BCD436HP/BCD536HP: "Scan Mode, Nothing to Scan"

[berean_315]

I'm caught in the "Nothing to Scan" do loop on a Favorites List I created. I 've followed the checklist below a number of times, and have been trying to fix it for hours. I've assigned QKs to everything, but the weird thing is when I download to the scanner from the Sentinel S/W and then check 'Set Scan Selection>Manage Quick Key Status>Favorites QK' on the scanner is says no QK assigned. When I check 'Set Scan Selection>Manage Quick Key Status>System QK' on the scanner it says "Failure. Nothing Favorites List which is set monitor". The favorites list is "ON" to monitor.

When I plug the scanner back into the Sentinel S/W and read from the scanner, when I check the QK Status under "Edit Profile" the QK I previously selected in now deselected. This happened when I used different QKs. The QK I always selected was not checked when I read back from the scanner. I did not change anything related to QKs on the scanner itself after I wrote to it.

On the scanner there is also Manage Favorites>"Select Favorites">Set FL Startup Key. Is this something that also has to be selected along with the Quick Key?

Has anyone had this happen or can offer any suggestions?

Thanks for the help.

Scanner Checklist:
1. A location has to be set in 'Set Your Location' to monitor the Database.
2. You must enable at least one Favorites List or the Full Database in 'Set Scan Selection>Select Lists to Monitor'.
3. Favorites Lists or Systems with QK's assigned to them must be enabled with QK's or in 'Set Scan Selection>Manage Quick Key Status'.
4. Make sure 'ID Search' is On for the system if no IDs are programmed.
5. Service Types for the channels you want to monitor must be set to On.
6. Any FL with 'Use Location Control' set to On must have locations programmed for the Departments and/or Sites.

If you are programming everything in Sentinel first and sending it to the scanner:

Edit Profile>Scan Selection tab: Make sure 'Monitor' and 'Download' are On for FL's you want to scan.
Check or uncheck 'Monitor Full Database'.
Edit Profile>Service Types tab: Make sure the Service Types you want to monitor are checked.
Custom 1 is needed for miscellaneous channels.
Edit Profile>Location Settings tab: Make sure you have a location programmed for scanning the Full Database or FL's with 'Use Location Control' set to On.
Edit Profile>Quick Key Status tab: Make sure FLQK's are checked for FL's you want to monitor.
Edit Favorites List>System QK Status tab: Make sure SQK's are checked for systems you want to monitor.
Edit Favorites List>System>Options tab: Make sure 'ID Search' is On if no IDs are programmed.
Edit Favorites List>System>Dept/Site Quick Keys Status tab: Make sure Department/Site QK's are checked for departments/sites you want to monitor.
Edit Favorites List>System>Dept/Site>Location tab: Make sure Departments/Sites have locations programmed if 'Use Location Control' is set to On for the FL.

 

[n1chu]

Have you assigned the type of service? Law Enforcement Dispatch, fire dispatch etc. to each? I don’t see it listed in the “Nothing to Scan” list of things to check.

 

[berean_315]

Have you assigned the type of service? Law Enforcement Dispatch, fire dispatch etc. to each? I don’t see it listed in the “Nothing to Scan” list of things to check.

Thanks for the reply. Yes, I've assigned the service type for each Channel and in the Profile.

 

[berean_315]

I found a post on Radio Reference Forums where you can export to hpe the favorites list. See attached if this may help.

 

[phask]

I found a post on Radio Reference Forums where you can export to hpe the favorites list. See attached if this may help.

You have no sites, you probably HAD them and deleted them.

Thank you for doing the .hpe, took me less than a minute to save,extract,import and find your issue.

 

[berean_315]

You have no sites, you probably HAD them and deleted them.

Thank you for doing the .hpe, took me less than a minute to save,extract,import and find your issue.

Appreciate the quick review. I'm new to this. What do you mean by sites? I have the TGID and service types for the channel info. From attached screenshot I see a "Site Name" tab, but don't see a way to enter info or exactly what to put in.

 

[phask]

Sites are the actual tower / physical locations (sites) that are the transmitter.

Any trunked system needs at least 1 site you can receive, usually the closest to you.
It's tricky with Sentinel to add a site, but it is much easier when first created.

You can edit your list.

Click on inner loop
Click on Sites, Click green + to add a blank line in sites.
Then you must manually add all the info - copy from RR or Sentinel.


There are tricks, but for a first time user - too confusing.

Where is this - State and County?

 

[phask]

Found it

TxWarn It's probably one or all of these. They are simulcast and odds are your 536 will not do a great job on simulcast.

Look at this page - let me know which sites you want and I can (maybe) drop it into your data.

1 (1)	012 (C)	Harris County East Simulcast	Harris	769.21875	769.40625	769.68125	769.96875	770.46875	770.68125	770.90625
				773.03125	773.55625	773.80625	774.33125c	774.59375c
1 (1)	013 (D)	Harris County Northwest Simulcast	Harris	771.71875	772.49375	772.64375	772.86875	773.69375c	774.45625c	851.975
				852.250	852.575	853.100	853.7625	854.9625
1 (1)	014 (E)	Harris County Northeast Simulcast	Harris	770.23125	771.23125	771.98125	773.21875	774.15625c	774.43125c	851.450

 

[berean_315]

Sites are the actual tower / physical locations (sites) that are the transmitter.

