UBCD3600XLT GPS, Location Control & Digital Adjustment Mode

Summary: Using a GPS receiver with the UBCD3600XLT for location-based scanning, and the Digital Adjustment mode for tuning decode thresholds on digital signals.

Location-Based Scanning With a GPS

Connect a NMEA-compatible GPS device using the 4-pin mini plug, and the scanner can automatically avoid and unavoid departments and sites based on where you are, so you don’t have to enable and disable them by hand as you travel.

A good use is to set the latitude and longitude of each transmitter of a multi-site system, then set the range to around 48 km. The scanner then avoids and unavoids sites as you move in and out of range. It can also help to set different locations and ranges for departments within a site. You can find the physical antenna locations on RadioReference or the FCC’s Antenna Structure Registration site, which list latitude, longitude and height and can map the location.

Things to know:

• After the scanner completes its initial GPS review, it avoids and unavoids sites and departments according to the scanner’s range and each site’s or department’s range.
• If you cycle power, every site and department is unavoided until the scanner reacquires the GPS signal and completes the initial review.
• If the GPS is unplugged or loses satellites, the scanner uses the last known location as the current location.
• All sites and departments with locations set that aren’t within range of your current location are temporarily avoided.
• Set up the GPS format, baud rate and units first under Set Your Location, Set Up GPS. See UBCD3600XLT Setting Your Location, Range & Service Types, and for how sites and departments are given locations, UBCD3600XLT Programming Sites & Band Plans.

For the ideas behind Location Control and range, see UBCD3600XLT Managing Favorites Lists & Location Control.

Digital Adjustment Mode

The scanner sets a decode threshold for digital signals. Digital Adjustment mode lets you see how that’s working and fine-tune the starting point for a site or conventional channel.

1. Press the Scroll Control, then Func, then the Scroll Control again. Press the Scroll Control to exit.
2. Set the Digital Threshold Mode to Manual in the Site Options (or the System Options for a conventional channel).
3. Press Func + Dept to hold on a site, or hold on a digital channel.
4. The first display line now shows the digital error rate and the decode threshold setting (0-20). The second line shows the decode threshold levels for the site.
5. Let the scanner monitor the site or channel for several minutes. The error rate should drop with each transmission, and the threshold levels should adjust to a better setting. When the threshold settles to a stable value, note it – that’s the site’s or channel’s optimum decode threshold.
6. Press Func and rotate the Scroll Control to set the manual decode threshold start level to the value nearest the optimum. It’s remembered for that site as the starting point for the auto-tuning on later transmissions.

See UBCD3600XLT Programming Systems & System Options for the Digital Threshold Mode and Level options and UBCD3600XLT Programming Sites & Band Plans.