BCD325P2/BCD996P2: BCD325P2 with BC-SGPS

[acj76]

My first thought is maybe all of the electronics near the dash is causing the connection issue.

Good points. I'm nearly certain it's a faulty unit. I've continued testing this week and the connection issues really just seem random. And when it does finally connect and search for satellites, it never finds them. I've even tested it away from the electronics of the car, I have a portable 12V jumper power supply with cigarette lighter plugs and tested it inside on the kitchen table. I know the reception of the GPS might not be good inside, but I was trying to figure out the connection problem first. Still having "no GPS input" problems, again randomly. It will connect and search, then drop connection, then reconnect, etc.

The main issue I had was the GPS enable box was not checked.

In the programming, the GPS enable boxes are checked for the sites/groups I want turned on/off by location.

I have my GPS box at the rear window.

Just curious, where you have it mounted at the rear window, is it face up, or is it in another orientation, say, mounted sideways? I read in one of these threads that it matters which way the puck is facing.

Thanks for the reply.

 

[brcoz]

I have it facing up with the sticker is down. Mine had a red peel n stick on the bottom.

 

[wtp]

and to 4800 bps for communicating with a GPS.
i know very little but saw this.

Easier to Read BCD325P2 Digital Scanner Manual

allow you to set GPS Baud Rate Allows you to set the baud rate for the serial port. You set the port to match the speed used to communicate to 4800 bps for communicating with BC-GPSK and BC-UTGC. 1. Scroll to ‘Set GPS Baud Rate’ and press E/yes. 2. Scroll to Off, 4800, 9600, 19200, 38400, 57600, or 115200 and press E/yes to save and exit.

https://www.uniden.info/download/ompdf/BCD325P2om.pdf

 

[acj76]

BC-GPSK and BC-UTGC.

I don't have those models, I have the BC-SGPS and the sticker on it says GPS serial setting: 9600bps. I tried a couple other baud rates anyway, but they didn't work.

I have it facing up with the sticker is down. Mine had a red peel n stick on the bottom.

Ok, thanks.

 

[N0ZQR]

Red light will blink if you have GPS lock

 

[brcoz]

BC-SGPS is the same model I have.
GPS 9600
POS format DEG

 

[acj76]

FWIW, I received the replacement BC-SGPS and it works great!

 

[nowires]

I'm using BCDx36hp scanners and it doesn't get a GPS location from the BC-SGPS. I can plug the serial cable into a computer with a serial port and show that the gps unit is working, but not with the scanner. Something I am missing? The computer shows the gps operates in NMEA0183. It shows GPS sentences just fine, but the scanner(s) show that it is not able to get a GPS fix from the unit and I should try another method to aquire location. I don't see any kind of light on the gps unit.

The GPS operates at 9600 baud but the manual that comes with the bcdx36hp says to use 4800 baud.

 

[richardbritt]

Try the settings for the other baud rates. I bought a standalone GPS puck and it didn't start working until I set it up for 115k baud. It was supposed to work at 4800 but it didn't see the GPS as plugged in

 

[nowires]

Try the settings for the other baud rates. I bought a standalone GPS puck and it didn't start working until I set it up for 115k baud. It was supposed to work at 4800 but it didn't see the GPS as plugged in

Doesn't appear to be working so far. Odd that it works on the computer, but none of the scanners will take it. And when I hit auto locate, it takes 3-4 minutes to tell me it can't find me. And 115,200 is typically a null modem computer speed, not usually something like this. Maybe bc-sgps the upgrade is too new for my era of scanner? Does setting the location format make any difference?

 

[nowires]

Apparently auto locate is not gps, only site scan. So, just plug in gps at whatever baud and hope for the best. Is there a gps readout somewhere on the bcdx36hp?

 

[hiegtx]

Apparently auto locate is not gps, only site scan. So, just plug in gps at whatever baud and hope for the best. Is there a gps readout somewhere on the bcdx36hp?

"Auto locate", introduced the original Home Patrol (HP-1) 'sniffed the air', looking for a control channel from a system that was in the database. If it found a match, it would use that system's location. In those days, before the many new digital systems were in service, it was looking (I believe) for control channels on Motorola Type 2 systems. I don't know for sure, but I believe that this might not have been updated to look for the digital P25 Phase I (or Phase II) systems, which are far more common now.

There are several smart phone apps that will give you the zip code of where you are at that time. That's probably going to be your quickest 'work around' for entering a location.

 

[nowires]

Ok I see there's a GPS line that shows up on the top when GPS connected.