Butel ARC246 Software Charlotte Profiles

[bonus1331]

Anyone using ARC246 with their BC246? Would love to see how anyone else has set up their scanner with systems in the Charlotte area. If so, can you post your .pfl file so I can download? Would be willing to do the same.
Thanks

 

[jplyler]

Here is what I have. I think it's pretty complete but could use a little work.

Jon

 

[bonus1331]

Thanks, will import tonight. I have had to split the CharMeck system into 2 systems because of the 200 talkgroup limit. Have you had to do the same, or did you eliminate non public safety TG's?

 

[jplyler]

You will see how I did it when you look at the file. I have a CMPD system (police only, all talkgroups I think), A system for Charlotte/Meck Co Fire and EMS and a system that's a combination of the first 2 w/ the N Meck groups included (actually this is my main system since I live in Cornelius).

 

[bonus1331]

Very strange. Downloaded the .pfl file and then tried to open in ARC246. It stated it was unable to find all the .mem files. The only system it opened was the Union County, and I think that's because I have a system named Union County as well.
The software looks like you would have to transfer systems, not profiles.

 

[jplyler]

sorry about that. I had no idea, I thought they were all included. I'll get the .mem filed posted later today.

jon

 

[bonus1331]

It doesn't make a lot of sense. I thought the systems (.mem) were inclusive of profiles (.pfl). I have yet to save a system, I have always used "save as profile". However, in the data folder, I did notice it had a .mem file for each of my systems. I have shot a post to Gommert on the Yahoo group.

 

[jeffmulter]

Your ARC246 is working correctly.

Yes ... you would have to transfer both the profile file and the associated memory files to view the configuration as the original user is using it.

Part of the reason for this format is due to having the ability to add or remove individual systems, without having the software erase the entire scanner memory first.

With the USAD program, there are only two files to transfer ... the configuration, and the memory contents.

Gommert's format for ARC246 uses .mem files to provide compatibility with files from ARC780 and ARC250. Gommert has mentioned that a future version of the ARC246 program will make ARC780 and ARC250 .mem files transferable to the ARC246 program (but not backwards-compatible).

Just for consideration, I broke down Charlotte / Mecklenberg County into the following system files:

- Conventional Public Safety (includes fire, ems, law enf, emer mgmt ... each with a separate group)

- CMPD Divisions, Sheriffs and Parks (20 groups, and each unifromed division is in its own group)

- Local PDs (each municipality in its own group, with redundant disp tgs for centers dispatching more than one agency)

- Charlotte Fire (separate groups for ops, training, emergency, etc)

- County Fire (separate groups for ops, utility, and "other")

- Mecklenberg Medics - (separate groups for ems tgs, med tgs, CMC tgs and hospital patch tgs)

- Priority Talkgroups - (covers the fire and ems dispatch tgs, mutual aid and alert tgs, and specialized tgs of personal interest)

- Events Talkgroups - (just the 32 events tgs, marked by channel number and primary agency user)

Although that might seem like alot of systems to dedicate to Charlotte - Mecklenberg, I think it breaks down the talkgroups into manageable sizes.

I have the conventional channels, priority talkgroups and events tgs under the same quick key, and leave them enabled all the time. They provide me a good overview of the county, based on my preference for fire / ems activity.

The city and county fire, and the medic systems, are together under another quick key that I can easily turn on when traffic on a dispatch talkgroup warrants.

The CMPD and Local PD systems each have their own quick keys.

That's 4 quick keys, in total, used for Charlotte - Mecklenberg. I use quick key 10 for storing systems I do not regularly use.

I also keep atleast on quick key open / unused, so that I can temporarily move a system to that quick key for short term monitoring. I'm currently using about 82 % of the scanner memory.


Jeff

 

[Bill28227]

I basicly have four Charlotte systems on mine.
1. A high priority system with key fire, medic, and the local two divisons for where I live. (Baker-3 and Charlie-3). This is so I don't get constant traffic.
2. Combination Fire and Medic system with all TG known.
3. CMPD with all TG known including events and "CMPD" TGs. In this system are 199 TGs.
4. Only Private Line system. This is so I can quick key the PL if I hear something referred to of interest. I only have one TG listed (700000).
Bill

 

[jplyler]

Here it is.

