Sentinel question, large favorite lists

[JStemann]

I'm trying to create a single or individual state favorite list. In my case, if I know I will only be traveling within the state of Indiana, I don't want to have OH and KY load along with IN. As it stands right now, if I use the full database, I have to avoid several OH & KY statewide systems.

If I were make up a FL for every county I'll be driving thru, I may as well just use my 996xt. What I'd like to be able to do, click on Indiana in the master db and append all of it to a single FL. That way, if something changes in the db, anywhere in the state, all I'd have to do is replace the state from the master db.

I've tried this with hp1 sentinel and arc patrol, neither gives any option for adding the entire state. I've tried to download x36 sentinel, but haven't been able to locate a downloadable version, yet. Does anyone know if it's possible to do an entire state in that version of sentinel or arc patrol?

Thanks,
Jeff

 

[Jay911]

You can load a huge amount of data into a favorite list. I don't think you can append the entire state at once from the main DB in Sentinel, but you could do it county by county. When you use "append to FL", you don't need to create a new FL every time. Just specify the same FL every time you use append.

 

[JStemann]

You can load a huge amount of data into a favorite list. I don't think you can append the entire state at once from the main DB in Sentinel, but you could do it county by county. When you use "append to FL", you don't need to create a new FL every time. Just specify the same FL every time you use append.

Yeah, I've done FL's with around 5-10 counties. I'm just trying to avoid having to do a 15-20 or more county FL. It'd be a lot easier if I could just select "Indiana" and be done with it.

Jeff S.

 

[Voyager]

Sentinel DL: BCD536HPFirmwareUpdate < UnidenMan4 < TWiki

 

[marksmith]

Wouldn't it scan so much stuff that you would be likely to miss anything thats going on? How long would it take to scan once through the whole state?

Mark
536/996P2/HP1e/HP2e/996XT/
396XT/PSR800/PRO668/PRO652

 

[Voyager]

If it's a trunked system, in theory, milliseconds on any site out of range and 1-2 seconds for any site in range. So, for 5 sites in range, 5-10 seconds.

Of course, that does not count co-channel users which the scanner might see as active and slow the scan.

Best is to use a GPS to disable any far away sites so you are only hearing the local sites - largely avoiding the co-channel user issue.

 

[phask]

This discussion has came up before, and really no EZ way to do it. You can get the statewide systems in one pass (if IN is set up like OH), but the rest takes running Add channels on Range a few times.

Set it at max of 30 mile range , break the state into 4-6 sections using append, then delete - delete -delete.

I agree it's a PITA, but only way to do it that I have came up with, short of click - append - rinse- repeat.

I do this for about 1/4 of Ohio that I travel the most and edit it a lot. When hitting the rest of the state I just use the entire DB and tolerate the crap.

 

[ofd8001]

If you have created a state file for your 996XT using ARC software, you could use ARC536 to import that 996XT file.

Personally I'd recommend using the full database with a GPS device option. While a lot of Indiana is on the state trunked system, there are still numerous areas having their own. Creating a FL with the state system and all the local systems, would be very time consuming.

 

[phask]

But using the full DB the OP would still get those Ohio and other systems with 150 mile plus ranges.

What I described would take less than a 1/2 hour - more or less. You get the statewide ones in one pass, then 4 or 16 or 8 runs of add on range should do it. The deleting would take awhile though.

When this issue came up before I did all of Ohio the same way and was well under an hour. One issue is some of the neighboring states have names that I did not recognize

If you have created a state file for your 996XT using ARC software, you could use ARC536 to import that 996XT file.

Personally I'd recommend using the full database with a GPS device option. While a lot of Indiana is on the state trunked system, there are still numerous areas having their own. Creating a FL with the state system and all the local systems, would be very time consuming.

 

[UPMan]

The scanner will select the out-of-state channels from an adjacent state only if you are within about 30 miles of the state border.

 

[phask]

Except those statewide ones that have a 180+ range. I can set in my home QTH - 70 miles from another state and load some W.VA and VA agencies.

Heck - CN Railway - province wide is 645 miles range, Many, Many VA agencies with 245 miles as range.

Several in W.VA.

The scanner will select the out-of-state channels from an adjacent state only if you are within about 30 miles of the state border.

