Pro-94B with PC/IF Port...Software?

[wiseblood]

I have the cable for my Pro-96. The 94B manual references the same cable. Anyone know where I can get some Software that works with the 94B? I have a registered copy of Win96 as well as Win95 & Win92. They are AWESOME, but only for programming.

Any plans to support the Pro-94B?

Uniden has the market on PC Control out of the box. I... ahem... assume that the 94B (made by Uniden) would have the same functionality. I'm gonna get it for saying that. :shock:

I hope they didn't go through all that trouble to put a PC/IF jack on the 94B just so their employees can use that ScanCatLite program in the store. What a POS that program is. eScanner is awesome though.

Does anyone know if eScanner works with the 94B? I don't wanna drop $70 on software unless I know. besides, The scanner was only $119.99.

However, I would much rather pay $70 and use my 94 as a new TG finder on my PC than go cutting into my Pro-96.. Not Gonna Happen. It would be cool if GRE would incorporate PC Control, or... ahem ... Mr. Starr could hook us up. I'd give another $30 for that. :idea:

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

 

[VegasCorbin]

Any plans to support the Pro-94B?

Below see a cut/paste of an E-mail exchange I have had with Radio Shack about programing the Pro-94 (Personal ID stuff removed).

The short story is that it is all a sham. There is no such thing as programing the Pro-94 from a PC.

Thank you for your response.

The connector was originally going to be used; however, a cable or
software were never developed for interface. If we can be of further
assistance, please contact us again.

To better assist you with future questions, please use the REPLY option
in your mail program to respond. We look forward to the opportunity to
serve you.

http://www.radioshack.com

http://www.radioshack.com/Coupons/Coupons.asp

Have a great day!

Denice
RadioShack Product Support Services
DW



-----Original Message-----
From: xxx [mailto:xxxxxxxx.net]
Sent: Wednesday, September 01, 2004 2:36 PM
To: RS Store POS Mail user
Subject: RE: Pro-94 Software-dw


So... The connector on the side that is marked PC/IF is just a dummy.
Filling what would otherwise be an empty hole in the case?

Is this correct?


-----Original Message-----
From: RS Store POS Mail user <RS.Store.POS.Mail.User@tandy.com>
Sent: Sep 1, 2004 9:36 AM
To: xxx <xxxxxxxxxxx.net>
Subject: RE: Pro-94 Software-dw

Thank you for your response, xxx.

Our intention was to offer the PC interface; however, it did not come to
fruition. Unfortunately, the manual was already printed before we knew
we would not be offering the PC interface. We apologize for any
confusion and hope to serve you in the future.

To better assist you with future questions, please use the REPLY option
in your mail program to respond. We look forward to the opportunity to
serve you.

http://www.radioshack.com

http://www.radioshack.com/Coupons/Coupons.asp

Have a great day!

Denice
RadioShack Product Support Services
DW



-----Original Message-----
From: xxx [mailto:xxxxxxxxxxx.net]
Sent: Tuesday, August 31, 2004 5:14 PM
To: RS Store POS Mail user
Subject: RE: Pro-94 Software-dw


Then why does the manual that came with the Pro-94 say you do? (Page 33-
Wired Programing)

To help you identify the manual the following is listed on the back
cover.

Cat. No. 20-524 (with a capital B inside a box folowing the 4)
UBZZ01321ZZ
03A04
Printed in China

The manual is copyright 2004.

Please explain why the manual would try to sell something you don't
have.


-----Original Message-----
From: RS Store POS Mail user <RS.Store.POS.Mail.User@tandy.com>
Sent: Aug 31, 2004 1:53 PM
To: xxxxxxxx.net
Subject: RE: Pro-94 Software-dw

Thank you for your e-mail, xxx.

Unfortunately, RadioShack does not offer a cable or software for
programming the Pro-94.

Please click on the link below, to find our on-line tutorial for the
Pro-94. We feel the tutorial will be the best guide to using your
Pro-94. If you continue to experience difficulty, please contact us
again.

http://support.radioshack.com//support_tutorials/communications/20-524.h
tm

To better assist you with future questions, please use the REPLY option
in your mail program to respond. We look forward to the opportunity to
serve you.

http://www.radioshack.com

http://www.radioshack.com/Coupons/Coupons.asp

Have a great day!

