Help me help you

[hiegtx]

I have been in the hospital all year and recently was discharged. First thing I noticed on my RR home page is that my Counties To Watch, Trunked Systems to Watch, etc. is not shown on my Home page anymore. I have searched everywhere with no results. I have lost a lot of memory during my hospital stay and couldn't remember how to even start a thread. Sorry for the Hijack. I also can't remember how to use my scanners and radios properly and having to refer to the manuals and RR to bring the knowledge back. Thanks in advance to anyone who can explain why the RR Home Page does not show aforementioned information anymore.

Glad you are finally out of the hospital. Several years back, I spent a month in the hospital & rehab, Was I ever glad to released.

In your case, it appears that while you were away, your Premium Subscription expired. In order for your home page, with selected counties & trunked systems displayed, to work, you must be a subscriber as well as be logged into the initial RR screen. (Separate logins are required for home page forums. So you could be logged into the Forums, but not the home page, or vice versa). Currently, your 'Premium Subscriber' badge does not display, so it may have expired while you were hospitalized. The system does not send reminders about expiration.

 

[epersson]

yup hold then system softkey. Scroll and it hits a trunk and Site Hold.. other posts say they have the same thing.. I'd like it to be, but it seems it's not just me. I can't get a video long enough and small enough to post.. always too big;

Pre hold



View attachment 104803

Post hold
View attachment 104804

@JoeBearcat Hi, sorry to be a pest, but any idea about this? It happens on both scanners, latest firmware, and sometimes does not clear with the FN-Dept button sequence but immediately comes back. I've seen it mentioned in a couple other posts as well so it's not unique to me as much as I would like it to be... ;-( Thanks

 

[captainmax1]

Thanks. I'll take care of the right now.

 

[hiegtx]

Are the unknowns in use? Have you monitored radio traffic on them in conventional mode?

'shades, I have not found them to be in use when running the site as an OFT, all frequencies a separate site. There's one ten-frequency site, for a very busy DMR system. All ten are tagged with LCNs in the RRDB, but the licensee has other frequencies for the same location. I never get past 9 of the 10 already identified. Another site, same system, has only 5 identified LCNs in RRDB, but it has ten frequencies licensed.

I have a couple of hospital systems with unknowns as well. Two sites, for one medical complex (UTSW in Dallas) have four & five channels respectively. All that ever confirm on one is 1 & 2. For the other, I get 1, 3, and 4, out of the five frequencies. I do have them also set as an OFT, to see if there is any activity on the unknowns, but so far, nothing. I use an OFT instead of conventional so that I'll see both color code and TGID, which could help confirm that one of the TGIDs that come up on the confirmed LCNs is also in use on one of the 'blanks'.

The ringer, in part, is that most of these Uhf frequencies have multiple licensees here in the area, so that may be muddying the waters.

 

[INDY72]

'shades, I have not found them to be in use when running the site as an OFT, all frequencies a separate site. There's one ten-frequency site, for a very busy DMR system. All ten are tagged with LCNs in the RRDB, but the licensee has other frequencies for the same location. I never get past 9 of the 10 already identified. Another site, same system, has only 5 identified LCNs in RRDB, but it has ten frequencies licensed.

I have a couple of hospital systems with unknowns as well. Two sites, for one medical complex (UTSW in Dallas) have four & five channels respectively. All that ever confirm on one is 1 & 2. For the other, I get 1, 3, and 4, out of the five frequencies. I do have them also set as an OFT, to see if there is any activity on the unknowns, but so far, nothing. I use an OFT instead of conventional so that I'll see both color code and TGID, which could help confirm that one of the TGIDs that come up on the confirmed LCNs is also in use on one of the 'blanks'.

The ringer, in part, is that most of these Uhf frequencies have multiple licensees here in the area, so that may be muddying the waters.

