Win93 Download Page
(For information about "ScanHack" click here)
Copyright © 2002, 2003 Don Starr - All Rights Reserved, portions by Ken Plotkin, Bill Petrowsky
Questions or comments- email: Win93@starrsoft.com
NOTE: If you downloaded version 00.29 before 08:40 PST
on Friday 07 Feb 2003, you'll need to get it again. There was a small bug that
killed the Serial Configuration function
Though it is free to use, Win93 is copyrighted software. Please read the
License Agreement.
Programming Cable Information
Win93 is a Windows "GUI" application for the Radio Shack Pro-93 trunking
scanner. It allows you to read data from the scanner, make changes via the GUI,
and write the modified data back. It will read / write the scanner in less than
60 seconds. You can maintain a "library" of data files to be downloaded or
shared. Win93 uses the 'standard' P93 data format for its files, as well as a
text file format that can be used for printing or manual editing.
Click here for a sample screenshot (141 kB)
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Extended Frequency Ranges!
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As of version 00.23, Win93 allows you to enter any frequency
between 5 kHz and 1.3 GHz, excluding the cellular ranges. This
fills the "gaps" in the PRO-93's coverage (e.g. between
54 MHz and 108 MHz). For ranges below 460 MHz, the step size is 5
kHz; for ranges above 460 MHz, the step size is 6.25 kHz.
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This feature can only be used in programmed channels - it does
not work in the user-defined Limit Search (SR5). The scanner makes
additional checks for "valid" frequencies. It has to, so
that it can jump between its valid ranges as it's scanning.
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UPDATE! You can search through the Extended Ranges!
Using Win93, program an out-of-range frequency into some channel.
On the PRO-93, select that channel in "manual mode". Press FUNC TUNE.
The scanner will no search up (or down) from that frequency. If you
let it enter a "valid" range, it won't go back to the invalid range,
so you'll have to select the channel and hit FUNC TUNE again.
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NOTE:
There has been an item sold on eBay that claims to "unlock" the
frequencies in the PRO-92/2067, PRO-93/2053, and PRO-95. I have been
informed that this item is merely a set of 151 .P95 files (for use with
my Win95 app). Together, these files contain all of the frequencies in
all of the "extra ranges" as added by Win93 and Win95. One could
create this data himself by using a program like Microsoft Excel to fill
columns with incremental frequency data, then copy and paste to Win93 or
Win95. Instructions for doing this can be found
at this link.
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Reception in some ranges may be affected by filtering and other
characteristics of the scanner. For example, while the scanner will
tune and receive commercial FM broadcasts, reception will be distorted.
FM broadcasts are wideband, while the scanner is a narrowband receiver.
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NOTE: This does not enable any cellular frequencies.
The scanner appears to block any such frequencies.
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Revision History
The use of the program should be pretty self-explanatory. You download from the
scanner, select Open from the File menu to load an existing P93 or
text file, or select New from the File menu to
start from scratch. You then set up your frequencies, trunking information, and other
scanner settings. Next, upload to the scanner and save the file. I'll post Q & A
stuff on this page as people have questions. (There's actually a bit of information
on the Win92 page that applies to Win93, as they share common
features and operation.)
If you're interested in the various cable, CPU, and serial port configurations,
there is a table here that is a compilation of reports
from users. NOTE: As of 12 Feb 2002, this page now includes a list of pro93.com
cable purchase dates, adapters, and status, as reported by users.
Download latest version (this is a ZIP file -
you'll need WinZip, PowerArchiver, or an equivalent decompression utility in
order to extract files)
The link above is the program only - it doesn't include a couple of system files
that are required to run it. If you're using a recent version of any Microsoft product,
then you should already have these files. If Win93 complains that it can't find a
file or component necessary to run (or something like that), you can get the required
files in this ZIP file. Merely extract the DLLs into the
same directory/folder where you put the Win93.exe program.
For cables - I would recommend the "Casio cable" available from
Purple Computing.
You'll also find there the Radio Shack part numbers for two adapters you will need.
Everybody I've heard from has had great success with this cable/adapter combination.
Some computers may not like this type of cable - since the circuitry in the cable
draws its power from the lines in the serial port, the computer's COM port must be
able to supply a certain amount of current. Some computers can't supply enough power
on their serial port lines. For such machines, the only alternative is to build a
self-powered (uses batteries) cable. Schematics for these can be found in the
Yahoo PRO-92 group.
Version 00.31 13 February 2003, 11:50 PST
- Fixed a bug that would cause 'erasure' of bank 0 channels 19-25 in one
file when you saved another file.
Version 00.31 13 February 2003, 11:50 PST
- Fixed a bug that would cause 'erasure' of bank 0 channels 19-25 in one
file when you saved another file.
Version 00.30 07 February 2003, 11:49 PST
- Fixed the slow upload time when using a one-way cable.
Version 00.29 07 February 2003, 08:00 PST
- Added the ability to enable or disable the "serial readback" function that
was added the previous release. If you use a one-way cable or another cable
that gives you a "readback error", uncheck the new box in the Serial Configuration
window (Configuration -> Serial).
