How can I get the database updated........

[TheBiz]

The City of Edinburg, Texas updated its radio system over 6 months ago. I monitor the fire department and lost the ability to monitor them when they upgraded. I use a Homepatrol 2 and have tried to update the data but the database has not been updated since 2013 so I can not update my Homepatrol 2. Is there any way that someone can get the new database update so I can monitor the fire fire department. My son is a fireman in the next city and sometimes they are called for mutual aid here and I live here. Any help?

 

[mikewazowski]

Moved to Texas forum.

 

[rattlerbb01]

We don't have but one or two active submitters in the valley. Maybe one of them can chime in. I'm on mobile but I'll look into it when I can and see if I can help.

 

[hiegtx]

The City of Edinburg, Texas updated its radio system over 6 months ago. I monitor the fire department and lost the ability to monitor them when they upgraded. I use a Homepatrol 2 and have tried to update the data but the database has not been updated since 2013 so I can not update my Homepatrol 2. Is there any way that someone can get the new database update so I can monitor the fire fire department. My son is a fireman in the next city and sometimes they are called for mutual aid here and I live here. Any help?

I'm not clear on what you are requesting to be done. The database used by the HP-2 has been updated multiple times since 2013. The current version, after this week's update is loaded, is 02-11-2018. If you have not updated the Sentinel database on your PC, then you would have an earlier date, not the current one. Start Sentinel on your PC. Look at the lower left corner of the program's window. What date do you see? If it is not 02-11-2018, have you used the menu to update it? Are you getting an error when Sentinel tries to connect? If so, what does the error message say?

Looking at Hidalgo County in the database, Edinburg is shown as using an older EDACS system. that system was last updated in 2013. Is that what you are referring to?

Again, looking at systems in your county, I see that Pharr and Edinburg are part of a new P25 (digital) system.
https://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?sid=6548

There are Edinburg talkgroups for both fire & police on the new system. That system is in the HP-2's database. Add that system to your Favorites list, after you've made sure that the Sentinel database has been caught up to date.

As far as the county database page goes, no one, apparently, has submitted an update to show that Edinburg has moved to the new system. Until someone submits that, the page would not be corrected.

 

[rattlerbb01]

I'll update Hidalgo County's page and the link. Would be nice to know if the EDACS is still going for anything, public works, etc. It is on different frequencies than the Edinburg site on the P25 system.

TheBiz, are you using Sentinel to update the RR database? As Hiegtx mentioned, unless you update Sentinel, and your HP2, you may not have the Pharr/Edinburg P25 Phase 1 system loaded, or it would be incomplete at best and missing Edinburgs talkgroups, which the majority of were just added in December.

 

[rattlerbb01]

Wow, it's admittedly been a while since I have worked any Valley submissions since we have an admin for that area, but it looks like fire and school buses are about the only things not encrypted down there since the LRGV system has been built out. Only a few small town PDs and DPS left of law enforcement.

 

[TheBiz]

Thanks, for all the quick responses. Oh boy! Do I feel stupid! Yes, I was using
Sentinel, but I was not doing the most important step and that was to 'write to Homepatrol' It had been 3 years since I had updated Homepatrol, and I did the download by using Sentinel and 'Update Master' BUT I had forgotten to write it. I just finished and now all should be OK. Please lock this thread or delete it so others will not respond. I am sorry for the confusion. Thanks for your good work!

 

[starwtc]

Also I have heard Edinburg fire using the analog frequency 154.37 and PL of 123.0. There are several towns that have moved to the P25 system but still use the analog radios in fire trucks.

 

[TheBiz]

What I found..............

I did get my Homepatrol loaded with the latest database and proceeded to add Edinburg fire dept into the homepatrol so I could monitor it. I could not hear anything, so I went back into the Homepatrol to edit my channels. I accidentally stumbled onto the new listing for Edinburg fire department and it is not easy to find. The old legacy system is still there(which is what I was adding) and the new system is not easy to find. All this is very confusing for one city's database to be under another city. Coulsn't this be fixed? I have an attachment showing where the fire department for Edinburg is now. I hope this helps and we can put this to bed. Thanks everyone for all your help. I can now monitor Edinburg and McAllen Fire.

 

[troymail]

Looks like Edinburg joined a joint/regional system (two sites, same system) -- the listing/data appears like it does for any other system of this type. It's just something you'll get used to (probably pretty quickly).

However, hopefully, you can convince the DB admin to break out the Edinburg departments (i.e. separate Fire/EMS and Police into their own groups - like Edinburg Fire, Edinburg Police, Pharr Fire, Pharr Police, etc.).