Beartracker 885 - Edit database on SD card!

[Mike445]

Sorry if I jump all over the place y'all. I'll do my best to explain this as simply as possible.

OK! Another user and myself figured how to edit the database loaded onto the Beartracker 885 SD card. The other user did most of the legwork. Before I go any further I'll say that every time you do an update you'll wipe the edited data on your custom list. What I do is do the update and after it's applied I open the HPDB folder and use my custom hpd file to overwrite the newly updated one. Each state and province has 1 hpd file. My state is Arkansas. My hpd file is s_00005. I also found our statewide trunk system AWIN on list s_000000. There are most statewide and nationwide systems on s_000000. The FIND feature will be your friend. When you're on a list use CTRL F and it'll find your query. Makes it VERY easy!

Copy the contents of your SD card onto your computer. Open the BCDx36HP folder and open the HPDB folder. You'll see a bunch of hpd files. We know s_000000 is statewide/nationwide. Arkansas is s_000005. Find your sates list and copy it. Save it to a different folder for editing. Use Notepad to open the hpd file. You'lls see entries like this (here is my county in AR):


Conventional CountyId=136 StateId=5 Hempstead Off 12/01/2018 19:06:00 Conventional
AreaState CountyId=136 StateId=5
AreaCounty CountyId=136 CountyId=136
C-Group CGroupId=55183 CountyId=136 Hempstead County Off 33.716784 -93.666846 29.9 Circle
C-Freq CFreqId=354725 CGroupId=55183 County Law Enforcement Analog for Inetrop Off 155955000 NFM TONE=C151.4 1
C-Freq CFreqId=228571 CGroupId=55183 Fire North Analog Off 154800000 NFM TONE=C151.4 3
C-Freq CFreqId=344641 CGroupId=55183 Fire South Analog Off 154340000 NFM TONE=C151.4 3
C-Freq CFreqId=351530 CGroupId=55183 Fire West Analog Off 155557500 NFM TONE=C151.4 3
C-Freq CFreqId=237285 CGroupId=55183 LifeNet EMS Off 453175000 NFM 4
C-Freq CFreqId=237284 CGroupId=55183 LifeNet EMS Operations Off 453075000 NFM 4
C-Freq CFreqId=190832 CGroupId=55183 Pafford Ambulance Off 155160000 NFM 4
C-Freq CFreqId=229571 CGroupId=55183 Pafford Ambulance Primary Dispatch Off 151497500 NFM TONE=C136.5 4
C-Group CGroupId=28392 CountyId=136 Hempstead County - Hope Off 33.691210 -93.611755 30.0 Circle
C-Freq CFreqId=347182 CGroupId=28392 Fire Dispatch Off 460050000 NFM TONE=C167.9 3


OK!! You can see the description, the mode (NFM etc..) and the Tone or NAC. Beside that there is a number. From what I've found 1 is MULTI dispatch 2 is POLICE dispatch 3 is FIRE dispatch 4 is EMS dispatch and 14 is WORKS/DOT dispatch. Lets say there is a fire tac you want to hear. Change the number to 3. Police TAC change the number to 2. Simple. If one of the channels is giving you a problem with encryption noise or for any reason you don't want it then delete the line.
Its that easy. You can also adjust the range for each. if you look at the top of the entry beside Hempstead you'll see the coordinates and beside that you'll see a number (29.9 in this case). That is the range. You can put whatever you want as the range.

For trunked systems it'll look like this for the site...I'm only including one tower site.

Trunk TrunkId=3918 StateId=0 Arkansas Wireless Information Network (AWIN) Off 09/15/2019 12:06:51 P25Standard
AreaState TrunkId=3918 StateId=5
AreaState TrunkId=3918 StateId=48
AreaCounty TrunkId=3918 CountyId=0
Site SiteId=7584 TrunkId=3918 Barton Off 34.548333 -90.764722 30.0 AUTO Standard Wide
T-Freq TFreqId=0 SiteId=7584 Off 851762500 1 Srch
T-Freq TFreqId=0 SiteId=7584 Off 852062500 2 Srch
T-Freq TFreqId=0 SiteId=7584 Off 852425000 3 Srch
T-Freq TFreqId=0 SiteId=7584 Off 853162500 4 Srch
T-Freq TFreqId=0 SiteId=7584 Off 853425000 5 Srch

The only thig I've changed for some sites is the range. I've put them higher for certain sites.

