BCD325P2/BCD996P2: Software that supports P2s

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plaws

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I've got the 2-year-old beta of Freescan that partly supports the P2 scanners. Is there anything that fully supports them? Freescan does a fine job on the XTs and works OK for the XTish parts of the P2 but no DMR support. I have no idea what it would do with P25 Phase 2.

What are the options?

And why does so much scanner software end up abandoned?
 

KE4ZNR

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I've got the 2-year-old beta of Freescan that partly supports the P2 scanners. Is there anything that fully supports them? Freescan does a fine job on the XTs and works OK for the XTish parts of the P2 but no DMR support. I have no idea what it would do with P25 Phase 2.

What are the options?

And why does so much scanner software end up abandoned?

ProScan

Marshall KE4ZNR
 

hiegtx

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I've got the 2-year-old beta of Freescan that partly supports the P2 scanners. Is there anything that fully supports them? Freescan does a fine job on the XTs and works OK for the XTish parts of the P2 but no DMR support. I have no idea what it would do with P25 Phase 2.

What are the options?

And why does so much scanner software end up abandoned?
FreeSCAN does work with Phase II systems. I used it to initially program my 325P2. I carried over the other systems in my file for the 396T & -XT, then created and added the Phase II systems in use in my area (DFW Metro). However, FreeSCAN has not been updated in quite a while, and does not handle DMR.

Once a DMR upgrade was released for the 325P2 & 996P2 series, I "read" the 325 into ProScan, then added the DMR systems. I already had ProScan because it supports some other scanner that I have, but not currently in use (like the 780XLT and the BC250D). ProScan also now supports the x36HP scanners. I use it for logging activity on new systems coming online here.
 

n9mxq

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I have both ARC-XT, and Proscan.. In my book Proscan is the winner. I use it with my 2 996p2's, my 325p2, and my 15x..
 

plaws

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So I finally actually installed ProScan instead of relying on the author's site and the ProScan ... I almost said "talkgroup" ... forum here. It's actually better than what those sources lead me to believe.

So far, I've had no problems pulling in systems from my BCD996P2 (USB), my BCD436HP (USB), or my BC780XLT (4-port serial USB adapter). Next time I have a few minutes to test, I'll make sure I can upload to them as well. BCDx36HP integration was a little rough, but it wasn't there at all a few versions ago - I'm confident it will get better.

Clearly, my yardstick is the P2 because Sentinel and ARC780 work fine for the other two, but boy it would be nice to have one ring to rule them all. Guess I need to bite the bullet and get the DMR key for the P2 so I can test that part of the software (I have the PRV key, but PRV systems are just EDACS with digital voice and everything does EDACS fine). I should probably test it with my 996XT as well. :D

I did pull records in from a site called RadioReference that some of you may be familiar with. Worked fine.
 

N4LX

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And why does so much scanner software end up abandoned?

Free software is subject to the author's having the time to work on it and all the other factors inherent in living life. Since the developers of free software aren't getting any pecuniary compensation for their efforts, the development has to be done in their spare time. And when he does put in the time and effort required to create and maintain an application, half the time people complain about having to pay for it.

ProScan is the best thing out there in my opinion and worth every cent.
 

hiegtx

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So I finally actually installed ProScan instead of relying on the author's site and the ProScan ... I almost said "talkgroup" ... forum here. It's actually better than what those sources lead me to believe.

So far, I've had no problems pulling in systems from my BCD996P2 (USB), my BCD436HP (USB), or my BC780XLT (4-port serial USB adapter). Next time I have a few minutes to test, I'll make sure I can upload to them as well. BCDx36HP integration was a little rough, but it wasn't there at all a few versions ago - I'm confident it will get better.

Clearly, my yardstick is the P2 because Sentinel and ARC780 work fine for the other two, but boy it would be nice to have one ring to rule them all. Guess I need to bite the bullet and get the DMR key for the P2 so I can test that part of the software (I have the PRV key, but PRV systems are just EDACS with digital voice and everything does EDACS fine). I should probably test it with my 996XT as well. :D

I did pull records in from a site called RadioReference that some of you may be familiar with. Worked fine.
ProScan works well for DMR systems on my 325P2, so you should have no issues with your 996P2. Also works for my 396T, 996T, and 396XT.
 

plaws

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Free software is subject to the author's having the time to work on it and all the other factors inherent in living life.

I just wish more authors, whether they charge for the software or not, would release their source when they are "done" with it. There is a lot of good stuff out there that would still be good if only it were updated (for new radios or whatever). AVC396 is a case in point. The Extended Info tab was extremely useful while monitoring (it only does radio control, no memory loading).

http://www.scannerbase.com/bcd396t_advanced_virtual_control_software/2.gif

Like many authors, he lost interest after a while and it only supports the BCD396T (not even the 996T, I don't think). Wouldn't it be great if he'd put that code under an open source license so it could be incorporated in other programs?

Sigh.

Close to pulling the trigger on Proscan since it seems to do everything I want.
 

K3HY

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Look at the support threads. See if they stop supporting or updating other versions of their software. Proscan is a winner. Butel software is a loser. Anything, other than Butel.
 

plaws

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Look at the support threads. See if they stop supporting or updating other versions of their software. Proscan is a winner. Butel software is a loser. Anything, other than Butel.

I've got licenses for ARC780 and ARC250. Worked fine. Not on the the list now because I'm looking for what, basically, only Proscan does - works with new Unidens, old Unidens, and old old Unidens ... IOW, my BCD436HP and BCD996P2, my BCD996XT, and my BC780XLT (sold the BC250D and BCD396T and XT some time ago).
 
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