Bcd996xt, gps, okwin?

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plaws

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Some of you all have GPS-capable scanners. The eBay fairy just brought me a '996XT. Plan is to pull out the CD in the car (leaving the AM/FM/WB radio) and replacing it with the 996.

What I need to know is this: have any of you actually hooked up a GPS? How did you set the parameters for each system? Radio site lat/lon? I'd LOVE to be able to cruise around the state (not that I do that much) and have the radio enable/disable the correct OKWIN towers, and other things, as I go.

Also, what kind of GPS did you use? I'm thinking of one of those Garmin pucks (12 V and serial and no display) but plan to make certain that my Garmin nuvi does *not* work with it first (I don't think it spits NMEA-0183 out it's port).
 

mass-man

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Your replies should be interesting. We used a GARMIN Etrex for a couple of years...it was hooked to the 996T but we really never mastered the whole setup, but it showed it was connected!!! Finally we got a HP1 and with the puck GPS it sure is sweet! The Etrex worked well until the puck arrived. I now have the 996T here for my personal use, so need to dig down and figure out the GPS setup.
 

UPMan

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Most systems in RRDB now have location information included. If you use one of the 3rd party packages (like Freescan, ARC-XT, Proscan), to import radio system info directly from RRDB, it should include the location data, too. (Note: I have not personally tried all these packages; I understand that they have trial periods, though, so you should be able to determine which will work best for you).

As to a GPS unit, check out the BCD996XT Wiki page on RadioReference. It has a link to a list of GPS units that are compatible (but the Garmin GPS18 PC or GPS18 OEM would work fine...but not the GPS18 USB). There are other choices, however.
 

woodyrr

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I have the BCD996T and use an Etrex Legend.

I don't necessarily put the center of the activation circle at the tower site. Using McClain and Cleveland Counties as an example: Individually as a result of their shapes they are indistinct messes, but together they form a fairly neat square. The GPS area for both counties is a 20 mile circle centered on Slaughterville.

Beyond that, programming was just a matter of deciding where the center of each circle should be and then zooming in to that point using Google Earth and determining the coordinates.

As I recall, two initial setup hurdles that I ran into was that Google Earth, the GPS, and the scanner have to be working from the same GPS format. I am using DMS DDD MM SS. ss. On the 996, this setting is found in MENU > Settings > Set GPS Format > Set Pos Format, YMMV.

The other issue was, the Etrex Legend has some feature that tries to use some internal calculation to more closely determine position, I found that this function causes systems to unlock and lockout constantly and inexplicably. Disabling that function resulted in correct operation.

I suspect that the 996T and 996XT handle GPS similarly so I'll be happy to help in any way that I can. Bear in mind however, that any advice is worth the price that you are paying. My last trip to Dallas I made some significant changes to the programming and then neglected to write them to the radio. :roll:
 

SCPD

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I have a Garmin GPS18PC hooked to my BCT15.

I just got it and I'm not sure how well it will work with the state system, but it seems to work well locally. (so far)
I used Frescan and with its way of accessing Google maps, made things easy (er). F****** SMART!!!
Hopefully it works well on my way to New Mexico next week. If not, I'll be mashing buttons all the way down there.:evil:
 

mikebennett

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I've been running two 996XT's off one Garmin puck since about November. I travel around a lot and I've found it's really convenient. I work in an adjoining county so instead of turning QK's off and on throughout the trip I can just enjoy the ride. The initial set-up takes some time but it's worth it. I programmed all my coordinates off Google Earth for more precision but you can use the built-in location options if you're not that concerned with precise coordinates. It's also a pretty good safety issue when you are travelling through metro areas with lots of traffic; the last thing you need to be doing is looking at QK lists and punching buttons.

Mike
 

plaws

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I've been running two 996XT's off one Garmin puck since about November. I travel around a lot and I've found it's really convenient. I work in an adjoining county so instead of turning QK's off and on throughout the trip I can just enjoy the ride. The initial set-up takes some time but it's worth it. I programmed all my coordinates off Google Earth for more precision but you can use the built-in location options if you're not that concerned with precise coordinates. It's also a pretty good safety issue when you are travelling through metro areas with lots of traffic; the last thing you need to be doing is looking at QK lists and punching buttons.

Mike


Frankly, my GPS+996 use will be mostly for vacation trips, since my commute and most of my driving stays within range of OKWIN Site 40 but what you're describing is what I'm looking for.

Confirmed that the Garmin nuvis don't spit out NMEA 0183, but remembered that my older GPS V does. Further, it accepts an external antenna and has a hardwire power cable that also does data. Might end up with that back in the car, tho' it will be up under the dash. :)

Did one of those serial splitters really work? I gather that the 996 is just reading the data stream and never has to actually send a signal to the GPS receiver.

Thanks to all who have replied!

[edit] Let me also add that I'm sure the lat/lons in the RR DB are fine - when you are drawing a 30-50 mile radius circle around the point, precision isn't that critical to me ... :)
 
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mikebennett

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"Did one of those serial splitters really work? I gather that the 996 is just reading the data stream and never has to actually send a signal to the GPS receiver."

It works great.
 
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