Some of the agencies like schools and hospitals (Same with SMR's) will set aside a couple of "Spare" freqs for system growth, or as emergency fallback conventionals. Unless the system gets busier than it is , they might never actually use the "spares" in the trunked setup, and if they have them as fallbacks, again they may never see usage unless there is a big failure with the main system. Or they could even be discreet talkarounds that would very rarely, if ever see use. This is especially true on Capacity Plus, and Capacity Max DMR systems. And then there are the ones that drive me nuts. Licensed for a buttload of freqs, but currently only use a few for a Connect Plus, and a few for a Capacity Plus, and the LCN's indicate on the Cap+ there are at least 12 freqs on the system, but only 2 or 3 are seeing use currently. So huge possibility for growth on that one. The Con+ side has total in use of 6/7 out of total of 30 possible freqs on the multiple licenses for the site. On the ones your monitoring, are there any DMR data bursts in use at all to indicate possibly GPS tracking, or text messaging on dedicated freqs? ***As an aside, how does DMR handle CWID? would it take DSD+ to see this being done as its done over one of the VC's on an analog or P25 TRS....?***

 

[hiegtx]

Some of the agencies like schools and hospitals (Same with SMR's) will set aside a couple of "Spare" freqs for system growth, or as emergency fallback conventionals. Unless the system gets busier than it is , they might never actually use the "spares" in the trunked setup, and if they have them as fallbacks, again they may never see usage unless there is a big failure with the main system. Or they could even be discreet talkarounds that would very rarely, if ever see use. This is especially true on Capacity Plus, and Capacity Max DMR systems. And then there are the ones that drive me nuts. Licensed for a buttload of freqs, but currently only use a few for a Connect Plus, and a few for a Capacity Plus, and the LCN's indicate on the Cap+ there are at least 12 freqs on the system, but only 2 or 3 are seeing use currently. So huge possibility for growth on that one. The Con+ side has total in use of 6/7 out of total of 30 possible freqs on the multiple licenses for the site. On the ones your monitoring, are there any DMR data bursts in use at all to indicate possibly GPS tracking, or text messaging on dedicated freqs? ***As an aside, how does DMR handle CWID? would it take DSD+ to see this being done as its done over one of the VC's on an analog or P25 TRS....?***

I'm not using DSD+. at this time. I need to set aside some time to get familiar & comfortable with it, but so far, I have not.

I'll step aside on this, and let the thread continue on its original purpose.

 

[JoeBearcat]

@JoeBearcat Hi, sorry to be a pest, but any idea about this? It happens on both scanners, latest firmware, and sometimes does not clear with the FN-Dept button sequence but immediately comes back. I've seen it mentioned in a couple other posts as well so it's not unique to me as much as I would like it to be... ;-( Thanks

Can you refresh my memory on this issue? FUNC-SYS was mentioned which enables/disables Close Call. FUNC-DEPT does the same for Site (scroll if it is already held, or hold if it's not currently held).

 

[JoeBearcat]

Or when the actual instructions for programming DMR / MOTOTRBO / NXDN into the appropriate scanners? It's not like we have been waiting for nearly a year for that...(ahem)

Mike

It's hard to solve two years worth of problems quickly. And you are aware of the TWIKI issues. But I will see what I can do.
(it is the TWIKI directions you're talking about, right?)

 

[ka3jjz]

Yes that's right. As I've been banned from the TWiki, I'm going from memory- but I believe that the announcement had just one or two lines on how to program each mode. It really needs to be expanded in the same way the Project 25 phase 1 instructions are done. I have examples from our database for each mode (which we didn't have at the time of the announcement) when you are ready. Reach out to me via my comcast ID and it's yours

 

[epersson]

Can you refresh my memory on this issue? FUNC-SYS was mentioned which enables/disables Close Call. FUNC-DEPT does the same for Site (scroll if it is already held, or hold if it's not currently held).

@JoeBearcat There are pics a little earlier in this thread. Both sds100 and BCD436hp latest firmware. combination of conventional and trunked systems. when hold then try to scroll manually between systems, just scrolling it will lock on a trunked system with "site hold" displayed now it goes no further, just scrolls through that site. I hit Function and hit or hold dept/site button, get the message site unlocked, but it either locks up again right away, or as soon as I turn the knob it locks up again. Latest firmware. This seems like a firmware bug in these systems. any way to get it to stop locking?

 

[tumegpc]

So Joe, we seemed to have run out of suggested improvements, can you give us an update on any pending firmware upgrades to look forward to?

I agree. It would be nice.

