Completely baffled by Sentinel/436 favorites QK

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jacon12

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macon, ga.
I cannot figure out what I'm doing wrong in Sentinel when trying to assign a Quick Key number to a Favorites List entry. Sometimes I can get it done, though with difficulty, and I'm shocked when I succeed.

I'm trying to set up a new entry in FL on key 5

Under Edit Profile>
SCAN SELECTION tab shows all 5 Favorite List entries and their proper Quick key numbers.

Under Edit Favorites Lists

Systems tab QK 5 is set
Under the Options tab FL Quick Key is set to 5
Under the Departments tab 5 is set for the two departments within the System
Under the Sites tab Quick Key is set to 5
Under the Options tab Quick Key is set to 5
Under the Dept/Site Quick Key Status tab the number 5 box is checked

I've checked the number 5 in every tab I can find in Edit Profile and Edit Favorites List, so I'm either over doing it, or haven't found something or the program is NOT writing it to the scanner. I've tried checking the box in the Write to scanner section that let's you erase Favorites Lists (before writing the new one), that didn't work so i unchecked it and tried it the 'standard' way and that didn't work.
thanks for any help!
I don't know if it has anything to do with it but when I made this FL entry and it shows in the left hand pane of Sentinel I named it Central Georgia Interoperational. Double click that name and the actual name from the RR database is shown....., Central Georgia Interoperable Regional Radio System. In any event I've set everthing to 5 that I can find.
Jarrell
 
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jacon12

Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2012
Messages
118
Location
macon, ga.
I cannot figure out what I'm doing wrong in Sentinel when trying to assign a Quick Key number to a Favorites List entry. Sometimes I can get it done, though with difficulty, and I'm shocked when I succeed.

I'm trying to set up a new entry in FL on key 5

Under Edit Profile>
SCAN SELECTION tab shows all 5 Favorite List entries and their proper Quick key numbers.

Under Edit Favorites Lists

Systems tab QK 5 is set
Under the Options tab FL Quick Key is set to 5
Under the Departments tab 5 is set for the two departments within the System
Under the Sites tab Quick Key is set to 5
Under the Options tab Quick Key is set to 5
Under the Dept/Site Quick Key Status tab the number 5 box is checked

I've checked the number 5 in every tab I can find in Edit Profile and Edit Favorites List, so I'm either over doing it, or haven't found something or the program is NOT writing it to the scanner. I've tried checking the box in the Write to scanner section that let's you erase Favorites Lists (before writing the new one), that didn't work so i unchecked it and tried it the 'standard' way and that didn't work.
thanks for any help!
I don't know if it has anything to do with it but when I made this FL entry and it shows in the left hand pane of Sentinel I named it Central Georgia Interoperational. Double click that name and the actual name from the RR database is shown....., Central Georgia Interoperable Regional Radio System. In any event I've set everthing to 5 that I can find.
Jarrell
I got it going, with the guidance of Troy of this forum. He stayed with me and I've at least got it to recongize the fL's and the QK's PLUS the scanner is picking up the new P25 phase 2 system in Macon.
Jarrell
 

Rancehood

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Location
Largo, FL
I must chime in and completely agree! I'm having the same issues. I would have through that if Uniden created such an "advanced" scanner they would have able to add some type of error correcting logic. Something in either in the Sentinel Software of on the Radio itself to correct a Favorites List from being created with out a system programmed.... Or that if location controls are enable and not defined in the system the user would be notified, instead of saying "nothing to scan"! At least give us a hint. I know this scanner is the next generation and there is a learning curve. But I wouldn't have thought it would require me to take a semester of night classes at my local community collage. :)
 

K2KOH

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For a newbie to home patrol it is a bit intimidating. Now I love it.


