BCT15X GPS, Location-Based Scanning & Programming Locations

Summary: How to connect a GPS receiver to the BCT15X, use location-based scanning to switch systems automatically as you travel, and store points of interest and hazard alerts.

What You Can Do With GPS

• Location-based scanning – the scanner turns systems, sites and channel groups on and off automatically depending on where you are.
• GPS mode – shows your position, heading, speed, time and elevation, and guides you to a stored point of interest.
• Location alerts – sounds an alert when you approach a stored point of interest, dangerous crossing or dangerous road.

Compatible GPS Receivers

Any receiver that provides NMEA-0183 v3.01 location data, outputs both the GGA (fix) and RMC (recommended minimum) sentences, and has a serial RS-232 connection.

Connecting the Receiver

1. Go to Settings, Set Serial Port, Set Baud Rate, Set Rear Port and choose 4800 bps (the rear port defaults to 4800 for GPS compatibility).
2. Plug the receiver’s RS-232 cable straight into the 9-pin DB9 connector on the back of the scanner.
3. When the scanner recognises the GPS input it shows a confirmation and the GPS icon. If the receiver has no satellite lock yet, the display says Searching for Satellite.

If the scanner won’t recognise the receiver, check its baud rate matches (most use 4800, but some use non-standard rates) and check the receiver is in an NMEA-compatible output mode – some have proprietary modes you can switch out of.

If it recognises the receiver but isn’t locking systems in and out as you expect, make sure the receiver has a satellite lock, then for each site or group open Set LocationInfo and check the latitude, longitude and range, and confirm Set GPS Enable is On.

Location-Based Scanning: Planning

For each system, site or group you want controlled by location you need a centre point and a range. Two approaches work:

• Geopolitical – centre on the middle of an agency’s territory (city, county, district) and choose a radius that just covers its boundary, to the nearest half mile. The scanner turns the group on at the limit of relevance rather than reception. Irregular shapes mean a trade-off between overlap and gaps.
• Antenna-centric – centre on the actual transmitter site and use the antenna’s real reach as the range. Antenna locations are listed in RadioReference and in the FCC’s Antenna Structure Registration.

For large trunked systems, combine them: use antenna-centric ranges for each site, and geopolitical ranges for a group per agency. The scanner then switches between sites you can actually receive and turns agency groups on and off as you cross jurisdictions.

Setting a Site or Group Location

1. Program System, choose the system.
2. Edit Site (trunked) or Edit Group, choose the site or group.
3. Set LocationInfo: enter the latitude, longitude and range.
4. Set Set GPS Enable to On. This step is easy to miss and the location has no effect until it’s on.
5. Repeat for other sites or groups.

Coordinates are entered in degrees, minutes and seconds (for example 44 58′ 12.79″ N). To convert from decimal degrees use degrees + minutes/60 + seconds/3600. Range is 0.5 to 125.0 miles or km in 0.5 steps, according to your Set Unit GPS setting.

Programming General Locations

Under Program Location you can store three kinds of general location:

• POI – a point of interest
• Dangerous Xing – a dangerous crossing (intersection)
• Dangerous Road

To create one: choose the type, New Location, optionally Edit Name, then Set LocationInfo (latitude and longitude), Set Range, and the alert settings. POI range is 0.05 to 4.0 miles/km in 0.05 steps. POIs have selectable alert tones (four patterns) and a light; crossings and roads use fixed alert tones with a selectable volume (Level 1-15 or Auto, or Off) and light.

For Dangerous Xing and Dangerous Road you can also set:

• Set Heading – only alert when you’re travelling within +/- 45 degrees of the chosen heading (choose a direction, or All Range for any).
• Set Speed Limit – only alert when you’re inside the range and above the speed you enter (0 to 200, leave blank for always).

Every location type also has Set Lockout (Unlocked, Temporary L/O or Lockout), Set Type (to change it to another type), Delete Location and New Location. To edit an existing location, open Program Location, choose the type, and select it from the alphabetical list.

GPS Mode Displays

Tap GPS to enter GPS mode; cycle displays with FUNCTION + 6.

• GPS Data – direction of travel, time, speed, elevation and the selected POI (OFF if none).
• ETA / Clock / Elevation / Speed – available once you select a POI: a large arrow points to it, with your heading, distance to the POI, and in the corner your ETA, clock, elevation or speed.
• Location – your latitude and longitude, and the POI name.
• Location Alert – alert type, distance, name and direction. The ALERT indicator flashes as you near a dangerous crossing or road.
• Location Review – browse the details of each stored location by turning the SCROLL knob.

GPS Mode Keys

• Turn SCROLL to select a POI; FUNCTION + turn jumps to the next letter of the alphabet.
• Press and hold GPS stores your current location. FUNCTION + MENU edits the current location.
• E/YES goes to the Location Review display. LOCKOUT: tap – temporarily lock out the current location alert; double tap – permanently.
• HOLD holds on the current system; SCAN returns to the previous operation.
• In Location Review: GPS (tap) goes back to GPS mode; press and hold GPS overwrites the selected location with your current one; LOCKOUT toggles the lockout on the current location; press and hold LOCKOUT unlocks all locations of that type; FUNCTION + press and hold LOCKOUT asks Unlock All Locations? and unlocks every type if you press E/YES.

GPS Settings

Under Settings, Set GPS Format choose the position format (DMS or decimal degrees), time format (12H or 24H), time zone (-14 to +14 hours in half-hour steps) and the unit (miles or kilometres) used for distance, range and speed.