536 GPS Effect

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Mrgolfer0

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Uniden programs these computers to where their user manual doesn't even go to in explaining. Mark's manual don't cover it well either.

Maybe I can get some help from the RR user base?

Okay, I bought the gps kit, and figured this baby would negotiate me through all the zip codes of America. Not so!!

Is there a setting to be set to use the gps, because I pick up the national database for at least a 100 mile radius, not what I expected.

I know I can bulld a favorite list and adjust the range. Lots of work on my part. It seems to me that Uniden took me for ride with their scanner expectations.

Is there a solution or am I sap?

Thank you,
Jay
 

ofd8001

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I recently made a trip from Louisville KY to Minneapolis MN with a 536 connected to a GPS. It seemed to work fairly well with "things" being turned on and off as appropriate to my location.

There are systems in the national database that have a fairly large range because they are statewide systems. For example, the Colorado Civil Air Patrol has a range of 247.2 miles.

You might want to spot check some of those systems that you question. Start Sentinel, go into the database, locate the system and append it to a Favorites List. Then use the Favorites List editor to see what location settings have been assigned to the system/sites/departments. You may find that the scanner is behaving the way it should.

You may also wish to use Sentinel to edit the profile you have in your scanner. Go to the Location Settings tab and see what Range is selected. If you have a large value there, that may impact your results. (Mine is set at 10.0 miles).

The following links should provide you with some additonal information on location based scanning:

How it Works: Location, Location, Location

LocationBasedScanning < UnidenMan4 < TWiki

(The one above is more geared toward those who do their own programming, as in Favorites Lists).

Location Based Scanning - The RadioReference Wiki
 

Mrgolfer0

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Thank you for your info and references. I see I've further researching and exploring to do. Jay
 

signal500

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Uniden programs these computers to where their user manual doesn't even go to in explaining. Mark's manual don't cover it well either.

Maybe I can get some help from the RR user base?

Okay, I bought the gps kit, and figured this baby would negotiate me through all the zip codes of America. Not so!!

Is there a setting to be set to use the gps, because I pick up the national database for at least a 100 mile radius, not what I expected.

I know I can bulld a favorite list and adjust the range. Lots of work on my part. It seems to me that Uniden took me for ride with their scanner expectations.

Is there a solution or am I sap?

Thank you,
Jay

Change the range to 0 or 1 miles and that should fix the radius the scanner receives.
 

phask

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When using GPS the radio will automatically set range at 0. That is no help when the system has 250+

I find, and you may defer, that one must be very limited in what one allows from the Nationwide systems.


Change the range to 0 or 1 miles and that should fix the radius the scanner receives.
 

jonwienke

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The Range parameter is added to the service radius tag in the database. So if a fire department is listed as having a 20-mile service radius, and you set Range in the scanner for 20 miles, that department will be scanned if your location is within 40 miles of the department's GPS coordinates. I have the GPS kit, and setting Range to 5 miles still scans a lot of stuff. If I'm on the road and hear stuff from behind me, I just tap the Avoid button to skip it.

This is covered on pages 24-25 in the manual.
 

AuntEnvy

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Assuming the GPS works the same way as HP1...

Your best "solution" is to be sure the range is set to zero and you select only the more "important" categories.

If you're driving down the interstate it's probably impractical/not necessary to have railroad, news media, public works military, business... you get my drift.

Unless of course that's what you prefer to pick up, in which case you should not select any law/fire choices or federal etc.

The only issue/complaint I had was the fact that the cable does not stay plugged in very well at all.
 

jiminpgh

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The way the home patrol does gps with the national and local data base can best be described as a large toilet. I tired to open the national database on the Schuylkill expressway to listen to Phila PD T band. What I got was kiddie talkies, Delaware park rangers and NJ Transit. There should be a negative range. The radio reference locations are not so hot either.
On a positive note, I'm a huge fan of location based scanning, and have done it for years. This is a really good thing. You have to do couple things first. You need to have favorites lists for exact coordinates and things you want to listen to. School and city buses, dog catchers, hospitals, and others are not my thing. If your area is large, develop a map for all the favorites you need to make. Go to the national list in sentinel, go to the state, then county, select the services you want to listen, and right click, and append to favorites. I make new favorites Like this: PA 02 Allegheny. On the top line go to options tab and enter YES for location control. Set the coordinates for each system with the location tab.
You will have to slog through the software, once you do about ten you will get the hang of it.
There is a lot of drama involved in setting the proper baud rate for the GPS, the scanner screen will read "GPS" in small letters on the top if it is working properly. Then you have to turn on and off systems I mean favorites to monitor with the profile.
The profile is a group of favorites that are downloaded and enabled to the scanner when you write to it. Different profiles don't necessarily require all your favorites. Boot times are faster with smaller, specific profiles.
There are different GPS formats you should be aware of. I use DEG MIN SEC format. I use streets and trips for my mapping, Uniden changed the GPS format from the 996T, I guess just for fun, you need to enter like this: 40 40'40.00 -87 50'50.00 Rectangles are very useful for square counties and profiling specific roads to turn on only when you are on that road. Think turnpikes and toll roads.
Finally, I don't like at all the way Sentinel makes files of my favorites. They are in numbered order and can not be identified. USAD had files with descriptive file names. I think the new way will fail at some point and make me cry.
You can PM me if you need more help.

Jim
 

n1ic

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Overall are you happy with this configurations? The uniden bcd536hp is going to be my Christmas present and I wanted to make sure this along with the GPS is a solid configuration withstanding some of the challenges with programming on this thread. Seems many of ou are using with good results
 

jonwienke

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I'm using the 436, but the same principles apply. When on the go, be selective with the Service Types you enable. You need to turn off nationwide systems like FRS and CB if you don't want to hear kiddie talkies and truckers. Ruthlessly prioritize the systems and service types you want to hear, and set Range to a low value, like 10 miles or less, and scanning on the road with GPS works great. Just be prepared to tap the Avoid button once in a while if something unwanted comes through.
 

ofd8001

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Overall are you happy with this configurations? The uniden bcd536hp is going to be my Christmas present and I wanted to make sure this along with the GPS is a solid configuration withstanding some of the challenges with programming on this thread. Seems many of ou are using with good results

I'm extremely happy. I've used a scanner/GPS set-up in my vehicles for a number of years. I'm of the mind a GPS is an essential component of a vehicle mounted scanner.

You may also consider getting an amplified speaker too.
 

kb8rvp

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Overall are you happy with this configurations? The uniden bcd536hp is going to be my Christmas present and I wanted to make sure this along with the GPS is a solid configuration withstanding some of the challenges with programming on this thread. Seems many of ou are using with good results

Wondering if you plan to use it around your home area or if you do a lot of travel? I have the 536 in my car and drive 80 mile round trip to work each day. I have favorites lists setup and use them for my daily trip for fast scanning and ease of use and more control of listening to what I what. For long trips I use the zip code programming.

Hope you love it when you get it I love mine.

Mike
 

jonwienke

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Read posts 1 thru 3.

???

I've verified with my scanner that plugging in the GPS doesn't change whatever Range parameter I've set in the scanner. If I set it to 5 miles, it will be 5 miles when I plug in the GPS, and will still be 5 miles after I unplug it. What's your point?
 
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