RadioCrazy
Member
When Uniden builds a HP-2 please put in a decoader chip for CTCSS and DCS, thats what I am waiting for, then I am off to buy a couple of them, thanks for the consideration.
When HP-2 Comes out
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RadioCrazy
Member
Do you mean I can buy a HP-1 and it's able to display the CTCSS or the DCS on the frequincy I am listening to? If this is the case I am off to buy at least one right now for a try out, thank you for the info if this is the case.
There are two software updates to the HP-1. There is a 'V2' and an 'Extreme Edition'. I bought both at the same time, so I don't know if the tone decode is part of the free V2 upgrade or part of the Extreme paid upgrade.
But I highly recommend the radio and the EE upgrade.
But I highly recommend the radio and the EE upgrade.
CTCSS, DCS, NAC decode and search modes are part of the *free* firmware update.
RadioCrazy
Member
Thank you both for the replies and money does not matter on the free or paid upgrade, what matters is the service rendered from thr HP-1 and what data is needed for my use.I guess I will be off to buy one.I guess Scanner Master will have the best price for it?
i did the free upgrade,i notice it shows the p,l,only once in a while,,any?
RadioCrazy
Member
Why only once in awhile?
thats what im asking?
Just for clarification, does the HP-1 decode and display one of the three appropriate tone types (CTCSS, DCS and NAC) while in search mode or do you have to select either CTCSS/DCS or NAC separately as you presently have to do with the 996XT?
Thanks
Dennis
RadioCrazy
Member
Good question Dennis, we need one of the experts to answer this question. I don't own one yet so I need all the help I can get.
It searches like on the XT scanners. But remember you only have these options in your favorites and limit search. Not with the main database. I was able to import (add to favorites) a trunk system from the main database to my favorites. I then selected that system to search mode so it would find new talkgroups. Just like ID Search or ID Scan on the XT's.
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The hp 1 decodes all 3 when a transmission is taking place. Sometimes it disappears rather quickly. Maybe uniden can adjust the firmware to keep the tone / nac displayed until the radio moves on to the next freq or detects a new tone....
HP-1 complaint re: master database tone decode
Hi all,
Not much of a report but thought I would share my experience yesterday on a brief road trip testing out GPS-assisted scanning with the Uniden Home Patrol.
I set the radio to scan the entire database, narrowed to Police/Fire/EMS channels, and restricted the "range" to ten miles. I departed Cambridge MA at 1300 and headed north/northwest via Rte.128 to Rte. 3.
As I started up Rte.3 through the Billerica area the radio "turned on" the Nashua NH TRS as well as Hillsborough and Rockingham Counties in NH. I noticed north of Rte.495 the Goffstown NH TRS (that I forgot they had) was also turned on. As I transitioned to the Daniel Webster Highway I noticed Norfolk Co MA had "turned off" and York Co ME had been turned on along with Cheshire Co NH. This turning on/off of systems continued throughout the ride.
I guess my point is that the GPS worked as it should and made scanning while traveling a very enjoyable monitoring experience. I am still new to the radio but I am enjoying the learning process. I like the radio. For me it will serve a purpose as a secondary scanner in both a mobile and base scanning application.
My complaint is with regards to the lack of tone (PL/DPL/NAC) decoding for the "Master HomePatrol Database" (HPDB). To help illustrate, as I was driving towards Manchester NH on the Daniel Webster Highway, the HP-1 stopped on a transmission. The screen showed "Maine State Police - Zone 2" with a frequency of 460.150 but the traffic, and the flashing DPL of 465, told me I was listening to an undercover operation on Boston Police Channel 13. I was on a bit of a hill at that point and Boston PD was coming in quite clear.
Since so much effort is put in by so many people to maintain an accurate RR Database of frequencies, PLs, Alpha descriptors, Lat/Long coordinates, etc. would it not make sense for the HP to use the listed tone data and have the radio be accurate as to what the listener is hearing. Essentially the display is at this point only a SUGGESTION as to what the user MIGHT be listening to when a transmission is received. The radio is marketed more towards the less technical scanner enthusiast who is going to trust that what they see on the screen is what they are actually listening to. Not so much.
If the RadioReference database has a tone entered then it should be passed on to the Uniden HP-1's master database and the radio should decode only that tone. If none is entered in the database, THEN it should monitor in open/CSQ mode and flash the tone being received.
The new "Extreme Update" added the decode ability to user-programmed databases (ie; User programmed favorites, searches, etc.). Certainly a much needed and appreciated option. The same feature needs to be applied to the Master HP-1 Database as well. Without the tone decoder, its a glorified "service search" - a feature I have rarely used on any of my scanners.
