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.

 

[qlajlu]

Missing Conventional Systems for Import

If you go to the Database for Utah and look at just the conventional frequencies, you will find many that belong to cities, police, fire, Forest Service, etc but none are AVAILABLE for import using the Import feature of WIN500.

I had wanted to import the frequencies for Murray City PD which are not on UCAN's trunked system. They run their own radio system and although they are using 800 MHz frequencies, they are used as conventional rather than trunked. These frequencies do NOT show as available for import in WIN500. None of the frequencies on the page linked above show up in the WIN500 Import utility. Why are these frequencies, such as the Forest Service, not available? With fire season coming on, these frequencies can be of prime interest.

Is it because they are not recognized as systems in their own right? I believe that Murray City is a system. Just wondering.

ka3jjz seems to think that this is an interface problem within WIN500. Something about a new SOAP interface that is going to be used beginning in July.

I'd send a note to Don and ask him about this. He may well be working on getting the new SOAP based interface into Win500 now- and frankly, he probably should. The old XML service is going away by the end of July, and that's not all that far off. He's likely going to have to do this with Win96 and 97, too.

The FreeScan screen is shown here and the WIN500 screen is shown here. Quite a difference.

Don, please read this thread to see what I am speaking about.

 

[eyes00only]

I'm having trouble trying to monitor UHF Motorola Trunked Systems using Win 500 software for a Pro 106 scanner. I've been successful using the software to program UHF LTR and 800/900 MOT, LTR, Edacs and P25 systems so I believe I know what I'm doing. A system I recently tried to monitor was the United Airlines UHF MOT system at Chicago O'Hare Airport. I loaded the same information into a Pro 164 using Win 97 and into the Pro 106 using Win 500 software and ran them simultaneously. The Pro 164 performed flawlessly while nothing was heard on the Pro 106 (I did include a Wildcard Talkgroup for the TSYS).

Information for the system is:

Frequencies
476.337500
476.487500
476.537500
476.587500
476.612500
476.812500
477.012500
477.112500
477.162500
477.187500
477.212500
477.237500
477.262500
477.312500

Lo Chan Hi Chan Offset Base Step
0 0 380 476.312500 12.500

I looked at the "Analyze" option on the scanner, the control channel was active and displayed the same information contained on the Radio Reference Database page for the United Airlines Chicago trunked system.

So what am I doing wrong? Do the Lo and Hi Chan fields require an entry? I'm trying to avoid carrying two scanners with me so any help provided is appreciated! Thanks for your assistance.

That sure is odd the way the system is in the database. Take at look at United in Denver. I didn't even think a table was needed. Also, all you should need to enter is the control freqs. and maybe the alternate if there are any. My day off is Sunday so I'll try Denver's United system for the heck of it.
Good luck!

JK

 

[transitman]

To those who have responded, thanks!

fmon: I will add the 380/759 channel values and try the Pro-106 on my next trip through O'Hare (late next week).

eyes00only: Save yourself the trip to DIA. As noted in the database, United uses an 800 mhz Motorola system and my problem is applicable only to Motorola UHF (450-512 mhz) systems. I've not had any problems concerning 800/900 mhz Motorola systems. Perhaps the suggestion offered by "fmon" will resolve my issue!

 

[fmon]

Perhaps the suggestion offered by "fmon" will resolve my issue!

If database is correct, I know it will. Also, you only need the two red controls programmed in System Frequency section.

 

[eyes00only]

To those who have responded, thanks!

fmon: I will add the 380/759 channel values and try the Pro-106 on my next trip through O'Hare (late next week).

eyes00only: Save yourself the trip to DIA. As noted in the database, United uses an 800 mhz Motorola system and my problem is applicable only to Motorola UHF (450-512 mhz) systems. I've not had any problems concerning 800/900 mhz Motorola systems. Perhaps the suggestion offered by "fmon" will resolve my issue!

Now I see the difference, even though it's still strange the way the system is shown for O'Hare. Good luck & have a great weekend.

JK

 

[DonS]

If you go to the Database for Utah and look at just the conventional frequencies, you will find many that belong to cities, police, fire, Forest Service, etc but none are AVAILABLE for import using the Import feature of WIN500.

I had wanted to import the frequencies for Murray City PD which are not on UCAN's trunked system. They run their own radio system and although they are using 800 MHz frequencies, they are used as conventional rather than trunked. These frequencies do NOT show as available for import in WIN500. None of the frequencies on the page linked above show up in the WIN500 Import utility. Why are these frequencies, such as the Forest Service, not available? With fire season coming on, these frequencies can be of prime interest.

