Radio Scanner Modifications and Information
        

Overview

Random collection of notes, schematics, software, etc.

Notes & Resources

  1. Optoelectronics - Interface Specifications & Utilities
  2. Scanner Hardware & Software Options
  3. MDT Stuff  Original 1996 USENET posting to rec.radio.scanner.
  4. MDTW1234 - Revision B  by Bonzo.  (README)  (FAQ)  (Source Code)
  5. MDTSCAN  MDT log scanner, by Bonzo.
  6. Listener/MDT v1.1  by Bonzo.
  7. POCSAG/FLEX Pager Receiving Program  (Source Code)
  8. POC32  POCSAG decoder for Windows '95.  (Manual)
  9. PDW v3.1 - Paging Decoder for Windows  POCSAG/FLEX Decoder for Windows, by Jason Petty  (v1.20)  (Manual)
  10. PD v2.05  POCSAG decoder for DOS, by Peter Baston  (Manual)  (v1.02)  v2.00)  (v2.03)  (v2.04)
  11. Mobitex Wireless Packet Data Decoder  (README)  (Source Code)
  12. KRACARS v1.2  Khalid Rafiq's freeware ACARS decoder for DOS.  (README)
  13. WACARS v0.7  ACARS reception and decoding software for Windows 95/98 + soundcard.
  14. Beginners guide to POCSAG Pager Decoding
  15. The Quick-and-Dirty Data Inteface  Data slicer using only Radio Shack parts.  (README)
  16. How to Modify Your Icom R7100 to Provide an Output Directly from the Discriminator  by Tim Jackson
  17. Computer Interface for an AOR AR8000  Schematic
  18. icomlib-1.0.0  Icom IC-PCR1000 control suite for Linux, by Javaman and PolyWog
  19. How to Build Your Own Rogue GSM BTS for Fun and Profit  by Simone Margaritelli
  20. Listening in to a DECT Digital Cordless Phone with a HackRF  (gr-dect2, re-DECTed)
  21. GE-Ease  The EDACS beep eliminator.  (Source Code)
  22. Scanner Control  by Zebra Zed.  Allows you to connect your PLL2002-equipped scanner to your computer, giving you complete control of the scanner's frequency, range, and bands.  The PLL2002 is found in about 90% of all scanners made by RadioShack.  (Source Code)
  23. Vox Recorder  A Windows utility wich allows recording sound from an audio source only when an audio signal is present; its main purpose is to avoid the recording of the silence eventually present at the input, by Nino Porcino (IZ8BLY).  (README)
  24. The Digital Sounds Library
  25. rec.radio.scanner  Via Red Wave Radio
  26. rec.radio.scanner  Via Google Groups
  27. The PRO-2006 Mailing List Archives
  28. Scanner Digest Newsletter
  29. PROgramit Project Page  Build an inexpensive computer control interface for your scanner, by John Montalbano (KA2PYJ)
  30. Radio Shack PRO-2005/6 EL Replacement
  31. Brett Saylor's Radio Shack PRO-2006 Blog
  32. Scanner Converter  Upgrade your scanner to receive signals in the 800-900 or 900-1000 MHz bands, Radio Electronics, February 1992
  33. CPUUpdater_0651_U2.9_1.exe  CPU Update v2.9 for Radio Shack PRO-651/652 scanners.  Can also be used to repair "bricked" scanners.  Requires the #20-546 programming cable.
  34. BanpaiA 1.6.09b  Grab ESN/MIN pairs with a soundcard.  (README)  (Website)  (294k ZIP)
  35. Realistic DX-394 Modifications
  36. Receive GOES-16 and GOES-17 Images with a Raspberry Pi and RTL-SDR Dongle
  37. The Spectrum Monitor  The Spectrum Monitor is edited and published by Ken Reitz KS4ZR, former managing editor, features editor, columnist and feature writer for Monitoring Times.
  38. Monitoring Times Back Issues  1982-2013
  39. Popular Communications Back Issues  1982-2013

SDR Information

  1. The Hobbyists Guide to RTL-SDR  By the authors of the rtl-sdr.com blog.  (25M PDF)
  2. SATSAGEN Spectrum Analyzer Software Updated: Now Supports RTL-SDR
  3. An Introduction to Pagers with the HackRF PortaPack and an RTL-SDR
  4. Testing Report: MAYHEM the RF Pentesting HackRF/PortaPack Firmware  (Video)  (Mayhem Firmware)
  5. How to Replay RF Signals Using SDR
  6. Raspberry Pi RTL-SDR Spectrum Analyzer Scanner

