BC-GPSK GPS unit

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mikkut

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I'm thinking of getting the BC-GPSK GPS to use with my 396XT. Anyone out there have this GPS unit and can comment on it's performance? Does it power up automatically when the scanner is tuned on or do you have to turn it's power on separately? I'm also very interested in any recommendations for any other 396XT compatible GPS units ... any recommendations or advice regarding scanner/GPS scanning would be very much appreciated.

Thanks,
Mike

Ps. I tried searching this topic several different ways on this forum with virtually no results ... I find it hard to believe this subject hasn't been discussed before ... is there a specific place on RR where GPS/location based scanning is discussed?
 

UPMan

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There is quite a bit of informatio in the wiki. Start with Location Based Scanning - The RadioReference Wiki.

GPS units (all of them) do not power up with the scanner. The BC-GPSK powers up when power is supplied to its adapter (typically when you urn on your car). I've been using the OEM version for 2 years...and liked it well enough that I decided to source it as a sku.
 

mikkut

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Thanks UPMan,
a couple more questions ....

When power is turned on, how long does the BC-GPSK take to acquire position assuming flat unobstructed surroundings? What does the scanner do while the GPS is waiting to acquire position? And one more, bare with me on this, what is meant by “source it as a sku”?

Thanks
 

UPMan

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A couple of minutes the first time. Less than a minute after that (unless you have a major change in location). It means I worked with the OEM suppler to make it a Uniden branded product.
 

scotttish

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BC-GPSK/Uniden 396XT

How can I be sure the unit is even working? Everything is plugged in and I set my baud rate at 4800 BPS. Antenna is the roof of my truck. Is there settings I can follow? I am really new can someone explain how to use this in a manner you would with say, a 6th grader? Thanks in advance!
 

N5TWB

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How can I be sure the unit is even working? Everything is plugged in and I set my baud rate at 4800 BPS. Antenna is the roof of my truck. Is there settings I can follow? I am really new can someone explain how to use this in a manner you would with say, a 6th grader? Thanks in advance!

When you power up the 396XT with the GPS unit connected, the screen on the scanner will report that status. In addition, if you are moving and the GPS scanning enabled, the scanner will beep as you move in and out of the various circles you have made for the various systems.
 

davidmc36

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How can I be sure the unit is even working?....
Press HOLD>FUNC>YES and change the display to GPS. If you see "Searching for Satellites" you know the scanner is talking to the GPS and the GPS is looking for a position fix.

If you see "No GPS", or something like that I can't recall off the top of my head exactly the display, then the scanner is not detecting that there is a GPS connected. Either the GPS is off or the BAUD rate setting on the GPS and scanner do not match.

When there is a lock the displaywill show speed, heading, time, coordinates, POI, depending on the display mode you are in.

http://marksscanners.com/396XT/396xt.shtml#gps display mode
 
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newsphotog

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Is it just me or does anybody else have trouble with the links to Mark's Scanners. The one above should take you straight to the GPS MODE section of his manual but when I click on it, it just takes me to the Table of Contents and the spaces in the URL change to %20.

It might be your browser that's not interpreting spaces or %20 correctly. It's all good on Firefox over here.
 

mur

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why does the BC-GPSK come with a serial cable?, Im thinking about buying one for my 396xt but confused on what the serial cable does?
 

mur

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Oh, after reading a bit more, I believe that is an additional cable which allows you to connect to different scanners! Not the handheld ones, :p
 
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