Official Starrsoft WIN500 Software Thread

[scan-pa]

Official Starrsoft WIN500 Software Thread.

This thread is to report & Discuss anything related to The WIN500 software.


Starrsoft WIN500 Software: http://starrsoft.com/ Version 1.07 is now Available **** updated on 11/27/2007

System Requirements
In order to run Win500, you'll need the following:

* A copy of the Win500 program
* A PSR-500 Scanner
* The blue GRE USB Scanner Programming cable that came with your PSR-500.
* A Windows (2000, XP, Vista) PC. Sorry - 95, 98, and Me are not supported.

 

[AKJohnny]

After your post.

You're welcome.

You Da' Man! You've made my choice easy. This is one FINE application and I'll be buying it as soon as my PRO-106 gets here (waiting on RadShack slow order processing & shipping... the wait is torture).
Since you come out with updates so quickly, you might consider a automatic "check for software updates" feature. Either way, I'll be manually checking your site more often. Thanks again!

 

[Highpockets]

I asked Lindsay a while ago and am still waiting, if there was a way to mark in the mode column a way to tell that a conventional frequency was encrypted, now they just put P25 and it states in the description column that it's encrypted. If it was changed to P25E in the mode column could you include that into your software as to not import encrypted conventional frequencies? After your answer, I may ask Lindsay again if that change can be made.

 

[AKJohnny]

I asked Lindsay a while ago and am still waiting, if there was a way to mark in the mode column a way to tell that a conventional frequency was encrypted, now they just put P25 and it states in the description column that it's encrypted. If it was changed to P25E in the mode column could you include that into your software as to not import encrypted conventional frequencies? After your answer, I may ask Lindsay again if that change can be made.

Highpockets, if I understand your question correctly, I think DonS just added this feature in today's update. See v1.72.

 

[DonS]

I asked Lindsay a while ago and am still waiting, if there was a way to mark in the mode column a way to tell that a conventional frequency was encrypted, now they just put P25 and it states in the description column that it's encrypted. If it was changed to P25E in the mode column could you include that into your software as to not import encrypted conventional frequencies? After your answer, I may ask Lindsay again if that change can be made.

If another value was added to the "Mode" enum for conventional frequencies, I could pretty easily add support for it to Win500. The only problem, though, is that the method Win500 currently uses to retrieve data from the DB (direct transport of XML over HTTP) is going to be deprecated pretty soon, so I'm not sure Lindsay would want to add this new mode value to the XML. I do need to modify WinXXX DB importing to use the "new" SOAP method in the near future (that will also let my apps import directly from the RR DB CD).

 

[DonS]

Highpockets, if I understand your question correctly, I think DonS just added this feature in today's update. See v1.72.

He's referring to Conventional frequencies, not Trunked talkgroups. At present, the RR DB doesn't flag individual conventional frequencies as "encrypted", except within free-form text. Talkgroups are flagged via an explicit "E" value in the "Mode" column.

 

[AKJohnny]

my bad. sry.

 

[Highpockets]

If another value was added to the "Mode" enum for conventional frequencies, I could pretty easily add support for it to Win500. The only problem, though, is that the method Win500 currently uses to retrieve data from the DB (direct transport of XML over HTTP) is going to be deprecated pretty soon, so I'm not sure Lindsay would want to add this new mode value to the XML. I do need to modify WinXXX DB importing to use the "new" SOAP method in the near future (that will also let my apps import directly from the RR DB CD).

Thanks Don, I mentioned it to Lindsay, he said he'd look into it, he's been busy, maybe down the road.

 

[SCPD]

Unfortunately, it's quite difficult to resize those "grids" without also messing up a bunch of other controls. Even in the tabs where grids are resized as you resize the main window (e.g. CONV, TSYS, etc.), I have to explicitly reposition every other affected control. For example, when you change the width of the main window, the TGRP grid stretches/shrinks horizontally - I have to explicitly move all of the TGRP setting controls to the right of that grid.

On the General Settings tab, that would mean moving an awful lot of controls around.

You may be able to adjust the "list row height" (Configuration, User Interface) so that the grids don't have scroll bars. This will, though, affect the heights of rows in every other grid in the program.

Thanks for considering this and letting me know why it can't be done. I will keep doing what I'm doing and live with the inconvenience, which is not a major one.

