Future SDS Firmware to include waterfall option .
- Thread starter tumegpc
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JvdK
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I don’t really understand the problem. You can create a favorite list yourself with only the frequencies you want to listen to. It’s easy if you can use the RR-database (for US and Canada only) but not necessary.
Ubbe
Member
I believe it's already on the @JoeBearcat wishlist for wanted features, but Uniden should make the service types Custom2 and upwards to be user editable in both Sentinel and scanner so one could be set to "Snowplows" and can then be selected to be scanned or not. I bet that no one uses Custom2 up to 8 in their programming, as they are pretty much unusable when their names are fixed to be called Custom. And that default for Custom1 would be better if it instead was called New or Still Undefined.
Uniden can still do a lot, if they really care, to improve a scannerists interaction with their scanner.
/Ubbe
Ubbe, that's good to know and my thoughts exactly. Public Works and Business (and perhaps others) really need to be more granular or at least create additional categories. That or allow for the creation of more custom service types and/or allow users to, and allow for applying aliases. It would also be nice to see service type quick keys.
Edit: I'm using three customs and 10 won't come anywhere near close to being enough. This needs to be addressed at the scanner and database level so everyone can take advantage of it. Work smarter not harder.
Edit: I'm using three customs and 10 won't come anywhere near close to being enough. This needs to be addressed at the scanner and database level so everyone can take advantage of it. Work smarter not harder.
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Many, many public works radio systems are all on a single conventional frequency. And on trunked systems they all sit on the same tgid. And with fixed Radios in many public works vehicles, you can't use even radio id's to know what they are doing.
So no matter what, you can't tell if a call is a snow plow or a street sweeper or the guy putting new bulbs in traffic signals or street lights.
While this sounds simple, I suspect that implementation would be more difficult. For the Uniden database scanners (and to a lessor extent the Whistler scanners when using Library Import), channel selection & monitoring is driven by the service types used in the RadioReference database. In order for the scanner to scan all programmed channels (conventional or TGIDs), you would need to set some sort of bypass (from the current types used by the database structure) so that these non-standard types are accessible. That could be either include additional, "user defined" types to be added in the Profile, or some sort of flag that this 'edited Custom 1' (renamed to xxxxx) is also scanned. Or, perhaps, adding an option to the Favorites lists to "ignore service types" (in other words, scan everything programmed). That might be possible as a Favorites list option, similar to the current choice of whether or not to use location & range in a specific Favorites list.
Ubbe
Member
I where thinking of a simple text edit function in the Profile to change the Custom2-8 texts that then also gets used in the scanner. A 10 minute job to any professional coder. It doesn't affect anything else like database handling.
Then you do whatever you like in your favorite lists with those custom service types.
The service select in the scanner should also have a turn all On and turn all Off selection like it is in the scan list select function.
And why not have a service select Group1-2-3 where you store a certain service selection setup to each group to quickly recall.
In Sentinel you use different profiles that each one has its own setup of frequency search ranges, service types, scan lists and so on. Why not also have those available and selectable in the scanner as the top menu item, to quickly change between a Home profile and a Mobile, Travel or whatever are needed as another profile.
/Ubbe
Not likely to be simple or happen anytime soon, and I have no solutions other than to use custom tags or change the defaults, which would be pretty time consuming.
I randomly selected the system below that is one of many dozens in my primary trunking Fav. The tags don't look right to me but there may be good reasons why they're this way.
I randomly selected the system below that is one of many dozens in my primary trunking Fav. The tags don't look right to me but there may be good reasons why they're this way.
Ubbe
Member
There's lots of information in the database that are incorrect. It is normal scanner users who listen who reports the information to be included in the RR database and mistakes will be done. It is up to other scanner listeners to make the effort to send in corrections. The reward for putting personal time into it will be a more accurate database. It will not fix itself and there's no database administrator that are above God and magically knows everything that's going on in different systems.
If Proscan have that fantastic feature, where it will warn and display any differences between your own favorite list and updates you do from the DB when you do a new append, then it will be easy to keep your own favorite list accurate until the changes you send in have taken effect.
/Ubbe
If Proscan have that fantastic feature, where it will warn and display any differences between your own favorite list and updates you do from the DB when you do a new append, then it will be easy to keep your own favorite list accurate until the changes you send in have taken effect.
/Ubbe
The database tags could remain as it is. I do not know if the data base allows "custom " as an tag option. If it did then we could all decide as a group to make snowplows custom 2 or 3 when loading TG or frequency users to the data base. If the data base does not allow the use of "custom" then I am in agreement with Ubbe modifying the FW to allow a user 'alias' for the custom service types would be real easy.
For those who have snowplows services locally the only current option is to place them all in the same service type (custon2 for example) and then select it in the service types. Either that or put them all in a single department and lock them in or out depending on the season.
For those who have snowplows services locally the only current option is to place them all in the same service type (custon2 for example) and then select it in the service types. Either that or put them all in a single department and lock them in or out depending on the season.
Any updates from Uniden of when they will release the firmware for SDS scanners?
I'll have a go with Proscan at using more customs and reassigning defaults. The database is what it is and rarely are tag changes ever mentioned. So perhaps a push for a more robust custom tagging system is in order.
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Christmas is coming maybe just maybe Uniden will award all us good boys and girls with a Christmas present of the FW update.
I pretty much resign myself to having whatever I buy remain as-is at time of purchase. It's nice to see the author of ProScan make continual updates and am appreciative of that, but I harbor no illusions for Uniden. If it happens, it happens, but I'm not going to hold my breath in anticipation. It is what it is, they already got my money, and they really are under no obligation to update it forever.
Right...but this firmware update should have been released YEARS ago. That's the problem. I do know that their project manager passed away, and then COVID hit. So the delays are understandable.
Aren't we coming up on the 5th anniversary release of the SDS line, and isn't that about how often a new model is usually announced/released? I'm hopeful but not holding my breath, but perhaps there's something new in the works that can't be resolved with current models?
I only have one request and that is for the squelch to be fixed. No matter what settings/antenna/cables/etc..... I use, there's one (simulcast) system I can't reach without squelch set to =<1, that my older digital scanners hear just fine.
I only have one request and that is for the squelch to be fixed. No matter what settings/antenna/cables/etc..... I use, there's one (simulcast) system I can't reach without squelch set to =<1, that my older digital scanners hear just fine.
True, bet hey, at least they will give you lifetime support.
Covid, no excuse. Many, many places did remote work and with email and file sharing capabilities, no excuse firmware should have been put on hold. The rest of the world got by remotely and other companies were able to provide firmware updates during covid.
If it wasn't COVID, then this series of scanners took a back seat to some other Uniden project.
Firmware is usually only released when they find issues with the old firmware(items that don't work as well), as far as I know the the firmware on the SDS series works fine. The only things at this point are "wants".
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