SDS100/SDS200: Using GPS Locator instead of using Favorites lists?

[pianoboy100]

I’m brand new to this so please forgive me if I don’t seem to understand. I just purchased a SDS100 and am looking to get a GPS for it so I can track as I drive to and from my jobs. I am a freelancer and drive a lot all over the state. I have some favorites lists set up for the different locations I’m in, however, tonight there was stand still traffic in one location and I was trying to figure out how to connect to the municipality I was in but it wasn’t working and seemed like I had to reprogram.
I’m thinking the GPS is a quick way to track your area without much programming. Am I wrong in assuming this?

thanks for the insight !

 

[donc13]

Yes and no..

GPS will not turn favorites on or off similar to selecting a favorites list to scan, and when you get down the road, selecting a different list and deslecting the list you were scanning. But, if you had location control set on both lists then depending on the range setting, both lists could be on, both could be off or just one is on. It does that by determining if a tower (site) is within range, it'll scan it and if it's outta range, it won't.

But... Both lists must be selected as ON in lists to scan.

The easier way, I'm MY usage, is to simply set the full database and then just 4 service types. For me, that's law enforcement dispatch, law enforcement tac, fire dispatch and fire tac.

As I drive around, that's all I hear and the departments change as I move. No programming needed. I keep my range set at 15 miles.


No matter what, I hear local police and fire only.

Obviously if those departments use encrypted communications, you will never hear them.

For me, that works, for you, maybe not.

 

[pianoboy100]

"The easier way, I'm MY usage, is to simply set the full database and then just 4 service types. For me, that's law enforcement dispatch, law enforcement tac, fire dispatch and fire tac.

As I drive around, that's all I hear and the departments change as I move. No programming needed. I keep my range set at 15 miles."

This was my thinking exactly. I would rather have location on and have the scanner automatically find the channels based on my location, range set, and the type of services to listen on. I find that's so much easier than manually programming favorites lists. If I miss a town or something then I have to go back in and program that to the favorites list. Thanks for your reply!

 

[nessnet]

To OP: Yes

To donc13: Your response is very confusing - and not 100% accurate..... (GPS can be uses for BOTH departments and sites. So GPS is most definitely useful to turn on/off trunkgroups, etc.

Best practice with a GPS (IMO - how I do it with very good success anyway....):
I have it set up so that my radios literally switch as I cross a state/county/city/reservation boundary. So, I only monitor the freqs/trunkgroups for where I am always physically at.

How?
Set up favorite lists by their location. I personally set up separate FLs for entire counties that are smaller or in the boonies (not in the immediate metro area). For the metro, my FLs are set up by clusters of 2-3 cities/entities. Cities that are adjacent to one another go in a favorite, or for bigger cities, they have their own favorite list. With favorite lists set up for every city or "cluster" in the area. Also note that for irregular borders, you can set up multiple smaller rectangles to cover them quite accurately, using a mosaic like approach so to speak...

This approach requires that you take the time to define accurate rectangles (vs the default circles) for all of your department's location. There are multiple on-line tools that can assist you with this. Yea, it's some work, but once it is done, you have a 100% automatic way to drive and not even have to touch your radio.

bounding box - Google Search
https://bboxfinder.com/#44.735028,-93.598022,45.238152,-92.878418
(I just drew a random box around MSP. Use the tools on the left to draw whatever box you want and then use the lat/long for your GPS info you program. Remember it's always NW corner and SW corner lat/long of the box you are defining.

Note that because of how RF (radio waves) propagate, you always leave SITES as circles. These rectangles/bounding boxes are only for your departments.

Note #2: Also, range should be briefly discussed. In your PROFILE, there is a global setting for range. This is NOT the same as the circles (or rectangles) set for any departments or sites. Maybe a real world example will help. I have my range set to 0. This then sets things up so that my radio switches exactly when I cross a programmed box's border. If had it set to 1, it's switch a mile before the boundary, 2, would be 2 miles before crossing, etc, etc...

 

[hiegtx]

"The easier way, I'm MY usage, is to simply set the full database and then just 4 service types. For me, that's law enforcement dispatch, law enforcement tac, fire dispatch and fire tac.

As I drive around, that's all I hear and the departments change as I move. No programming needed. I keep my range set at 15 miles."