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jacon12

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Joined
Jul 13, 2012
Messages
118
Location
macon, ga.
I must chime in and completely agree! I'm having the same issues. I would have through that if Uniden created such an "advanced" scanner they would have able to add some type of error correcting logic. Something in either in the Sentinel Software of on the Radio itself to correct a Favorites List from being created with out a system programmed.... Or that if location controls are enable and not defined in the system the user would be notified, instead of saying "nothing to scan"! At least give us a hint. I know this scanner is the next generation and there is a learning curve. But I wouldn't have thought it would require me to take a semester of night classes at my local community collage. :)
I think the Sentinel software could be a bit more intuitive. I'm reminded of my other hobby, model railroading. That hobby joined the digital revolution back in the '90s, those little locomotives are now controlled by a 'decoder' which is essentially a small computer that can be programmed to do various things like speed, how fast the acceleration/deaccelertion rate is, sound, lights etc. The first time I picked up the manual I thought that this was written by a group of people that designed and built the units, but it should have been written by the PR people. Thanks to the internet with it's helpful people like on this forum and decoder for dummies books and articles, I've gotten comfortable with the subject. Not an expert, just very comfortable.
The best advice I can give you is to be patient and hang in there. I really like my 436 now although there are many things I don't understand yet. There are people around here that have been in scanners and radios most of their lives, since the days of smoke signals! I'm still very new at it but learning slowly.
Jarrell
 

JamesO

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Jan 22, 2003
Messages
1,814
Location
McLean, VA
This may help??? Easier to Read BCD436/536HP Digital Scanner Manual

I kind of feel your pain, too many acronyms and too little CLEAR explanations of things.

QK is used too generically in the documentation, as there appear to be System, Site, Department along with Favorite List keys??

Not sure I have figured it out, not enough time to play with these myself. Then I hop back and forth between x96XT and Radio Shack/GRE scanners and it probably is enough to drive someone crazy.
 

ofd8001

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Location
Louisville, KY
One thing that took a little while to "sink in" on me was quick keys for sites. On the 96 series radios, they were on the same "level" as system quick keys. With the HP series, site quick keys have dropped down to the level of department quick keys.

Here's how I understand it:

Favorites List (and associated Quick Key): A file cabinet.

Systems (and associated Quick Key): A drawer for that file cabinet,

Departments/Sites (and associated Quick Keys): File folders in the drawer of the file cabinet. (Channels and sites are the pieces of paper contained in the file folder)

So in the hierarchy of Quick Keys:
Favorites List Quick Keys (FLQK)
System Quick Keys (SQK)
Department/Site Quick Keys (DQK)
 

jacon12

Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2012
Messages
118
Location
macon, ga.
One thing that took a little while to "sink in" on me was quick keys for sites. On the 96 series radios, they were on the same "level" as system quick keys. With the HP series, site quick keys have dropped down to the level of department quick keys.

Here's how I understand it:

Favorites List (and associated Quick Key): A file cabinet.

Systems (and associated Quick Key): A drawer for that file cabinet,

Departments/Sites (and associated Quick Keys): File folders in the drawer of the file cabinet. (Channels and sites are the pieces of paper contained in the file folder)

So in the hierarchy of Quick Keys:
Favorites List Quick Keys (FLQK)
System Quick Keys (SQK)
Department/Site Quick Keys (DQK)
Thank you for the analogy! I snipped your reply and will keep it on my desktop!
 

mitbr

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Jun 22, 2007
Messages
1,347
Location
Tampa Bay Florida
I received my 536hp yesterday and was also having trouble understanding this coming from the 996xt scanner.
What I did was set up my favorites lists as systems then used the same quick key number for the system quick key in the software.

E.g. I am in Pinellas county FL
Pinellas County Public Services is the trunking system here. I made this favorites quick key 1, system quick key 1

This keeps the structure simple and allows the user to switch each system on or off with minimal key pushes and is easy to remember.
Tim
 
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jacon12

Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2012
Messages
118
Location
macon, ga.
I received my 536hp yesterday and was also having trouble understanding this coming from the 996xt scanner.
What I did was set up my favorites lists as systems then used the same quick key number for the system quick key in the software.

E.g. I am in Pinellas county FL
Pinellas County Public Services is the trunking system here. I made this favorites quick key 1, system quick key 1

This keeps the structure simple and allows the user to switch each system on or off with minimal key pushes and is easy to remember.
Tim
Tim, I ended up doing the same thing and it's working pretty good for me so far.
Jarrell
 
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