improved, thanks for fixing that!