BCD436HP/BCD536HP: Uniden GPS - Do I have a defective unit?

[ofd8001]

GPS scanning is a "Godsend" for trips and I'm sure you'll find it to function quite well.

Oversimplifying Range setting a little to help a new user to understand: When Range is set to 0, the scanner turns "things" on just as you enter a jurisdiction and off just as you leave. If you set the Range to 10.0 miles, "things" are turned on 10.0 miles before you enter the jurisdiction and are turned off 10.0 miles after you leave the jurisdiction.

My school of thought is that by going with a higher Range value, I may begin to hear transmissions sooner. That could give me some advance indication that an incident affecting my travel is occuring, such as a motor vehicle collision. Then I can think of a detour sooner instead of getting stuck in traffic.

 

[Voyager]

Ok cool. I will try this gps this coming March, traveling from SA to Florida. Hope itll work. Thanks

Try a test run sometime before that to make sure everything is working as expected.
(test run somewhere local - not to FL)

 

[horizonscanner]

will do. Thanks..maybe 10m range will be fine..


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[troymail]

Encountered another small issue using GPS and ID Search that can probably be solved with a simple firmware update.

When you store newly found IDs in a new department, they are stored with a location of 0/0 when it might be better to also capture and store your current location.

Right now, as soon as you store it, you no longer hear it due to the location info being bad.

 

[ofd8001]

The scanner probably doesn't "know" what location settings to use for the newly found IDs. While you may have a GPS device attached, it isn't a given that every user will. As such the scanner software probably uses that 0/0 as a default location.

They probably could/should change the software such that the location derived from the zip code entry (or most recent GPS location) is used. However you'd still be in the same 0/0 boat if you found something away from your "zip code" location. It's probably not an easy fix, however.

 

[troymail]

If the radio knows you are on GPS (it does) and it knows your rough (last calculated) location (it does) then it should be that hard to store that info with the new group.

 

[phask]

But - just because it knows what you say - that would not meet the same criteria as loaction that is in the DB - apples & oranges.

I also doubt that that data is encoded what it stores. That doesn't explain it well

That said - I;ve never used it that way - always dumped it to Sentinel and massaged.

 

[AuntEnvy]

Boy! I sure hope I didn't just get another 536 for nothing!

Am I to assume that the 536 GPS option doesn't work as well/easily as the HP1 always did...?

 

[UPMan]

It works just as well/easily.

 

[troymail]

Boy! I sure hope I didn't just get another 536 for nothing!

Am I to assume that the 536 GPS option doesn't work as well/easily as the HP1 always did...?

I've learned over the last few weeks that it's like everything else.... YMMV.

Performance is very highly dependent upon the RRDB location data that is provided or more likely - "assumed" in many cases. This is further impacted by the degree of detail and accuracy of the various RRDB admins.

Some location data is very loose, others very tight, while some is inaccurate and still others are just missing.

The default "circle" radius definitions used result in more out of range systems/channels while at the same time the application and X36 use of the additional location data results in other "in range" activity not being enabled.

While the GPS function is interesting and something else to play with as part of the hobby, just like the difference between use of "full database" and zip code verses specific custom programming, those who want to ensure they'll hear what they really want to hear verse "just hear something" will still want to perform some amount of review and/or custom programming even when using the GPS.

I've already created lots of work for my area database admin which could/should benefit others. Here's hoping others in other areas do the same....

 

[UPMan]

However, vis-a-vis the BCD436HP and BCD536HP, no difference from the HP-1 or HP-2.

The biggest improvement on the "overselection" issue is achieved when using one or more rectangles to define the coverage area rather than circles.

 

[troymail]

The biggest improvement on the "overselection" issue is achieved when using one or more rectangles to define the coverage area rather than circles.

I think I might agree. However, although I've found and created some tools to help define (and submit) circular location data, I haven't yet found similar tools to draw sets of rectangles over decent jurisdictional boundaries. Frankly, I haven't decided if it's worth it yet since RRDB won't accept / use that data (as far as I know).

It helps me for my home area but no one else...and it won't help me on road trips with the manual checks and custom programming I previously mentioned

 

[Voyager]

If the radio knows you are on GPS (it does) and it knows your rough (last calculated) location (it does) then it should be that hard to store that info with the new group.

And what if that "new TG" is used by a department 70 miles away? You will then only scan it when you are many miles from it, and never when you are in their area.

I think Uniden will add the appropriate settings when they develop brain-controlled models.

 

[UPMan]

I think Uniden will add the appropriate settings when they develop brain-controlled models.

Please don't discuss features that are under development until release.

 

[sparklehorse]

I think I might agree. However, although I've found and created some tools to help define (and submit) circular location data, I haven't yet found similar tools to draw sets of rectangles over decent jurisdictional boundaries. Frankly, I haven't decided if it's worth it yet since RRDB won't accept / use that data (as far as I know).

It helps me for my home area but no one else...and it won't help me on road trips with the manual checks and custom programming I previously mentioned

I don't know if it's what you're looking for, but Freescan has a mapping tool that clearly shows the RR database location circle of any given Department, Site, System, etc. See screen grab below.

You can change the range in that window and then see an updated circle, or enter entirely new center coordinates and update the map/circle to show that change. The Freescan map doesn't show jurisdictional boundaries, but you can always do a Google search in a browser for "Marion County, Oregon" for example, and see the boundaries in a browser map. Comparing the browser map to Freescan's map can give you a good idea if the current location info in the DB is adequate, or if it needs revision in your favorites list. Of course Freescan doesn't work with the x36 radios, but it is free to download and can be used in this way as a separate tool to help determine if the RR database location info needs revision to work properly for location based scanning. Personally I've found the RR location info to be very hit and miss. Some agencies are fine, many others are inaccurate at best, and some completely useless. If you want to have your scanner work as it should work for location based, the only way to make that happen is to set up your own Favorite List and verify everything in it yourself, editing as needed. Otherwise, like I say, it's very hit and miss. Not Uniden's fault, it's just the way it is. It would however be great if Uniden added a tool like this to Sentinel. It is sorely needed.

.

 

[AuntEnvy]

Whew! Thank you!

It works just as well/easily.

I was worried for a minute. That was one of the main reasons I bought a second one. Haven't hooked it up yet but will be doing so soon.

 

[Voyager]

Please don't discuss features that are under development until release.

Sorry. I didn't realize that was in development already.

 

[stingray327]

However, vis-a-vis the BCD436HP and BCD536HP, no difference from the HP-1 or HP-2.

The biggest improvement on the "overselection" issue is achieved when using one or more rectangles to define the coverage area rather than circles.

When I plug in HP-2 into GPS mode it automatically sets range to 0. Yet I still get signals out of area.
On the 436 it automatically doesn't set to 0. Should I set the range on 436 to 0?

 

[Voyager]

0 range means you only want to hear signals whose service area overlap your exact location. If a Department has a range set to 50 miles, and they are only 40 miles away, you will scan then because the info says it serves your location.

http://www.homepatrol.com/index.php...ation-location&catid=5:homepatrol-1&Itemid=12

 

[darunimal]

So when will we be able to put in a minus Range e.g. -10miles