Sentinel importing "Description" instead of "Alpha Tag"?

[iMONITOR]

Is there a way to get Sentinel to import/display the "Description" field in place of the "Alpha Tag" field? Proscan an Butel's software allow for this.

 

[WX4JCW]

I would love if it did


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[phask]

Only via 3rd party.

 

[BigC801]

It would be nice

 

[mikegilbert]

That's my single biggest gripe with this scanner. UPMAN, please talk to your DEVs and add this to sentinel.

With the scanner relying on the RR database, many of the channels/talkgroups show up as "TAC" or "LAW-Talk" instead of their actual name.

 

[ofd8001]

Well, as often the case, I'm of a different mind. "Back in the day" of older model scanners, there wasn't much screen real estate for channel name tags, so they had to be very short. I believe folks weren't always pleased because it was so difficult to make out what a given channel was.

So time goes along, and Uniden's latest line of scanners provides a little more room for expanded names. So now they are importing the channel description. For my important "stuff" I use neither the alpha tag or the description. I make up what suits me best.

I'd say if someone really wanted to use the short version, just import the RR database version as a CSV file, then copy and paste the short version in place of the long version.

At the end of the day, I'm sure this will be a deal where half the folks want it one way and the other half the second way, with no way of knowing which half is bigger.

 

[iMONITOR]

This should be a very quick and simple change for Uniden.

 

[GTR8000]

Sentinel already uses the Description field instead of the Alpha Tag field. I believe you've got it reversed, and that you want the Alpha Tag instead of Description.

In any event, it's highly unlikely to get changed by Uniden. Their whole point of using the description field with the models that rely on Sentinel (HP, x36HP, SDS) is that the screen also displays the Department name from the database right above the Description, which creates a flow of information down the screen.

"Countywide Fire Dispatch" is the Description field for 154.130, vs "Macomb Fire 1" for the Alpha Tag. If you wish to use/import the Alpha Tag instead, you'll need to use third party software, as others have correctly noted.

 

[iMONITOR]

Sentinel already uses the Description field instead of the Alpha Tag field. I believe you've got it reversed, and that you want the Alpha Tag instead of Description.

In any event, it's highly unlikely to get changed by Uniden. Their whole point of using the description field with the models that rely on Sentinel (HP, x36HP, SDS) is that the screen also displays the Department name from the database right above the Description, which creates a flow of information down the screen.

"Countywide Fire Dispatch" is the Description field for 154.130, vs "Macomb Fire 1" for the Alpha Tag. If you wish to use/import the Alpha Tag instead, you'll need to use third party software, as others have correctly noted.

View attachment 67797

Are you sure that wasn't programmed with ProScan instead of Sentinel?

 

[GTR8000]

Are you sure that wasn't programmed with ProScan instead of Sentinel?

I am 100% positive. I loaded up the full database using one of the zip codes in Macomb County and held on that channel. That is directly from Sentinel as shown on a 536.

Are you seeing something different when you scan the full database, or import the Macomb County listing into a Sentinel Favorite list?

 

[GTR8000]

Incidentally, here is what it looks like on the 536 with 3-line display mode turned on. Still displays the Description field.

 

[iMONITOR]

Maybe I'm confused. I do know the differnce between Alpha-Tag and Description, but regarding Sentinel I could be mistaken. I've been spending too much time playing with my AOR DV1 for several days.

 

[GTR8000]

Maybe I'm confused. I do know the differnce between Alpha-Tag and Description, but regarding Sentinel I could be mistaken. I've been spending too much time playing with my AOR DV1 for several days.

Hmm, you've got me curious now what you're seeing. What model scanner(s) are we dealing with here?

 

[gillham]

With the descriptions getting so long.. is there a way to get them to scroll back and forth? I've looked, but never could find a setting. I just use ProScan to do a mass find/replace and start to trim them down.

 

[iMONITOR]

Hmm, you've got me curious now what you're seeing. What model scanner(s) are we dealing with here?

536.

 

[ofd8001]

I haven't used Proscan that much, but I know with ARC if you import something you have the option to use either the Alpha Tag or Channel Description.

Bear in mind Uniden is a hardware manufacturer. Any software they come up with is "down and dirty" and just enough to get you running. The developers like Proscan and Butel are more suited to the fancier/multiple options.

 

[mikegilbert]

In any event, it's highly unlikely to get changed by Uniden. Their whole point of using the description field with the models that rely on Sentinel (HP, x36HP, SDS) is that the screen also displays the Department name from the database right above the Description, which creates a flow of information down the screen.

That's the problem right there. I know what the channel is used for, but I don't know which channel I'm listening to. It's foolish of Uniden not to change this.

For example, using the existing programming for Los Angeles County, Many of the county fire channels just show up as "tactical" What good is that?

 

[gillham]

For example, using the existing programming for Los Angeles County, Many of the county fire channels just show up as "tactical" What good is that?

That's frustrating. Maybe the other way to tackle this is to see if RR DB admins will update it to rename the description to the Alpha tag, since the Descriptions are not unique.

 

[mikegilbert]

That's frustrating. Maybe the other way to tackle this is to see if RR DB admins will update it to rename the description to the Alpha tag, since the Descriptions are not unique.

That’s a good idea.

I got around the whole mess my rolling my own, but most users won’t want to bother with that.

This is a good opportunity for Lindsay to make some changes to the DB.


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[GTR8000]

That's the problem right there. I know what the channel is used for, but I don't know which channel I'm listening to. It's foolish of Uniden not to change this.

For example, using the existing programming for Los Angeles County, Many of the county fire channels just show up as "tactical" What good is that?

Those descriptions should have more detailed info as to which tactical channel it is.

For example, instead of eight listings all with the same exact description of Tactical, the descriptions should also include V-6D through V-13D so that they are unique.

The alpha tags are supposed to be able to "stand on their own". So if you only saw LAC V-6D you might know what that means if you're a local, however those alpha tags are lacking. They should really be something like LACoFD Tac V-6D so that even someone unfamiliar would be able to figure out that it's the Los Angeles County Fire Dept, Tactical Channel V-6D. (note that the alpha tag field was expanded from 12 to 16 characters about a year ago, so we can fit a bit more in them)

And while the description field is meant to "flow" on these HP based scanners, so that you are also seeing the agency and department (the subcategory or section the listing is in), they still need to be descriptive enough to contain the important info. We do not duplicate the info that is already found in the agency/department headers, but certainly you need to know that those aforementioned eight tactical channels are uniquely named!

County Fire/EMS
VHF - Fire Ground Tac Configuration
V-6D Tactical

^ That's how 153.830 should look on the scanner, as an example. The V-6D really needs to be part of the description field.

I would suggest that whenever you come across descriptions like that, which are lacking vital info, please make a submission to have them made right.