Problem with Bearcat 350a Scanner Blowing Sound Cards

[medicchop28]

Hello, i keep blowing sound cards in my computer. I am using a Bearcat 350a scanner with a cable from the external speaker jack to the input on my sound card. I have made sure that my level on the card is low, and also made sure the level on the volume of the scanner is low and it continues to happen. Is there some kind of device that will interface my scanner into my computer without going through the sound card say maybe usb? Or is there a scanner that is reasonably priced that connects to the computer with usb so that i am not going through my sound card? Thanks for your help, i just can't afford to keep replacing sound cards.

 

[ffemt601]

Try this to isolate the ground between the scanner and pc.

Ground Loop Isolator - RadioShack.com

 

[medicchop28]

It doesn't really seem to be a hum, the sound card is actually not working, the sound is so distorted that I can not hear it anymore over my speakers on the pc or my live feed. I have to replace the sound card to fix the problem. Sounds great when it's working no hum or anything. I just wonder why it keeps causing the sound card to malfunction.

 

[ffemt601]

The isolator has a transformer in it so that the scanner and pc are physically isolated but the audio is transmitted. Thus in the future it will protect your sound card.

 

[medicchop28]

Ok, so looking at the picture of the product i would need to get the 1/8" adpaters to put on the rca ends and then plug one end of the device into my scanner and the other into my sound card? This would be great if this fixes the problem.

 

[dwh367]

It doesn't really seem to be a hum, the sound card is actually not working, the sound is so distorted that I can not hear it anymore over my speakers on the pc or my live feed. I have to replace the sound card to fix the problem. Sounds great when it's working no hum or anything. I just wonder why it keeps causing the sound card to malfunction.

Are you feeding the audio into the "line in" of the sound card or the microphone input?

 

[medicchop28]

i was feeding it into the line in on the sound card, however that port is now dead again. My sound card is made on the mother board and it is very expensive. So I will probably use the mic input unless that is a bad idea?

 

[Lexxx]

I use a few of these guys, and get crystal clear audio for streaming through RR

5.1 External USB 6 Channel Audio Sound Card

They work very well for me. I didn't get identical models only because I was worried about identical drivers, but there seem to be plenty of these types of external audio cards out there. My winXP just labels them USB1 USB2 USB3 etc. I only use the "line in" connection. seems to work much better than the "mic in"

Works for me.

 

[medicchop28]

Do you use an inline ground isolator as described at the beggining of this thread and does the external sound card mess with your OS at all? Meaning does it cause your computer to want to disable your on board sound card because it sees that one attached? Thanks in advance.

 

[Lexxx]

Do you use an inline ground isolator as described at the beggining of this thread and does the external sound card mess with your OS at all? Meaning does it cause your computer to want to disable your on board sound card because it sees that one attached? Thanks in advance.

No I don't seem to have any ground related problems, and one of my scanners is a 350c. I see you have a 350a. Not sure of the differences between the two.

I've never had a problem with the on board audio being disabled. I have four scanners streaming through one computer running through 2 of those USB external audio devices, a PCI audio card and the onboard audio itself.

When you say "disabled", do you mean you have to go into windows to reselect the on board audio for general computer audio, because I'm sure if you install any new audio device it will naturally make itself the default audio. Obviously you will have to go into the sound setting to make the on board audio the default again if that's what you want.

 

[kb0nly]

I would think a 1:1 audio isolation transformer might be a good idea here also? Seems to me that if your killing the sound card the scanner must be over-driving it as well?

 

[jim202]

There is the possibility that the scanner is sending a DC voltage to the sound card through the speaker
high wire. It wouldn't hurt to put a capacitor in series with the connection going to your sound card.
A cap of say 0.1 uf should do the trick just fine.

You could also take a volt meter and measure from the chassis of the scanner to the chassis of the
sound card (computer) and see if there is any voltage. Do this in both the AC and DC modes of the
meter. I would not expect to see any voltages at all, but who knows.

Jim

Hello, i keep blowing sound cards in my computer. I am using a Bearcat 350a scanner with a cable from the external speaker jack to the input on my sound card. I have made sure that my level on the card is low, and also made sure the level on the volume of the scanner is low and it continues to happen. Is there some kind of device that will interface my scanner into my computer without going through the sound card say maybe usb? Or is there a scanner that is reasonably priced that connects to the computer with usb so that i am not going through my sound card? Thanks for your help, i just can't afford to keep replacing sound cards.

 

[mja492]

I have a BC 350A as well and was having trouble with background hum on the computer. I ended up powering the scanner from a spare power connector inside the computer. No more hum, and for you, this would eliminate any possible grounding issues.