Trunked Radio Information & Software

  1. Trunking System Analyzer  by jvpoll@dallas.net  (Original)
  2. Trunked Radio Decoders  From The RadioReference Wiki
  3. Determining Motorola Type I Fleetmaps  An excellent FAQ/guide written by Dave Goodson outlining how to determine Fleetmaps for Type I systems.
  4. Fleetmap Excel Spreadsheet  Spreadsheet that helps with talkgroup conversions from TT to Motorola and determining Type I Fleetmaps.
  5. TRUNKER.EXE V3.x
  6. The TRUNKER Utility - v3.8.1  This utility decodes the Motorola Trunked Data Channel.  It will decode Type I, Type II, Hybrid Systems, 800, 900, and 400 MHz systems, Smartnet and Smartzone systems.  It will also drive a second scanner for "TrunkTracking" -- allowing one to monitor Group calls, Individual calls, and patch calls using a two scanner setup.  (Screen Shots)  (Feb. 7, 2000)
  7. The TRUNKER Utility - v3.8.2  IMPORTANT - BACKUP and SAVE your trunker data files before running 3.8.2 against them, since there are numerous changes in the way the application processes them.  (Documentation)  (Nov. 25, 2000)
  8. The TRUNKER Utility - v3.8.3  (May 7, 2001)  (Documentation)
  9. The ETRUNK Utility - v3.8.1  This utility decodes the Ericsson EDACS Trunked Data Channel.  It will decode all EDACS trunking systems and drive a second scanner for tracking calls.  This archive also includes an executable that will decode 4800 baud narrowband EDACS systems.
  10. Trunking Digital Signals Decoding  The Interfaces for Decoding Digital Signals
  11. TrunkTracker Technical Tips  Keypad tricks and other information for the Bearcat TrunkTrackers.
  12. Logic Trunked Radio (LTR) FAQ  (655k PDF)
  13. Tips, Tricks and Useful Information for Using Your TrunkTracker  by T.R. Swisher, Jr. (WA8PYR)
  14. Radio Shack Trunking Scanner FAQ
  15. LTR Data Slicer
  16. Trunked System Monitoring Tips and Information
  17. Win32 TRUNK88  v4.90A, v4.89W, and v4.63
  18. Configuring UniTrunker Support in SDRSharp  by Bob Rich  (YouTube)
  19. P25 Trunked Tracking and Decoding with RTL-SDR, Unitrunker, AND DSDPlus  by Jeffrey Kopcak

Bill Cheek Scanner Notes / FAQs / CE-232 Interface

  1. 4-Level FSK Decoder FAQ  Want to try your hand at decoding those mysterious FLEX and ReFLEX signals?  This FAQ will get you launched!
  2. Scanner Modifications FAQ  Pretty much the hard-core, down & dirty nitty-gritty about modifying scanners.
  3. Scanner Data Decoder FAQ  Roll your own Data Decoder Interface and start decoding digital data from the airwaves.
  4. Scanner Performance FAQ  Here's the hard core about what separates the men from the boys in scanner performance.
  5. Scanner S-Meter FAQ  How the heck is it possible to do some serious scanning without an S-Meter? Well, here is how to roll your own S-meter for many scanners.
  6. Scanner Radios FAQ   All about what separates the men from the boys when it comes to scanning receivers.
  7. NFM Discriminator Chips  Taps for baseband audio and squelch gate data.
  8. The World Scanner Report  Bill Cheek's scanner newsleter.
  9. Tracking Trunked Radio Systems  Without a 'real' TrunkTracker scanner!
  10. Decoding Digital Data
  11. Modifying the Sony WaveHawk  Monitoring Times, June 1999
  12. S-Meter for PRO-2004/5/6 & Other Scanners
  13. Lung Cancer Diagnosis
  14. Government v. Citizen
  15. Busted Scanners  by James B. Kelleher
  16. Bill Cheek's Last Stand  by James B. Kelleher
  17. Final World  by Cindy Cheek
  18. Scanner Modification Handbook, Vol. 1  by Bill Cheek  (12.3M PDF)
  19. Scanner Modification Handbook, Vol. 2  by Bill Cheek  (15.7M PDF)
  20. Cheek3: The Ultimate Scanner  by Bill Cheek  (22.4M PDF)