- Added another copy test in the Bank Editor, so that you cannot copy to a bank
that is already being copied to another bank. For example, if you are already
copying Bank 0 to Bank 3, you cannot copy Bank 5 to Bank 0.
Version 00.28 06 February 2003, 17:45 PST
- The serial I/O code (upload, download, verify) is now able to determine
whether the scanner is connected or not. If an incorrect COM port is
selected, an unsupported cable is used, or the scanner is not powered
ON, an error message will be displayed. IMPORTANT: If you are using a
one-way cable, DO NOT DOWNLOAD THIS VERSION.
- Added a Bank Editor function. You can move, copy, and clear banks in a few
simple steps. The new function is on the Edit menu, and can also be accessed
via Alt-B.
Version 00.27 31 January 2003, 10:05 PST
- Fixed a bug in the handling of "zero" frequencies (0.00000 MHz).
Version 00.26 28 January 2003, 08:30 PST
- Fixed a bug in pasting external data to the frequency list.
Version 00.25 27 January 2003, 12:30 PST
- Changed all of the "text" edit controls (Bank Name, etc.) to
use a fixed-pitch font (Courier).
- Added the ability to select the fixed-pitch font for use in the
Alpha Tag fields of the various grids.
- New items in the User Interface dialog for control of the above
two options.
- Code consolidation related to Win92 upgrades.
Version 00.24 04 December 2002, 08:30 PST
- Fixed a bug in the 'move up / move down' code. If you were editing
an alpha tag, frequency, or talk group ID (such that you had the
blinking cursor in the edit field), and you tried to move the entry
up or down, Win93 would crash.
Version 00.23 16 November 2002, 14:35 PST
- Added the ability to program frequencies outside the PRO-93's normal
ranges. All frequencies below 406MHz use a 5kHz step size, while all
frequencies above 406MHz use a 6.25kHz step size. Test results for
the added ranges are here. NOTE: This does
NOT unlock cellular frequencies.
Version 00.22 24 October 2002, 08:00 PDT
- Fixed a bug in the switching between talk group sub-banks. If an invalid
entry is found, then that entry and all after it were copied from the old
sub-bank to the new one. For example, if editing in sub-bank 1 and ID #04
is in valid, and you select sub-bank 3, then sub-bank 1's entries from
ID #04 through ID #19 were copied into sub-bank 3.
- Changed the "Warn on Duplicate Talk Group IDs" feature so that it ignores
ID values of zero. If you were editing an ID, changed the value to zero,
and then completed the editing process (TAB, Enter, mouse click, etc.),
the program would complain that the zero entry was a duplicate.
- Changed the "Warn on Duplicate Talk Group IDs" feature so that it checks
all sub-banks in the current bank. It used to only check the current sub-bank.
Version 00.21 26 August 2002, 22:15 PDT
- Miscellaneous cleanups. A few rendering optimizations, in preparation
for Win92's "updating".
Version 00.20 27 April 2002, 11:45 PDT
- Added the ability to control the "seek search mode". This is the
mode that is entered when you press FUNC 7 while in Search mode. See
page 36 of the manual.
Version 00.19 12 March 2002, 20:05 PST
- Fixed the creation of "default" channel alpha tags when you create
a new template.
- Added the ability to control the "sub-bank on/off mode". This is the
mode that is entered when you press FUNC TRUNK while stopped on a voice
transmission in a trunked system, and which lets you turn sub-banks on
and off (see page 61 of the manual). This feature has been added to take
care of the (rare?) cases where you get a P93 file that seems "stuck"
in this mode. If you turn this mode on from within Win93, you'll see a
display similar to "T IDbk 01..." in the third line of the display when
the scanner stops on a voice transmission. You can temporarily get back
to "normal" display (channel alpha tag) by pressing FUNC TRUNK when the
scanner stops on a voice transmission (this will only last until the
next time you power-cycle the scanner; after that, it will return to the
"T IDbk 01..." display).
Version 00.18 02 March 2002, 08:20 PST
- Added the ability to search for Talk Group IDs (in addition to
frequencies and alpha tags). Note that since the interpretation and
display of Talk Group IDs is dependent on the bank's trunking mode,
this is really only useful for looking for an existing ID in the
current bank. For example, if you have a MOT-II bank and have an
ID there of 1616 (decimal), then searching for 1616 in another bank
that is set to "Conv" (not trunked) won't find the ID in the MOT-II
bank. Because of the way IDs are stored in the scanner (and in Win93),
you'd have to search for ID 101 from the "Conv" bank.
- Fixed a problem with searching for alpha tags in Talk Groups where
it would only search in the first sub-bank, and would highlight
entries in the wrong (current) sub-bank if it found a match in
sub-bank 0. It now looks through all sub-banks and highlights the
correct one.
- Added a warning message if you enter a duplicate Talk Group ID. It
only looks in the current bank (obviously) and in the current sub-bank
(because of the cases where you might use "overlapping" sub-banks).
