Activating a Service Group on BCD536HP

[PCTEK]

I've create a scan group (Quick Key #16) for my local HAM repeaters using Sentinel software to create and upload the group to my scanner. When I try to activate quick key 16, the scanner just beeps. I then looked at the Scan Services and "HAM" (the service type I have set in Sentinel) just shows --- . I can turn on and off the other groups, but when I try to enable "Ham" the scanner just beeps. What am I doing or forgetting to do so that I can monitor these frequencies. I sure hope that the frequencies I've programmed don't have to exist in the RR master data base...

Thank you

 

[kevino]

When you programmed the ham freqs, did you set the Service Type for each of these channels as "Ham"? I think you might be seeing "---" because there is nothing programmed in the radio with this service type.....but then again I could be wrong. I believe that, by default, programmed channels have a service type of "Custom 1" unless you change it to another service type

 

[PCTEK]

I set the service type within the Sentinel Software as "Ham". When I wrote to the scanner, I can see the channel, frequencies, and quick key if I manually drill through the menus on the scanner. But when I try to activate the HAM service type, the scanner just beeps and the service type ---. so long story short, I cannot scan quick key 16. The scanner beeps when I try to select it.

 

[teknishun]

The Ham freqs are in a favorites list that you created. Using the Sentinel software go to Edit Profile.
Choose the correct profile for your scanner. There may only be one profile.

In the profile look at the Service Types tab and be sure there is a check mark in the Ham box. (I believe you already covered this.)
Also, on the Scan Selection tab, make sure your Ham favorites list is set to BOTH Download and Monitor. Both should say ON.

THEN do a Save Profile. You should see the word "updated" next to the profile name go away. The profile is now updated.

Then reload the changes back to the scanner.

 

[ofd8001]

Any chance you have that Ham Favorites List Avoided or otherwise set as Monitor Off? In such cases, the scanner doesn't "see" the Favorites List and as such may not allow you to turn the Ham Service Type On. You see the dashes instead.

 

[bemyax]

Maybe it's a location-based problem. If my 536 thinks there is nothing to scan within my location (and radius) for that service type, it does not allow me to select it. It has been so long since I changed anything, I can't remember. Manually entered frequencies might not have the benefit of a defined location that accompany listings in Radio Reference. Just a thought.

 

[jonwienke]

Location Control is a possibility. You have to have scannable channels of a Service Type before you can select that Service Type. If a system is turned off because the scanner thinks it is out of range, that can prevent you from selecting a type if it only occurs in that system.

 

[PCTEK]

Thanks everyone. I don't use location Control. What it turned out to be was tagging the Service Type as "HAM". I changed it to "Other" and it came to life. I still can't get the service type of HAM on the scanner to become active. It continues to show "---". When I drill through the scanner options, it does show "HAM" as being available for use.

 

[KE5MC]

Thanks everyone. I don't use location Control. What it turned out to be was tagging the Service Type as "HAM". I changed it to "Other" and it came to life. I still can't get the service type of HAM on the scanner to become active. It continues to show "---". When I drill through the scanner options, it does show "HAM" as being available for use.

I'll try to explain and it gets convoluted as what you see and do in Sentinel is different than in the radio.

The attachment is my ham DMR favorite list and when I manually created this list Custom 1 was the default and that is what I had to turn on in Service types. For this post I changed the marked item to Ham. I know in all my favorite list Ham is not used other than this example. Before I uploaded this change to the radio I checked Menu-->Select Service Types on the radio. Ham and a few other types had "---" in the right hand column. In contrast in Sentinel, Edit Profile-->Service Type I have checked marked all in the left panel and Custom 1 in the right panel.

After I uploaded the change in the attachment below then the Menu-->Select Service Types on the radio was ON and I could toggle between OFF and ON.

My conclusion is that if HAM on the radio indicates --- then that service type is not being used by any of the favorites list on your radio. Check marking an item in a global list comes into play when the line item you have programmed in your favorites list is used also.

As I was reading thru the thread it was always a little difficult to follow what was done and was it in Sentinel or the radio. Not a negative criticism just a fact of troubleshooting a technical issue online. It entirely possible my 'fill-in the blanks' assumptions are wrong and the consequence of early morning and not enough coffee resulting in the continuation of a long line of oops.

 

[PCTEK]

Thank you KE5MC