We’ve all seen the common mistake when using the automatic downloads from RR into the software programming that resides on your computer, and then forgetting the next step, namely getting those updates installed into your scanners FL’s. It happens frequently as many posts have eluded to, but once someone replies the process is only half completed, the error of our ways is discovered and all is well. My thought on this process causes me to wonder why no one has created a program (I haven’t seen anything like what I’m suggesting) that will take the auto download into your computer and complete the task of replacing old data with new data in the scanner’s FL’s. I realize any software would have the need to be scanner model number and FL specific (in fact I imagine) a whole list of conditions must be set, but that’s a one time chore) but it seems doable… any thoughts on this?
Scanner specific programming to edit FL’s…
- Thread starter n1chu
- Start date
- Status
Ubbe
Member
It's a problem for an automated process to know where to put the new data?
You can try and make a flow chart of the process to see if it can be done. If a human can't figure it out then a computer process will neither.
Try and make it something like:
1. Read the downloaded data and search for the first system name
2. Try to find that system name in FL1, then FL2, and continue until no more FL's
3. If system name found in FL then....
......
/Ubbe
You can try and make a flow chart of the process to see if it can be done. If a human can't figure it out then a computer process will neither.
Try and make it something like:
1. Read the downloaded data and search for the first system name
2. Try to find that system name in FL1, then FL2, and continue until no more FL's
3. If system name found in FL then....
......
/Ubbe
Also there are some folks (myself included) who occasionally choose to rename their systems, sites, descriptions, etc to better fit their preference so there'd have to be some other sort of unique identifier not user-modifyable which a programming app can use to make a match with the DB to overcome these changes...
My thoughts amounted to a (crude) flow chart idea, which I believe is what I was doing in my head. As such, it was just an idea I had after reading a post where the OP had obviously forgotten (or didn’t realize) the auto download only applied to dragging the data from RR into the scanner’s software program, and once there, could be edited into existing FL’s, then pushed to the scanner.
My post got you thinking about the viability of creating some code, and that’s exactly what I was after. Thanks for your thoughts on the matter. It might just show promise if the right guy decides to tackle it. (I am not a programmer but have dabbled in basic dos years ago, which gave me just enough insight to wonder about the possibilities. As the old saying goes, I’ve just enough knowledge on the subject to get me in trouble!)
I believe the use of alias’s would come in handy, where one would need to assign whatever they called each FL to what the program needs to see. (The program might need to call the FL’s FL1, FL2, and so on.) So, yes, you have a valid point. But once assigned, that personalized name usually sticks.
You make it sound so easy. 1) I write firmware and software at all levels. 2) I have many different scanners, each with it's own methodology of organizing frequencies and channels. 3) I've never used the RR import feature for myself. 4) I do use the RR data when programming my radios.
Each year this process has gotten more complicated but I've used the same method. I maintain everything I want to monitor in a large Excel file. While a radio like the SDS-100/200 can hold it all, most of the others have to be programmed in pieces (such as via Favorites in WIN-500 compatible models). I've got radios that organize by banks, lists and SD card lists. A model like TRX-1 uses a totally different programming scheme than SDS. Heck there's quite a bit of differences between programming a PSR-400 (20 banks) and PSR-500 (20 lists).
What I do is have a "conversion tab" in Excel for each model. And then there's converting conventional and trunked, analog or P25. And just when you think you have it under control along comes a new model with yet another scheme. It's not all bad as these new models bring along capabilities that the models before them didn't have. But to create an application that others would use would take a lot of work and there's simply no ROI (unless someone just does it for fun).
“You make it sound so easy”… No, no one is intentionally trying to say what I suggest would be easy, however, it would be labor intensive. Ubbe’s post was just an example of a rough flow chart… each step would be daunting to say the least. Is it doable? That’s the question I have. RT Systems has programming software for tons of amateur radios, all make and model specific. So there may be hope doing the same for scanners. I’m also NOT saying it would be a profitable venture if developed for profit. I’m only curious about if it is doable.
To that end, I have contacted Butel. Butel markets programming software for scanners which have the ability to do the auto downloads from RR, and it works much the same as Sentinel, for the first part of updating your scanner. I haven’t received a reply from Butel yet… at this point, my guess is Butel will probably tell me it’s not feasible from a cost standpoint but again, I’m only interested in the feasibility of the idea, can it be done regardless of cost? As you say, is it doable from a standpoint of doing it just for the fun of it? Amateur radio hobbyists have created programs of this nature for amateur radio applications and have offerred it up for free or ask for donations to offset labor and materials.
