GPS Controlled Scanner?

[Videokid]

Has anyone used the Delorme Street Atlas GPS application? Some of its features include zip code mapping, town borders, county borders, state borders and like any other GPS mapping application, state roads, highways and points of interest. Since some scanners can be controlled by PC (e.g. BC796D) is there a away of having them change frequencies based on one’s location?

EDIT: I don't know how it is in other parts of the country, but in NJ I can drive 20 minutes from home and cross 7 townships each with its own police department. An application like this will stream line the frequency changing process as well make for safer driving.

 

[nmfire10]

I do use it and I love it. There is however no interface between that program or GPS and a scanner. You're going to have to settle with pushing the bank buttons.

 

[garys]

Mapping software is a nice adjunct to scanning. When I'm planning to travel, I use MS Streets and Trips to help me figure out what agencies I want to listen to. Then I use RadioReference.com and other Internet resources to find the frequencies I need.

At home, I use the program to pinpoint where incidents that I am listening to are. Just a note, I don't go to the location, but seeing it on a map helps me picture what's going on.

Gary

 

[CSL126]

A scanner with GPS capability would be AWESOME!! it would probably be very expensive though!

 

[BJ_NORTON]

I bought the Delorme product and have been unable to get many features to work. for example I cannot get it to "find" anything cities, or address. I can manually look and zoom on the map, but I haven't been able to get the program to do the main thing I bought it for. If I were you I would try the Microsft streets, or the Thomas Bros Guide/CD. I don't think Thomas Bros can be hooked to a GPS, but it is a terrific programm for searching you local area!

 

[Dubbin]

I bought the Delorme product and have been unable to get many features to work. for example I cannot get it to "find" anything cities, or address. I can manually look and zoom on the map, but I haven't been able to get the program to do the main thing I bought it for. If I were you I would try the Microsft streets, or the Thomas Bros Guide/CD. I don't think Thomas Bros can be hooked to a GPS, but it is a terrific programm for searching you local area!

BJ go to http://www.delorme.com/ at the top right you will see: "DeLorme customers...important file update needed" click on that and download the file. This will fix the problems you are having.

 

[RocketMan1]

Mapping software is a nice adjunct to scanning. When I'm planning to travel, I use MS Streets and Trips to help me figure out what agencies I want to listen to. Then I use RadioReference.com and other Internet resources to find the frequencies I need.

At home, I use the program to pinpoint where incidents that I am listening to are. Just a note, I don't go to the location, but seeing it on a map helps me picture what's going on.

Gary

Great idea Gary, I never thought of that. I drive a truck in NW Indiana, I must have been on every square inch of pavement and then some so much I know it like my own back yard, so when I hear a chase going on, it's like I'm right there, I can see the streets, buildings, landmarks, etc..I think MS Streets would make a good addition.

 

[SCPD]

Since some scanners can be controlled by PC (e.g. BC796D) is there a away of having them change frequencies based on one’s location?

Yes ... it would take a lot of effort to make this work. The data spec for T4Win includes latitude and longitude (but I'm a long ways off from including GPS support). I suggested something like this a few years ago ... the response was mostly ... "Why?"

Here is what would need to be done to make it work:

1. code to accept current lat/lon info from the GPS receiver
2. a small database of TRS and conventional channels; this would be like a miniature RR.com with the additional of coverage area. Coverage might be as simple as a set radius extending outward from a fixed lat/lon for each site or it could be a set of line segments that form a polygon. The line segments might denote county, city or district boundaries.
3. code to program your scanner on-the-fly. Assuming this is a mobile application, as you drive around, banks containing far-away information become candidates for overwriting with new data from systems coming into view just over the hill ahead.

Aside from media and the alpha-geeks, I can't think of anyone that would seriously want this.

-rick

 

[INDY72]

The answer: We get lazier and lazier.

This is not a flame, but just simple truth.. Why bother having a button at all on a scanner would be the logical follow up to this.....

Lets have it all wired to the car ignition.... and a laptop.
I start the car and bingo my GPS, scanners, laptop, dvd, and all turn on and synch together vias software... I NEVER touch a button.... It all does it automatically as I ride....

Nope.. not reality,.. but this is what a lot of folks seem to want.... Heck.. why leave home? Have a drone with a scanner/gps feed to your PC, ohh and a digicam so you get live feeds then you don't need the TV anymore iether.....


WEG

And I even though a tech nut.. am jumping on the bandwagon that has to ask- Why?

 

[edN]

This is not a flame, but just simple truth.. Why bother having a button at all on a scanner would be the logical follow up to this.....

Lets have it all wired to the car ignition.... and a laptop.
I start the car and bingo my GPS, scanners, laptop, dvd, and all turn on and synch together vias software... I NEVER touch a button.... It all does it automatically as I ride....