 

[bonus1331]

Jeff,
Pretty intensive!! Can you upload so we can take a look?
I have the CharMeck system broken into two systems. One system has Fire/EMS/CMPD and the other has SHP/MCSO/North Meck PD/and the assorted Parks, CATS, etc. This one area bothers me about the 200 TG limit. I would have liked to have the whole county in one system so "searching" would then be fruitful for finding new TG's. With having to have the County in two systems, you can never pinpoint new TG's.
Also have separate systems for:
Union County (where I live)
Cabarrus County
A Union County LTR system
Duke Energy (not much activity)
And a miscellaneous (Pineville/State DOT)
Would really like to upload your system to see how it's configured.
As a side note, have you noticed that even after downloading ARC246 all my newer profiles are still stored in the data folder within the BETA version?
Can I feel safe on deleting the Beta, without losing stored data?

 

[jeffmulter]

Here's my profile and mem files for use with ARC246.

Just an explanation regarding the CMPD - Patrol file, since there may appear to be no rhyme or reason to the structure ...

Each patrol division is in its own "group," but divisions that appear to patch their dispatch channels are paired to the same quick key.

The order of the groups in the editor is based on their old patrol districts, so Steele Creek (which was Adam 1) is the first group, and North Tryon (formerly David 3) is the last.

All my system and group names are in upper / lower case format, since the scanner flip-flops between these two entries. All the channel and talkgroup names are in lower case, usually with a hyphen preceding the name. I wanted to be able to look at the display and see the agency and general usage on the upper display line, and the specific channel or useage in the lower display line.

Jeff

 

[jeffmulter]

Here's the system and configuration files I use for Charlotte with the USAD / Uniden program.

"Local Scan" is the profile file. "Template" is a profile without any systems ... I use it to maintain the same settings for close call, custom search, etc.


Jeff

 

[bonus1331]

Thanks Jeff.
Took alittle bit to download because all my data files are directed to the Beta/data folder and yours were directed to the straight ARC246/data folder.
Scanning now. With an intensive system you've got loaded, thank goodness for the quickkey overview. Can't receive any of the SC systems from the house to locked those out.
Will spend a couple of days monitoring to see how your quickkey set-up works in day-to day monitoring.
Already like the idea of having the priority and dispatch TG's in redundancy. You can monitor minimally and then just switch QK's.
I had not programmed anything twice.
You prefer ARC over the UASD? Only tried the UASD demo.

 

[jeffmulter]

>> Took alittle bit to download because all my data files are directed to the Beta/data folder and yours were directed to the straight ARC246/data folder.

I had the same problem. There is a default path you can set in the editor window. I had to play with it awhile to get it to recognize the files in the non-beta "data" file. I also ended up removing all the files, and re-reading the scanner to create new mem files.

>> Scanning now. With an intensive system you've got loaded, thank goodness for the quickkey overview.

I envision using the scanner with numerous local systems programmed in, but not normally listened to. I stack them all together in one quick key, which I would leave off. If I want to monitor one of those systems, I just move it to an unused quick key.

>> Already like the idea of having the priority and dispatch TG's in redundancy. You can monitor minimally and then just switch QK's. I had not programmed anything twice.

Some of the redundancy is necessary ... for instance, having both NCHP 800 and low band, since the troopers might reply on either.

>> You prefer ARC over the UASD? Only tried the UASD demo.

Actually, no. Almost all my editing has been done with the Uniden software ... then I read to the ARC246 software.

With regards to programming, the only area I find lacking with the Uniden (I keep wanting to call it "USAD," with the letters backwards) software is the cut and paste functions. Otherwise, it's easy to use.

ARC246 does have the advantage when viewing and making changes to quick keys, and with virtual scanning.

I expect that I will rely on ARC246 as Gommert releases new versions. His long-term support of his products was a key selling point for me.


Jeff

 

[firemun]

Charlotte Fire .mem file

Here is a .mem file I created that mimics the way that the Charlotte Fire Dept. portable radios are programmed:16 groups, 16 "channels" per group in the radio. The only exceptions are the addition of a 17th group that includes the ALERT team tgids and I did not include the group 4 - Bat 1 rptr, or the national 800mhz mutual aid and Tac channels. (I left those groups empty).

Firemun

 

[firemun]

For someone reason my file did not attach, I will try again.