Links - Resources

• New PROBE1K for the Icom IC-PCR1000
  
  
• DOSBox x86 Emulator User reported success using this product with later versions of Windows. Check “Probe Discussion Group” for more info.
• DosBox Frontend Reloaded aka D-Fend Reloaded Interface for above software.
  
  
• FreeDos Free, MS-DOS compatible operating system.
  
  
• Direct I/O  is a device driver for Microsoft Windows NT, 2000 and XP. This software enables direct hardware access to a serial port. A number of Probe users have reported success using this product to enhance scanning speed.
• Steve Hancock's "Probe Resource Guide"
  
• Steve Hancock's "Probe Frequency Files"
  

Directions for running Probe on Linux as provided by Tom Wall:

Please note we are unable to provide support for this method or any other. You are on your own!

The following instructions are just to get you up and running. If you're like me, when you purchased your Optoscan-equipped scanner second hand you didn't get any software or instructions.

1) Make sure you have a straight through cable, NOT a null modem cable.

2) Open a terminal and and use this to find your port info.

dmesg | grep tty

I get this:

[ 0.110577] printk: console [tty0] enabled
[ 0.370421] 00:04: ttyS0 at I/O 0x3f8 (irq = 4, base_baud = 115200) is a 16550A
[ 0.391961] 0000:00:16.3: ttyS4 at I/O 0x40a0 (irq = 17, base_baud = 115200) is a 16550A

ttyS0 irq 4 is what I want so I use that info.

3) Install latest version of Dosbox.

4) Change this line in dosbox.conf (located in .dosbox in your home folder) the line is near the bottom of the file, for me it's line 225.

serial1=directserial realport:ttyS0 irq:4

5) Change permission on the serial port, replace username with your user name.

sudo chown username /dev/ttyS0

You might have to repeat this step after a restart of your Linux computer. There is a more permanent way of changing permissions, but this is the method I chose due to extenuating circumstances.

6) Set serial port to 9600 baud.

sudo stty -F /dev/ttyS0 9600

7) Optoscan test utilities can be found here:

Open the test executable by right clicking and selecting "open with a Wine application". If Dosbox is your only Wine app then it will open in Dosbox immediately. If it's not the only one simply select Dosbox and it will start.

8) Open probe.exe by right clicking and selecting "open with a Wine application". If Dosbox is your only Wine app then Probe will open in Dosbox immediately. If it's not the only one simply select Dosbox and Probe will start.

The Optoscan manual states 9600 baud is the default. If you are using a newer computer a higher baud rate might get you faster scanning speeds, but it's probably best to make sure the computer is communicating with the Optoscan board first. If you're using a much newer computer you can always change a to higher baud rate later. Adjusting the the "CPU speed" of Dosbox will increase scanning speed. To adjust the CPU speed of Dosbox, press ctrl-F11 and ctrl-F12. Even at 9600 baud a CPU speed value of 15,000 gets me about 55 channels per second (Dosbox "cycles" are acutally cycles per millisecond). You can manually add CPU speed to dosbox.conf is desired. To capture or release the cursor in Dosbox, press ctrl-F10.

• FCC Search Tools
  
• City Freq
  
• Jim Fordyce's Scanning Resources

• Steve Hancock's "Monitoring Post / Pro-2006 Home Page"
  

• Scanner Recorder