Sentinel: Channel Quick Keys

[rbritton1201]

I'm programming a Uniden BCD436HP via Sentinel, and I've assigned Quick Keys to Favorites Lists and Systems. That programming seems to be working fine., and I can turn on and off Favorites Lists and Systems with no problem.

Within "Systems" there are sub-categories entitled "CHANNELS." I've assigned Quick Keys to the Channels and written them to the scanner. But, for some reason, when I try to turn on and off Channels within Systems, the scanner rejects the entries with a long beep.

I believe it's probably because I'm using the wrong sequence to turn on and off Channels...Does anyone know the proper sequence to enter into the keypad on the Uniden BCD436HP to turn on and off the "Channels" within "Systems?"

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

So assuming you assigned quick keys to everything (System=1, Department=0 & Channel=1) you'd enter "1.0.1" to enable that particular channel's QK. Hope this helps

 

[Reconrider]

(System=1, Department=0 & Channel=1)

I think you mean favorite, system, department . Channels don't get quick keys, but they can have number tags - but don't ask me about those, I never looked into them lol

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

Yes, a bit confusing. Anyway this excerpt from the easier to read manual can explain it much better than I can...

 

[rbritton1201]

Thanks! I think I was leaving out the second period in the sequence...I'll give it a try!

So assuming you assigned quick keys to everything (System=1, Department=0 & Channel=1) you'd enter "1.0.1" to enable that particular channel's QK. Hope this helps

 

[rbritton1201]

I've assigned Quick Keys to a particular Favorites List and two Systems under that Favorites List as follows:

Favorites List (Washington PD) Quick Key = #3
System List Quick Key = 1 & 2 (There are two Systems under the #3 Favorites List):

See Below:
Washington Police (P25 System)(Quick Key #1)
Washington PD (Analog Backup)(Quick Key #2)



The Favorites List and System Quick Keys work perfectly well...

Department Channel Quick Key #1 is assigned to Washington PD (see below).

I have assigned Quick Keys (#2, #3 and #4) to the tower sites that are under Favorites List# 3, System #1. I would like to be able to turn the tower sites on and off :















Can anyone advise the proper sequence to accomplish this on a BCD436HP scanner? And/or if programming is incorrect, please explain how to correct programming to turn off the tower sites under my Washington Police Favorites List, System #1?

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

I've assigned Quick Keys to a particular Favorites List and two Systems under that Favorites List as follows:

Favorites List (Washington PD) Quick Key = #3
System List Quick Key = 1 & 2 (There are two Systems under the #3 Favorites List):

See Below:
Washington Police (P25 System)(Quick Key #1)
Washington PD (Analog Backup)(Quick Key #2)

Can anyone advise the proper sequence to accomplish this on a BCD436HP scanner? And/or if programming is incorrect, please explain how to correct programming to turn off the tower sites under my Washington Police Favorites List, System #1?

Pretty sure the key sequences in this scenerio would be as follows...
Turning off St Clair should be 3.1.2?
Turning off Washington 700 Tower should be 3.1.3?
Turning off Weldon Spring Tower should be 3.1.4?

Honestly it would probably be much easier to do a site hold on the tower you want to listen to than mess around with QKs/number tags for each site but that's just my opinion...

 

[rbritton1201]

That worked like a charm! There's a particular tower, the Washington 700 tower, that is unique in it's coverage pattern, and I have to match up the talk groups with the three towers that I can receive off of as I'm moving through that area. Sometimes, one or more of the three towers doesn't even display a control channel, so having them in the mix slows down the scanning sequence as the scanner sometimes stops on those towers looking for signal, at times when when signal quality is poor, or virtually nonexistent, with respect to the number of signal bars on the indicator. So, turning off the towers that have no control channel reception speeds up the scanning process, reducing latency in the scan sequence, and I figure I can remember the sequence to turn the towers on and off as the need arises. I know there are probably better ways of doing it, but I didn't really comprehend how to enter the Quick Key sequence that far into programming, so that helped me a lot. Thanks again!

Pretty sure the key sequences in this scenerio would be as follows...
Turning off St Clair should be 3.1.2?ow
Turning off Washington 700 Tower should be 3.1.3?
Turning off Weldon Spring Tower should be 3.1.4?

Honestly it would probably be much easier to do a site hold on the tower you want to listen to than mess around with QKs/number tags for each site but that's just my opinion...

 

[ofd8001]

Quick keys are sort of like electrical stuff. You got the panel with the main disconnect (Favorites List), branch circuits (systems) and their breakers, then switches that may turn things on and off which are departments.

Number Tags are like addresses that allow you to rapidly jump to a channel, even if quick keys are off. The "city" part refers to Favorites List Number Tag, street name would be the System Number Tag and the house number would be the Channel Number Tag.

I do have some number tags set up. To keep it simple, I'll use the same numbers for both the FL Quick Key and FL Number Tag as well as System. So the only "extra" remembering is the Channel Number Tag.