BCD436HP/BCD536HP: Manually adding freq ?????

[fenderblue]

#1---I learned how to add a freq in my 396xt using the computer program, could not find freq using the database. Now I have to 536's and one 436 and I will be damn if I can figure how to install a set of frequencies to a favorites list. Is it in the book, video, easy to read of what? I don't want to manually do it on the keyboard but would like to use the computer program so I can program all of them.
#2---How do you what battery level you have on a 436.

 

[ofd8001]

Adding a frequency is easy in Sentinel. Go to the Favorites List/System/Department you want to add the channel to. Then in the right pane, click the Green Plus sign to add a new channel. Enter the appropriate data and it is there.

You might want to watch the following YouTube video. You can skip to about 6:15 where Upman talks about adding a new channel:

BCDx36HP Sentinel Creating Custom Favorites List - YouTube

Can't help you with #2, as I don't have a 436.

 

[kc2kth]

To check the battery level on the 436 press the multifunction knob (volume/sq/menu) button on the top of the radio. Battery voltage is shown in the top right of the display (i.e. '3.44').

 

[fenderblue]

Thanks guys

 

[ol-redneck]

#1---I learned how to add a freq in my 396xt using the computer program, could not find freq using the database. Now I have to 536's and one 436 and I will be damn if I can figure how to install a set of frequencies to a favorites list. Is it in the book, video, easy to read of what? I don't want to manually do it on the keyboard but would like to use the computer program so I can program all of them.
#2---How do you what battery level you have on a 436.

#2 - battery level? Also kinda crappy that you can't charge the battery with the scanner on! Maybe someone has found a workaround?

 

[hiegtx]

#2 - battery level? Also kinda crappy that you can't charge the battery with the scanner on! Maybe someone has found a workaround?

That is a result of a California requirement, concerning portable devices and charging of the batteries in those devices. This was not Uniden's idea, but rather one that was forced on them. The GRE/Whistler handhelds (PSR-800, WS1080, -1088, etc) also have the same limitation, cannot both charge & operate the scanner.

I use an external charger, which gives much better results anyway. Use a wall wart to power the scanner if being used at home, or a dc adapter in your vehicle. If you use low self-discharge batteries, such as Eneloops, the batteries in the scanner will last longer without a charge (when the scanner is normally being powered thru an adapter). Standard rechargeable batteries self discharge, and go dead, even when not used. The "charger" circuit in the scanner is a timed charger only, and charges at a slow rate. It does not sense when the batteries are fully charged, unlike a good external charger, so a slow rate is used to prevent overheating the cells.

 

[ol-redneck]

*F* California

yup..

 

[QPSK]

You might want to watch the following YouTube video. You can skip to about 6:15 where Upman talks about adding a new channel:

BCDx36HP Sentinel Creating Custom Favorites List - YouTube

I have watched this video a few times now and gotten some good tips out of it. But when I go to the Favorites List Editor, I do not see where to add a frequency. I can add a new field, but there is no place to add a frequency. I selected conventional as the system type.

I guess I cannot add a screen clip to show what I am talking about. All I can figure is that I am in the wrong area to do this. But I see no other way to address the issue. Any ideas?


Thanks!

 

[ofd8001]

I'm presuming you want to add a conventional frequency to a Favorites List. Here are the steps:

1. Start Sentienl
2. Edit the Favorites List where the new frequency will got
3. Expand the Favorites List tree so you see the System then the Department where the new frequency will go.
4. In the right pane, click the green plus sign to add a new row.
5. Enter the information for the frequency (channel name, frequency, modulation, etc.) Be sure to select a Service Type.
6. Save the changes - File>Save
7. Exit the Favorites List editor - File>Exit
8. Write the revised Favorites List to the scanner, being sure to erase all Favorites Lists so you won't have duplicates.

 

[ol-redneck]

Thanks ofd8001 - I can't remember the reason for the question now. I must have figured it out..

Good info to have anyway!!

 

[UPMan]

I think his reply was to QPSK (late poster to the thread). Glad you figured it out back last year, though. Surely gives QPSK some additional hope.

 

[QPSK]

I'm presuming you want to add a conventional frequency to a Favorites List. Here are the steps:

1. Start Sentienl
2. Edit the Favorites List where the new frequency will got
3. Expand the Favorites List tree so you see the System then the Department where the new frequency will go.
4. In the right pane, click the green plus sign to add a new row.
5. Enter the information for the frequency (channel name, frequency, modulation, etc.) Be sure to select a Service Type.
6. Save the changes - File>Save
7. Exit the Favorites List editor - File>Exit
8. Write the revised Favorites List to the scanner, being sure to erase all Favorites Lists so you won't have duplicates.

