Sentinel: Select services not working

[bobruzzo]

I have an SDS200 and use Sentinel to program. The only quick keys I use are for Favorite lists. So I have 7 favorites lists in profile, numbered 1 thru 7. I dont need the confusion of having dept QK's. When I edit the favorites list editor under the "system quick key status" ALL the boxes, 0-99 are CHECKED......I dont know what the point of this is so I have been UNCHECKING all the ones in each FL that I dont use. Its a pain to uncheck 99 boxes. I think I remember a version of Sentinel that had an "uncheck all" option. So this is annoying and not sure if I need to specify whick QK for each FL. For example for one of my FL's system called "ACI" I have a QK set as number 9.....so I leave 9 checked but UNCHECK all the others....this seems redundant. I do the same for my remaining 6 FL's. Am I missing something?

 

[werinshades]

I have an SDS200 and use Sentinel to program. The only quick keys I use are for Favorite lists. So I have 7 favorites lists in profile, numbered 1 thru 7. I dont need the confusion of having dept QK's. When I edit the favorites list editor under the "system quick key status" ALL the boxes, 0-99 are CHECKED......I dont know what the point of this is so I have been UNCHECKING all the ones in each FL that I dont use. Its a pain to uncheck 99 boxes. I think I remember a version of Sentinel that had an "uncheck all" option. So this is annoying and not sure if I need to specify whick QK for each FL. For example for one of my FL's system called "ACI" I have a QK set as number 9.....so I leave 9 checked but UNCHECK all the others....this seems redundant. I do the same for my remaining 6 FL's. Am I missing something?

Right click, uncheck all is what you need.

 

[bobruzzo]

Right click, uncheck all is what you need.

OK thank you!!! That ought to save time! But why the redundancy? there are 2 more places to set the QK when you edit a FL.

 

[werinshades]

OK thank you!!! That ought to save time! But why the redundancy? there are 2 more places to set the QK when you edit a FL.

I can't answer the reason why, but can give you a work-around.

 

[bobruzzo]

I can't answer the reason why, but can give you a work-around.

Its no big deal. I like sentinel but seems to have a confusing way to program things.

 

[bearcat]

I have an SDS200 and use Sentinel to program. The only quick keys I use are for Favorite lists. So I have 7 favorites lists in profile, numbered 1 thru 7. I dont need the confusion of having dept QK's. When I edit the favorites list editor under the "system quick key status" ALL the boxes, 0-99 are CHECKED......I dont know what the point of this is so I have been UNCHECKING all the ones in each FL that I dont use. Its a pain to uncheck 99 boxes. I think I remember a version of Sentinel that had an "uncheck all" option. So this is annoying and not sure if I need to specify whick QK for each FL. For example for one of my FL's system called "ACI" I have a QK set as number 9.....so I leave 9 checked but UNCHECK all the others....this seems redundant. I do the same for my remaining 6 FL's. Am I missing something?

If you have not assigned a FL# then leaving them checked does not matter at all. You only need to toggle the 7 you are using to ON/OFF based on which ones you want to monitor. As was already stated Right Click works for all ON/OFF

 

[bobruzzo]

If you have not assigned a FL# then leaving them checked does not matter at all. You only need to toggle the 7 you are using to ON/OFF based on which ones you want to monitor. As was already stated Right Click works for all ON/OFF

OK got it thanks!

 

[hiegtx]

I have an SDS200 and use Sentinel to program. The only quick keys I use are for Favorite lists. So I have 7 favorites lists in profile, numbered 1 thru 7. I dont need the confusion of having dept QK's. When I edit the favorites list editor under the "system quick key status" ALL the boxes, 0-99 are CHECKED......I dont know what the point of this is so I have been UNCHECKING all the ones in each FL that I dont use. Its a pain to uncheck 99 boxes. I think I remember a version of Sentinel that had an "uncheck all" option. So this is annoying and not sure if I need to specify whick QK for each FL. For example for one of my FL's system called "ACI" I have a QK set as number 9.....so I leave 9 checked but UNCHECK all the others....this seems redundant. I do the same for my remaining 6 FL's. Am I missing something?

