BCD396XT/BCD996XT: 996XT disabling GPS

[datainmotion]

In some situations I'd like to disable GPS to listen to a system that's outside of my predefined range. I had seen a post where someone said it was as simple as turning the baud rate to "off". That turns the GPS off, however the scanner stays "locked" in whatever pre-defined range it was in, before you turned the baud rate to off.
Are there any other simple solutions to this?


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[jonwienke]

You have to disable GPS, then enter a new location, either by specifying GPS coordinates or entering a ZIP code (if your scanner supports that option).

 

[datainmotion]

Well that's certainly not a simple solution, but thank you for the reply.

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[ka3aaa]

why dont you just do a system hold on the system you want to listen to and when your done go bnack to scanning you wont need to make any changes.

 

[datainmotion]

That would work if I was within that system's pre-defined range at the time. Here's an example - I am outside of the Denver PD range but there is an incident going on there that I'd like to listen to.

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[ka3aaa]

why dont you just increase the range for that system and be done with it.

 

[datainmotion]

Because Denver takes up a lot of airtime and I don't always want to listen to it if I'm not within its pre-defined range.

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[ka3aaa]

you have a range of 0 to 125 miles for settings to choose from. if you are more that 50 miles away more than likely you will not hear anything anyway.

 

[datainmotion]

I'm familiar with the GPS settings, as I've been using the 996 series w/ GPS since 2006. The distances I'd be talking about would be within 25 miles at the most. Just would be nice if the scanners would act like there was no GPS settings at all when you disabled it. I could then turn on the quick key for Denver and any others off, if I wanted to.

* edited to add more info

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[ofd8001]

I'm not sure I exactly understand your question. . .

Are you saying you do NOT want to scan something that would otherwise be within range? If so, I'd set a System Quick Key. That way you can disable that System Quick Key if you don't want to monitor the given System. When you want to monitor the system (and are within range) then enable the System Quick Key.

If you DO want to monitor a System even though you might be out of range, try re-programming the System's location to be 0/0 Lat Long. I believe in that case, the System will always be on. (You can also set a System Quick Key to enable/disable scanning the System).

Some might say this won't work because 0/0 is a real location in the ocean. That's true for the x36 line of scanners, but we are talking about a 996XT. Location control functions differently between the two scanners.

 

[datainmotion]

I want to scan something that would normally be locked out by the GPS, from my current predefined range. I do not want to go and change settings for systems. Frankly I think it's a bit of a design flaw. If you disable the GPS, everything should be available.

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[jonwienke]

No. Because then you'd be complaining that the scanner is being bogged down scanning everything. This is especially true for scanner models that have nationwide databases. It would take hours just to scan through the list once.

You don't need to change system settings, you just disable GPS and then manually specify your location. The scanner will then scan things in the vicinity of the location you specify.

 

[datainmotion]

I wouldn't complain about the scanner scanning everything if I turned the GPS functions off because I already use SQKs. And we're talking about a 996 not an x36 so the Nationwide database is irrelevant to this discussion.

Sent by clacking rocks together.

 

[jonwienke]

Then simply extend your GPS range to include the area of interest, and use your quick keys to focus on area(s) of interest.

 

[datainmotion]

I may have to, it sounds like. Number tags aren't going to do me any good because they're still under the systems which are controlled by the GPS, correct?

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[wtp]

would this work

have the system in the radio twice.
one would have the GPS and not the other.
unlock it when you want to hear it.

 

[ofd8001]

I want to scan something that would normally be locked out by the GPS, from my current predefined range. I do not want to go and change settings for systems. Frankly I think it's a bit of a design flaw. If you disable the GPS, everything should be available.

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If you do disable the GPS, in other words "do something that disrupts the scanner from receiving GPS input", then everything IS there and IS scanned. Powering down the GPS device, unplugging the data cable or setting the scanner's baud rate to something other than the normal 4800 bps of GPS devices, should be that "disrupter".

What happens when an x96 scanner receives GPS data, it looks at all location values programmed in the scanner. It compares the "programmed location" to the "GPS reported location". If a System/Site/Group is outside the range, it changes the Lockout status from Unlocked to Temporary L/O. (Anything that is Locked Out, stays Locked Out because the scanner won't try to out-think you).

This is not a design flaw. You are expecting the scanner to read your mind as in "In this case I want you to do this, but in another case I want you to do something else." You are going to have to give it a little more information so it will give you the desired results. Unfortunately revising your programming is that additional information.

 

[ofd8001]

I may have to, it sounds like. Number tags aren't going to do me any good because they're still under the systems which are controlled by the GPS, correct?

Sent by clacking rocks together.

Probably not. Number tags are there to allow you to "jump" to a specific channel. So you'll only be on 1 channel versus scanning many channels.

I still think your best option is to set the lat/long to 0/0 so the System/Site/Group is always on. If you want the System/Site/Group off, then use Quick Keys.

 

[datainmotion]

Doing anything to disrupt that data flow doesn't allow everything to be scanned - it only allows the system in the pre-defined range, before you disrupted it, to be scanned.

The simplest solution to all this is to just disable the GPS on the system outside of the predefined range that I want to listen to, and then re-enable it when I no longer want to listen to it outside it's predefined range.


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[jonwienke]

I still think your best option is to set the lat/long to 0/0 so the System/Site/Group is always on.

Actually, that just locates it in the Atlantic Ocean, where it will never be scanned.