Pro-2006 and CE-232 experiences

[bds2]

I bought a Pro-2006 with CE-232 a few weeks ago and continue to have a lot of fun with it. It's very retro but works as well as any of my newer scanners for analog non-trunking scanning. So far, I've been able to get the CE232 software running on a modern 1.8 GHz XP computer without any difficulties.Since I couldn't find much information about the Pro-2006/CE-232 interface online, I created a blog to document my experiences. If anyone is interested, I'll be updating it as I make progress: Pro-2006 Scanner

Brett

 

[jak122]

Hello Brett,

I have two Pro-2006s and love them both. One I bought brand new from RS and modified it with many of Bill Cheek's ideas. It has the CE-232 and the extended memory, which I built myself.
The other 2006 I bought used and already modified with the extended memory, LED S Meter and a few other things.

I still have all three books from Bill Cheek and the original 3.5" DOS floppy with the CE-232 program.

I have both of these scanners loaded with frequencies and running every day along with my two Pro-197s which are dedicated to digital and trunking work.

Anyway, didn't mean to sound so boastful.

My question is, how did you get the CE-232 running in DOSBox?

Just a coincidence, but I loaded up the CE-232 last weekend and tried to run it in the DOS shell on a 2.8Ghz computer running XP as the OS. Seeing it didn't work, I downloaded and set up DOSBox, only to have it still not work. It loads the program, but doesn't read from the scanner. I tried switching ports to no avail.

Just happened to read your post here and I am greatly interested in your documenting your experience.

Please let me know if you need any input or info from me, thanks.

 

[jak122]

Hello again Brett and never mind, I figured out the problem with the help of the link you posted in your blog to Kingsqueak.org.

It seems the DOSBox version 0.73 had the serial port 1 set as com4 to use the USB ports on today's computers.

EDIT: Actually it was set to "dummy" in the config file, so I changed it there

Mine is a transition model from '02 which has two DB9 com1 and com2 ports as well as 4 USB ports that are currently used by other devices.

Thus it dawned on me to set it back to serial port 1 as com1 and it works perfectly!

Thank you for posting that stuff, keep up the good work

 

[bds2]

Hi!

I didn't see your post until you had already solved the problem - glad you were able to get it working.

I actually ran into another serial port problem - I wanted to connect my Opto535/Pro-2035 running Probe (under Windows) to the same computer that's running the CE-232 (under DOSBox). I only have one serial port, so I used a USB-to-serial converter.

Probe won't work with the USB converter (timing issues? interrupts?) but the CE-232 connects and runs just fine, so it's running on the converter and Probe runs on the real serial port.

I added this line to the DOSBox config:

serial1=directserial realport:COM3

to map the USB virtual port COM3 to serial port 1 (the CE-232 only supports COM1 and COM2, as you know).

Anyway, it's great to see this old hardware is still working more than a decade later!

Have fun,


Brett

 

[jak122]

Excellent Brett, I had some of the same problems only in reverse. sort of

I used serial1=directserial realport:COM1 to get the CE-232 working, but I might try what you've done that seems to trick the CE-232 program to work via USB converter. I have a hub that connects several other devices.

Anyhow, I just wanted to point out that the DOSBox I downloaded had COM 1&2 set as dummy and 3 & 4 set as disabled. Something to keep in mind for those reading this.

It may save frustration

 

[RCMA]

Pro-2004/6 and CE-232 experiences

I bought a Pro-2006 with CE-232 a few weeks ago and continue to have a lot of fun with it. It's very retro but works as well as any of my newer scanners for analog non-trunking scanning. So far, I've been able to get the CE232 software running on a modern 1.8 GHz XP computer without any difficulties.Since I couldn't find much information about the Pro-2006/CE-232 interface online, I created a blog to document my experiences. If anyone is interested, I'll be updating it as I make progress: Pro-2006 Scanner

Brett

Hi Brett, just found your post and I have some questions if you or anyone else can help. I used a Pro-2004 for the HB unit and a 50MHz laptop to control it for yrs with no problems. A desktop running @ 350MHz also can run the scanner. When I tried to use a faster PC the HB would not respond. I just tried using it this week with win98SE and a 1gig processor - no go.

I did manage to get it running one day with 98 & 2K but not properly and no matter what I tried doing to the HB config file it wouldn't help. I thought the ACPI in BIOS might be the issue and it could be but have had no luck using the HB beyond a P2 @ 350 MHz. I have Googled the issue but almost nothing exists that will help except http://www.oocities.org/superculdesac/20001105.html I've ordered a PCMCIA serial card to see if that might help. It's a serial port issue, just not sure as to why or what PC will work.

Anyone have ideas on what the issue is? Love to resolve it and use a faster PC, at least move up to Win98 for more features over 95.

 

[W6SDF]

I use a program called Pro Turbo to interface with the CE-232 on a "modern" computer running XP and it works great. It's written for windows and does everything the original CE-232 software did and more. Here's a screen shot running at 800x640 so I can see it without readers. I had lost the program in a hard drive crash years ago and shot off an email to the author not expecting any response but lo & behold he sent the program to me and my original registration still worked. I can send the demo (times out in 20 minutes) to anyone interested. Unfortunately it sold for $100.00 back in the day, not sure if they'll take less now or not (or even if they still sell registrations).

iMAG0031.jpg

 

[bds2]

Hi Brett, just found your post and I have some questions if you or anyone else can help. I used a Pro-2004 for the HB unit and a 50MHz laptop to control it for yrs with no problems. A desktop running @ 350MHz also can run the scanner. When I tried to use a faster PC the HB would not respond. I just tried using it this week with win98SE and a 1gig processor - no go.

I did manage to get it running one day with 98 & 2K but not properly and no matter what I tried doing to the HB config file it wouldn't help. I thought the ACPI in BIOS might be the issue and it could be but have had no luck using the HB beyond a P2 @ 350 MHz. I have Googled the issue but almost nothing exists that will help except Resolving Windows 98 ACPI Serial Port Issues I've ordered a PCMCIA serial card to see if that might help. It's a serial port issue, just not sure as to why or what PC will work.

Anyone have ideas on what the issue is? Love to resolve it and use a faster PC, at least move up to Win98 for more features over 95.

Hi,

You might want to try installing DOSBox on your faster computer and run the control program in the emulator: Pro-2006 Scanner: CE-232 runs in DOSBOX

That's the same problem I had, and using DOSBox was a great fix,

Brett