 

[InDICa]

Alpha Tag stuck in memory!

Sorry fixed the problem my mistake!

 

[bg_nashville]

Can someone tell me what all I can do with the Radio ID and Radio ID Alert options? I am not sure I understand what the possibilities are. I am monitoring the Nashville TRS, if that info helps.

 

[atlong]

Quick basic question here regarding recording. What is the best source out jack to use--the external speaker or the headphone? I'll be connecting it to a MIC jack on my laptop. I don't have a line in on it. TIA.

 

[DOPPLERBOB]

as soon as my PRO-106 gets here (waiting on RadShack slow order processing & shipping... the wait is torture).

I know it is off topic but how long is the wait for those who just recently ordered one from Radioshack.com? I ordered my radio on the 8th. When did you order yours, AKJohnny?
Thanks everybody, Bob

 

[DOPPLERBOB]

Quick basic question here regarding recording. What is the best source out jack to use--the external speaker or the headphone? I'll be connecting it to a MIC jack on my laptop. I don't have a line in on it. TIA.

The headphone jack has a dampened output and is not as strong as the speaker output, but the best way to tell is to try both and see. You will have to adjust your mic gain in the audio properties of the laptop way down because the mic input is expecting a mic level which is very small so the laptop input has a very high gain. So probably the headphone output would be better because it is already cut down and has a clipper circuit built in so the output doesn't exceed a certain level.
Bob

 

[atlong]

Thanks. I tried both and you're right the headphone output is better. MIC gain is waay down low to keep it tolerable to listen to. Working well here. Thanks again. Now I have a whole 24 hours of recordings to listen to now.

 

[DPS8504]

Can WIN500 be networked

Can the WIN500 program be networked on a server. I have purchased a Radio Shack Pro-197 for my communications facility radio room and have it interfaced with our Motorola Centra Com console. I would like to install the WIN500 on our server so that each of the two radio consoles can see the control monitor mode screen and see what agency is talking.

Is this possible?

 

[smokeyjones666]

Feature request

Here's a feature that I would find really handy to have.

When I'm monkeying around with scan lists, sometimes I decide I'd like to move them around. Right now, my only option is to go and ctrl-select the objects that are in the scan list I want to move and then deselect and reselect with the new scan list. This method works, but I'd be really slick if there was a 'Scan List Move' or 'Scan List Swap' feature - either by dragging the scan list and dropping it on the one I want to swap it with, or through a separate dialog accessible from the Edit menu.

 

[bg_nashville]

I am having trouble getting the log history to show up in the Most Recent 500 window. I have a vaild file and folder location already set up and have clicked on win500activitylog.txt . I've searched the thread and tried everything already stated. It was working just fine yesterday. Anyone have any suggestions?

 

[DonS]

Can the WIN500 program be networked on a server. I have purchased a Radio Shack Pro-197 for my communications facility radio room and have it interfaced with our Motorola Centra Com console. I would like to install the WIN500 on our server so that each of the two radio consoles can see the control monitor mode screen and see what agency is talking.

Is this possible?

Yes. Search for "TCPMux" in these forums. At least one of my posts has detailed information on setting it up.

 

[DonS]

Here's a feature that I would find really handy to have.

When I'm monkeying around with scan lists, sometimes I decide I'd like to move them around. Right now, my only option is to go and ctrl-select the objects that are in the scan list I want to move and then deselect and reselect with the new scan list. This method works, but I'd be really slick if there was a 'Scan List Move' or 'Scan List Swap' feature - either by dragging the scan list and dropping it on the one I want to swap it with, or through a separate dialog accessible from the Edit menu.

Are you trying to change the names of Scan Lists, or change the Scan List membership of "scannable objects"? If the latter, you should be able to just select them in the appropriate page (e.g. CONV or TSYS tabs), then check/uncheck the membership boxes to the right of the grid.

 

[DonS]

I am having trouble getting the log history to show up in the Most Recent 500 window. I have a vaild file and folder location already set up and have clicked on win500activitylog.txt . I've searched the thread and tried everything already stated. It was working just fine yesterday. Anyone have any suggestions?

Are you currently "Scanning"? (logging only works while the scanner is in a "scanning" state).

Is the existing Win500ActivityLog.TXT file being updated with new data (that is, is it just the "most recent" list that is missing data)?