ARC-XT: How to fix mixed bag RR downloads

[timtown]

I don't want to bash ARC-XT at this point, but there are editing features found in almost all text editors and in spreadsheets that just don't exist in ARC-XT. As such, I need help to solve a common problem I experience. When I retrieve frequencies from RR under a city title (e.g., "Monterey"), I get a mixed bag of frequencies for all types of service types (e.g.; police, public works, community services, etc.). My goal is strip out and move frequencies into systems or groups of similar types. I must cut of contiguous rows of frequencies from the channel editor of one group and paste into the desired location. If I make a mistake, I'm screwed as there is no "undo" command (so I don't cut, but I copy, meaning that I've got to go back and delete those copied rows). But moreover, the work is made more tedious because I can't make an extended selection across non adjacent rows (as other editors, do by using the cntrl key+click). Having done this work, I'm left with a lot of empty rows which I can't delete, nor cause following rows to move up to compress the channel editor table. What I really want to do is to use the browse window to copy or move frequencies of one group to another (which I can't because no editing is permitted in the browse window. How do others solve the problem I'm experiencing?

Another problem I face is deleting whole systems. The only way I know of doing this is to down load all systems except the system(s) I want to delete to the scanner, and then turn around, and upload to the computer the systems I've stored on the scanner (ARC reverses the meaning of upload and download here). Then I quick save the mess into a default location. When I want to restart, ARC requires me to sort on date and one-by-one load each system I want since I can't do extended selections for loading into the browser window. What a hassle. There must be a better way that I'm missing. How do others do this?

Thank you

 

[garys]

You're missing a couple of things. First, under "Options" there is a selection to "Remove empty lines". I find cut and past works OK with ARC XT, the only thing that I'd like to do is able to insert multiple blank rows so I can put data in the middle of a group. There are up and down arrows to move individual lines, but you can't select a group of lines and move them, which would be nice.

I'm confused by what you want to do in regard to deleting systems. In ARC XT, I select the system in the browser window, right click and a list pops up. One of the choices is "delete" system. Clicking on that deletes the system from that profile, but not from the database. It seems that all of the software packages reverse upload and download, at least to me.

You are creating and saving profiles, right? If you do that, you can upload all of the systems in the profile just by opening the profile. Then you can delete, add, or change individual systems. I agree that multi select would be a nice thing, not just for adding systems, but for moving, cutting, copying, etc groups of lines in frequencies or talk groups.

 

[Butelsoftware]

Before you start simply copy the system(s) so you will not lose any data. There are no plans for adding undo options.
You can copy and paste between groups, use the copy/paste/cut line options.Also the 'browser' on the left has many copy/paste options, just do a right mouse click in the browser for the menu popup.
The options menu has several options to remove/clean up empty lines but empty lines will not waste any space in the scanner since they are ignored during the upload process.

If you want to use multiple systems you can use profiles, see manual for details. Profiles is an easy way to load multiple systems. The built in profile creator makes it very easy to drag and drop systems in a new or existing profile. If you want to delete systems in the scanner use the delete options in the Read or Send windows.

Gommert
Butel Software

 

[timtown]

Solving Mixed Import Problem

Thank you Garys and Butelsoftware (Gommert) for your informative replies. I will take each of your points and try them all out. I'm confident, already, that my frustration will be eased. Yes, I'll go back and read the manual more carefully.

Thanks again, Tim

 

[Butelsoftware]

If you have any questions about ARC XT don't hesitate to ask.

Gommert
Butel Software

 

[timtown]

ARC-XT Bugs?

Gommert

Unfortunately for me I loaded a number of systems into the browser window only to find that the SQK and GQKs had been dropped for some reason on some of the groups. In any case, I went through each system and corrected all groups and frequencies requiring lockout.

I then started a profile, not realizing that you can't drag and drop the names of the systems in the browser window which were previously stored before the edit cycle (unfortunately I didn't restore the edited systems). So I loaded the profile with all the systems I started with and pressed the save button, an options window opened showing me the one (empty) profile I created earlier; selected that system; and commanded it to save to the selected profile. You created an error message telling me I was about to over write an existing profile. I directed it to go ahead. My browser window (with my edits) went blank! So I opened the selected profile, and it came up empty!

Secondly, page 44 sec2.13 Organizing Quickkeys shows a screen view not shown on my copy of software. There is no show or hide button. Apparently this section does not apply to the BCD396XT/996XT! You might consider updating your doc to label instructions only for certain models as required.

Tim

 

[Butelsoftware]

Locate the folder that you set in ARC XT, there you will find all the system files. ARC XT will never delete any system files. You can delete them from a profile but never the file itself. ARC XT does have a drag and drop option in the File menu to create new profiles.

In ARC XT the quickkeys are always showm, we hide the hide option.

Gommert
Butel Software

 

[timtown]

Thank you. It takes some time to get use to a different editor.

Warm regards,
Tim,