Hi all,
Not much of a report but thought I would share my experience yesterday on a brief road trip testing out GPS-assisted scanning with the Uniden Home Patrol.
I set the radio to scan the entire database, narrowed to Police/Fire/EMS channels, and restricted the "range" to ten miles. I departed Cambridge MA at 1300 and headed north/northwest via Rte.128 to Rte. 3.
As I started up Rte.3 through the Billerica area the radio "turned on" the Nashua NH TRS as well as Hillsborough and Rockingham Counties in NH. I noticed north of Rte.495 the Goffstown NH TRS (that I forgot they had) was also turned on. As I transitioned to the Daniel Webster Highway I noticed Norfolk Co MA had "turned off" and York Co ME had been turned on along with Cheshire Co NH. This turning on/off of systems continued throughout the ride.
I guess my point is that the GPS worked as it should and made scanning while traveling a very enjoyable monitoring experience. I am still new to the radio but I am enjoying the learning process. I like the radio. For me it will serve a purpose as a secondary scanner in both a mobile and base scanning application.
My complaint is with regards to the lack of tone (PL/DPL/NAC) decoding for the "Master HomePatrol Database" (HPDB). To help illustrate, as I was driving towards Manchester NH on the Daniel Webster Highway, the HP-1 stopped on a transmission. The screen showed "Maine State Police - Zone 2" with a frequency of 460.150 but the traffic, and the flashing DPL of 465, told me I was listening to an undercover operation on Boston Police Channel 13. I was on a bit of a hill at that point and Boston PD was coming in quite clear.
Since so much effort is put in by so many people to maintain an accurate RR Database of frequencies, PLs, Alpha descriptors, Lat/Long coordinates, etc. would it not make sense for the HP to use the listed tone data and have the radio be accurate as to what the listener is hearing. Essentially the display is at this point only a SUGGESTION as to what the user MIGHT be listening to when a transmission is received. The radio is marketed more towards the less technical scanner enthusiast who is going to trust that what they see on the screen is what they are actually listening to. Not so much.
If the RadioReference database has a tone entered then it should be passed on to the Uniden HP-1's master database and the radio should decode only that tone. If none is entered in the database, THEN it should monitor in open/CSQ mode and flash the tone being received.
The new "Extreme Update" added the decode ability to user-programmed databases (ie; User programmed favorites, searches, etc.). Certainly a much needed and appreciated option. The same feature needs to be applied to the Master HP-1 Database as well. Without the tone decoder, its a glorified "service search" - a feature I have rarely used on any of my scanners.
This may be an error or something in the database. My HP-1 does use the tones from the database as it should when I scan the master database.
Did you look in Sentinel and see if the tone info is listed for that channel?
I've also seen some duplicate frequencies in the database where one has the tone and the other does not. In this case, the HP-1 will stop on whichever channel gets scanned first providing the tone is correct for the entry with the tone data. If it stops on the one without the tone data, mine does open the squelch in CSQ mode and also display the detected tone if there is one detected. If I avoid this duplicate no tone channel, the other channel will only stop a scan if the tone is present as it should.
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Tone display is active on the master (full) database. It works just as you describe. If no tone is entered in the database the transmitted tone is displayed. If the tone is in the database, no tone is displayed.
As mentioned, if the channel has a tone programmed, the HP-1 honors the tone. What could be happening is that a duplicate frequncy is in RRDB for some other purpose with no tone applied. In that case, when the HP-1 scans that frequency, if there is any activity at all on the frequency (tone or no tone), it will stop on the channel. Since no tone is programmed for the frequency in the dB, if a tone is present, the HP-1 flashes that tone to provide feedback to the user that either the dB is in need of update, or that they might be hearing a channel other than the one displayed (i.e. one that uses a tone).
It sounds like that's what happened. The 460.150 frequency is listed in the RR DB without a tone. It is listed to Boston PD as well, with a DPL of 465.
From the OP description of where he was when he heard the transmission he was closer to Boston than Maine. The Boston PD channel is repeated as well. I think Maine SP uses that frequency as a mobile extender so it's unlikely he'd hear it anyway.
He's asking for the HP to search through it's database and find the exact match for that frequency/tone combination, but what if there is more than one?
It do not think it searches its own database, it just scans it and uses that info to set the VCO.
So it will stop on the first channel it passes if it has a signal level above the squelch threshold or a matching tone. In the OPs case, if it scans the duplicate entry that has no tone data entered first, that is the channel that will be heard.
Right, I understand that. I commented that a DB search seems to be what the OP was looking for.
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