Handheld with GPS

RRR · Jun 15, 2016

So will any of the new scanners have GPS built in? Sure would be nice, instead of having to manually activate and deactivate areas I travel to, to be able to have this done with a nice portable scanner. (Without having to plug a separate GPS device into it, like the base/mobile ones)

Surely interior space shouldn't be an issue, almost every little cel phone available has GPS built-in.

ofd8001 · Jun 15, 2016

This question has come up before. Most of the responses suggest it is impractical. Increases the cost and battery consumption of the scanner.

RRR · Jun 16, 2016

Sure doesn't seem to affect cel phones, a $29 cel phone has GPS capability.

Oh well...

KK4JUG · Jun 16, 2016

RRR said:
Sure doesn't seem to affect cel phones, a $29 cel phone has GPS capability.

Oh well...

But does that $29 ( or $500) cell phone integrate that GPS signal with a radio frequency database?

ofd8001 · Jun 16, 2016

I imagine it has a lot to do with the sheer volume manufactured. One could produce GPS devices/circuitry for 40 million iPhones at a much lower price than say 5,000 scanners.

PACNWDude · Jun 17, 2016

Smart phones that use scanner applications based on your location tie the GPS to the "scanner". It works well for setting the scanner application to my current location. If I do not want to share my location, I turn that option off.

Rred · Jun 17, 2016

"So will any of the new scanners have GPS built in?"
When and if any manufacturers decide there is a market for it. Adding GPS is about a $5-10 feature now, depending on the chipset. That could be a $40 increase in selling price. Plus of course that assumes an entire new radio design where that could be integrated, because redesigning an existing radio "just" to add GPS would drive the cost up greatly.
The engineering is child's play. The question of whether there's a market worth doing it for, ah, that's another story. Tell Uniden you are willing to buy 50,000 of them, and I'm sure they'll be willing to give you a price quote.

RRR · Jun 17, 2016

....Or they could just promise to add it as a later feature.....

;-)

KK4JUG · Jun 17, 2016

I wonder if enough people travel with the scanners on to warrant making it a standard feature. The number of travelers versus those who stay in one general area probably wouldn't make it a viable feature.

I realize there will a lot of people who will chime in here saying they travel and would pay for the feature but most of these people in this forum would be considered "enthusiasts" and a certain percentage of those would buy a new 496 if they changed the color of the case. I think most scanner owners have them in their homes to listen to the local action.

fourthhorseman · Jun 17, 2016

Rred said:
"So will any of the new scanners have GPS built in?"
When and if any manufacturers decide there is a market for it. Adding GPS is about a $5-10 feature now, depending on the chipset. That could be a $40 increase in selling price. Plus of course that assumes an entire new radio design where that could be integrated, because redesigning an existing radio "just" to add GPS would drive the cost up greatly.
The engineering is child's play. The question of whether there's a market worth doing it for, ah, that's another story. Tell Uniden you are willing to buy 50,000 of them, and I'm sure they'll be willing to give you a price quote.

with that said,
perhaps whistler or uniden can ponder this...

theyre radios are already set up for location based scanning,
uniden has the input for the external GPS...
whistler,does not,but its not a huge jump to do.

back in the day...
radios had expansion cards..for CTCSS..PL/DPL..INVERSION..
and uniden used one for APCO/P25...

So...what are the thoughts on an old style add-on board..
for those who want/need it..dont need to make 50000 units,just
make the option on the board..
If we are just pontificating..

RRR · Jun 18, 2016

KK4JUG said:
I wonder if enough people travel with the scanners on to warrant making it a standard feature.

Lets see here;

Base scanner = at home (No GPS needed)

Mobile scanner = in a vehicle (GPS could be used when driving to other locations, easy to install external GPS device for automobile use)

Portable scanner = goes with you (Would need GPS capability most of all, and an external GPS device would be very cumbersome and is a ridiculous solution)

Based on the above, I would think certainly GPS in a portable scanner would make sense...

KK4JUG · Jun 18, 2016

RRR said:
Lets see here;

Base scanner = at home (No GPS needed)

Mobile scanner = in a vehicle (GPS could be used when driving to other locations, easy to install external GPS device for automobile use)

Portable scanner = goes with you (Would need GPS capability most of all, and an external GPS device would be very cumbersome and is a ridiculous solution)

Based on the above, I would think certainly GPS in a portable scanner would make sense...

I still don't think the average motorist who might have a scanner at home, is traveling with a scanner. If you frequent this forum, it might seem that everyone has a scanner. Obviously, that's not the case. Non-enthusiasts from, say, Denver don't care what's happening in Kansas City and you know there's a really good chance that, if they're listening to Kansas City as they travel through, they don't have a clue what's going on because they're not familiar with KC's terminology and may not be familiar with area either.

If, as others have said here, it could come down to a $10 or $15 addition to the radio, then put it on there but, except for the real scanner devotee, it probably won't be used.

ShyFlyer · Jun 18, 2016

To me, an integrated GPS isn't really on my wish list for a scanner. I'd rather use an external solution, similar to what we already have. However, I am very frustrated with the all the cables and connectors (from the 80s) needed.

I'd like to see a single cord, from the scanner to the antenna, and that's it. This of course wouldn't be practical for a handheld unit, but for a base unit it could be done.

Handheld with GPS

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