World Scanner Report Archive

  1. Table of Contents
  2. Keyword Index
  3. Vol. 1, No. 1  January 1991
  4. Vol. 1, No. 2  February 1991
  5. Vol. 1, No. 3  March 1991
  6. Vol. 1, No. 4  April 1991
  7. Vol. 1, No. 5  May-June 1991
  8. Vol. 1, No. 6  July 1991
  9. Vol. 1, No. 7  August 1991
  10. Vol. 1, No. 8  September 1991
  11. Vol. 1, No. 9  October 1991
  12. Vol. 1, No. 10  November-December 1991
  13. Vol. 2, No. 1  January 1992
  14. Vol. 2, No. 2  February 1992
  15. Vol. 2, No. 3  March 1992
  16. Vol. 2, No. 4  April 1992
  17. Vol. 2, No. 5  May-June 1992
  18. Vol. 2, No. 6  July 1992
  19. Vol. 2, No. 7  August 1992
  20. Vol. 2, No. 8  September 1992
  21. Vol. 2, No. 9  October 1992
  22. Vol. 2, No. 10  November-December 1992
  23. Vol. 5, No. 1  
  24. Vol. 5, No. 2  
  25. Vol. 5, No. 3  
  26. Vol. 5, No. 4  
  27. Vol. 5, No. 5  
  28. Vol. 5, No. 6  
  29. Vol. 5, No. 7  
  30. Vol. 5, No. 8  
  31. Vol. 5, No. 9  
  32. Vol. 5, No. 10  

HB-232 & CE-232 Interface Information

  1. An Overview of the CE-232 Scanner/Computer Interface
  2. Computer Interfaces Chapter  CE-232 chapter from Cheek3: The Ultimate Scanner
  3. CE-232 Scanner/Computer Interface  Program Disk Version 1.0b / HB-232 v1.3 / Nov. 15, 1995.  George M. Steidley & COMMtronics Engineering  (Extracted Contents)
  4. CE-232 Miscellaneous Files
  5. CE-232 README
  6. Assembly, Installation, & Operating Manual for the CE-232 Scanner/Computer Interface
  7. HB-232 & CE-232 Software Developer Information  (1992 Original)
  8. A Tutorial on the CE-232 Scanner/Computer Interface's Script Feature and Language Summary
  9. A Tutorial on the CE-232 Scanner/Computer Interface's Enhanced User Features & Facilities
  10. A Tutorial on the CE-232 Scanner/Computer Interface's Auto-Reject Function
  11. A Tutorial on the CE-232 Scanner/Computer Interface's Auto-Lookup Function
  12. A Tutorial on the CE-232 Scanner/Computer Interface's Auto-Logger Function
  13. Understanding and Making Auto-Programmer Files for the CE-232 Scanner/Computer Interface
  14. A Tutorial on the CE-232 Scanner/Computer Interface's Enhanced User Features & Facilities
  15. CE-232 Script Example  Finds and auto-logs all "birdies" in the scanner.
  16. LINK123.SCR  This script will link three search ranges 1, 2, and 3.
  17. Hex Dump of the CE-232's Pre-Programmed 68HC11  This document is a personality file for the PRO-2006 scanner.
  18. CE-232 News & Updates
  19. HBIODEMO.BAS  HBIODEMO.BAS is a program demonstrating interfacing with the HB232 scanner interface unit.  It may be run under DOS 5.0's QBasic Interpreter or under QuickBasic 4.5.
  20. HB-232 System Block Diagram
  21. Wiring Plan for the HB-232 Interface
  22. HB-232 PCB Parts & Wiring Layout
  23. From the SHIFT-? Easter Egg
  24. Pro-Turbo Manual  (685k PDF)
  25. Pro-Turbo Documentation Archive

Radio Shack PRO-83 Scanner Utilities

  1. Radio Shack PRO-83 - User Manual  Radio Shack #20-501  (650k PDF)
  2. Load83 v1.1  (367k ZIP)  (Load83 Manual)
  3. PRO-83 Manager Version 1.0.15  by Jay L. Bray  (3.4M ZIP)

Frequency & Protocol Data

  1. Green Bay / Brown County, Wisconsin Frequencies
  2. Wisconsin Statewide Frequencies
  3. Huge Scanner Listing Arranged by Frequency (Green Bay, WI)  by Steve Lampereur, KB9MWR
  4. Space Shuttle Mission Frequency Guide
  5. Frequency Allocations
  6. Info on FBI Communications Systems
  7. CSA Federal Frequency Guide  v1.0 - May 2009
  8. U.S. Military UHF MILSATCOM Frequencies
  9. U.S. Military Frequencies
  10. 900 MHz Cordless Telephone Frequencies
  11. POCSAG Pager Signal Information
  12. Motorola Trunked Radio Control Channel Information
  13. Motorola Trunking Systems Information
  14. Ericsson EDACS Trunking Systems Information
  15. Ericsson EDACS Trunked Radio Control Channel
  16. Ericsson EDACS Control Channel Monitoring Program
  17. Encryption Protocols  A brief look at analog and digital encryption devices, by Doug G.
  18. APCO25 Digital Scanner Project
  19. DTMF Basic Facts

Miscellanous Hardware

  1. Mini-Circuits MAR-6 Preamp  Schematic
  2. Electro Luminescent Panel Switch  Schematic
  3. Improve the Squelch in Your Monitor Receiver  by Bob Parnass (AJ9S)
  4. 50 MHz Bandpass Filter  Schematic
  5. Light Mod for the Bearcat 235XLT TrunkTracker  by Sly Kapchinski (N5GQB)

Data Slicer

Used to convert 2- or 4-level FSK information into 1's and 0's

  1. Data Slicer  Instructions
  2. Data Slicer  Schematic
  3. RF Digital Signaling Basics  by Mycal Johnson., Mycal Labs
  4. Decoding Manchester Encoded Data  Linux/FreeBSD code examples.

