I wanted an opinion on what is best when traveling, does Autolocate Work to set Location if I am driving across 3 States and want to listen to Public Safety, etc. And dont have the GPS to set set location. Any other advice is appreciated. Thank you. Wanted to aviod having to add each Zip Code?
SDS100/SDS200: SDS100 when Traveling w/o GPS
- Thread starter Cactus2
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Auto-locate - no. That is what GPS is for.
You will be punching in zip codes (or GPS lat/long manually) unless you get a GPS.
3 states... don't leave home without one (GPS)
It is one of (is) the best features of the Uniden radios.
You will be punching in zip codes (or GPS lat/long manually) unless you get a GPS.
3 states... don't leave home without one (GPS)
It is one of (is) the best features of the Uniden radios.
The alternative that I used when planning a trip was to put the areas I would be traveling through into different favorites lists. Each Favorite List would cover a few counties. Then I would turn off and turn on the FLs as I traveled. However, you want to be able to do this safely, without it distracting you as you drive. Usually, I had somebody else traveling with me who would change the FLs while I was driving.
I later got a GPS and that is better. The scanning is more focused on the area that you are actually in and you never have to worry about entering anything in the scanner as you travel.
I later got a GPS and that is better. The scanning is more focused on the area that you are actually in and you never have to worry about entering anything in the scanner as you travel.
I've used Autolocate a few times, just to try it out here in Iowa. It worked about half the time. It was easier to type in a zip code for my next pit stop. (When you are creaky, you make a lot of pit stops. )
Omega-TI
Ω
I have a Favorites List which covers every county of the western states which I travel to. FL = State with 0 for National. System = county with a separate system when there's a (trunked) system in that county. Although I have a sheet showing the lists, it can still be easily navigated on-screen. As I cross a county line, I turn off the county I just left (the one I entered was enabled some time ago). I know this doesn't work for everyone, but I want more control of what I am monitoring than some radius in miles from my (GPS) location.
How I used ti do it...make FL and switch on and off as I drove...not very safe.
Next was use GPS...works well for the main dispatch type of stuff, but I ended up having to avoid a lot of the crap I didn't want and isn't very customizable.
Labor intensive hybrid is use GPS and custom FL's with GPS coordinates added. Takes a lot of time and planning, but you get to listen to just what you want without all the extra crap.
Next was use GPS...works well for the main dispatch type of stuff, but I ended up having to avoid a lot of the crap I didn't want and isn't very customizable.
Labor intensive hybrid is use GPS and custom FL's with GPS coordinates added. Takes a lot of time and planning, but you get to listen to just what you want without all the extra crap.
On my SDS200, Auto Locate is NOT the GPS, even if you have a GPS, it won't use it.
Auto locate scans for any P25 system and notes the frequencies in use. It then scans the full database for those frequencies and narrows down the possible locations until it finds only 1 place using those frequencies.
To use a GPS, all you need to do is set it up, place the puck so it can pickup satellites and set the service types you wish to listen to and a 15 or 20 mile range.
You are done. Works perfectly for me, US and Canada.
Auto locate scans for any P25 system and notes the frequencies in use. It then scans the full database for those frequencies and narrows down the possible locations until it finds only 1 place using those frequencies.
To use a GPS, all you need to do is set it up, place the puck so it can pickup satellites and set the service types you wish to listen to and a 15 or 20 mile range.
You are done. Works perfectly for me, US and Canada.
Auto Locate does NOT use the GPS even if you have one.
Auto Locate essentialy scans for P25 frequencies in use and then looks in the nationwide database and keeps doing so until it finds a single area where those frequencies are all used.
Omega-TI
Ω
... and that can take a long time!
I endorse the "get a GPS" recommendation. Auto-locate is not intended to take the place of a GPS.
Most importantly, for Auto-locate to operate, the system has to be "On". Nothing turns something that is Off to On* based location except for a GPS device.
*For the "purists", yes I know a GPS device actually deals with the status as "Temporary Avoid". I used On/Off to simplify.