This was my thinking exactly. I would rather have location on and have the scanner automatically find the channels based on my location, range set, and the type of services to listen on. I find that's so much easier than manually programming favorites lists. If I miss a town or something then I have to go back in and program that to the favorites list. Thanks for your reply!

Just remember that the range set on the scanner is only part of how location based scanning works. You also need to factor in the range as entered in the database for the departments & sites. For a more complete explanation, with graphics, see this:
How it Works: Location, Location, Location

 

[donc13]

The scanner will NOT load (turn on) a favorites list that is NOT loaded when the scanner is turned on.

Menu item 1.set scan selection, under that a select lists to load. If a favorite list isn't set to ON it will never be loaded by the GPS even if you get in range of what you have in that favorites list.

It won't scan any list that's been loaded if it's set for location control and not in range.

 

[ofd8001]

If you want to "cast a wide net" on travel scanning: Turn on Full Database, connect a GPS, turn on the service types of interest and determine how far away from a community you would like to attempt scanning that community - this is your Global (keypad) Range.

If you are more limited in preferences, then create a Favorites List with just the things of interest. Set the FL's Location Control to On and use a GPS. The GPS will select what should and should not be on. The Global Range is still applicable.

The downside of the full database is your scanner will attempt to receive everything meeting your parameters, even if it is a format such as NXDN and you don't have the upgrade. So you might hear "noise".

Regardless of which option, it will take some time and trial, to "perfect" your method.

 

[hiegtx]

For any Favorites list you create, if you plan on using it along with a GPS with location control in use, be careful when creating your list. Appending a system from the database will ensure that location data is in place. But if you manually add any new systems, or add Departments and sites to an existing system, you will also need to include the location details for your entry. If you leave them blank, with both latitude & longitude blank (zero degrees for each), their location will be treated as being in the Atlantic Ocean, off the west coast of Africa, and they will be ignored as out of range.

If you don't positively know the location & range to be entered, consider using the location data for another known system in the area (i.e. one that is in the database), and use a range in line with other, known, systems of a similar type.

 

[dave3825]

I live on Long Island and have fav lists set up for my areas (Nassau County, Suffolk County, NYC & NY State Police). I have avoided Nassau Suffolk, NYC & NYSPD in the full database. When I travel off Long Island using gps, I just set location control to "ON" on those fav lists and enable Full database. I listen to my fav lists as I leave the area and then the full db kicks in. I keep my range set to 1 mile.

 

[nessnet]

The scanner will NOT load (turn on) a favorites list that is NOT loaded when the scanner is turned on.

Menu item 1.set scan selection, under that a select lists to load. If a favorite list isn't set to ON it will never be loaded by the GPS even if you get in range of what you have in that favorites list.

It won't scan any list that's been loaded if it's set for location control and not in range.

Of course that is the case with GPS/FL scanning - you always turn on/(leave on) all of the FLs that will be in the area you are traveling in/through. With location control also on. No need to turn them off - the GPS does all that for you....

 

[donc13]

Of course that is the case with GPS/FL scanning - you always turn on/(leave on) all of the FLs that will be in the area you are traveling in/through. With location control also on. No need to turn them off - the GPS does all that for you....

That's why I said the answer is, "Yes and no..."
And used the example that both, neither or either could be on or off if loaded at startup.

GPS does NOT "turn on and turn off" lists. The lists must be turned ON at startup and then GPS can scan or not scan the systems/sites/talk groups in those lists.

Yes, we're talking semantics... But the menu says to select lists to load with a on/off answer.

Meaning, while the scanner is on and running and you go to lists to monitor and see a list is OFF, there is no question how it got set to OFF because the GPS can not, "turn it off"

 

[JoeBearcat]

The scanner will NOT load (turn on) a favorites list that is NOT loaded when the scanner is turned on.

Menu item 1.set scan selection, under that a select lists to load. If a favorite list isn't set to ON it will never be loaded by the GPS even if you get in range of what you have in that favorites list.

It won't scan any list that's been loaded if it's set for location control and not in range.

To use GPS with a FL (which will work fine when properly programmed), you do have to properly program it by making sure the GPS data is entered, Location Control is enabled, Service Types are enabled, Departments or Sites or Systems are not AVOIDed, and the FL is loaded to scan.

As with anything, improper or incomplete programming will affect operation.

GPS is not an alternative to Favorites Lists although some people use it only with the main database.
GPS can work in conjunction with Favorites Lists if you want to only monitor those lists.