ScoutPalDB will work with any bar code scanner that is advertised as
being fully compatible with any program that runs on the Pocket PC.
Most recently published books will have an EAN-13 bar codes printed
somewhere on them. EAN-13 bar codes are actually the underlying ISBN "transformed" into a 13
digit UPC, and in the USA, always start with "978".
EAN-13 bar codes can be found on the back cover of most
trade paperbacks, and on the back leaf of dust jackets.
(Learn more about bar codes on Amazon.com)
When scanning a mass-market
(grocery store) paperback, you will need to scan the EAN-13 bar code
that's printed on the inside front cover, not the barcode on the back cover. The
back cover bar code in mass-market paperbacks is the publisher's SKU for the book. SKU
bar codes are unique and proprietary to each publisher, and are not
used when searching or listing with Amazon.
To operate the scanner, hold it about 4 to 7 inches
above the bar code and at a slight angle to avoid having the beam bounce
back into the scanner lens, then press and release the SCAN button. The red
scan light will shoot out
as you hold the button. If the beam is not shining completely over
the bar code, just tilt the scanner, or move it closer or further away,
such that the beam shines completely over the bar code.
Refer to the picture below, showing how the red scan beam should be aimed
to shine completely over the bar code:
Note the smaller 5 digit "supplemental" bar code printed to the right
of the EAN-13 bar code, typically used to encode the publisher's list price.
It does
not need to be included in your scan, and many scanners will simply ignore it.
But if
you are using a ROV scanner refer to the ROV FAQ web page
on the ScoutPal website to learn how to disable ROV supplemental scans.
You can
scan the EAN-13 bar code either rightside-up, or upside-down, as long as the
beam is shining completely across the EAN-13 bar code, as shown.
The instant the scanner detects the bar code, the bar
code digits will appear in the
ISBN entry field. Scanners are usually very flexible, and do not need to be
held at an exact distance or at an exact angle, within
limits, but they will have optimum ways of being aimed. With just a few practice scans, you will learn how to routinely
aim the scanner such that it will accurately, efficiently and quickly capture a wide
array of bar code formats and sizes. Techniques to learn with practice
include the angle that you hold the scanner and the distance from the
scanner to the bar code.
In a nutshell, the basic instructions for scanning in printed merchandise
are:
1) Find and scan the EAN-13 bar code. (Look for a 13 digit bar code that
begins with "978".)
2) Don't scan in the SKU bar code on the back of mass-market paperbacks,
scan the bar code that's printed
inside the book.