Denice
RadioShack Product Support Services
DW

-----Original Message-----
From: xxxxxxxx.net [mailto:xxxxxxxxx.net]
Sent: Sunday, August 29, 2004 3:19 AM
To: RS Store POS Mail user
Cc: RS Store POS Mail user
Subject: Pro-94 Software



Contact Information:
Customer Name:xxxxxxxxxxxxxx______________________________________________________________________
Product Information
Product Description: Pro-94 scanner
SKU Number:
Product Category: Scanner
Brand: Radio Shack
Model: 20-524B
______________________________________________________________________
Customer's Question:

The manual refers to a cable required to connect the scanner to a PC and
to see www.radioshack.com for the software. I am unable to find any
referance to this software on the web site. can you advise me where to
look?



[[/quote]

 

[loumaag]

Well I must say that makes for some interesting reading.

Wonder if Don has any information about this at all...

BTW: VegasCorbin, do I know you? (or maybe your dad) :lol:

 

[wiseblood]

Just for laughs I tried Win95 with the Pro-94B using the RS cable Catalog No. 20-298.

I did not expect it to work however, Win95 did not give me an error message. Upon connecting the cable the Pro-94B display reads "LJlrEd" (Wired).

Win95 "thought" a compatible scanner was connected, and the Pro-94B "Knew" it was connected to something.

I suppose then that the scanner's FIRMWARE/CPU doesn't support it.

Seems kind of silly that the final step wasn't taken.

The poor "Answers" bearing sales associates are going to have to explain how a scanner with a PC/IF jack is a scanner that does NOT have a PC/IF jack.

As if RS isn't taking enough heat over other scanner issues.

 

[stlscanner]

The PRO-94 is a Uniden manufactured scanner and of the same vintage as the BC235/BC245xlt, my assumption is that if you try sending Uniden style commands to it through a terminal program it just might respond.

Good luck!

Tony

 

[wiseblood]

Unfortunately, I don't know how to do that. I'm not a computer programmer.

I wonder if anyone with a copy of eScanner could try this. Maybe someone could lend me a copy?

I was just looking for an inexpensive way to have a scanner hooked up to my PC to log TG's during the day so I could update the RR databases for my area as well as my own 96.

As you all know the 96 has to be run in closed mode to lockout unwanted TG's. Hence you cannot scan for new TG's without getting ALOT of traffic. Try coming home and sifting through ALL of the days traffic to find nothing new! Tedious, and time consuming. Not so with the 94. You can lockout known TG's and still run in open mode. This allows you to be able to log only new TG's.

Wishful thinking I reckon. I suppose I'll just return it as my Pro-96 works fine. The PC logging sure would have been nice though.

Rats!

 

[unitcharlie]

with apologies.....

my question now is simple: who screwed up, rat shack or uniden.... and how did it make the shelf without the stuff that it needs to work?

 

[loumaag]

As you all know the 96 has to be run in closed mode to lockout unwanted TG's. Hence you cannot scan for new TG's without getting ALOT of traffic.

This is not true. The Pro-96 will lock out TG's in open mode and you will never hear them. Same for conventional frequenices. As a matter of fact, that was part of the first bug discovered in the Pro-96 firmware, if you aren't careful, you will start to overwrite other TG's with the lock-outs.

Are you sure you have a real Pro-96? :lol:

 

[wiseblood]

thanks Lou...

Unfortunately, I refuse to cut into my 96 to install a data slicer. Too nice of a unit as well as expensive.

The auto logging PC interface is what I was after.

 

[loumaag]

thanks Lou...

Unfortunately, I refuse to cut into my 96 to install a data slicer. Too nice of a unit as well as expensive.

The auto logging PC interface is what I was after.

Excuse me, I am a little confused. All I was pointing out was that you were wrong about having to operate a 96 in Closed mode to keep Locked Out TG's quiet. They will be quiet in Open mode also. I did not suggest you open up you 96 and agree with you; it is too much money when any other scanner (providing it covers the frequency) will do for using a data slicer with. Maybe you mis-understood me.

For automatic data logging and recording of voice at the same time on your PC, you have to go with a real Uniden (not a Pro-94) and use something like ID Tracker. :wink:

 

[AZScanner]

The short story is that it is all a sham. There is no such thing as programing the Pro-94 from a PC.

Hmmmmmmmmmmm.......

