SDS100/SDS200: First attempt at using Sentinel

[GregOH]

I've updated the Database, selected Service Types, made a Favorites list of Ohio MARCS- IP, and went into edit profile and set MARCS- IP to monitor on. After that I went into the favorites list and removed the departments I don't want and went into the departments and removed the agencies I don't want.

Now that I'm done with departments and agencies, that brings me to sites. Do I keep only the sites that are in use with the departments I have selected and if so, do I use the database page to know what sites I must have included in this favorites list? For example, do I want to keep Tuscarawas and Wayne sites shown in he screenshot below, because those two counties are in my Favorites list and remove the others because I will not be monitoring them?

https://imgur.com/bbxLAbk

 

[Nasby]

I would only select the sites that are in your listening range (usually only about 3-5 sites depending on your area).

For example, if you live in New Philly, there's no way you will receive the Avalon site in Warren. So I'd remove it.

Now if you plan on going mobile to the Hot Dog Shop in Warren, then that's a different story

 

[mc48]

No need to delete anything, that's what Avoid is for. Deleting departments and channels will make using ID search mode stop on everything you don't want to listen to, avoiding will allow you to search for new depts. and channels and not stop on ones already listed.
Avoiding sites you don't use allows you to use them if you are mobile to another location.

 

[RandyKuff]

Where your Marcs IP sites are in your county...
You can click on the pins to see the location...

RR Database Home

The most complete database of radio communications data

www.radioreference.com

 

[GregOH]

No need to delete anything, that's what Avoid is for. Deleting departments and channels will make using ID search mode stop on everything you don't want to listen to, avoiding will allow you to search for new depts. and channels and not stop on ones already listed.
Avoiding sites you don't use allows you to use them if you are mobile to another location.

Okay, that's what I'm doing with the SD card that's in the scanner and I figured I'd program this card with Sentinel to have only the Departments, Channels and Sites I'm interested in and nothing more. Never considered ID searching when I thought about doing this.

If it's best to just have the entire system in place, I can do that, but man there's going to be alot of avoids.

 

[GregOH]

Where your Marcs IP sites are in your county...
You can click on the pins to see the location...

RR Database Home

The most complete database of radio communications data

www.radioreference.com

I know where the sites are for my county (Tusc), but I have three other counties along with ODOT and OSP and I wasn't sure where the sites are for the neighboring counties.

 

[mc48]

Remember you can use quick keys to turn on/off groups of dept's/channels and sites as well.

 

[GregOH]

Remember you can use quick keys to turn on/off groups of dept's/channels and sites as well.

I didn't want to assign any quick keys because to be honest, I find it intimidating and didn't want to attempt it.

 

[RandyKuff]

I know where the sites are for my county (Tusc), but I have three other counties along with ODOT and OSP and I wasn't sure where the sites are for the neighboring counties.

You can look up neighboring counties the same way...

 

[mc48]

Start slowly until you are comfortable with what you have, save that to a spare SD card, then play around with Q-Keys and if you fail or get frustrated revert back to the spare SD card. You wont break anything by trying and when you succeed you can reap the benefits and enjoy your success.

 

[GregOH]

You can look up neighboring counties the same way...

Can't figure out how to navigate to those maps Randy.

 

[hiegtx]

Can't figure out how to navigate to those maps Randy.

You're in, I believe, Lorain County.

Let's use your neighbor, Cuyahoga County. They appear to be using the Greater Cleveland system, GCRCN.

GCRCN (Greater Cleveland Radio Communications Network) Trunking System, Cleveland, Ohio

GCRCN (Greater Cleveland Radio Communications Network) Trunking System Profile

www.radioreference.com

Look at the system's sites:

The main site is the Cleveland Simulcast. If you click on that name, it gets you here:

That shows you the estimated coverage range for that simulcast site. But if you want to see the tower locations, based on the call signs listed, click on the small icon at the lower left corner of the map's image.

That gets you here:

RR Database Home

The most complete database of radio communications data

www.radioreference.com

The markers are the tower sites, based on the licenses.

This link is for the Cuyahoga Simulcast site on the statewide system, MARCS-IP

RR Database Home

The most complete database of radio communications data

www.radioreference.com

That same process works for any trunked system. For conventional channels, just click on the callsign of the channel you want to view on the a county's database page. That will take you to a page with the tower locations for that call sign. There could be more than one site marker; you would need to further review the license data (on the same page) to see what frequencies are assigned to which towers.

