Freescan FAQ

• I can't get it to connect with my scanner
  • See the Making the Connection article of this manual

• How do I download FreeSCAN?
  • Goto the Download section and download the .msi file. You may need to install Microsoft .Net 2.0 or higher framework if you do not already have this on your system. The install program will determine this and can download it for you.

• I get a "Critical Comms Error -2147024882" when downloading
  • You are using an obsolete operating system such as Windows 98 or WinME . FreeSCAN requires Windows 2000 or higher.

• What operating systems is FreeSCAN compatible with?
  • FreeSCAN has been shown to work with Win2k, WinXP, Windows Vista 32-bit and Win7. Some people have had some trouble running in it in 64-bit Vista. The classic edition of FreeSCAN (version .7g) will run in all those OS's and can be run in Linux using WINE.

• When trying to communicate with the scanner, I get "Exit Menu Mode before download". What does this mean?
  • Your scanner is in menu mode. Push scan to go back to normal scanning and try it again -or-
  • You are having a problem with the serial port not being setup properly.

• I get a "Critical Comms Error" when downloading, or channels or groups are missing
  • Slow down the baud rate you are using. You may also have to turn off turbo mode. Also make sure that no other process has control of the serial port that FreeScan is trying to use. Serial port errors can be caused by many different things. Most communications problems are caused by old or poor drivers for USB-Serial adapter converters. The most reliable way to link to your scanner is to use a hardware serial port.

• What scanners are supported?
  • SC230, BC246T, UBC3500XLT, BC15T, BCD396T, BR330T, BCD996T, BC346XT, BCD396XT, BCT15X, BCD996XT.

• Is my BCxxx scanner that isn't listed above supported?
  • No, only Uniden's DMA based scanners are supported

• What do I need to know to move data from one DMA scanner to another?
  • Please see the Moving DMA Data to Other Radios in Freescan article

• How can I move data from my DMA scanner to a non-DMA scanner?
  • Please see the Export to CSV article

• Why create FreeSCAN?
  • At the time I bought my 246, there was no free software available that supported both trunked and conventional systems. I decided there was a need for some free software for these scanners that would provide both trunked and conventional system support. I also have a good platform for constant development into what I eventually hope to become The Ultimate Scanner Program®.

• Why is FreeSCAN free (as in free beer)?
  • I like free software. I like software I can just download and go and use. I don't like nag screens, demos, time limitations, functionality limitations, spyware, annoying toolbars, registration codes, "call home" software, activating software, and all the other stuff that seems to be the rage these days with programmers.

• What should I do if I encounter a bug?
  • If you encounter a bug, then please log onto the forum and report it. You can also email the webmaster directly. Please include what kind of a scanner you have and the program version. Minor bugs will get fixed in the next release, showstoppers (although rare) get fixed in a couple days.

• Is it Mac compatible?
  • No

Return to the FreeScan User Guide