ProScan Streaming - USB & Serial Ports

[HappilyRetired]

I'm a rookie so please be gentle. I just picked up a Dell Optiplex with a 2 TB SSD drive and a 4TB hard drive. It has 32GB of RAM. Way more than I need for streaming. But I need two things out of it. I was hoping I could use plug-in USB sound cards for the audio. But I also want remote control. One of them is a Uniden 996P2 and the second one is a Uniden BCT 15x. I am told that the 996 serial port is reversed. I guess that means I need to use a crossover serial cable? I can plug it into the one serial port on this computer. But then there's the 15x. I don't know if it's a straight serial port or if I'm going to need a crossover cable. Either way I'm going to have to add a low rise rs232 card to the computer. But I actually have four scanners that I'm going to be streaming and I want to plan ahead. I have enough USB ports to use the USB sound cards.

But what do I need to add to this that will give me remote control of what will amount to two 996P2s and two BCT15Xs? This unit has four USB 3.1 ports on it. What kind of interface do I need in between the radios so they all talk over USB for remote control? May I ask that you use "Streaming for Radio Dummies" words in reply? 😂

TY

 

[KevinC]

You could always use serial-to-BT adapters instead of hardwiring, I have 4 scanners connected that way. You'd still need to get audio to the computer...for that I use a mini-mixer and a BT transmitter, but the soundcards may be simpler for you. And yes, you will need null-modem cables or adapters for both the 996 and 15X.

 

[HappilyRetired]

I've never had a device that had more than one Bluetooth Channel. Bear in mind that this is an old optiplex. It only has one Hardware serial port. Wouldn't I still need to install a Serial 4-port card? Cables are cheaper than serial-BT. Why it has so much hard drive space, I don't know. 32 GB with Windows 10 Pro is great though. Less swapping. This computer is going to be just for the scanners.

 

[ProScan]

I still need to install a Serial 4-port card?

You can do that or use USB to serial adapters. If using the rear DB9 port on the DMA models then you will need null modem adapters.

 

[KevinC]

I've never had a device that had more than one Bluetooth Channel. Bear in mind that this is an old optiplex. It only has one Hardware serial port. Wouldn't I still need to install a Serial 4-port card? Cables are cheaper than serial-BT. Why it has so much hard drive space, I don't know. 32 GB with Windows 10 Pro is great though. Less swapping. This computer is going to be just for the scanners.

As long as your computer has BT it's wireless from the adapter on the scanner to the computer. And as long as it's newish it should support 7 BT devices.

The adapter are less than $10 on eBay.

 

[HappilyRetired]

As long as your computer has BT it's wireless from the adapter on the scanner to the computer. And as long as it's newish it should support 7 BT devices.

The adapter are less than $10 on eBay.

The computer is an Optiplex 5040 and is hardly newish. It has Win 10.5 Pro. It does mot have hardware BT built in. I guess I can check for a PCIe card that adds it, but I planned on doing serial port control. I am concerned that at boot-up time allocations will be changed during the boot-up process like comport assignments. I am computer literate to a certain point. Is there a device that can plug into a serial port that makes 4 ports that I would then use null modem cables to talk to the scanners, or a USB device that would do the same thing? I don't want USB cables plugged into the front of the scanners. I want all cables to the rear so that it looks neat and cables don't get bumped.

Here's a bluetooth USB dongle but wouldn't I need a similar device on the front panel of the scanner? Long range USB card

 

[KevinC]

The computer is an Optiplex 5040 and is hardly newish. It has Win 10.5 Pro. It does mot have hardware BT built in. I guess I can check for a PCIe card that adds it, but I planned on doing serial port control. I am concerned that at boot-up time allocations will be changed during the boot-up process like comport assignments. I am computer literate to a certain point. Is there a device that can plug into a serial port that makes 4 ports that I would then use null modem cables to talk to the scanners, or a USB device that would do the same thing? I don't want USB cables plugged into the front of the scanners. I want all cables to the rear so that it looks neat and cables don't get bumped.

Here's a bluetooth USB dongle but wouldn't I need a similar device on the front panel of the scanner? Long range USB card

I don't know how other people attach a bunch of serial cables to their computers so I can't comment on that.

