Programming a Pro-197

[poppafred]

Hi folks,

I just won a Pro-197 on eBay and it is enroute here. I am hoping I will know what I am doing by the time it arrives. I already have the Radio Shack programming cable and downloaded the newest drivers for it. I bought Win500 right after winning the auction & signed up for Premium membership here.

That should be all I need, right?

So.....

I am used to programming my Pro-97 with Win97 but have never tried the Premium membership on Radioreference.com before.

I fired up Win500 and set up the web import. I went to the RR.com link, signed in and found the major state-wide P25 trunking system for Arkansas, called "AWIN". I followed the UtahRadio instructions and downloaded the trunking system and stored it into Win500. Where should it be stored? Does it matter? Are there folders I should avoid uploading to?

Is that all I do before uploading it to the scanner? Did I read correctly that the scanner has to be in manual mode to upload to it properly? Do I have to worry about associating TGRP and TSYS since the software downloaded and installed it into the memory?

I cannot find ANY instructions on Win500 except for the UtahRadio page. The scanner manual (downloaded the PDF) does not have a thing in it about importing with Win500. Not very easy to read off the computer, I'm a hard copy kind of guy. Win500 does not have a help file yet.
The "V Folder" for Arkansas (#11) does not contain the AWIN system so I will probably not keep any V folders in the scanner. I found a zip file containing them on the Win500 page so I downloaded them and saved them to my hard drive for later.

UtahRadio says "It is considered scanning in "Open Mode" if there is a Wildcard in working memory while scanning." What is a "wildcard" and how do you add one?

Sorry this post is so long, thought I should ask as much as possible all at once and go from there.

Gee, maybe I should write a Win500 help file with all this once I get it figured out!

 

[hcpholder]

I've never found a "downloadable" file yet for any of the areas I'm in. I've had to "copy & paste" info from the database to the Win500 program to create files. Sorry! But, I love my Pro-106, which is the "handheld" version of what you're getting. The biggest thing I have found is to "take time" to learn how to program the scanner "manually". It is very important. You may be able to "make friends" in RR in your area, like I have, and trade "P" files.

 

[hcpholder]

Ok, I just learned HOW to use the "download" process. Man it's GREAT! You're gonna love it when you get your new 197. Using the Win500, go under "File" and towards the bottom you'see "Web import". Follow across and choose either "trunked or conventional". Once you do this, a window will open. You enter your RR information (username, password) and just watch. As it signs on to RR each field becomes active as you enter info from the dropdown menus. After you get everything sellected you want, hit "IMPORT". Another screen appears in the middle letting you select a "name" for the system, then just a few more items and you're done.

You'll have to play with it a little to get the hang of it, but its GREAT!

 

[poppafred]

That's It?

That is all there is to do? No twiddling, fiddling or tweaking?

It can't be that easy!

 

[qlajlu]

That is all there is to do? No twiddling, fiddling or tweaking?

It can't be that easy!

Yep! It's just that easy. Here is an illustrated "tutorial" or help file that shows just how easy it is. This help file also points out a couple of things to be aware of.