You can turn the warning on/off via a new item in the Configuration
menu.
Version 00.17 21 February 2002, 20:10 PST
- Moved them serial configuration menu items into their own dialog box,
so that I could allow COM ports from 1 to 256. This has been tested
with the three USB adapters I bought - I am able to select any COM port
from 4 to 256 (1 to 3 are already used on my laptop) for any of the
USB adapters.
Version 00.16 17 February 2002, 15:35 PST
- Rewrote some of the serial read/write code. Now works with the Belkin
F5U012 USB->Serial adapter.
Version 00.15 16 February 2002, 12:15 PST
- Fixed the tool tip on the "move entry up" button.
- The DEL and INS keys now perform the functions of the "Delete Item" and
"Insert Item" buttons on the Channels page.
- Added items on the Edit menu for Insert, Delete, Move Up, and Move Down
functions.
Version 00.14 16 February 2002, 07:52 PST
- Fixed a bug in the Trunk ID handling where entering data into the 19th
ID of any bank or sub-bank would cause the program to crash.
- Fixed a bug in channel alpha tag handling that would actually shift the
tags up by one channel in the scanner's memory map.
- Added a delay option to the upload code, in order to support certain
USB -> Serial converters (specifically, the "IOGEAR GUC232A USB PDA/SERIAL
ADAPTER").
- Fixed a bug that could cause a crash if you tried to use a serial port
that didn't exist.
Version 00.13 15 February 2002, 15:07 PST
- Data-entry grids now only "grow" enough to show their data. This is
to eliminate the ugly blank space at the bottom of the list. The
grids will be resized correctly (grow/shrink) if the row height
is changed via Configuration -> User Interface.
- Added the ability to control the display format (Alpha Tags or ID Code)
for Trunk IDs (Bill found the controlling bit). This should take care
of the text vs. code problem that was discussed in the Yahoo group
thread "Toggling Between Text and ID's", started by Phil on Wed Feb 13,
2002 9:05 pm. It sounds like Phil had set the ID mode then downloaded
to the PC. The resulting P93 file had "ID mode" set. This is now
controllable on the "Settings" page in Win93.
Version 00.12 14 February 2002, 12:50 PST
- Fixed scrolling limits for smaller (e.g. 640 x 480) displays.
- Repaired the lost tool tips on the Channels page.
- Limited all Alpha Tag data entry to 12 characters.
Version 00.11 13 February 2002, 18:10 PST
- Allowed horizontal resizing, stretching and shrinking the grid controls and
relocating all other controls in the process.
Version 00.10 13 February 2002, 14:00 PST
- Changed the "Maximize" code so that it a) won't get too big horizontally
and b) centers the window horizontally on the screen.
Version 00.09 13 February 2002, 13:48 PST
- Allow vertical resizing of the main window beyond the previous maximum.
You may now increase the vertical size to the limits of your display. All
of the lists in all of the pages will grow accordingly. This will allow,
if you have a large enough display, viewing of all channels and talk groups
without scrolling.
- Enabled the "Maximize" function. Since resizing in the horizontal direction
beyond the predefined maximum is not (yet?) supported, you may end up with
a bunch of blank space on the right side of the window after maximizing.
Don't ask when I'll support resizing horizontally - it's a major PITA and
I'm not sure I'm going to do it.
- The program will now remember its position and size on the screen, so that
if you've done any resizing, you won't have to do it every time you run the
program. The "restored" (non-minimized, non-maximized) position is saved,
and that's how the program will come up the next time.
Version 00.08 12 February 2002, 16:10 PST
- Fixed a bug where I wasn't properly handling the column sizes (the new
Grid Controls all have one more column than the previous versions, and
the INI file didn't have a width value for the new column).
Version 00.07 12 February 2002, 14:00 PST
- Fixed a bug in the Frequency Search, where it would truncate trailing
zeroes in the entered frequency, causing more matches to be found.
- Rewrote / replaced all of the data grid code (this is the code that
handles entry and display of alpha tags, frequencies, etc.). Details
on the usage of the new display can be found here.
Version 00.06 07 February 2002, 14:45 PST
- Increased copy/paste compatibility with Win92
Version 00.05 05 February 2002, 16:40 PST
- Added tool tips to all the rest of the controls, on every page
Version 00.04 04 February 2002, 20:50 PST
- Added retry logic to the Download code - will now make up to 5 attempts
to trigger the download before reporting an error.
- Added tool tips to the buttons on the Channels page.
Version 00.03 04 February 2002, 12:50 PST
- Fixed the Display Contrast setting - it wasn't allowing you to enter negative
numbers
- Changed the text file format so that it can be used in Windows Notepad and
other editors (changed LF characters into CR/LF pairs).
Version 00.02 04 February 2002, 08:55 PST
- Fixed a divide-by-zero bug that could happen if you had lockout frequencies in
SR2 - SR5
Version 00.01 03 February 2002, 15:15 PST