Its an interesting question. One which I hope will stir the creative aspirations of those in the scanning hobby that have the expertise to run with it. I don’t have the skill to do it myself, just wondering if there are those who might consider taking it on, in which case, I hope they start with the SDS100/200 series!
Updating the FL from the RRDB import is the 2nd item on my priority todo list. I haven't done the research part yet so I'm not sure it's 100% doable at this point. The RRDB import provides a index for each system, group, site, channel. e.g., conv. system=cid, conv. group=scid, conv. channel=fid, trunking system=sid, etc. so that's the good part. The bad part is the HPDB & FL doesn't have an index field in the data structure. There are reserve fields but I'm not sure they can contain index's until I do the research. If the reserve fields return empty after reading from the scanner then I can come up with an alternative method such as a 'helper file". I was also thinking about a comparison type of screen that compares the FL with the RRDB to let the user check the items to be updated.
{edit} It would be so easy to do if a future scanner firmware & a Sentinel version contained "user" fields in the data structure used for indexing.
I don't think so. The FL data structure is the same for the BCDx36HP and SDSx00 models. Some models contains filters, and AGC removed from some models but the filters and AGC are not imported from the RRDB or HPDB.
Last edited:
Well, I’m thankful someone has been thinking about this. What I see as a problem (not a problem really), just the need to spend some time setting up each scanner individually, having to set up the program to work with one scanner at a time, even if they were identical models because if each identical scanner runs with different data the programming would not be identical. That would require any program you create to allow for user inputted parameters specifically set for each scanner’s program. I see one program but that program would need to have the ability to be universal but customizable to mesh with one specific scanner. (If you want to program a second identical scanner that’s not using the same program as the first, you would need to go through the whole setup process again. I find that acceptable as once it’s done, the program’s setting can be saved and labeled as SDS200-Base and SDS200-Mobile, or whatever you care to call them.
In ProScan, the problem is already solved. There's actually two ways already. One way is going to the File - Save As menu then type in a name such as "SDS200" then go to Save As again then type in a name such as "SDS100". At this point, the SDS100 file is opened. Change the system, dept., channels parameters/options specific to the SDS100. To change the SDS200 file, go to the File menu and open the SDS200 file then change the parameters. The other way is to copy & paste a favorite then give each FL a name such as "FL SDS200" & "FL SDS100". During the Write to Scanner operation, you will be prompted to select which FL to write to the scanner.
{edit} Sentinel, ProScan, and I'm pretty sure ARC 536 are all using the same file format. All have to, to be compatible with the scanner file format and to read & write the favorites from/to the scanner.
{edit 2) Looking at Sentinel, it looks like to make separate favorites for the SDS100 and SDS200, have to go to the File Explorer then copy the ..\Uniden\BCDx36HP folder to Uniden\SDS100 and again to ..\Uniden\SDS200. In the Tools - Options menu, change the Sentinel folder to Uniden\SDS100 then customize the favorites to fit the SDS100 and change the target model.
Last edited:
You can Copy Favorites List, change the name (Illinois State Police (SDS200), then customize as you want. Then...Edit Favorite List, Options, Favorite List Number, File...Save.
Open Scanner Profile, Monitor ON, Download ON (Monitor OFF, Download OFF to the old one). Edit, Sort Favorites list by Favorite List Number...File..Save.
Write To Scanner (check the box to Erase all Favorites List), unplug...and you should have the scanner's Favorite List all set the way you want it.
Oh it's doable because I am doing it, althoguh via Excel scripts and each scanner's app.
My approach is not as ideal as what you're asking though. First I manually create the main tabs in Excel because I want to customize the channel labels and apply LED color coding (which is not in the DB). I need 16 character labels for some radios and 24 character lengths for the SDS. That part is manual intensive and not part of automating.
What I do next is convert data in the main tab to what each radio's software wants. That's WINXX, Sentinel, EZ Scan, etc. THEN you can upload from the specific app to a radio. Certainly having a single app that knows how to communicate with each scanner is ideal. Even Sentinel essentially has 4 versions (one for each model it supports). WIN500 has several model selections as well.
Ubbe
Member
You should be able to use them. Probably the only reason that it was decided to strip the placeholders off their index numbers in a FL where to save space, due to that 1MB limit, and that automatic update of FL's where considered a not needed function as it would overwrite any customized changes in the FL.
/Ubbe
- Status
Similar threads
- Locked
- Locked