Most importantly, for Auto-locate to operate, the system has to be "On". Nothing turns something that is Off to On* based location except for a GPS device.
*For the "purists", yes I know a GPS device actually deals with the status as "Temporary Avoid". I used On/Off to simplify.
Options depend on if this is a one-time trip or something being done repeatedly.
#1 - I will also recommend a GPS - dome it for mobile going back to when the first HP-1 came out.
If you do the route often, create multiple FL by area or single FL with lots of QK.
Leave the entire DB on and change Zip as you travel, recommend a co-pilot.
Perfect situation - create a FL with all the areas (use ADD CHANELS ON RANGE and multiple locations), make sure it new FL has location enabled and use a GPS.
#1 - I will also recommend a GPS - dome it for mobile going back to when the first HP-1 came out.
If you do the route often, create multiple FL by area or single FL with lots of QK.
Leave the entire DB on and change Zip as you travel, recommend a co-pilot.
Perfect situation - create a FL with all the areas (use ADD CHANELS ON RANGE and multiple locations), make sure it new FL has location enabled and use a GPS.
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Even if a one time trip, GPS will be much faster and more importantly SAFER than Auto-Locate.
If you never plan to make another trip, sell the GPS afterward. You can also buy a used GPS to save some money.
Just be sure you have the SDS100 cable with it. That is included in the BC-GPSK kit.
You may also find you like the GPS enough to use it when driving locally.
If you never plan to make another trip, sell the GPS afterward. You can also buy a used GPS to save some money.
Just be sure you have the SDS100 cable with it. That is included in the BC-GPSK kit.
You may also find you like the GPS enough to use it when driving locally.
wtp
Member
and if you have to detour, the radio will change with you instead of you trying to unexpectedly change stuff yourself.
Having a device that takes your eyes off the road is what makes it less safe. That can and does still happen when using a GPS enabled receiver if you want to glance at the display to see who's talking. And I have a difficult time deciphering the cryptic names given from the DB. I use Favorites Lists so I can control what is displayed. And I don't have to look at the display to switch on and off FL/QKs.
orion_jb2001
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the Uniden BC-UTGC GPS USB cable, does this also charge the 100 when being used with a GPS antenna??
On short day trips I would program FL’s loaded with each areas I was driving through. But on long trips that method became time consuming. Not only creating the FL’s but researching each state and the county’s I was going to drive through to gather all the systems I wanted to build these FL’s with was just an impossible chore. And it added to driver inattentiveness, turning on and off the FL’s.
Driving I-95 from Ct. to Fla. screamed for GPS. And it worked like a charm. I would simply get the latest “Full Database” update, turn off all other FL’s, limit the “Service Types” to police and fire and set the Range to a minimum value. I was only interested in any activity on the interstates but found adjacent activity interesting and tolerable. I watched with delight the SDS200 dropping and acquiring old and new coordinates as I drove I-95… hands free! It will come in handy this coming weekend when I drive to Dover Del. from Ct. to catch the airshow at Dover AFB.
Driving I-95 from Ct. to Fla. screamed for GPS. And it worked like a charm. I would simply get the latest “Full Database” update, turn off all other FL’s, limit the “Service Types” to police and fire and set the Range to a minimum value. I was only interested in any activity on the interstates but found adjacent activity interesting and tolerable. I watched with delight the SDS200 dropping and acquiring old and new coordinates as I drove I-95… hands free! It will come in handy this coming weekend when I drive to Dover Del. from Ct. to catch the airshow at Dover AFB.
Computrguy
Member
I travel full time in a motorhome. I could not imagine NOT using a GPS. Works great and I have one for my SDS100 and another for my BCD436
KE2BJW
KE2BJW
can you create new location with edit locations in the SDS100 and one thing I am confused about is a TRX-1 can give you states and countys and breaks it all down for you where you easy program when traveling now my question is can you be able to do the same thing with a SDS100 by using edit location and create a new area if not then a TRX-1 has way better traveling options programing
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You can make your own GPS puck cheaper than buying the accessory. There are several old threads showing how to do it. I made a puck a few years ago for $15 or $20 and it still works like a champ.
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