If you have a system that is assigned to a quick key, but that key is not enabled (in the same place as your screen shot), then it will not be recognized. Having the other keys, whether on or off, does not matter as long as the key is not used. If you do have another system using one of the keys, then it should also be enabled.

You have a similar section at the Departments & Sites level. There again, if you want to be able to use a department (or site) quick key, then you also must enable it. Here again, if you have a key enabled, but it is not assigned, there is no effect one way or another to how (or whether) the system/site/department is scanned.


There is a similar set of quick keys to be used at the Favorites list level. Here again, if you are using a quick key, then it needs to be enabled to work correctly. This is from a tab in the Profile Editor.

As in the other two sections, just because a key is enabled, but not being used (it's not assigned), the status of the other keys whether on or off, will have no effect, unless & until you assign it to a list. I ran into a problem in the System keys (in the Favorites list editor) after I did the recent firmware update on my SDS100. I found that one of my systems (which did have a key assigned) was not being scanned. I found that almost all of the System level keys were not checked (so they were not enabled). After I corrected that (enabled all the keys), no more issue. For any of these sets of quick key status, a <right><click> in a blank area of the section will get you a pop-up, where you can select to toggle all of the keys in that area on or off.

 

[ofd8001]

More of a refresher: Favorites List Quick Keys are the "grandparents", System Quick Keys are the "children" and the Department Quick Keys are the "grandchildren". They are different creatures, but related.

As noted above, the checkboxes you see in Sentinel are the default status of the given Quick Key. It is whether the Quick Key is On or Off right after programming. That status only lasts until you manually toggle a given Quick Key. The status of the Quick Key is then what you have done to it.

In other words, lets say FLQK 1 is off by default. At some point during the scanning, I turn FLQK 1 on. After listening for a while, I power the scanner off. When I power the scanner back on, FLQK 1 continues to be on.

 

[bobruzzo]

Thanks, that explains it much better than the documentation. Here are the 10 individual favorites lists I have programmed in radio. For some reason I didnt use numbers 5, 7 & 8. I only use quick keys on favorites lists. The way I toggle any Quick key(s) on or off while scanning is to press the number of the QK I want to turn on/off then press "E/yes". Those QK/dept site QK tabs were just confusing. Its hard to say whether I prefer Sentinel to Proscan for programming the SDS200 but I normally use Sentinel. I always use Proscan for my BCD996P2 and BCT15X radios. I used to use Freescan when I first got the scanners. Thanks for the help.

 

[ofd8001]

You are free to choose any number for your FL Quick Key, as long as it is 0-99. I have a mental system for numbering mine that helps me to remember what is what number. (And a chart I save on my iPhone).

I think once to get the hang of FLQKs System and Departments isn't too bad. I got the concept nailed down. But there are just too many things to remember. (Thanks, iPhone chart!)

My main workhorse is Sentinel. But ProScan has some good features that Sentinel doesn't. To my aging brain, ProScan's WiFi and extended broadcasting are really neat in concept, but I just can't make it work.

I don't know if our "Scanner Guys" friends have a good enough relationship with ProScan where they could do a show on how to get it going. Sure would be nice if they did, though.

 

[hiegtx]

Thanks, that explains it much better than the documentation. Here are the 10 individual favorites lists I have programmed in radio. For some reason I didnt use numbers 5, 7 & 8. I only use quick keys on favorites lists. The way I toggle any Quick key(s) on or off while scanning is to press the number of the QK I want to turn on/off then press "E/yes". Those QK/dept site QK tabs were just confusing. Its hard to say whether I prefer Sentinel to Proscan for programming the SDS200 but I normally use Sentinel. I always use Proscan for my BCD996P2 and BCT15X radios. I used to use Freescan when I first got the scanners. Thanks for the help.

While I do not use this method, a number of other RR members have posted (at various times) that they include the QK number in the name of the Favorites list and/or systems.

From your attached screenshot:
Riscon Metro, which you have Quick Key 1 assigned, could be modified to either 1-Riscon Metro, or Riscon Metro-1.
Riscon North (you show QK 2 assigned) could be 2-Riscon North, or Riscon North-2.

