Question on Database and Virginia channels

[Dafe1er]

I am using the BCD436HP running the current firmware and DB from 3/9/2014.

I was wondering if anyone else has the issue of talk group ID's showing up as unknown for channel information?

On the VSP STARS system as an example I have received Unknown as the channel information and TGID: 779 for the ID

I looked in the DB and it shows this TGID of 779 being under the Virginia State Police Talkgroups and the channel is named VSP Sal 6A which is Surveillance 6A.

I have had the same thing happen with TG 35>(Virginia State Police Talkgroups) , 2206>(Department of Corrections Talkgroups) DGIF channels and a few others.

These are all coming in from the Dumfries tower.

Anyone else have this issue? Should I send a request to the DB Admin to update these or is it scanner related?

Thanks.

 

[Chris45]

I am using the BCD436HP running the current firmware and DB from 3/9/2014.

I was wondering if anyone else has the issue of talk group ID's showing up as unknown for channel information?

On the VSP STARS system as an example I have received Unknown as the channel information and TGID: 779 for the ID

I looked in the DB and it shows this TGID of 779 being under the Virginia State Police Talkgroups and the channel is named VSP Sal 6A which is Surveillance 6A.

I have had the same thing happen with TG 35>(Virginia State Police Talkgroups) , 2206>(Department of Corrections Talkgroups) DGIF channels and a few others.

These are all coming in from the Dumfries tower.

Anyone else have this issue? Should I send a request to the DB Admin to update these or is it scanner related?

Thanks.

Well for starters the DB is not perfect. I have noted an included system while doing a location controlled DB scan in Northern Virginia that belongs on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. But consider also that the DB is a work in progress that is subject to frequent changes. Systems and talk groups will change and sometimes new ones added. An unknown usually means identification not certain. If you found a prior reference then it could mean the group is being used now for something different or just has not been updated yet. And not to complicate matters, Departments occasionally may use channels for other than designated channel purposes.

 

[Dafe1er]

Well for starters the DB is not perfect. I have noted an included system while doing a location controlled DB scan in Northern Virginia that belongs on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. But consider also that the DB is a work in progress that is subject to frequent changes. Systems and talk groups will change and sometimes new ones added. An unknown usually means identification not certain. If you found a prior reference then it could mean the group is being used now for something different or just has not been updated yet. And not to complicate matters, Departments occasionally may use channels for other than designated channel purposes.

These are in the DB currently and are not new channels or departments. It seems they are not coming out the correct way to the scanner. I was not sure if I should contact the DB Admin or someone from the Uniden thread to see if it might be with the scanner or Sentinel software not writing the correct information.

Thanks.

 

[QDP2012]

If you were using a Pro106/Pro197 I would think you were listening to the wildcard feature, because it gets automatically programmed into the scanner with each TRS, and never shows descriptions other than the TG ID.

Does the Uniden have a similar wildcard feature? If so, is that possibly what you were actively monitoring when these TGIDs displayed on your screen?

Hope this helps,

 

[Dafe1er]

I have no concept of what the wildcard is, but do know people have said the new units do not do wildcards.

I think what is happening is I have unit ID turned on in my folder for STARS to find new TG and ID's (like Spotsy) and it is bringing up these TG's as unknown. Now, why it is finding them as new and marking them as unknown is not understood since they are in the database. If my above assumption is correct and seeings how they are and have been in the database for sometime then I would think it has something to do with the scanner and software. Or it could be something I am missing.

Thanks.

 

[Dafe1er]

Maybe this will help in aiding the visual of the problem.

What it shows is:

Virginia Statewide Agencies Radio System
Unknown
TGID779
Unit ID:xxxx

What it should show is:

Virginia Statewide Agencies Radio System
Virginia State Poilce
Surveillance 6A
Unit ID:xxxx


EDIT********************
Just went and tested on my HP-1 and it is doing the same thing. hmmmmmm.

 

[phask]

I have no idea HOW you are creating your Favorite - but 779 TG is in Sentinel.

It is a Law Tac service type - do you have that ON? Otherwise - no idea what you are doing wrong.

 

[Dafe1er]

I have no idea HOW you are creating your Favorite - but 779 TG is in Sentinel.

It is a Law Tac service type - do you have that ON? Otherwise - no idea what you are doing wrong.

