GPS Units and Connections

Technical Requirements

Any GPS receiver meeting the following requirements:

• Female, 9-pin serial connector
• NMEA-0183 ver.3.01 compliant, including GGA and RMC sentences.

General Information

Some installations may require a gender changer to mate DB-9 connections. In the case of either portable scanner, if you use the cable that came with the scanner a null modem/gender changer is a requirement. A null modem adapter is not required if you purchase the optional GPS adapter cable designed for use with the HP-1 and other DMA scanners.

Wiring Schemes

• The wiring here is shown for the BCT15X and presumably the BCT15. The BCD996T and 996XT should be identical (verification wanted)

Radio connection            Kenwood D-700                         GPS connection

DB9 Serial end #5-----------------Shield------------------------------GPS  ground

DB9 Serial end #3-----------------Ring-------------------------------GPS transmit data

DB9 Serial end #2-----------------Tip--------------------------------GPS receive data

GPS unit should have separate power supply. Beware most GPS units do not use the same voltage as the BCT15X. You can use the GPS on its battery or supply a fused power lead at the proper voltage for the GPS. The DB9 connector on the radio does not supply power to run the GPS

GPS Units

Uniden Products

• Uniden BC-GPSK
  • Note that the BR330T does NOT support Location Based Scanning as suggested on the above website
  • Scanner Master blog - BC-SGPS kit
  • Note that the BCD396T does NOT support Location Based Scanning, but the BC396XT does
• Uniden Mystic

Other Manufacturers

• Garmin GPS 18
• Delorme Tripmate (with modification for autostart)
• GARMIN eTreX
• GARMIN eTreX Legend Note: Now discontinued
• GARMIN eMap
• GARMIN Rino110
• GARMIN GPS18PC
• GARMIN 12XL
• GARMIN GPSmap 60CS (needs Garmin 010-10141-00 or equivalent cable)
• GARMIN GPS2 Plus
• GARMIN 176C
• Lowrance iFinder GO2
• MAGELLAN Meridian Marine
• HOLUX Mouse GR-213 (when ordered with a serial cable)

GPS Internal Power Feed Modification

The BCT15X and other scanners with rear mounted DB-9 serial connections can be modified to supply power to the Byonics puck style GPS reciever. You will need to disassemble the scanner and find the 5 or 6 volt regulator. Solder a wire from the output of the regulator to pin 4 of the DB-9 connector. Reassemble your scanner and plug in the Byonics GPS reciever. The LED on the receiver should start flashing, and the GPS icon on your scanner should start flashing. Both lights will glow steady once the receiver acquired a position fix.

Additional Information

RadioReference Threads

• SDS100 Internal GPS Mod Thread
• GPS Cable Mod for Uniden Scanners Thread
• SDS100 GPS Data Interface Thread

RadioReference Wiki

• BCD996T Lat-Lon
• Freescan Advanced Options
• FreeSCAN-GPS

Uniden TWiki

• GPS Support
• Connecting a GPS Receiver to Uniden Handhelds
• Connecting a GPS Receiver to Uniden mobiles

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• Return to Location Based Scanning Features
• Go to Using GPS Data from the RadioReference Database