In the fall of 1997, I bought a Radio Shack PRO-64 scanner so I could listen to all the cool stuff the starter and track workers say to each other. Stuff like "One to green" and "Where does 67 go?" and "Yellow!" and "We need the sand truck in 3".
Then I discovered this hand-held scanner (which is the twin to the PRO-2041 base unit) has a computer interface. You can upload frequencies to it. So I built a cable and wrote a program. A few other people did the same. This page was created to distribute my program, plus what others have done.
Alas, in October 2000 my PRO-64 was lost in a freak gardening accident. It was replaced with a PRO-92 multi-trunking scanner. So, in old dog, old trick mode, I wrote a software system to upload/download and reprogram the PRO-92 and its mobile twin the PRO-2067. This page is now the distribution point for "92ware".
92WARE My software for the PRO-92/2067. This is Windows 9x (including Me) console software - runs at a Win DOS prompt, but is not actually DOS. Upload a full setup to the scanner in 1:20, vs 4:30 for the official software. Make the backlight stay on for over four minutes. Replace the WX channels with frequencies of your choice. Version 1.03, 11 February 2001, has several cosmetic improvements and now does the right thing with 0 trunking IDs. This version is built with Compaq Visual Fortran 6.5A, and runs under Windows 9x, NT and 2K. Careware. Source code included. 755K
Win92 Prefer a GUI rather than a command line? (You kids today!!) Then take a look at Don Starr's excellent full-featured freeware Windows program for the 92/2067. Win92 is everything that Data Manager should have been.
92Linux At last!! Non-Windows software. Steve Falco has translated 92ware into C, for Red Hat Linux 7.1 or equivalent. Fixed a few quirks and added some much-needed diagnostics along the way. Source and executables are in the package.
Linux update, October 2004. Mark Pinkerton found serial port problems under Red Hat 9.0. He has provided an update and revised source. These are RPM packages, which I know nothing about (not a Linux user) but if you need this you'll know what it is.
PRO-92 Cables Any software for the 92/2067 needs a special interface cable. The one sold by Radio Shack with the GRE Data Manager software obviously works. Bill Petrowsky designed an equivalent interface cable. Full two-way connection, and (like the GRE cable) draws its power from the computer. Bill also designed a simple one-way (load scanner only) cable based on a bipolar transistor, and a very simple two-transistor two-way cable.
Clark Bauman presents two cable designs at home.att.net/~cz17/radio/a dapter.htm One is a simple one-way cable (load scanner only) that can be built for a few dollars - just one electronic component, a MOSFET available at Radio Shack. This is the famous original one-way cable. The other is a full two-way cable that is powered by a pair of 9 volt batteries. While you're there, check out Clark's railroad stuff - really cool.
Interface cables for various Casio devices also work with the PRO-92. Purple Computing sells one for $19.95, plus $5 shipping. It ends with a 2.5 mm stereo plug. Radio Shack's submini to mini stereo adapter #274-397 and mini stereo to mono adapter 274-368c ($5.33 total) will convert that to the right kind for the 92. Purple's founder, Larry Berg, invented the Casio cable, and is clearly the right guy to deal with. If you want to see how Larry's patented (#5,504,864) design works, maybe even roll your own, visit http://www.pfranc.com/pclink/myidea.htm If you build one, use a 1/8" mono plug instead of the 3/32" stereo, and connect both TX and RX to the tip.
Visit the PRO-92 board (see link below) for friendly discussion of cables and software. Cables from several other scanners and devices work, but I have not kept up with all of them.
Interface cables for the PRO-92/2067 also work with Radio Shack's new PRO-93/2053 scanners. PRO-92 software will not work with the 93.
Eternal light - If you set the backlight time to 0 (using 92ware), then once on it will stay on until the scanner is turned off. Thanks to Zac, on the pro-92.com board, for this discovery.
Want to figure out another scanner? The 92ware project began by capturing the data stream from a PRO-92. You can do the same for any other cloning scanner. Some (like the Uniden SportCat) are duck soup since they use a regular serial cable. Some (like the new Radio Shack PRO-93) use the same kind of cable as the PRO-92. But once you've got the hardware figured out, program SLURP captures a data stream from a serial device. You can set COM parameters to any values for experimentation. The default parameters are compatible with the PRO-93/2053, so you can use this to back up your setup on those scanners. Free to distribute, but not to sell.
Vintage Scanner Codes - Scanprog, by Bill Petrowsky, generates frequency codes for the following vintage scanners: Bearcat 101, Realistic COMP-100, Regency ACT-W10 (Whamo 10), Sears 5 Band Cardomatic, Tennelec MS-1 (and MS-2), and SBE Optiscan. The Optiscan portion of the program is courtesy of Gary Jacek. Instructions and a screen capture program (to save your results) included in the zip file.
LOAD64 My 64 program: a direct frequency loader for the Radio Shack PRO-64 and PRO-2041 scanners. Includes instructions for making the cable. Also includes Fortran (yes: Fortran) source code. (Note - Early in 2000, I got a 400 MHz laptop, and this program no longer worked. Limited testing suggests the DOS serial port library I used just runs out of steam at high speed. Bob Miller's wload64 works fine on faster machines.)
Indianapolis 500 Frequencies My "load64" format frequency file for the 1999 Indianapolis 500. Assembled from various sources, some current, some left over from last season. Includes all the IRL frequencies I've got, including cars not in the show. Also includes some extras: IRL and USAC officials, TV, radio, IMS PA, etc, plus short track stuff. (I never got around to updating this, and won't because I no longer have the PRO-64. It does remain here as an example of an input file.)
64-2041 Don't like programs? Here is Cathy De Viney's Excel spreadsheet for managing frequencies and loading them into the PRO-64 or 2041. Includes instructions for making the cable, and for a mod to the PRO-64 battery pack that lets you charge regular NiCads in the scanner. Version of 8/6/98. This is for the Office 97 version of Excel. For us "The old ways are the good ways" types not using Excel 97, Cathy's made an Excel 95 version. Same features, except the macros don't work. But macros are part of the new way.
64/2041 Programming protocol Want to write your own software? Or just wonder how this works? Here is a description of the transfer protocol.
wload64.zip Prefer Windows 95? Here is Bob Miller's 64/2041 loading program for Windows 95. Very nicely done, with excellent illustrated instructions. Supports APF files. Version 2.2 (December 1998), with new features, including dump to a file and single stepping.
Radio Manager Want a fancier program, with frequency management capability? Have a scanner with a more elaborate computer interface? Take a look at Radio Manager for Windows, a popular shareware program. Supports a lot more than just the PRO-64.
Programit Have a scanner without a computer interface? No problem. Take a look at John Montalbano's "Programit". Build an interface to just about *any* scanner. Then manage your frequencies and load them. Really cool shareware program, with good user group support. Also supports the PRO-64/2041 via its serial interface.
Newt Special ;-) Extend the frequency range of the PRO-64 and PRO-2041. This mod fills in a gap in the 800 MHz band. An interesting - and clever - discovery.
Want to learn more about the PRO-64 or 2041? Check out Rich Wells' reviews of the PRO-64 and PRO-2041.
Want to learn more about the PRO-92 or 2067? Want to hook up with a really great group of scanning enthusiasts? Then hang out at pro-92.com
