USB / Serial Port

[bwhite]

It's the Uniden USB-1: Amazon.com: Uniden USB-1 Scanner Radio PC Interface Cable : Electronics

It's been PnP. Whatever drivers it needed are already on the computer (Win 10). I believe in keeping thing simple.

[/QUOTE]
[/QUOTE]
Amen! & thanx

 

[bwhite]

The Uniden USB-1 and BCD396XT cable works ok with my Windows 7 HP laptop but does not work with my Windows 10 HP workstation. I use both Freescan and Proscan.

I purchased at Fry's Electronics (RIP) some time ago a Micro Connectors, Inc. E07-160 USB Serial Adapter. It comes with a driver CD but, Windows detected and installed the driver (Prolific) for me. Works just fine with my BCD396XT and Freescan or Proscan on a Windows 10 workstation.

Unlike the USB-1 cable which connects directly to the scanner, this adapter terminates in a DB-9 male connector. You will need Uniden's Serial Cable BWXG1616001 which is DB-9 female connector to Uniden's proprietary connector.

John

Appears to be available on Micro Connectors website.

USB-A Male 2.0 to Serial DB9-Male Adapter

USB-A Male 2.0 to Serial DB9-Male Adapter

www.microconnectors.com

View attachment 109343

yeah, if I understand you, you put an adapter on an adapter. not gonna do that. thx.

 

[FrensicPic]

yeah, if I understand you, you put an adapter on an adapter. not gonna do that. thx.

The only adapter (electronics-wise) is the Micro Connectors device...serial DB-9 to USB. The Uniden cable I mentioned is simply a cable (no electronics) for (DB-9 to Uniden proprietary connector. It is not the same as the Uniden USB-1.

Uniden Serial Cable

Uniden Serial Cable ( Works with BCT15X, BCD996XT, BCD396XT, BC246T, BC346XT, BC95XLT, AND SC230.)

www.bearcatwarehouse.com

But it works and its only used a few minutes at a time during programming.
John

 

[tumegpc]

This is the cable I have used successfully with 996XT, 996P2, 536HP, and Yaesu VR5000.
You can program and control using ProScan.

https://www.amazon.com/USB-Serial-Adapter-Modem-9-pin/dp/B008634VJY/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=StarTech.com+USB+to+Serial&qid=1631462171&sr=8-4

 

[sallen07]

This is the cable I have used successfully with 996XT, 996P2, 536HP, and Yaesu VR5000.

+1 on that cable. I use them for a BCD996P2 and BCT15X. I prefer to use the DB25 on the back of the scanners rather than having a cable coming out of the front. No, you can't use it for upgrading firmware but if I need to do that I'll plug a cable into the front temporarily. (Uniden USB-1 for BCT15X; USB A to USB mini for the BCD996P2.)

 

[wa8pyr]

So if I do the search for what you mentioned I should only get the FTDI chipset I'd hope. Super.
Once I acquire the cable is the procedure to plug it in, wait for the PC to ask for drivers and then point it to wherever the drivers are?
Are the correct drivers usually self evident? I've had experience before where you go out to grab drivers and have a dozen choices, ugh!
(64 bit Windows 10 HP laptop)

If a driver disk is not included you'll need to go to the FTDI website and download the current driver (which I recommend doing anyway as the one you might get with the adapter you buy might be an older version).

 

[ur20v]

One of my HP laptops from many moons ago (15 years at least) actually came with an HP-branded USB to serial dongle. It's worked with every device and computer I've tried it with. I still have it to this day, but I have been known to misplace it for long periods of time. Like months. Or years. And during those moments I've tried other adapters and dongles, and generally speaking you get what you pay for. The most recent one I purchased works just as well as my trusty old HP dongle: "Tera Grand Premium USB 2.0 to RS232 Serial DB9 6' Adapter Cable - Supports Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, XP, 2000, 98, Linux and Mac - Built with FTDI Chip" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DYNNUS8/ref=cm_sw_r_apanp_Qcl8G2ek7IGUJ

I especially love the fact that it has a 6 foot long cable built in, as I mainly use it for connecting to certain older aftermarket EFI systems in cars.

A side note - someone earlier in the thread mentioned something about Prolific vs FTDI and the protocols used by either. You can actually configure that and a few other communications settings for the adapter within Windows itself, and I've had to do that when connecting to different devices in the past.

 

[ur20v]

Oh, and something else - many Dell and HP business class desktops have a serial bus header installed on the motherboard (and probably most if not almost all other motherboards), and all you need is one of these... give the other three to friends or something. I dunno. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083QZNT52/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_SBJ1MFK78BATJ1PVM78C

 

[kruser]

Oh, and something else - many Dell and HP business class desktops have a serial bus header installed on the motherboard (and probably most if not almost all other motherboards), and all you need is one of these... give the other three to friends or something. I dunno. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083QZNT52/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_SBJ1MFK78BATJ1PVM78C

I've used a lot of those motherboard connectors before.
I always remember there were two different ways they may have been wired. If it didn't work out of the box, I'd need to open the connector up at the DB9 end and swap several of the wires around and then they would work fine.
Some of the old motherboards had the header pinout printed in the boards manual. That made it easy swapping the wires to the correct pins at the DB9 connector.
You sure couldn't find them for $7 dollars for a set of four back then! I think just one was about $7 bucks.
I still see true serial port headers on modern day boards today from companies like Asus. Hardly any of them come with the header connector though.
If you ask where you can buy the cables and connectors, you get a blank stare as most people have no clue what you are talking about!

 

[bwhite]

Oh, and something else - many Dell and HP business class desktops have a serial bus header installed on the motherboard (and probably most if not almost all other motherboards), and all you need is one of these... give the other three to friends or something. I dunno. Amazon.com

That would be a good option for my desktop but I don't think that'll be kosher for any laptops.