Here is talkgroup info, I'm using Arkansas state police troop G for an example:
T-Group TGroupId=9583 TrunkId=3918 State Police: Troop G - Hope Off 33.687940 -93.596780 100.0
TGID Tid=162245 TGroupId=9583 Car-to-Car Off 1202 ALL 2 Any
TGID Tid=140645 TGroupId=9583 Crimes Against Children Division Off 1213 ALL 2 Any
TGID Tid=140642 TGroupId=9583 Detectives Main Off 1207 ALL 2 Any
TGID Tid=140643 TGroupId=9583 Detectives Tactical Off 1209 ALL 2 Any
TGID Tid=129447 TGroupId=9583 Dispatch Off 1201 ALL 2 Any
TGID Tid=140644 TGroupId=9583 Narcotics Off 1211 ALL 2 Any
TGID Tid=129448 TGroupId=9583 Tactical 1 Off 1203 ALL 2 Any
TGID Tid=129449 TGroupId=9583 Tactical 2 Off 1205 ALL 2 Any

Only DISPATCH was programmed to be received by the 885. I changed all of the talkgroups to 2 so they would all be received. I did this for all state police. I also changed the range to 100 miles.

That is how you edit the list that is on your SD card. In my case I would save s_000000 and s_000005 and every time I do an update I'd overwrite the updated list with these 2 files to save my work.

NOW!! You can take it a step further...and I have. If you have a 436/536 or an SDS100/200 you can copy the SD card and compare databases. I noticed that many talkgroups (such as EMA among others didn't appear on the 885 database. I copied the entire entry from the 436 database and copied to the 885 database and changed the number to 1 for MULTI dispatch so it would be received. Here is my example:

T-Group TGroupId=9574 TrunkId=3918 Arkansas Department of Emergency Management (ADEM) Off 34.750000 -92.191670 188.0 Circle
TGID Tid=119411 TGroupId=9574 ADEM Car-to-Car Off 22309 ALL 1 Any
TGID Tid=133255 TGroupId=9574 Central Area 1 Off 2663 ALL 1 Any
TGID Tid=133256 TGroupId=9574 Central Area 2 Off 2665 ALL 1 Any
TGID Tid=133257 TGroupId=9574 Central Area 3 Off 2667 ALL 1 Any
TGID Tid=133258 TGroupId=9574 Central Area 4 Off 2669 ALL 1 Any
TGID Tid=133259 TGroupId=9574 Central Area 5 Off 2671 ALL 1 Any
TGID Tid=133274 TGroupId=9574 Northeast Area 1 Off 2703 ALL 1 Any
TGID Tid=133275 TGroupId=9574 Northeast Area 2 Off 2705 ALL 1 Any
TGID Tid=133276 TGroupId=9574 Northeast Area 3 Off 2707 ALL 1 Any
TGID Tid=133277 TGroupId=9574 Northeast Area 4 Off 2709 ALL 1 Any
TGID Tid=133278 TGroupId=9574 Northeast Area 5 Off 2711 ALL 1 Any
TGID Tid=119917 TGroupId=9574 Northwest Area 1 Off 2673 ALL 1 Any
TGID Tid=133260 TGroupId=9574 Northwest Area 2 Off 2675 ALL 1 Any
TGID Tid=133261 TGroupId=9574 Northwest Area 3 Off 2677 ALL 1 Any
TGID Tid=133262 TGroupId=9574 Northwest Area 4 Off 2679 ALL 1 Any
TGID Tid=133263 TGroupId=9574 Northwest Area 5 Off 2681 ALL 1 Any
TGID Tid=133269 TGroupId=9574 Southeast Area 1 Off 2693 ALL 1 Any
TGID Tid=133270 TGroupId=9574 Southeast Area 2 Off 2695 ALL 1 Any
TGID Tid=133271 TGroupId=9574 Southeast Area 3 Off 2697 ALL 1 Any
TGID Tid=133272 TGroupId=9574 Southeast Area 4 Off 2699 ALL 1 Any
TGID Tid=133273 TGroupId=9574 Southeast Area 5 Off 2701 ALL 1 Any
TGID Tid=133264 TGroupId=9574 Southwest Area 1 Off 2683 ALL 1 Any
TGID Tid=133265 TGroupId=9574 Southwest Area 2 Off 2685 ALL 1 Any
TGID Tid=133266 TGroupId=9574 Southwest Area 3 Off 2687 ALL 1 Any
TGID Tid=133267 TGroupId=9574 Southwest Area 4 Off 2689 ALL 1 Any
TGID Tid=133268 TGroupId=9574 Southwest Area 5 Off 2691 ALL 1 Any
TGID Tid=126603 TGroupId=9574 Statewide 1 Off 2659 ALL 21 Any
TGID Tid=133254 TGroupId=9574 Statewide 2 Off 2661 ALL 21 Any