For me, I use these BT to serial adapters, which attach to the rear serial port of the scanner.

While this isn't really difficult to setup, it does require some knowledge of how serial and Bluetooth work...but like I always say, if I can do it anyone can.

 

[HappilyRetired]

I don't know how other people attach a bunch of serial cables to their computers so I can't comment on that.

For me, I use these BT to serial adapters, which attach to the rear serial port of the scanner.

While this isn't really difficult to setup, it does require some knowledge of how serial and Bluetooth work...but like I always say, if I can do it anyone can.

I can purchase the USB dongle Bluetooth device for I believe it was $21. Then it's I believe $14 for a Bluetooth cards that plug into the serial ports on the scanner. So basically a wireless connection. That is provided that this kind of setup can handle anywhere from four to eight radios. I believe you said seven. Then I'll be using USB sound cards along with a 60 Hz notch filter recommended by I think it was Lindsey? Is that the name? That should get me a clean signal and not have to worry about no modem cables and a bunch of wires for everything. I want simple. I can keep simple straight in my head.

 

[KevinC]

I can purchase the USB dongle Bluetooth device for I believe it was $21. Then it's I believe $14 for a Bluetooth cards that plug into the serial ports on the scanner. So basically a wireless connection. That is provided that this kind of setup can handle anywhere from four to eight radios. I believe you said seven. Then I'll be using USB sound cards along with a 60 Hz notch filter recommended by I think it was Lindsey? Is that the name? That should get me a clean signal and not have to worry about no modem cables and a bunch of wires for everything. I want simple. I can keep simple straight in my head.

I would suggest trying one scanner first (so only one BT-to-serial adapter @$6.99) to be sure you are comfortable venturing further into this.

 

[HappilyRetired]

I would suggest trying one scanner first (so only one BT-to-serial adapter @$6.99) to be sure you are comfortable venturing further into this.

What I am not familiar with radios I am with computers. I'm very computer savvy. I understand that these $7 cards plug into the serial port on the scanner and then I assume there is a third party Bluetooth transceiver card that has to be installed into the computer. Your link did not show that. It only showed 12 images of the serial port device. I certainly can start with just one but that doesn't answer the question that I asked. When running the Bluetooth method do the scanners come up on the same ports every time? Since I use ProScan to feed the audio server it wants to know the porch which is being emulated by the Bluetooth device. The Bluetooth device on the server needs to be one to many. Each Bluetooth transmitter needs to be unique when received by the Bluetooth adapter on the server. What am I missing that causes you to suggest that I try one device first when my questions have not yet been answered? I do not want to run a computer for every device unless I'm running an inexpensive Raspberry Pi. But then I can't run proscan.

 

[Bote]

I'm old skool so I am skeptical of BlueTooth and USB ports for this application. Wires might look unsightly, but they are DEAD SIMPLE. You plug it in and it just works. Forget about them beyond that. Fighting a daily battle to get my Pixel 7 BT to link up with my Toyota sound system gives me pause about using a BT link for as many scanners as you intend. Maybe it will work with your single test link, but then the limitations of BlueTooth might prevent the other 6 from linking.

I looked at that BT dongle on eBay and it says it runs on 5 Volts, but makes no mention of where that power comes from. I see a mini-USB jack on the side of the dongle so if you have to plug it in anyway for power, why not just run the cables between the scanners and the computer and get it all over with?

Semi-related anecdote: when I reboot my streaming uplink computer (usually after Windows Update) I always have to disable the RadioFeed serial port temporarily, then unplug the USB cable from my BCD996P2, wait a few seconds, then plug it back in to let Windows recognize it anew since it does NOT come back up normally after Windows reboots. Then I re-select the serial port in RadioFeed and it picks up the channel tags and communicates properly with the Uniden scanner. This is not exactly your situation, but it's the kind of nonsense that we're forced to put up with because the "U" in USB is so universal that you can never count on the port being available or the same mapping as before. I can imagine similar troubles with a BT serial port emulator.

In linux there's a method to coax it into recognizing a unique serial number for each USB device and mapping it consistently, but I don't know if that's an option for Windows.