 

[GregOH]

Start slowly until you are comfortable with what you have, save that to a spare SD card, then play around with Q-Keys and if you fail or get frustrated revert back to the spare SD card. You wont break anything by trying and when you succeed you can reap the benefits and enjoy your success.

I think if I'm going to have the full system on this new card, I'd rather just put everything I don't want on avoid with Sentinel for now.

I only have a portion of the system on my original card and I have many agencies on avoid because it's just too much (which is why I figured I'd remove Departments and Channels I'm not interested in). I feel like I'm missing alot of what I'd like to hear without having unwanted channels avoided and I'd be scanning far less channels with them on avoid. I figured if I want to monitor one channel, I can do that with the channel hold soft key.

This is new to me and I'm probably not understanding exactly what to do. Bear with me.

 

[GregOH]

You're in, I believe, Lorain County.

Let's use your neighbor, Cuyahoga County. They appear to be using the Greater Cleveland system, GCRCN.

GCRCN (Greater Cleveland Radio Communications Network) Trunking System, Cleveland, Ohio

GCRCN (Greater Cleveland Radio Communications Network) Trunking System Profile

www.radioreference.com

Look at the system's sites:
View attachment 96163
The main site is the Cleveland Simulcast. If you click on that name, it gets you here:
View attachment 96164
That shows you the estimated coverage range for that simulcast site. But if you want to see the tower locations, based on the call signs listed, click on the small icon at the lower left corner of the map's image.
View attachment 96165
That gets you here:

RR Database Home

The most complete database of radio communications data

www.radioreference.com

View attachment 96166
The markers are the tower sites, based on the licenses.

This link is for the Cuyahoga Simulcast site on the statewide system, MARCS-IP

RR Database Home

The most complete database of radio communications data

www.radioreference.com

That same process works for any trunked system. For conventional channels, just click on the callsign of the channel you want to view on the a county's database page. That will take you to a page with the tower locations for that call sign. There could be more than one site marker; you would need to further review the license data (on the same page) to see what frequencies are assigned to which towers.

I'm in Tuscarawas county, I should still be able to apply what you've shown.
Thanks.

 

[hiegtx]

I'm in Tuscarawas county I should still be able to apply what you've shown.
Thanks.

My bad. I searched the wrong city for a county. (I was looking at your comment, but hit Randy's post (right below you) to find the county. My apologies, Randy.)

But all of the database listings are set up similarly, so you can go through the same steps to find locations from any county.

 

[GregOH]

My bad. I searched the wrong city for a county. (I was looking at your comment, but hit Randy's post (right below you) to find the county. My apologies, Randy.)

But all of the database listings are set up similarly, so you can go through the same steps to find locations from any county.

Found them. Thanks.

 

[GregOH]

My bad. I searched the wrong city for a county. (I was looking at your comment, but hit Randy's post (right below you) to find the county. My apologies, Randy.)

But all of the database listings are set up similarly, so you can go through the same steps to find locations from any county.

If I'm thinking right, I don't need to be concerned with the maps and site markers, because I'm cross checking the sites shown on Sentinel with what's in the name column of the MARCS-IP page and it's all a match so far.

 

[eaf1956]

I would only select the sites that are in your listening range (usually only about 3-5 sites depending on your area).

For example, if you live in New Philly, there's no way you will receive the Avalon site in Warren. So I'd remove it.

Now if you plan on going mobile to the Hot Dog Shop in Warren, then that's a different story

With location turned on any sites not within range won't be scanned anyway!

 

[GregOH]

If I feel like I'm missing something I can add a Department by hand on the fly, done it numerous times already.

 

[phask]

With location turned on any sites not within range won't be scanned anyway!

Far from true with MARCS - from experience, most reception is around 10-20 miles, I think their range is set at 15, if you set the scanner to 5 or 10 you will get multiple sites that are effectively out of range to receive. In my end of Ohio - HILLS kill reception. I get 4-6 sites and really, 1 carries all I need.
I use no location and avoid at home, location for my mobiles. I also have tweaked the range on some.

To the OP

You can use shift and drag to highlight multiple lines to avoid. I can avoid all of MARCS sites in a few clicks.