ScannerCast Setup Instructions

Radio Reference Live Audio Software

Radio Reference distributes a customized version of K1PGV's ScannerCast™, ScannerCast RR Edition, for use by feed providers. For setup information see the official step-by-step instructions available here: RR Live Audio Broadcasting Software

Frequently Asked Questions About ScannerCast RR Edition

Tags:

• What scanners does ScannerCast support sending tags for?
  ScannerCast supports the following scanners for retrieving and sending tags:
  • GRE PSR-500, PSR-600
  • Uniden BC346XT, BCD396t, BCD396xt, BCD996t, BCD996xt, BCT-15, BCT-15x
  • Radio Shack PRO-197, PRO-106
    
    
• Are other scanners supported AT ALL?
  Sure! But in "audio only" mode -- That is, they can't send tags.
  
  
• Can ScannerCast be configured to send tags via the Talkgroup Monitor program?
  No.
  
  
• Will tags be supported on more scanner models in the future?
  The developer says that he hopes to support additional scanner models in the future, but there has been no decision as to which models will be supported, and in any case it will be many months before any new scanner models are supported for tag retrieval.
  
  

Startup

Help!

I get an error from Windows when I try to start ScannerCast!
From ScannerCast's author K1PGV's Web Site [1]:

One error the first-time users sometimes report is that they attempt to start ScannerCast and they are greeted with a Windows message saying "The application failed to initialize properly" and an error code 0xC0000135. Or they get a message saying something about the .Net Framework. These errors are caused by the Microsoft .NET framework not being installed on your computer. Before you can run ScannerCast, you'll need to download and install .NET Framework V2.0 or later from Microsoft's web site: [2]

Note that most Windows systems, including all Windows Vista and Windows 7 systems, already have the Microsoft .NET Framework installed. Windows 8 and Windows 10 may need older version of .NET framework installed,

How do I get ScannerCast to start automatically when my system reboots?
Add ScannerCast to your Windows "Startup" program group. In addition, go to ScannerCast's "Advanced" tab and check the "Resume Broadcast on Restart" check box, and optionally the "Minimize to System Tray" and "Start Minimized" check boxes. When all your desired options are set in ScannerCast, click "Start Broadcast" -- When your broadcast has been successfully started, ScannerCast will save the options you selected. Now, when your system reboots, ScannerCast will automatically restart.

How can I run multiple copies of ScannerCast on one machine, to allow me to support multiple feeds?
It's easy. From ScannerCast's author K1PGV's Web Site:

ScannerCast takes an optional command-line parameter that's interpreted as a configuration file name.

This means that if you start ScannerCast with the following command:

ScannerCast config1.ini

ScannerCast will

1. Read parameters from the configuration file "config1.ini" when it starts (if this file exists -- If it doesn't exist, ScannerCast uses its default parameters).
2. Save any changes that you make to the configuration in the file named "foo.ini"

By the way, ScannerCast saves configuration information after it successfully starts broadcasting (after you click the "Start Broadcast" button).

Specifying the config file name at startup allows you to have a single copy of ScannerCast on your disk (located, for example, in the directory C:\ScannerCast, containing ScannerCast and all of it's DLLs) but to run that one copy multiple times, each time with a different configuration file. This makes it easy for you to update and maintain ScannerCast (no having to update multiple copies on your system), and also maximizes code sharing (the DLLs are shared among all ScannerCast instances to reduce memory use).

Setting Audio Levels

• Does ScannerCast have an audio level meter like Edcast?
  Not yet. However, the developer will be adding this feature in future releases.
  
  
• Does ScannerCast have audio level adjustments? No, not yet, but it will take audio fed to it, and automatically adjust the loudness, that doesn't mean to send a Line In put at 100% Volume, but it can adjust the level of audio sent to it very well.
• Without the audio level meter, what's a good way for me to set my audio levels?
  There are a couple of good ways. The first (recommended by RR user Chauffeur6) is to download one of the free Audio Level Meter applications from [3]. Both the Peak Level Meter V1.7 and the Digital Level Meter 1.4 are said to work well.
  
  Another option is to download the Full version of Winamp (also free), and select the Modern skin, which contains a graphic "spectrum analyzer." Listening to your own feed with this version of Winamp and watching the spectrum analyzer, adjust your scanner's audio volume so that none of the bars hits the very top of the graph ("clips"), or at least does so rarely.
  
  Of course, setting the audio levels for any scanner usually involve some trade-offs given how much the volume can vary from channel to channel. Experiment until you get the sound you like!
  • Note: Scanners can be set reasonably Loud before distortion occurs, if you have used an external speaker, it's possibly nearly the same Scanner Volume setting. Do not set Line In any higher than necessary or noise carried over the cable will be amplified (white or other noises)

Remote Control

• The Enable Web Control button on the Advanced tab is grayed out... How do I turn it on?
  Sorry, but this feature of ScannerCast isn't implemented yet.
  
  
• I'm running ScannerCast with tags. How can I change the programming in my scanner or hold on a talk group? I can't run my favorite remote control or programming software at the same time ScannerCast is talking to my scanner can I?
  Actually, yes you can. There's a specific feature in ScannerCast that'll let you do this. You use it as follows:
  
  While ScannerCast is running, go to the Advanced tab and click "Suspend Sending Tags" -- This will cause ScannerCast to temporarily close and release the COM port (but continue sending audio, as if your scanner were in "audio only" mode). You can then run a remote control/programming utility to change your scanner's programming, lock out channels, select different scan groups, or whatever.
  
  When you're done, exit from the remote control/programming utility and click the "Resume Sending Tags" button on ScannerCast's Advanced tab. This causes ScannerCast to go back to open the COM port again and resume sending tags.