I'm guessing that this CSR with whom you spoke doesn't know what the heck you're talking about so their best guess is that it's just an empty hole. Considering what happens when you plug a PRO-95 cable into it, it can't be empty. It's doing SOMETHING.

This would not be the first time that Customer Disservice was full of it. Remember the PRO96 upgrade thread? There's proof that they make this stuff up as they go along.

As for the scanner itself, it might think it's really a Uniden and speak Unidenese. If so, this might be just the ticket for all you talkgroup loggers out there:

http://bellsouthpwp.net/k/d/kd5eis/IDTracker/IDTracker.htm

Tell the software it's a BC245 and let'er rip. It might work. I don't know, I don't have the new 94. Report back and let us know what happens.

-AZ

 

[pro92b]

If the new PRO-94 version just has a PC/IF jack it may be like some of the other low end radios that Radio Shack has sold in the past. The ones listed below all use a Radio Shack protocol and can be programmed by computer but not controlled. As you can see, both Uniden and GRE have supplied this kind of radio to Radio Shack.

PRO-76 Uniden
PRO-79 GRE
PRO-82 GRE
PRO-89 GRE
PRO-2016 Uniden
PRO-2017 GRE

There is software for these radios at the link below and maybe support for the PRO-94 can be added if it really is the same protocol.

http://www.glyff.net/software/prolink/

As far as I know the only scanner Radio Shack has sold that uses the Uniden protocol is the PRO-2052.

 

[VegasCorbin]

If the new PRO-94 version just has a PC/IF jack it may be like some of the other low end radios that Radio Shack has sold in the past. The ones listed below all use a Radio Shack protocol and can be programmed by computer but not controlled. As you can see, both Uniden and GRE have supplied this kind of radio to Radio Shack.

PRO-76 Uniden
PRO-79 GRE
PRO-82 GRE
PRO-89 GRE
PRO-2016 Uniden
PRO-2017 GRE

There is software for these radios at the link below and maybe support for the PRO-94 can be added if it really is the same protocol.

http://www.glyff.net/software/prolink/

As far as I know the only scanner Radio Shack has sold that uses the Uniden protocol is the PRO-2052.

I just tried this software with (wat to me looked like) all posable settings and it did not work.

Maybe somebody else with more experiance can get it to work and let us know the settings to use.

 

[pro92b]

I didn't mean to imply that Prolink would support the PRO-94 without a program update. All the radios it does support are 200 channels and the 500/1000 channels count in the PRO-94 is an obvious difference. My guess that the PRO-94 uses Radio Shack protocol could be wrong too.

 

[AZScanner]

Can someone with the new 94 try this program and tell us if it works? If it does then that means it uses the Uniden protocol. If it doesn't then... well I don't know what that means. :lol:

http://bellsouthpwp.net/k/d/kd5eis/IDTracker/IDTracker.htm

-AZ

 

[wiseblood]

I tried ID Tracker with RS Cable 20-289 which is the same cabel GRE sells on their website. (www.greamerica.com)

ID Tracker gives me a scanner error. Pro-94B still reads WIRED.

I wonder If I need a data slicer cable? I'm new to the whole PC to Scanner thing, outside of programming with Don Starr's programs.

I don't have a data slicer cable so, I can't try that.

 

[loumaag]

A data slicer cable is specific to the slicer circuit in it (or attached to it). It also would have nothing to do with programing as it is designed to take an audio signal representation of data and allow the computer to read it through a serial port.

I suspect the programing cable that RS, GRE or Black Bag sells is the correct interface cable; however, unless someone sits down and "hacks" for awhile there doesn't seem to be any software to address the Pro-94. I notice that DonS is pretty silent on this subject...could be he has his head buried deep into the subject as we all speculate. :wink:

Of course, it is possible that RS customer service does indeed know what they are talking about and that the radio itself is not able to be programmed. :roll:

 

[fmon]

Has anyone tried using Windows Hyper Terminal? The Pro2052 owners manual has listings of PC to Scanner command functions, which work with this program.

 

[INDY72]

Or how about any or the 2052 software out there. LIKE sayyy the control/programming software for the 2052 that is on the Police Call CD Rom???

 

[loumaag]

Or how about any or the 2052 software out there. LIKE sayyy the control/programming software for the 2052 that is on the Police Call CD Rom???

Consider the fact that the port on a 2052 is a DB 9 (9 pins) with the associated signaling. Consider the port on the Pro-94, it is a two pin port.