GPS cable mod for Uniden scanners

[fdnyfish]

So can anyone confirm, do I need just the GPS TX to the 436 or do I also need the ground and gps RX

I see both listed

 

[jonwienke]

If the radio has a built-in GPS, then you can get by with just connecting the radio TXD to the scanner RXD, and radio ground to scanner ground. The ground must be connected, or the data link will not work. I would also put a ferrite or two on the data cable to minimize any RF bleed from the radio to the scanner when you key up the Yaesu.

 

[fdnyfish]

ill make the cable as soon as they come in and let you know how it goes.

 

[fdnyfish]

First, thanks to Jasonyohon for showing the way. I picked up the same items he used -- RCW-109 cable from Newegg -- and just as a precaution, checked my cable's wire colors/pinout against Jasonyohon's nice diagram. Yikes! the Uniden mini four-pin was reversed from his. Suddenly things clicked into place. With everything wired up and working, the serial data ground was on the cable's black wire instead of red (ahhh ...), and GPS transmit was green --> green. It APPEARS that Jasonyohon's cable had the wires reversed when it was manufactured, and yours might have been, too. My connections are:

GPS TX green --> Green on the RCW-109 cable
GPS RX white --> Red on the RCW-109 cable
GPS ground --> Black on the RCW-109 cable
Not used: White on the RCW-109 cable

I hope this might save some frustration/head-scratching

John, N4VU

I received a Rosewill RCW-109 cable today (from NewEgg) and the pins are just like John N4VU stated

Pin 1 = Red
Pin 2 = White
Pin 3 = Green
Pin 4 = Black

I'll just be using Pin 1 (GPS RX) and Pin 4 (GRND) for my project using GPS signal from my Yaesu FTM-100DR radio. Will post update in a few days.

 

[fdnyfish]

So I made my cable using my Yaesu radio. I am not getting a GPS icon on my BCD436HP.

I shut off all my Favorite lists, and only have on the Full Database.

With no cable plugged into the 436, I go to "Auto Locate" and it comes up wit a message "Unable to determine location"

When I plug in the cable I made, and perform a "Auto Locate" it says "Best Estimate - Schuylkill County"

That is my current location I am in.

Why no GPS Icon?
I set the baud rate on both devices to 4800bps

 

[fdnyfish]

My radio has NMEA 6 thru 9 only

Protocol is Nema 0183

Is this my problem?

 

[frazpo]

I have a 100Dr. Did you set the data output to GPS?

 

[jonwienke]

Do not use auto locate. It has nothing to do with GPS. It looks at the ID of trunked sites and tries to estimate your location from that.

If the scanner is not displaying GPS and you have everything wired correctly, and the baud rate is set to 4800 everywhere, then the Yaesu is not outputting the nmea sentences the scanner is looking for, and you will not be able to use the Yaesu as a GPS source for the scanner.

 

[fdnyfish]

Yes GPS data is turned on.....

I guess it's not going to work.

Oh well I tried

 

[fdnyfish]

You need a GPS that is NEMA0183 data sentence that has a RS-232 protocol output. The Uniden radios REQUIRE RS-232 they WILL NOT WORK WITH A USB interface. Have seen some GPS pucks that have the 5 or 6 pin DIN connector that have RS-232 DB-9 and USB pigtails and may be switched between the 2 interfaces but do not think yours will do it.

The 4 pin jack on the Uniden radios is used on many digital cameras for a USB interface but on the Uniden radios it is RS-232.

I imagine since it does do NEMA0183 you may be able to do a TTL to RS232 level converter not sure what handshaking is required.

David Kb7uns

Hmmmmm. my radio does put out NEMA0183 data

 

[jonwienke]

Does the Yaesu output TTL or RS232? The scanner requires RS232 input.

 

[fdnyfish]

RS-232

 

[jonwienke]

There are several different nmea sentences for location data. The scanner only recognizes one. If the GPS doesn't output the correct one,the scanner won't recognize the GPS input. Read the GPS tech support thread for more information.

 

[fdnyfish]

Well I'm totally lost here. I am unable to get the GPS to display on my 436HP

I have the BR-355S4 gps that is hooked to power using the red and black wires, and has a GPS lock (led is flashing)

I have the Green from GPS going to Green on the RCW-109 Cable
I have the White from GPS going to Red on the RCW-109 Cable
I have the Black from GPS going to Black on the RCW-109 Cable

Baud rate is set to 4800
Full database is on
All Service types are selected.
Range is set to 20 miles

RCW-109 Cable is plugged into the 436HP as far as it will go

What am I missing?

 

[fdnyfish]

Some say Just 1 wire is needed.
Some say a ground is also needed.
Some say Ground,RX & TX is needed

Some say GPS TX to Uniden TX
Some say GPS TX to Uniden RX

Can somone please specify how you got the BCD436HP to work with the RCW-109 Cable and Globalsat BR-355S4

 

[jonwienke]

Red on the usb cable is +5V, not a data connection. You shouldn't connect anything to it unless you have modded the scanner to supply power on the GPS port.

Also, have you verified that the GPS puck is outputting RS232, rather than ttl?

Tx connects to rx, no exception.

If the GPS is externally powered, GPS tx connects to scanner rx, and ground to scanner ground.

 

[fdnyfish]

Your confusing the RED on the RCW-109 to the red on the separate USB used to connect power and ground for the GPS.

The red I mentioned in my post is coming from Scanner. No power going to it. The gps is externally powered and not referenced in my post.

 

[jonwienke]

No. Red is +5V for both. If you are using the red wire for anything else, you are probably wrong. The colors for data wires may be green, blue, yellow, or white, but red is pretty much always power and black is always ground.

If you are using the red wire in the cable plugged into the scanner for data, you are wrong.

 

[fdnyfish]

There is not one post on this thread that says any of the 4 pins on the side of the bcd436hp gps port has power on them.

Just because the RCW-109 cable has a red wire in it doesn’t mean it’s for power on the gps port

 

[jonwienke]

The GPS port on the scanner is a rarely used type of usb connector. The red wire carries +5V when actually plugged into a usb device. It is not a data wire, and does not connect to the scanner GPS data rx. The red wire is not connected to anything in the scanner.

And that is why your setup isn't working, or at least one reason why not.