Home Patrol GPS adapter cable

Status
Not open for further replies.

c5corvette

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Sep 17, 2008
Messages
717
Location
*REBANDED*
I just ordered the Home Patrol GPS adapter cable but it hasnt arrived yet. Same cable supposedly can be used for the 396 and 346 portables.

After closer look at the product images and the connector on the scanner, I am now wondering if it is not the same exact cable as the serial programming cable that comes with the 996 radio? Or perhaps you could use the 996 cable combined with a null modem adapter?? Or is it totally different than either of these possible configs???

Anyone know the answer...
 

DaveIN

Founders Curmudgen
Database Admin
Joined
Jan 5, 2003
Messages
6,515
Location
West Michigan
You would need a null modem and gender changer for the 996 supplied cable, but it should work with a NMEA capable serial GPS at 4800 baud.
 

c5corvette

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Sep 17, 2008
Messages
717
Location
*REBANDED*
So I bought the Uniden GPS cable adapter from ScannerMaster and I attached it to the GPS unit that they sell and it worked great.

When I attached it to an older battery operated Delorme Earthmate I got from eBay and it didn't recognize so I threw the Earthmate in the trash - should I dig it out of the trash and try using a null modem adapter?
 

UPMan

In Memoriam
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Apr 19, 2004
Messages
13,296
Location
Arlington, TX
IIRC, the origina Earthmates required that you connect it to your PC and send it a code to put it into NMEA mode.
 

c5corvette

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Sep 17, 2008
Messages
717
Location
*REBANDED*
IIRC, the origina Earthmates required that you connect it to your PC and send it a code to put it into NMEA mode.

Thanks Paul, I just assumed since Street Atlas required NEMA and it had a serial cable it did NEMA out natively. As soon as I find a gender changer I will report back if it works on not for sure.
 

OCO

Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2011
Messages
928
Location
Central Michigan
Does the power plug that's part of the GPS puck cable supply power to the HP1 or do we then need two power outlets to run the pair? I've looked for any type of instructions on the Uniden site, lots of GPSs, not this one.
 

Jay911

Silent Key (April 15th, 2023)
Feed Provider
Joined
Feb 15, 2002
Messages
9,378
Location
Bragg Creek, Alberta
The HP1 is only provided power thru its DC "barrel" socket. The power part of the GPS powers the GPS itself.

As deduced earlier in the thread, the cable is essentially the data cable from the x96T/XT scanners. All it does is pass data over an RS232 connection.
 

ST-Bob

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Messages
528
Location
Worcester, MA, USA
You people crack me up. RS-232 serial interfaces are well documented as are null-modems and gender changers. Why you never looked up this info is not my problem but here's a synopsis:

The standard GPS is wired as DTE (data terminal equipment) and the normal thing it plugs into would be a PC's 9-pin serial port which is wired as DCE (data communication equipment). The connector is a DB-9 connector with a female DB-9 on the GPS and a DB-9 male on the PC.

The Uniden programming cable is designed to connect a DEVICE to a CONTROLLER, exactly like the GPS puck is set up. Both cable ends are identical and connot be physically connected together.

So now you have two devices with female DTE type DB-9 connectors. You cannot connect a female to a female which is why you need a gender-changer (male to male). Since the transmit and receive data pins are also exactly the same, you need a null-modem to swap the pins so these two DTE cables can exchange data.

Uniden's GPS cable is wired as DCE which means it has a male DB-9 connector and the pins are swapped around so the two devices can talk to each other. Effectively it changes the GPS from a DTE (data terminal equipment) type into a DCE (data communications equipment) type of device.

I know this "RS-232 serial" interface is like ancient Greek to many of you but you could at least make some effort to get your facts straight before posting erroneous info, couldn't you?

I've been working with serial computer interfaces since the '80s so it's second nature, I guess, to me. Maybe I'm being too harsh but I just had to speak up since all the incorrect and partial information is just muddying the waters.
 
Last edited:

OCO

Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2011
Messages
928
Location
Central Michigan
The HP1 is only provided power thru its DC "barrel" socket. The power part of the GPS powers the GPS itself.

As deduced earlier in the thread, the cable is essentially the data cable from the x96T/XT scanners. All it does is pass data over an RS232 connection.

Jay - I shoulda been clearer.. I can't tell from the pics of the GPS whether there is a pigtail split off from the power cable for power to the HP1. By the time it's all cabled up in a car, it'll look like Rube Goldberg designed it. I'll probably be doing some cable splicing..

Bob - You gotta admit that serial interfaces are disappearing and have been for years.. My first exposure was in the early 70's when the serial adapters on our system were about two foot square, but I hadn't had to worry about DTE-DCE for at least 10 years... Maybe your writeup could be turned into a WIKI entry..:wink:
 

Jay911

Silent Key (April 15th, 2023)
Feed Provider
Joined
Feb 15, 2002
Messages
9,378
Location
Bragg Creek, Alberta
Sorry, I understand now. The cable I have - the Uniden "GPS" (RS232) cable - is just a simple serial cable with the Uniden serial end on one end and the 9-pin RS232 end on the other. No power connection.

I spent 10+ days with a HP1 in a rental vehicle recently, taking it in and out every day. I agree, the cabling is a bit of a mess when you hook up a bunch of things. I only had the antenna (a BNC adapter, a 90° BNC-BNC, and the antenna cable), the power (12VDC adapter), and the GPS connected. If I'd tried to put an audio cable in, that would have made it that much worse.

The worst part is, the repeated plugging in and out of the GPS connection, plus the fact that the scanner kind of rested on that plug while it was sitting on the dash, seriously loosened the connector in the scanner. It still works, but I'm sure it's a matter of time before it fails.
 

c5corvette

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Sep 17, 2008
Messages
717
Location
*REBANDED*
IIRC, the origina Earthmates required that you connect it to your PC and send it a code to put it into NMEA mode.

I confirmed that the old Earthmate does not work, with direct connection or with null modem adapter. Thanks Paul.
 

KD8HE

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
177
Location
Beckley WV
Argent Data systems makes a cable to convert Garmin FMI (Fleet Management Interface) data to serial NEMA.
I use a Garmin Nuvi 350 with a Kenwood radio for Automatic Position Reporting (APRS).
Here is the link to the cable and a list of applicable Garmin units. You would have to cut the kenwood plug off or make an adapter but im pretty sure it will work.
https://www.argentdata.com/catalog/p...c09faa880f0925

Harry
 

firedoctor

Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2009
Messages
2

KD8HE

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
177
Location
Beckley WV
On my HP1 I use a Duelo GPS that I got from Argent several years ago.. I connected a 5 volt cell phone charger to the gps for power and used the newer Garmin cable without the null modem. Works great. My Nuvi350 requires power from an external source to allow the FMi/serial data port to work...a simple adapter could be made to convert the Kenwood plug to DB9 to attach to the Garmin cable. Properly wired it would not require the null modem which essentially just swaps the data line "polarity". If you already have one of these Garmin FMI capable units argents cable should be the fix.
 

KD8HE

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
177
Location
Beckley WV
Looks like the Argent GTRANS cable now comes with a DB9 instead of the Kenwood plug. May be a simple plug and play. I'd check with Argent for a pinout to see for sure.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top