 

[rwier]

The following is a cut-and-paste from a very old thread:
_____________________________________________
"I'm not sure if the following answers your question but, I have made FavLists for travelling between: Phoenix and Las Angeles, Phoenix and San Diego, Phoenix and Las Vegas, San Diego and Las Angeles, and Las Angeles and Las Vegas. My proficiency in each endeavor increased rapidly. The 1st took me about 45 minutes, with the last taking less than 15 minutes.

These FL's contain exactly what I would be listening to if I lived at any given location along these routes (and nothing else). With the GPS in operation, the desired frequencies/channels/groups appear, and disappear, from the screen (like magic). As I travel, I hear ALL and ONLY the exact radio entities that I would select if I lived at exactly the current location on the trip.

For those that believe making FLs is too cumbersome, too difficult, and too time consuming, I state the following:

I made the above FLs, ALONG WITH my local main FL (Phoenix and vicinity) while I was waiting ~three days for my (first) ordered HP-1 to arrive.
____________________________________________________

Rob

 

[JStemann]

Wouldn't it scan so much stuff that you would be likely to miss anything thats going on? How long would it take to scan once through the whole state?

Mark
536/996P2/HP1e/HP2e/996XT/
396XT/PSR800/PRO668/PRO652

I use a gps to turn systems off/on, whether I'm on the full database or my favorites.

Jeff

 

[JStemann]

If you have created a state file for your 996XT using ARC software, you could use ARC536 to import that 996XT file.

Personally I'd recommend using the full database with a GPS device option. While a lot of Indiana is on the state trunked system, there are still numerous areas having their own. Creating a FL with the state system and all the local systems, would be very time consuming.

I had several files for my xt that were VERY time consuming to build, especially since I built them before we could import from the database. Many hours (maybe days) were spent plotting coordinates and ranges for my trip from Indiana to Oklahoma City and another from IN to FL. A lot has changed since I built those files, I don't think they'd be a very good starting point, for the hp favorite lists.

I have been using the full DB for the most part when traveling outside my local area. In fact, last time I headed up north, I used my local FL until I got about 50-60 miles from the borders, then switched over to the full db. That helped some and keeps the favorites list somewhat manageable. I still had to avoid some KY stuff (ky national guard, bureau of investigations, maybe a couple others). I don't remember having to avoid OH stuff but, I may have. I know the Ohio toll rd or turnpike used to pop up if I turned on the full db at my home. I'm in se Indiana , that toll rd has to be around 300 miles away. The KY systems above will come on just south of Indianapolis, if I remember right.

Since we have Upman in here, maybe he could put in a word to the sentinel group and have them add some code to let us (me) select a state as a favorite list....???

Jeff.

 

[marksmith]

If it's a trunked system, in theory, milliseconds on any site out of range and 1-2 seconds for any site in range. So, for 5 sites in range, 5-10 seconds.

Of course, that does not count co-channel users which the scanner might see as active and slow the scan.

Best is to use a GPS to disable any far away sites so you are only hearing the local sites - largely avoiding the co-channel user issue.

A whole state in 5 systems?

Mark
536/HP1e/HP2e/996P2/996XT/396XT/PSR800/PRO668/PRO652

 

[marksmith]

I use a gps to turn systems off/on, whether I'm on the full database or my favorites.

Jeff

I would do the same, on a favorites list, but I'm not necessarily hearing that in the discussion.

Mark
536/HP1e/HP2e/996P2/996XT/396XT/PSR800/PRO668/PRO652

 

[ofd8001]

I have been using the full DB for the most part when traveling outside my local area. In fact, last time I headed up north, I used my local FL until I got about 50-60 miles from the borders, then switched over to the full db.

That's pretty much my scanning modus operandi. I have a couple of SD cards for the vehicle scanner. One is for local area with one profile and the other is for "non-local" using a different profile which has full DB enabled. When I go on the road I just change out SD cards.

I don't get too hung up on those systems having larger ranges. The scanner may attempt to receive them, but since they are too far away, no signal is coming in. Kind of like scanning a local channel that is silent.

The only "hiccup" is sometimes I get a lot of digital garbage. I suspect that might be due to the scanner attempting to receive something it cannot decode, such as MOTOTRBO or NXDN. That's a little annoying until I find the Avoid button.