Any trunked system needs at least 1 site you can receive, usually the closest to you.
It's tricky with Sentinel to add a site, but it is much easier when first created.

You can edit your list.

Click on inner loop
Click on Sites, Click green + to add a blank line in sites.
Then you must manually add all the info - copy from RR or Sentinel.


There are tricks, but for a first time user - too confusing.

Where is this - State and County?

Thanks again. Yes, for a first time user this is very confusing. I would have never figured it out.
This is in Texas, Harris county. I live in Houston. The police and fire are on the Texas Wide Area Radio Network (TxWARN). 39 counties are on it.
There are a number sites in Harris country. I guess I pick the one closest to me and enter all the freqs noted? Some are noted as "Simulcast" and some aren't. Would it be better to enter the "Simulcast" sites?

 

[phask]

Thanks again. Yes, for a first time user this is very confusing. I would have never figured it out.
This is in Texas, Harris county. I live in Houston. The police and fire are on the Texas Wide Area Radio Network (TxWARN). 39 counties are on it.
There are a number sites in Harris country. I guess I pick the one closest to me and enter all the freqs noted? Some are noted as "Simulcast" and some aren't. Would it be better to enter the "Simulcast" sites?

I'll add ALL the Harris co sites, then you can avoid the ones you don't need. Or you can assign quick keys once you learn a little more.

 

[berean_315]

I'm going to use Harris County Central Simulcast (see attached). The Site is 052 (34). I've added that in the Sentinel S/W. Is that all that is needed?

 

[nessnet]

Suggestion: (because of you not knowing what a site was above)
Take some time and familiarize yourself with how trunking works - it will really help you.

Trunked radio system - Wikipedia

How does trunking work? | Tait Radio Academy

radio trunking - Google Search

 

[berean_315]

Suggestion: (because of you not knowing what a site was above)
Take some time and familiarize yourself with how trunking works - it will really help you.

Trunked radio system - Wikipedia

How does trunking work? | Tait Radio Academy

radio trunking - Google Search

Thanks for the links. I'll look at the info on trunking.

 

[berean_315]

Found it

TxWarn It's probably one or all of these. They are simulcast and odds are your 536 will not do a great job on simulcast.

Look at this page - let me know which sites you want and I can (maybe) drop it into your data.

1 (1)	012 (C)	Harris County East Simulcast	Harris	769.21875	769.40625	769.68125	769.96875	770.46875	770.68125	770.90625
				773.03125	773.55625	773.80625	774.33125c	774.59375c
1 (1)	013 (D)	Harris County Northwest Simulcast	Harris	771.71875	772.49375	772.64375	772.86875	773.69375c	774.45625c	851.975
				852.250	852.575	853.100	853.7625	854.9625
1 (1)	014 (E)	Harris County Northeast Simulcast	Harris	770.23125	771.23125	771.98125	773.21875	774.15625c	774.43125c	851.450

Thanks. I entered the info for the Harris County Central Simulcast and the ones above into Sentinel, and then the frequencies manually into the scanner for each one (wasn't obvious how to do it in Sentinel). When I only selected the Favorite List the "Nothing to Scan message" didn't show up which was a milestone! It said searching, but I never heard anything. Selected Scan and the same thing. I think you are right about the 436/536 not able to do a great job on simulcast.

 

[phask]

I'll add ALL the Harris co sites, then you can avoid the ones you don't need. Or you can assign quick keys once you learn a little more.

I hope this works. There are 20+ sites, you will need to avoid down to 2-3 at the most.

I'd set location off also - not sure if I did or not.

 

[phask]

I'm going to use Harris County Central Simulcast (see attached). The Site is 052 (34). I've added that in the Sentinel S/W. Is that all that is needed?

I'm not sure if that is right - did you enter all the freqs?

 

[berean_315]

I'm not sure if that is right - did you enter all the freqs?

I entered all the freqs for Harris County Central, East, Northwest and Northeast from Radio Reference. Thanks for sending the Favorite 3.zip!

 

[berean_315]

I hope this works. There are 20+ sites, you will need to avoid down to 2-3 at the most.

I'd set location off also - not sure if I did or not.

I really appreciate all your help. Was able to import it into Sentinel. Location Control is "No".

 

[ofd8001]

As an aside, I always recommend turning the full database on and being sure the zip code is correct for where the scanner is. Then doing a scan.

This should bring a degree of comfort in knowing the scanner works and can receive the desired "stuff" (and probably more). From there, you can figure something is amiss with your Favorites List programming.

 

[teknishun]

Thanks again. Yes, for a first time user this is very confusing. I would have never figured it out.
This is in Texas, Harris county. I live in Houston. The police and fire are on the Texas Wide Area Radio Network (TxWARN). 39 counties are on it.
There are a number sites in Harris country. I guess I pick the one closest to me and enter all the freqs noted? Some are noted as "Simulcast" and some aren't. Would it be better to enter the "Simulcast" sites?

Allow me to jump into the big middle of this conversation - hint - you mentioned you live in Houston. If you are looking to
hear Houston Police Department and Houston Fire Department you must be able to receive and monitor the site
that is called "Houston General Government Services Simulcast" site 3-05. Some of it may be encrypted now. Good luck.