 

[ka3jjz]

This is very much a wish list type of thing for Sentinel, but what the hey, can't hurt to ask. There are a few system types that can't be trunked (yet) but can be monitored conventionally. These would include LTR Passport, LTR MultiNet, the ultra rare LTR Net (I think) and one that's real big in Europe (not real big here yet), MPT-1327. If the user attempts to set up a system with one of these types, the user should be given the option to build a conventional system, rather than a non-existent system type. Again, I think I can supply examples from our database when / if the need arises...Mike

 

[jonwienke]

@JoeBearcat There are pics a little earlier in this thread. Both sds100 and BCD436hp latest firmware. combination of conventional and trunked systems. when hold then try to scroll manually between systems, just scrolling it will lock on a trunked system with "site hold" displayed now it goes no further, just scrolls through that site. I hit Function and hit or hold dept/site button, get the message site unlocked, but it either locks up again right away, or as soon as I turn the knob it locks up again. Latest firmware. This seems like a firmware bug in these systems. any way to get it to stop locking?

You have to turn off site hold before you can scroll through other systems. And you have to wait a second for the F indicator to timeout before you can go back to scrolling departments. As long as that is done, I can't replicate what you're describing (site hold spontaneously reactivating after being turned off).

 

[Ubbe]

I can't replicate what you're describing (site hold spontaneously reactivating after being turned off).

There is a bug in the Hold functionality somewhere. I manage to trigger the bug using number keys.

ERROR on BCD436HP

Scanner / Software / System Programming .... My display keeps locking up at certain points ... let me Explain: I turn on my BCD436HP Then press the ". NO" to Select "Serial Port" (which starts to Scan) Press "CHAN/MOD" to STOP the Scan Mode (on any channel) (Then I want to select a Certain...

forums.radioreference.com

/Ubbe

 

[APX8000]

46 pages later.....what actual requests have been addressed since this thread started in Jan 2021?

 

[ka3jjz]

I think JB's gone into hiding to get his body armor and combat helmet....

 

[epersson]

You have to turn off site hold before you can scroll through other systems. And you have to wait a second for the F indicator to timeout before you can go back to scrolling departments. As long as that is done, I can't replicate what you're describing (site hold spontaneously reactivating after being turned off).

Nope, but thanks. Scrolling through conventional, hit a trunked 'site hold' F-dept "site hold off' straight back to site hold multiple times.. F is not active as you have to wait a few seconds to get the unhold message. Once i keep cycling through F-dept at some point it comes out and i can scroll again, then i hit another trunked and it locks again. It may not be every time, but more then 75% of the time.

 

[jonwienke]

Nope, but thanks. Scrolling through conventional, hit a trunked 'site hold' F-dept "site hold off' straight back to site hold multiple times.. F is not active as you have to wait a few seconds to get the unhold message. Once i keep cycling through F-dept at some point it comes out and i can scroll again, then i hit another trunked and it locks again. It may not be every time, but more then 75% of the time.

Like I said, I can't replicate the error on my SDS100 or SDS200. Are you pressing Func and Dept simultaneously, or Func, then Dept?

 

[gary123]

JB I know your swamped on tracing back all the past issues. For that we all thank you.

As one engineer to another I think your time would be best spent on getting the firmware updated on the SDS and 436/536 units. I am pretty sure many of the issues your tripping over will be fixed by updated firmware. If your guys are reading the code in the firmware properly I think they will find a couple of checks that are not executed or the command buffer gets full from user input. This last would be correctable by placing a one command completed at a time check. Possibly a on screen "be patient" or input overloaded remove last key sequence y/n option.

 

[epersson]

Like I said, I can't replicate the error on my SDS100 or SDS200. Are you pressing Func and Dept simultaneously, or Func, then Dept?

I can make it do it on both sds100 and 436hp. and there are numerous other posts that replicate the issue, look at the one just above here by Ubbe. Hit F then you can either press release Dept or hold Dept, either will make the message Site Hold off appear. then it either immediately come back on, or as soon as you turn the scroll knob it comes back. Then at some point with the exact same key sequence, sometimes the first time, sometimes the 5th time, it will clear and allow scrolling once again. I get you can't duplicate it, that's fine. But I can and I know how to use the scanners.. But thanks for trying