Having the key # at the start of the name would enable you to see the applicable QK when looking at your Favorites Lists in the menu item Set Scan Selection/Select Lists to Monitor screen in the Menu.

As I noted, while I do not do that, some users find it helpful. You, of course, can use any variation that you want, as long as it's something you can remember, and it's logical as far as you are concerned.

If you are doing your programming in Sentinel mostly by appending systems from the main database, then Sentinel handles that well. On the other hand, though, if someone was wanting to import selected departments & the applicable sites, from a statewide, or large regional trunked system, Sentinel carries over all the sites. In those cases, using ProScan, in connection with Premium Subscriber status, lets you select & import only the departments & sites of interest to you.

 

[ProScan]

ProScan's WiFi and extended broadcasting are really neat in concept, but I just can't make it work.

If Wifi as in the BCD536HP Wi-Fi. See the documents on the proscan.org web site in the lower right area. Links are provided below. If using the SDS200 LAN connection then the ProScan setup is the same. The only difference is the SDS200 menus are different to enable the IP.

Uniden BCD536HP Wi-Fi Stream and Remote Access Via ProScan Web Server
Uniden BCD536HP Wi-Fi Stream and Remote Access Via ProScan RSOIP

Don't want to hijack this thread so any scanner Wi-Fi/LAN questions best to be posted in the ProScan Forum

I don't know if our "Scanner Guys" friends have a good enough relationship with ProScan where they could do a show on how to get it going. Sure would be nice if they did, though.

Rich and I correspond occasionally. I'll be sending him a file today with a suggestion he made. Scanner Master sells the BuTel line of software so probably not going to happen. There're YouTube videos showing ProScan programming. ProScan follows Sentinel and the scanners way of doing things exactly such as creating a favorite then changing the favorite options then creating a system, system options, and so on.

 

[ofd8001]

Thanks! I learn "more better" by watching someone do something, rather than reading it and following the instructions for complex stuff.

(Each of us have our own learning methods and some folks are just fine with the written word, particularly those with a good fundamental knowledge to start with.)

(Hate to beat up on a guy with a fine name like "Rich Carlson". . . Them including software that has features that are not included with Butel, should be "fair game" with The Scanner Guys. Probably is the difference between "The Scanner Guys" and "The Scanner Master Guys").

 

[bobruzzo]

While I do not use this method, a number of other RR members have posted (at various times) that they include the QK number in the name of the Favorites list and/or systems.

From your attached screenshot:
Riscon Metro, which you have Quick Key 1 assigned, could be modified to either 1-Riscon Metro, or Riscon Metro-1.
Riscon North (you show QK 2 assigned) could be 2-Riscon North, or Riscon North-2.

Having the key # at the start of the name would enable you to see the applicable QK when looking at your Favorites Lists in the menu item Set Scan Selection/Select Lists to Monitor screen in the Menu.

As I noted, while I do not do that, some users find it helpful. You, of course, can use any variation that you want, as long as it's something you can remember, and it's logical as far as you are concerned.

If you are doing your programming in Sentinel mostly by appending systems from the main database, then Sentinel handles that well. On the other hand, though, if someone was wanting to import selected departments & the applicable sites, from a statewide, or large regional trunked system, Sentinel carries over all the sites. In those cases, using ProScan, in connection with Premium Subscriber status, lets you select & import only the departments & sites of interest to you.

Thats a great idea using QK number in the name of a FL! I like that and might start doing that.

 

[ofd8001]

Butel's ARC536 software has a utility that will incorporate Quick Key numbers in Favorites, Systems and Departments' names. So the notion is popular enough for them to create the utility.

 

[JoeBearcat]

OK thank you!!! That ought to save time! But why the redundancy? there are 2 more places to set the QK when you edit a FL.

Those are for System or Site or Department Quick Keys when you are viewing the FL. The FL Quick Key matrix is in the PROFILE.

If you do not have a Quick Key assigned (of any type) you need not disable it.

For example, if you have no System Quick Keys assigned, disabling the System Quick Key matrix does nothing but waste your time.

From your description, the only matrix you need be concerned with is the FL Quick Key matrix in the profile, and then only setting FL QK 1 through 7 depending which you want enabled or disabled.