Hey thanks for all the responses, I am usually a "thread killer".
I have some new things I've learned and some still mysteries.
I did embarrassingly learn that the GPS leaves the 996 in a different state if you just turn it off in GPS mode then bring it inside as a base unit w/no gps. I kept getting all kinds of unlocked channels. But it was mostly that I was so warped over finally getting a 996 that I did not check the actual gps data in my downloaded groups. They were default , home, random?? Who knows, but when I got the correct gps coordinates all programmed (after my new toy spazmonium) the thing works excellent.
Now I have problems getting the cc out of the 996 usb2serial front port.(it never has worked yet) I have tried T88,UT,Pro96comm(using the 396xt setting) .
Nothing seems to come out at all. No errors, NO DATA.
I have set the cc out on, set the baud rates(various) set the front port and no data out.
All while the gps works fine out the rear @ 4800 & FreeScan & ARC-XT_PRO works perfect from the front port @115,200. Setting on a chattering Metro Nashville cc. What did I miss??
Any 996XT guru's wanna tell me what I missed? firmware is 1.04.00 .