Fed Monit: Scanner Audio Recorder

Total hack to record audio from your scanner using your computer.

Descrambling Cordless Phones

How to descramble speech inversion cordless phones (those Donald Duck-sounding ones)

  1. Descrambling Cordless Phones  Instructions
  2. Descrambling Cordless Phones  Schematic
  3. Single-Mode Inversion Voice Scrambler/Descrambler
  4. VoiceInvert v0.2  Windows program for decoding baseband speech inversion transmissions.  (1.8M ZIP)  (Notes)
  5. INVERT.EXE  Simple speech inversion decoder for Windows by Tony Rusho  (Notes)
  6. Spectrum Inverter (SI)  Russian real-time speech inversion decoder for Windows.  (232k ZIP)
  7. Voice Descrambler  This program descrambles band inverted encrypted transmissions, usually found on VHF/UHF.  It uses a NCO (numerical controlled oscillator) to re-produce the originally inverted audio band, by Nino Porcino (IZ8BLY).

Operating & Service Manuals / Schematics

  1. Radio Shack PRO-2050 Service Manual  Radio Shack Cat. #20-430A  (1.9M PDF)
  2. Radio Shack PRO-2042 Parts List  Radio Shack Cat. #20-464
  3. Radio SHack PRO-2035 Service Manual  Radio Shack Cat. #20-460  (2.0M PDF)
  4. Radio Shack PRO-2032 Schematic
  5. Radio Shack PRO-2027 Service Manual  Radio Shack Cat. #20-402  (3.0M PDF)
  6. Radio Shack PRO-2026 Service Manual  Radio Shack Cat. #20-148  (5.1M PDF)
  7. Radio Shack PRO-2022 Service Manual  Radio Shack Cat. #20-127  (10.5M PDF)
  8. Radio Shack PRO-2021 Service Manual  Radio Shack Cat. #20-113  (1.6M PDF)
  9. Radio Shack PRO-2020 Service Manual  Radio Shack Cat. #20-112  (10.4M PDF)
  10. Radio Shack PRO-2006 Service Manual  Radio Shack Cat. #20-145  (10.1M PDF)  (Schematics)
  11. Radio Shack PRO-2004 Service Manual  Radio Shack Cat. #20-119  (25.1M PDF)
  12. Radio Shack PRO-197 Serivce Manual  Radio Shack Cat. #20-197  (5.7M PDF)
  13. Radio Shack PRO-106 Service Manual  Radio Shack Cat. #20-106  (2.2M PDF)
  14. Radio Shack PRO-94 Service Manual  Radio Shack Cat. #20-524  (8.9M PDF)
  15. Radio Shack PRO-60 Service Manual  Radio Shack Cat. #20-309  (1.9M PDF)
  16. Radio Shack PRO-50 Schematic  
  17. Radio Shack PRO-43 Service Manual  Radio Shack Cat. #20-300  (1.9M PDF)
  18. Radio Shack PRO-38 Schematic
  19. Radio Shack PRO-34 Service Manual  Radio Shack Cat. #20-135  (18.8M PDF)
  20. Radio Shack PRO-9 Owner's Manual + Schematic  Radio Shack Cat. #20-164  (471k PDF)
  21. Radio Shack PRO-6 Owner's Manual + Schematic  (513k PDF)
  22. Radio Shack PRO-3A Owner's Manual + Schematic  Radio Shack Cat. #20-452  (420k PDF)
  23. Radio Shack PRO-2 Owner's Manual + Schematic  Radio Shack Cat. #20-160  (228k PDF)
  24. Sony ICF-SC1 Service Manual  (1.9M PDF)
  25. Icom IC-R7100 Service Manual  (26.1M PDF)
  26. Universal M-400 Decoder Owner's Manual  v2.0  (19.3M PDF)

Links

  1. SatTrackCam Leiden (b)log  SatTrackCam Leiden (Cospar 4353) is a satellite tracking station located at Leiden, the Netherlands.  The tracking focus is on classified objects - i.e. "spy satellites"

  2. Helicopters of D.C.

  3. N2YO - Real-Time Satellite Tracking & Predictions

  4. Deep Black Horizon  by Steve A. Douglass

  5. PoTom's Radio and Cellular Projects Page


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