SO... I copied the full entry from the database on the 436 (same number as the database of the 885). and pasted it in the 885 database and saved it. As I posted it here I realized I forget to change the 2 last talkgroups to 1 from 21 so it would be received by the 885. I have since amended my list.

I THINK I have it all covered here. Any questions just ask and I'll see what I can do. I'm going to shoot an email to the other member that figured the meat of this out to see if he wants in on this thread.
Mike

 

[tvengr]

Using the Update Manager, I downloaded the BearTracker 885 files to a SD card. I found that I can read and write the HPD files using ARC536. The 885 receives only 4 service types: Law Dispatch, Fire Dispatch, EMS Dispatch, and Public Works. I suspect that if you change the service types of all of the Law talkgroups to Law Dispatch, the Fire talkgroups to Fire Dispatch, the EMS talkgroups to EMS Dispatch, and anything else you want to Public Works, that you would be able to receive all of the dispatch and tac channels of Law, Fire, and EMS. The only thing I am uncertain of is the file structure. If I had a 885, I am sure that I could get it to work. If anyone out there would like to give it a try, please let me know the results.

 

[Mike445]

Using the Update Manager, I downloaded the BearTracker 885 files to a SD card. I found that I can read and write the HPD files using ARC536. The 885 receives only 4 service types: Law Dispatch, Fire Dispatch, EMS Dispatch, and Public Works. I suspect that if you change the service types of all of the Law talkgroups to Law Dispatch, the Fire talkgroups to Fire Dispatch, the EMS talkgroups to EMS Dispatch, and anything else you want to Public Works, that you would be able to receive all of the dispatch and tac channels of Law, Fire, and EMS. The only thing I am uncertain of is the file structure. If I had a 885, I am sure that I could get it to work. If anyone out there would like to give it a try, please let me know the results.

It has to be able to modify the main database HPDB HPD files. There are no favorite lists on the 885. If you can modify the main HPD files in the HPDB folder it SHOULD work. If not then it won't work. I tried using ARC536 a while back to no avail. That computer is dead and I can't find my registration info to reinstall it and activate it so I can't even test it.
Mike

 

[tvengr]

HPD files are favorites list files. I know that you cannot call up favorites lists in the 885. When you open the HPDB folder on the SD card, all of the hpd files are displayed, one for each state. If you create your own hpd file, change the service types to Law Dispatch, Fire Dispatch, EMS Dispatch, and Public Works, and delete the other hpd database files on the card, it should be possible to do your own custom programming and call up Police, Fire, EMS, and DOT (Public Works) using the buttons on the 885. I can call up the hpd files from the HPDB into ARC536 for editing.

 

[Mike445]

HPD files are favorites list files. I know that you cannot call up favorites lists in the 885. When you open the HPDB folder on the SD card, all of the hpd files are displayed, one for each state. If you create your own hpd file, change the service types to Law Dispatch, Fire Dispatch, EMS Dispatch, and Public Works, and delete the other hpd database files on the card, it should be possible to do your own custom programming and call up Police, Fire, EMS, and DOT (Public Works) using the buttons on the 885. I can call up the hpd files from the HPDB into ARC536 for editing.

Awesome! Maybe someone can test it out!!
Mike