BCD436HP/BCD536HP: 436 Programming

[w5rah]

I recently got a great deal on a 436 and thought it would program essentially in the same manner as a HP-1 or HP-2, minus touch screen layout, but otherwise in a similar logic. I have found that with my HP-1, I can add a new scan list, then add channels from the database and drill down to the state, county, agency and add those frequencies or systems/talkgroups/sites to the scan list. Am I missing something, but I cannot find a way to easily do this with my 436. The method I have been trying results in me having to delete a lot of information, rather than select the items I want, like with the HP-1. Any pointers to make this simpler like on the HP-1? Anyway, if things like this are easier to do with the HP1 or 2, I may have to look at trading the 436 for a HP-2.

 

[hiegtx]

I recently got a great deal on a 436 and thought it would program essentially in the same manner as a HP-1 or HP-2, minus touch screen layout, but otherwise in a similar logic. I have found that with my HP-1, I can add a new scan list, then add channels from the database and drill down to the state, county, agency and add those frequencies or systems/talkgroups/sites to the scan list. Am I missing something, but I cannot find a way to easily do this with my 436. The method I have been trying results in me having to delete a lot of information, rather than select the items I want, like with the HP-1. Any pointers to make this simpler like on the HP-1? Anyway, if things like this are easier to do with the HP1 or 2, I may have to look at trading the 436 for a HP-2.

You can append from the database to an existing (or new) Favorites list in both the Home Patrol series as well as the x36hp series.

If you already have a 'good' Favorites list for the HP-1, simply export it into an *.hpe file, then import that file into the Sentinel version used for the 436 & 536.

You can also 'point and shoot' so build a Favorites list by appending from the main database. If you are appending a large regional, or statewide, system, the append will pull over all the system sites. But you can cull those out fairly quickly without going into the Favorites list editor. See this, which is a how-to file I made for another member in the Houston area. The systems names you'll see may not apply to you, but the basic procedure is the same.

If you import one of your HP-1 Favorites into the x36HP version of Sentinel, then you would want to edit the file to assign quick keys, LED alert colors, etc, that are used by the 436HP, but not by the HP-1/HP-2 series. Similarly, if you have a 436HP Favorites list, that you'd like to also use for your HP series, then export it into an *.hpe file, then import into the HP-1/HP-2 version of Sentinel. Of course, those scanners do not use quick keys or the alert LED functions, and such, so they will not show up when you look at the file in the HP version of Sentinel.

 

[w5rah]

Thanks for the info. I should have clarified my question in that I was trying to do it with just the scanner, rather than using Sentinal. I was just surprised something easy to do on my HP-1, does not appear to be an easy process using just the radio.

 

[jonwienke]

Learn how to use the computer. It's far easier than doing thing in the scanner. And if you do all your programming changes on the computer, you have a backup copy, and you don't have version conflicts between the computer and scanner.

 

[ofd8001]

The x36 line of scanners is the "high end/complex" line of scanners versus the "easy to use" line. Thus things might be more complex, particularly with the x36s having features/things the Home Patrol does not.

The good news is that you can export your Home Patrol files and import them to your x36. Use Sentinel for Home Patrol and export the desired Favorites List(s) to HPE files. Then use Sentinel for x36 to import those HPE files. There will be some blank spaces in the newly created file(s) where you'll have to provide values.

Still it gives you a good jump start and your programs will be similar. Eliminates re-inventing re-plowing of fields, reducing effort.

 

[w5rah]

I agree making changes on the computer is much quicker and easier, and it is my preferred method. I just wanted the versatility to be able to do it on the radio like I can the HP-1. Sometimes I don't have a chance to program what I want before leaving or end up going somewhere unplanned during the day. It's the on the fly versatility I was looking for. I can do that with the HP-1 but it lacks phase 2. I can also use my Radio Shack/Whistler for phase two as well and it is easily programmed on the run.