Is it because they are not recognized as systems in their own right? I believe that Murray City is a system. Just wondering.

ka3jjz seems to think that this is an interface problem within WIN500. Something about a new SOAP interface that is going to be used beginning in July.


The FreeScan screen is shown here and the WIN500 screen is shown here. Quite a difference.

Don, please read this thread to see what I am speaking about.

See my reply in your other thread on this topic

 

[DonS]

I attempted to re order the object ID's so that they would be organized by bank. However when I attempted to load the file to the radio I received an error message that the ID's were either duplicated or invalid and did I want WIN 500 to fix them ? I indicated yes. The upload proceeded. On the PC end everything seemed ok. On the scanner end, the upload stopped at 84%. When I exited the upload mode none of the file had been uploaded. I attempted to check for duplicates in the file but it doesn't let you do this by object ID. I then attempted to paste all of the objects to Excel 2007 but this didn't work. Any suggestions ?

The "upload stops at XX% on the scanner" problem is generally due to having an older version of CPU firmware in the scanner. GRE made a change a while back that allows PC apps to run full speed on upload. Win500 presumes you've installed a CPU firmware update that incorporates this change.

Your options are:
a. install the latest firmware from GRE (if PSR-500/600) or RadioShack (if PRO-106/197).
b. select "extra write time" in Win500's Serial Configuration dialog (this requires that you use the "COM port" version of Win500, rather than the direct-to-USB-Cable version)

 

[poppafred]

Requesting a slight clarification

Don,

If you download the TSYS and TGRP info into "unassigned", don't you have to assign it to a list in order to scan it?

Thanks

 

[DonS]

If you download the TSYS and TGRP info into "unassigned", don't you have to assign it to a list in order to scan it?

Absolutely. The scanner only scans things that are in scan lists.

 

[poppafred]

Thanks! This is starting to make sense.

 

[JESSERABBIT]

If this has been asked and answered, I apologize. I have done many searches with no luck. When downloading all the files from my current Win96 configurartion into Win500, I am having some problems. Most of the imported systems are p25. When I downloaded the data into Win500 into the Pro-106 some of the systems do not work at all, others do. I have belive there is a problem with p25 auto and, at least p25 manual, or something else. Several systems have multi tables and others do not. The multi table ones are ok. Would appreciate any and all suggestions/answers. BTW the conventional systems are ok.

 

[fmon]

If this has been asked and answered, I apologize. I have done many searches with no luck. When downloading all the files from my current Win96 configurartion into Win500, I am having some problems. Most of the imported systems are p25. When I downloaded the data into Win500 into the Pro-106 some of the systems do not work at all, others do. I have belive there is a problem with p25 auto and, at least p25 manual, or something else. Several systems have multi tables and others do not. The multi table ones are ok. Would appreciate any and all suggestions/answers. BTW the conventional systems are ok.

I haven't used p96 imports nor downloaded from 2096 since beginning of Win500. Thus, I just check both operations successfully. Both methods have Motorola and P25 as well as EDACS Standard.

Even the warning about the possible need to check Mot or P25 worked properly without my interference.

 

[poppafred]

Print Out?

Is there any way to dump a P500 file to a printer so you can examine it away from the keyboard?

Thanks

 

[jgorman21]

Don,

New Computer with Vista works with WIN 500, but it's slow and kind of "balky". Any suggestion?

Thanks.

 

[DaWeav]

Same Alerts and Signal Stength

Would it be possible to have SAME alert code logged to the log history file when Pri-Wx receives a broadcast weather alert?

Also, would it be possible to have the 'signal strength' meter reading be logged in the log history file so that I can analyzed and review the information to determine the best location/angle for my antenna?

 

[baybum]

RR Database CD support

Don, when do you expect to have an update on the WIN-96 and WIN-106 so we can import from the RR CD?

 

[Highpockets]

Don,

Will Win500 have to be upgraded to include the updates that came out for the GRE 500/600 or will it work/remain as is?

 

[DonS]

Will Win500 have to be upgraded to include the updates that came out for the GRE 500/600 or will it work/remain as is?

It will work as-is, though you may have to set the "Enable FlexStep" option on the "Extended Settings" tab to permit some of the new step sizes in CPU firmware 1.7.

 

[DonS]

Don, when do you expect to have an update on the WIN-96 and WIN-106 so we can import from the RR CD?

By the end of July.

I have the code written and tested in a separate utility, but I have to find the time to integrate it into Win500, Win97, and Win96.

("end of July" because that's the date that I have to have the main, download-from-web RR import converted, and the CD import is the same)

 

[DonS]

Is there any way to dump a P500 file to a printer so you can examine it away from the keyboard?

At present, no. The only workaround is to copy/paste from Win500 into a text file or spreadsheet program, then print from there.