Thanks ofd8001. What I was doing is just going to the list I wanted to add the NFM freqs to and hit the green + sign. I think what that does is assume I am adding something to the list of trunked channels in the list and does not give the option of entereing in a NFM freq. When I followed your list and did that under a heading that had NFM channels in it already, I can add them.

Is there a way to add another heading and add the freqs under that? Maybe a better explanation of what I see below.

So what I have looks like this:


Duluth
Railroads
,,,,, Various NFM channels listed...
State Agencies
,,,,, Various NFM channels listed...
Allied Radio Matrix for Emergency Response (ARMER)

If I open the favorites list and hit the green plus sign, the new system goes under the ARMER heading, which is all trunked systems. Is there a way to make a new system or header without jumping on one of the others such as Railroads and State Agencies, which has NFM Freqs in them?

I can make this work by hopping on the other analog NFM lists for now. But it would be great to refine the list a bit more.

Thanks all for the info!

 

[QPSK]

So what I have looks like this:


Duluth
--Railroads
------Various NFM channels listed...
State Agencies
------Various NFM channels listed...
Allied Radio Matrix for Emergency Response (ARMER)

If I open the favorites list and hit the green plus sign, the new system goes under the ARMER heading, which is all trunked systems. Is there a way to make a new system or header without jumping on one of the others such as Railroads and State Agencies, which has NFM Freqs in them?

I can make this work by hopping on the other analog NFM lists for now. But it would be great to refine the list a bit more.

Thanks all for the info!

After I posed that , I see the radioreference site did not keep my leading spaces in the formatting. So to make it look better, I added the dashes to show that Duluth is the favorites list name and Railroads and State Agencies and ARMER are all subs off of Duluth.

 

[jonwienke]

ARMER IS a trunked system. You're creating departments under ARMER. To create a new system, you have to click on the Favorite List name at the top of the tree, then click the green +. Sentinel will ask you what system type.

 

[ofd8001]

As best as I can decipher this, I'm guessing you have three systems in your Duluth Favorites List: Railroads (conventional), State Agencies and ARMER (a trunked system). I'm not sure what you have for State Agencies, as I'm under the impression that all the state users have migrated to the ARMER system.

What that said, are you wanting to add a frequency to a conventional system or a talkgroup to the ARMER system?

If you could export your Favorites List to an HPE file, zip it and post it along with the specifics of what you want to add, that would help me to answer your question a little better.

 

[QPSK]

As best as I can decipher this, I'm guessing you have three systems in your Duluth Favorites List: Railroads (conventional), State Agencies and ARMER (a trunked system). I'm not sure what you have for State Agencies, as I'm under the impression that all the state users have migrated to the ARMER system.

What that said, are you wanting to add a frequency to a conventional system or a talkgroup to the ARMER system?

If you could export your Favorites List to an HPE file, zip it and post it along with the specifics of what you want to add, that would help me to answer your question a little better.

Hi. First, thanks for the assist on this.

Yep, Railroads and State Agencies are both analog system lists. ARMER is the trunked list.

What I am trying to do is add a group called Marine to put a couple of marine freqs in there. How can I add a Department Name of Marine and add analog FM freqs to that list. I know for now I can make this work by adding them to the other groups. But going forward it would be nice to make a proper category.

I uploaded a copy of the HPE file for ya.


Thanks!

 

[ofd8001]

Here is a revised file called "Duluth Revised" so you still have what you started with.

Comments and what I did:

You might set Location Control On. You are attempting to monitor all of the sites in Minnesota, even those way too far away to receive such as Minneapolis, East Grand Forks, Rochester, etc. This is inefficient and will lead to missed comms.

I’ve taken the liberty to add the Statewide interoperability talkgroups in the ARMER system. Lots of good stuff happens on them, such as pursuits.

You may ask the question in the Minnesota forum, but I think some of those groups you have, such as DNR, DOT and EMS have migrated to ARMER. Of course if you hear comms, then they are still on the conventional system. The interop frequencies you have are valid.

To add the Marine channels, there are two methods. One would be to add a new System called “Marine” and the a Department within that System called “Marine”. This would be consistent with how you started as you have a Railroads System.

The other way, which is what I did so as to populate frequencies is go to the full database and expand it (Minnesota>St. Louis County>Nationwide>Maritime – USA. Then highlight Maritime Operations – Marine VHF 1A-88A, right click for Append Favorites List and select the Duluth Favorites List, then click OK. Sentinel then creates a System, Department and adds the channels.

You are certainly free to delete any of the channels I’ve added (lot easier to delete than add, so I thought it best to be generous).