I pull from the DB through Sentinel. Something like this:

I go to USA> Virginia>Spotsylvania>Statewide>Virginia Statewide Agencies Radio System>Virginia State Police. I then select only the Richmond/Culpeper/Fairfax along with surveillance and TAC channels for them and load them into a favorites list called Virginia STARS. Inside that folder I go and delete all the sites not close to me or where I will be driving around. So, in total I have something like 7 sites scanning at all times.

The main site I have traffic on while at home is the Dumfries site.

All service types are selected and active at all times through the software as I like to change things up on a moments notice and do not have to fiddle around with settings via the scanner itself in doing so.

The only thing different I did today was turn on the unit id setting in the software to find new ID's.

 

[freqhopping]

Seems to me that you don't actually have these channels programmed into your active memory and you scanner is in ID Search mode. It doesn't matter if they are in the built-in database. The scanner is only going to reference what you have programmed in the system file that is in operation. If it doesn't see it, then it will indicate it is unknown.


This is why I program all channels into my systems whether or not I might be able to hear them normally. Makes it a lot easier to notice TGs that really are new.

 

[freqhopping]

I pull from the DB through Sentinel. Something like this:

I go to USA> Virginia>Spotsylvania>Statewide>Virginia Statewide Agencies Radio System>Virginia State Police. I then select only the Richmond/Culpeper/Fairfax along with surveillance and TAC channels for them and load them into a favorites list called Virginia STARS. Inside that folder I go and delete all the sites not close to me or where I will be driving around. So, in total I have something like 7 sites scanning at all times.

That's your problem.

 

[Dafe1er]

Seems to me that you don't actually have these channels programmed into your active memory and you scanner is in ID Search mode. It doesn't matter if they are in the built-in database. The scanner is only going to reference what you have programmed in the system file that is in operation. If it doesn't see it, then it will indicate it is unknown.


This is why I program all channels into my systems whether or not I might be able to hear them normally. Makes it a lot easier to notice TGs that really are new.

Ahhhhh.

So, I need to load all the channels and then one by one shut them off (avoid)? I would have thought if it was in the DB it would show up no matter what if active on a site?

 

[Dafe1er]

That's your problem.

Thank you. Now to redo the FL once again. I never seem to find a happy medium. I get use to something then try something new that changes everything I just got use to.....lol

 

[freqhopping]

Make separate departments for each division and only have QKs enabled for those you wan to hear.

 

[Dafe1er]

So, instead of avoiding channels like I just got done doing, I would just select the channels I want and correspond them to the Quick key's.

I have not moved onto the QK setup as of yet but will now...lol

Thank you.

 

[phask]

You don't need to void any channels - unless you actually receive them and don't want them. It won't slow it down. I'd run it with all on, then avoid permanently if need to as you accumulate them. I also run in ID search in case a new one pops up.

If you have ID search on and TG is not loaded = unknown, if TG is loaded and avoided, nothing.

6 sites is too many IMHO, that will take longer to scan.

 

[freqhopping]

The only practical use for Avoid is for individual channels IMO. Even then just hitting temp avoid suffices most times. QKs are more practical for groups of channels.

There is nothing on STARS start I'm not interested in hearing. I have every TG programmed and enabled. I especially like being able to hear the distant divisions.

 

[Dafe1er]

You don't need to void any channels - unless you actually receive them and don't want them. It won't slow it down. I'd run it with all on, then avoid permanently if need to as you accumulate them. I also run in ID search in case a new one pops up.

If you have ID search on and TG is not loaded = unknown , if TG is loaded and avoided, nothing.

6 sites is too many IMHO, that will take longer to scan.

The bold is what I had wrong. I did not have the channels in the FL so it was not registering them like they should when entered.

The reason I have those sites loaded into the scanner is when I drive up North or down South I can "follow" the towers along the highway. I am going to load just one site (Dumfries) in another FL I make just for home.

The only practical use for Avoid is for individual channels IMO. Even then just hitting temp avoid suffices most times. QKs are more practical for groups of channels.

There is nothing on STARS start I'm not interested in hearing. I have every TG programmed and enabled. I especially like being able to hear the distant divisions.

I loaded the entire DB for VA STARS into the scanner and then for like Department of Forestry all those channels I selected to avoid. Things like ABC and VSP I selected channels I would like to hear and avoided the rest.

Thanks to everyone for the assistance. I learn something new everyday.