Activity Log is like Unitrunker or PRO96COM. It's a log of the actual control channel data./QUOTE]
This is what really frustrates me with certain members here and on other forums. I am aware of Unitrunker and PRO96COM, however, I do not have these programs and I have never used them. I was SPECIFICALLY asking about the HP1 and how its functions, reports and data gathering works.
I cannot confirm if in fact the HP1 Activity Log is like Unitrunker or PRO96COM, however, I do not see the information that I would expect either on the scanner or being able to import back into Sentinel for a better review and analysis.
If I want to find out which TGs were logged and not in the DB, I use either Discovery mode, or looking at the recorded files themselves.
There's no need for them to be color-coded.. known TGs are labeled "Known", and/or have channel names. Everything else is listed and/or recorded.
Again, you tell me that there is NO NEED for anything to be color coded, where do you get of telling me there is no need for this??
You obviously have not spent any time using the HP1 in Extreme mode, I am by no means an expert, but this is what I can tell you.
1. When I set the HP-1E to Trunked Discovery mode and choose Logging as New and Compare to Database as "ON" and Logging to "New Only", I would expect that the software would put the scanner in an ID Search Mode with all the "known" TGID from the database locked out. This way the scanner would log "New Only" TGID and not stop and waste time recording and monitoring all other TGID that are already in the database. The totally ties the scanner up and it may in fact miss new TGID that may have light traffic use.
2. Once I import the Trunking Discovery data back into Sentinel, there is NO explicit way to determine if any of the TGID are new or already in the Master Database. I see nothing that states any TGID's as "Known" and there are absolutely no "channel names" or TGID info from the Master Database.
3. The coloring coding of "new" vs. "known" TGID is fact necessary. When in Discovery Mode any TGID shows up on the the display with "TGID: ###" the colored banner is orange. There is NO WAY to tell if this is a TGID from the Database or a "new/unknown" TGID. Going back to item #1 above, all the TGID's in the Master Database should be locked out, but they are NOT. So at least if the "new/unknown" TGID's were a different color, then while monitoring, a user could then start to easily Avoid all the "Known" TGID's, however, if the database would be set up as in #1 about, a user would not need to lock out the possibly hundreds of "Known" TGID's.
4. In Sentinel, color coding would allow a QUICK and EASY way to determine if there are any new/unknown TGID's picked up.
5. I have not confirmed whether or not with Logging On and Compare to Database on limits what is displayed in the Sentinel file when it is imported and leave out the "current/known" TGID's, however, there is nothing within Sentinel that clearly states what may be displayed are only "New" TGID's.
Here is the deal, one of the reasons I bring all of this up as Uniden supposedly wrote software and firmware to do Analysis and Discovery, but as usual the people writing the software and firmware do not use the scanner and tools they they devolved.
We as users should not be limited by narrow minded programmers and end users that continually give the vendor a "pass" and explain to all the users how to work around these limitations.
Additionally we as users should not be required to download and/or purchase additional software, cables and hardware as well as learn a completely different system to do something the HP-1E claimed it should be able to do. Additionally I am now VERY concerned as to what Uniden may deliver for the x36HP series of radios and the x36HP Sentinel software.
We should also not be required to always connect the scanner back to the Sentinel software to view more detail about the data that was gathered. These features should be able to easily provide the basic data and details about Discovery, Activity or other features directly on the scanner. The software
The more time I spend with these Uniden products and software, the more I find they come up VERY short in being a good or even great tools and actually doing what they claim they are capable of. Connecting the scanner up to the Sentinel software and importing the data that was gathered should maybe provide far more data, but to do something simple like finding new/unknown TGID's, this should be something easily viewed directly on the scanner screen and maybe easily be moved into a new Favorites list for the specific System with few keystrokes for quick and easy monitoring and recording.
What continue to get my goat is how EVERYONE always seems to offer a "solution or workaround" for an inherent design, software or firmware short coming. Why can't people hold the vendor to the task of completing a job correctly.
Why should I/we be required to use an additional 3rd party software, cables, other radios and computers to do the job of what the HP series devices are "advertised" to do.
I am sure many can drop in and and defend the HP-1E as doing everything it is advertised to do, but when it is lacking a complete users guide and CLEAR explanation of how to use the features, or how to view, understand and interpret the data provided, I feel this is all just a bunch of garbage.
It becomes VERY clear to ANY vendor once they start to PROPERLY and CLEARLY document all the functions and features of a device, they may even see where their products are coming up short.
Overall now that I am starting to look at the Extreme features a bit closer on the HP1-E, I am very concerned as to what Uniden will deliver for the x36HP products.
I would love to hear from others if I am totally off base or if they seem to agree with my findings.