 

[jonwienke]

I agree making changes on the computer is much quicker and easier, and it is my preferred method. I just wanted the versatility to be able to do it on the radio like I can the HP-1. Sometimes I don't have a chance to program what I want before leaving or end up going somewhere unplanned during the day.

The x36 scanners are powerful enough that you can program everything within a 100-mile radius, and as long as you have location control enabled, you can go on a short-notice trip and not need to do any programming other than possibly toggling a favirite list on or off. If you have to reprogram your scanner any time you walk out the door, you're doing it wrong.

 

[w5rah]

I have most anything of interest programmed in a series of favorites lists for fairly good radius around me, and I do use the location control when it is handy so for most of the time, it works great. However, I do end up in places much farther away before I can dump some programming in the radio. Which brings me back to my original question about programming a new favorites list and adding channels much like the way its done in the HP-1 (using just the scanner), which seems pretty simple and straightforward. If the 436 does not allow for that, then so be it. I wanted to see if I was missing something in the process. Because I can do the location control, and then it give me a large number of choices. With the HP-1 I can pick which ones to add to a favorite list. With the 436 it seems like it is a delete or skip process, rather than add, which seems to take much longer. It just would seem that a scanner like the 436 that is still in the "Home Patrol" family would allow for it.

 

[jonwienke]

You're missing the point. The x36 favorite lists can be much larger than with other scanners. You can add stuff to a favorite list farther out that you have any probability of driving on short notice, and then use GPS and Location Control to keep the scanner from being overwhelmed. There's no reason you can't have everything in a 100-mile radius in a favorite list customized to match your listening preferences.

That's basically what I've done, except I split my data into 5 lists, each corresponding with a state--Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Virgina, and Washington DC. Each list contains all statewide systems for the state, plus all counties within the state I have any possibility of visiting. Each list has location Control enabled. When I travel, I toggle on the state lists I will be traveling through, and let Location Control and the manual tweaks I've done to the list do the rest.

Setting up these lists is easy. The first step (and the hardest) is to make a list of all of the states and counties within 100 miles (or whatever your normal travel radius might be) of your home. Sort the list by state name, then county name. In Sentinel, create a Favorite List and give it the name of the first state on your list. Make sure you turn Location Control on.

Navigate to that state in the Main Database in Sentinel, and go to the first county on your list for that state. Click the + next to the county name and you will see Nationwide, Statewide, and County Systems under the county name. Click on Statewide first. You will see a list of statewide systems on the right. Click any one of them, and press CTRL-A to highlight all of them. Then hit INS to add those systems to a favorite list. A dialog will appear allowing you to select which favorite list the items will be added to. Repeat this for the Countywide Systems under the county.

For subsequent counties within the state in your travel area, repeat the process, but you do not need to keep re-adding the Statewide systems to the state favorite list. You only need to add the Countywide Systems for each county in your travel area. For a new state, you'll need to create another Favorite List with the new state name. then add the Statewide sytems, and all County Systems for each county in your travel area.

It sounds complicated, but once you've done this a few times, you can do this in a few minutes. It takes me about 5 minutes to refresh 5 state Favorite Lists with about a dozen counties.

 

[w5rah]

I'm with you on setting things up in Sentinal and I am familiar with doing that as I have set up numerous scan lists with it for the TxWarn system and most other systems for about 75-100 miles around me. The way it drills down in Sentinal and adding items it pretty easy and quick. Sentinal is pretty easy to use, when compared to Whistler's EZ Scan...lol. What I am asking if there is an easy process to do that using just the scanner and not using Sentinal. Using just the HP-1, it is easy to set up new favorites lists and add things from the database to it. Using the 436, I can add a Favorites List, then have it import the state database, but instead of adding, I have to delete to make the scan list contain what I want. Anyway, I had figured out a way to do so, but I was seeing if there was a different method using just the scanner.

 

[jonwienke]

Using the scanner is like pounding screws into concrete with a fish. The method I explained eliminates the need to delete a bunch of stuff.