Nope.. not reality,.. but this is what a lot of folks seem to want.... ask-Why?

OK, here's the opposing viewpoint.

Why? Maybe, because "a lot of folks seem to want" it, and it would make things alot easier for them?

To draw a parallel: I think back a few years in aviation. First we plotted a course, then we went to INS, then to GPS. Why? Because, we have the technology and it works more efficiently. I still enjoy doing things the old way, but I use my new avionics.

As somebody told me, "wake up and smell the 21st century". We may not like it, but there it is...

 

[jmm346]

I see it being a huge advantage for travel to areas to unknown areas. For example, I'll soon need to take a trip along I-95 through Connecticut. It would be nice to have the set of frequencies change as I pass through various counties and cities while leaving others such as State Police always on. Its also useful for travel within large cities where one mile can sometimes mean the difference between three different frequencies. The key to it is having boundary territories assigned to specific frequencies/talkgroups.

My current alternative is to listen to what is known to be active for the area such as State Police and missing some of the more local comms or listening to everything and still yet missing some of the more local comms because the scanner is stuck on something 20 miles back.

If there were ever someone to undertake such a project I'd love to see its outcome; really would make things easier when I'm in an area that I don't know all of the streets and radio frequency boundaries. Not to mention the safety factor previously mentioned. For me its not so much as turning banks on or off as it is locking and unlocking specific frequencies within those banks.

In some areas I like to listen to anything and everything; in others, the radio traffic is so heavy I prefer to target my listening to where I am.

John

 

[colheli]

Why? Because we can. And, because we can, think of all of the offshoot technologies that could come from it. Imagine an aircraft radio where the pilot doesn't have to tune his radio for the next ATC frequency. Reduced heads down time in the cockpit, reduced close encounters because both pilots were looking down, instead of out of the aircraft, increased revenue for us avionics guys............everyone is happy. (most importantly, I am wealthier ) Once the interface is proven to work, I am sure someone in another industry will look at it, and find an application in his particular area of interest. Much as computers have developed. It's not something we NEED, but think of the other doors it could open.

 

[flyingwolf]

I dont think this would come down to multiple peices. No need to have a scanner a gps unit and a pc to run it all. It would more than likely come in the form of a all in one usint. (radio and GPS that is.) And a connection to a pc with the software running it all.

As for why we need it? Well hell. Why not. Ok so it doesnt have the most pratcticle uses in the world but when was the last time a 100 megabit connection to your local network was actually used? Most likely never. But you can still buy the 100 megabit ethernet adapters for cheap nowadays. Do we need them? Now of course not. But isnt it cool to say we do?

Now yes some do need that much bandwidth. But the most that have it dont ned it.

 

[Dubbin]

Why even bother arguing about it when its never going to happen???

 

[flyingwolf]

Truer words were never spoken.

Though never is not the right word. I would probably say not likely.

Mainly becuse now that it has been talked about someone will do it.

I am sure there is at least one person out there who has a computer controllable scanner, gps unit, and the programming skills required for this undertaking. Oh yea and a lot of time on his/her hands.

 

[T90A]

I have been having a lot of fun with my gps and www.geocaching.com

I had not looked at new radio's for a few years.

When I called my local ham radio dealer one of the things I asked about was gps.

I asked if any of the HT's could tell me my coordinates.

He said no.

The next thing I asked was what HT has the best wideband reciever as I do more scanning with my HT then talking.

I ended up with the Icom IC-T90A.

I think it would be cool to be able to recieve a GPS signal on my Icom HT.
Not only cool but even useful at times.

 

[kg4icg]

Now let's see, I do have a HT and a mobile rig that you do plug a gps into, that will transmit your position and receive positions from other hams doing the same thing.It's called APRS and Kenwood is the only one who makes the radios' to do this. The THD7A(G), and the TMD700A. other then supplying the gps i need no other equipment unlike other ham rigs which require the tnc, laptop and software to do this. As for a scanner changing to different area frequencies by itself, let's see. The Hardware and Software to make a scanner change it's programming in different regional areas self contained in one unit is going to cost you more then what a Icom IC7800 cost.

 

[jmm346]

Anyone ever use Probe with the Opto? I believe it had the ability to load different frequency files when a certain frequency became active. For example, if a certain fire frequency became active I believe it could load and scan a group of fireground frequencies for a specified amount of time.

Is there a way to load different frequency files depending on location? Obviously something different from Probe could do but doesn't seem that far off. Certainly a PocketPC could know where it is and in conjunction with that information load certain files?

Thoughts?

John

 

[petrol88]

Interesting Patent Applications

 

[crazyboy]

Well I think you guys that said it would never happen just got proved wrong.

http://radioreference.com/forums/showthread.php?p=159212#post159212