SDS100/SDS200: First attempt at using Sentinel

[jonwienke]

Turning the scanner on and off constantly puts it through additional heating/cooling cycles. That can accelerate some types of failures, especially with tbe SDS100.

 

[GregOH]

If you want to post one or more of your Favorites lists, follow the steps below.

Use Sentinel to "read from scanner" if you have made changes on the scanner that were not also made in Sentinel. If nothing was changed only on the scanner, proceed to the next step.

Click on the drop-down File menu.
Select export the resulting Favorites list(s) into an *.hpe file.
View attachment 96308

Sentinel will ask you to select the list to export, and then you can choose whether to export all of the systems, or select only the ones to include.

Then, attach that to a post and upload so that we can take a peek & see if anything is out of place. The Export function is listed under the File drop-down menu. If you have more than one list, export each Favorites list separately.

Note: To upload an *.hpe file, to the Forums, you must change the file extension to one acceptable per forum requirements. To do that, note where your exported *.hpe file is saved on your PC.

Using Windows Explorer, <Right><Click> on your exported *.hpe file.

You'll get a pop-up menu. One of the options is "Send To"

Select that, which will open another, shorter, menu.

View attachment 96311

Select the option for "Compressed (zipped) folder.

You'll now have two versions of your file, one with the *.hpe extension, the other with a *.zip file extention. The 'zipped' file can be attached to a post (the *.hpe cannot).

Okay here they are. The Multi Agency Radio Communications file is the entire system appended to a new favorites list and the only thing I did was set it to Monitor ON.

 

[Patch42]

Turning the scanner on and off constantly puts it through additional heating/cooling cycles. That can accelerate some types of failures, especially with tbe SDS100.

You're suggesting I should leave a battery-powered radio on all the time because turning it off when I'm not listening to it will cause it to age? If it can't handle being turned on/off a dozen times a day there's a fundamental design problem.

 

[GregOH]

You're suggesting I should leave a battery-powered radio on all the time because turning it off when I'm not listening to it will cause it to age? If it can't handle being turned on/off a dozen times a day there's a fundamental design problem.

I leave mine plugged in and turned on all the time. Less wear and tear on the control which has many functions.

 

[jonwienke]

If it can't handle being turned on/off a dozen times a day there's a fundamental design problem.

That applies to all electronics. Constantly turning any device on and off will shorten its life. More thermal cycling, more wear on tbe controls, etc.

 

[Ubbe]

You're suggesting I should leave a battery-powered radio on all the time because turning it off when I'm not listening to it will cause it to age? If it can't handle being turned on/off a dozen times a day there's a fundamental design problem.

Capacitors will have a hight power surge whenever they are applied with a voltage higher than the one they currently hold. That will stress both the capacitor and the circuit that provides the power.

In many cases devices, usually computers, are continounsly on power and only loose power at a power outage and then will not power on again and needs hardware to be replaced. They almost always fails at power on.

/Ubbe

 

[phask]

Okay here they are. The Multi Agency Radio Communications file is the entire system appended to a new favorites list and the only thing I did was set it to Monitor ON.

On the county list, pretty sure you need to set a separate DMR system for Fire (if RR is correct) For the Engineer - there is this note.
Holmes Co Engineer uses MotoTRBO (color code 1) radios You cannot monitor their radio traffic on a scanner.

Not sure what you are doing with MARCS - they both look the same, nothing avoided if that's what you wanted.

 

[GregOH]

On the county list, pretty sure you need to set a separate DMR system for Fire (if RR is correct) For the Engineer - there is this note.
Holmes Co Engineer uses MotoTRBO (color code 1) radios You cannot monitor their radio traffic on a scanner.

Not sure what you are doing with MARCS - they both look the same, nothing avoided if that's what you wanted.

I thought about Holmes and wanting the fire dispatch because I get them alot on my analog scanner however, I did get a dispatch come over on marcs on the SDS a couple nights ago. So with that I'll probably remove that county system because I don't need the co engineer and not sure why I left it on there.

As for avoids, see the screenshot below for Akron of the MARCS-IP favorites list.

 

[GregOH]

If you double click on everything in MARCS-IP, the avoids will be shown.
I actually opened up each department, left clicked to highlight and right clicked to avoid each channel I want avoided.

 

[phask]

If you double click on everything in MARCS-IP, the avoids will be shown.
I actually opened up each department, left clicked to highlight and right clicked to avoid each channel I want avoided.

I think it takes MY avoids and enforces that when I import. If I dig down I see mine, but not yours. Probably need to have set a new profile and do it that way.

 

[GregOH]

I think it takes MY avoids and enforces that when I import. If I dig down I see mine, but not yours. Probably need to have set a new profile and do it that way.

Are you saying I need to create a new profile?

 

[jonwienke]

For the Engineer - there is this note.
Holmes Co Engineer uses MotoTRBO (color code 1) radios You cannot monitor their radio traffic on a scanner.

Unless they are using encryption, you absolutely can, as long as you've purchased the DMR upgrade code.

 

[phask]

Unless they are using encryption, you absolutely can, as long as you've purchased the DMR upgrade code.

Thought so - database needs updated.

 

[phask]

Are you saying I need to create a new profile?

Nooo. I tried a new profile and it still uses MY avoids. No idea where it stores them, but not in profile.

 

[GregOH]

Nooo. I tried a new profile and it still uses MY avoids. No idea where it stores them, but not in profile.

I took the screenshot of my avoids after I posted the files. Maybe something to do with the file conversion?
I'll remove Holmes County, clear user data, check for firmware updates, and write to scanner and install the card in the scanner and see what happens.

 

[Ubbe]

Nooo. I tried a new profile and it still uses MY avoids. No idea where it stores them, but not in profile.

Permanent Avoids are stored in the Favorite file in the SD card. Temporary Avoids are stored in scanner memory and are deleted at power off or if you reload a Favorite list. If you program the scanner from Sentinel the scanners SD card could be overwritten with the Avoid settings from the Favorite files in the computer.

/Ubbe

 

[phask]

Permanent Avoids are stored in the Favorite file in the SD card. Temporary Avoids are stored in scanner memory and are deleted at power off or if you reload a Favorite list. If you program the scanner from Sentinel the scanners SD card could be overwritten with the Avoid settings from the Favorite files in the computer.

/Ubbe

That does not explain what I am seeing.

When importing the hpe there were no avoids. If the OP did it properly in creating I though I should see his avoids.

Try it yourself and post results.

 

[Ubbe]

Try it yourself and post results.

I exported and imported hpe files several times and used different favorite lists and the avoids where included during the transfer. They can also be seen and edited in the text file of a favorite list and they where untouched doing the export/import using a SDS100 target model. Temporary avoids are not part of a favorite list.

Did you remember to save any changes you did to a list before exporting? Sentinel version 2.02 rev 01.

/Ubbe

 

[GregOH]

Did you remember to save any changes you did to a list before exporting? Sentinel version 2.02 rev 01.

/Ubbe

If your asking me, yes I saved my work a few times and updated firmware and closed and reopened sentinel prior to converting the files and posting them. The avoids were there every time I reopened Sentinel.

 

[GregOH]

Before I attempt to export my FL, will this work with the SDS100? The family went shopping without me and I asked to get me an SD card and this is what was purchased.