Sentinel: Sentinel, windows requirement?

[cbake777]

I recently purchased a BCD436HP and I'm a Mac user. I don't want to go the route of using an emulator and understand that there isn't (as far as I know) any scanner and fW updating software that is mac compatible. I am looking to find a new inexpensive windows based laptop that I can use to load Sentinel in order to manage the 436.

I've been to the Uniden webpage but can't find the computer requirements? Any known issues related to either Windows 10 or 11? Minimum RAM and storage? This will pretty much be dedicated to anything that I can't update on a mac and not used for anything else.

Thanks

 

[nessnet]

The requirements for Sentinel are minimal.
If it'll run Windows, it probably will run Sentinel.

Google Is Your Friend (click here)

 

[RandyKuff]

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[dmfalk]

Sentinel isn't version specific, insofar as which version of Windows, only that it requires .Net Framework, which is version specific, to be activated within Windows. This version is 2.0, which is part of the 3.0/3.5 installation. This version of .Net Framework has been part of Windows since Windows 2000/Me/NT for more than 20 years.

Whatever version of Windows you get on your cheap laptop (most likely 10 or 11) will be fine!

Here's a video on how it's activated (process made for Windows 11, but works the same on 7, 8 & 10, and it doesn't matter if it's 32-bit or 64-bit):

 

[W2SOX]

You can run windows on a virtualized machine with VirtualBox it’s free. I’m also a Mac user, there’s also bootcamp that you can run windows on a Mac as well.

 

[cbake777]

You can run windows on a virtualized machine with VirtualBox it’s free. I’m also a Mac user, there’s also bootcamp that you can run windows on a Mac as well.

I do not believe I can run Bootcamp with the M3 Apple chip, only Intel machines? Not sure on VirtualBox?

 

[bsdam]

I do not believe I can run Bootcamp with the M3 Apple chip, only Intel machines? Not sure on VirtualBox?

I run it in Parallels on an M3 with Windows 11 ARM, works great.

There may be other ways of achieving this (QEmu possibly?), but Parallels was the quickest for me. It is a paid product, but I use it for other OS's as well (primarily Linux environments) and it's been a solid solution.

Run Windows on Mac with a virtual machine | Parallels Desktop

Download Parallels Desktop virtual machine to run Windows on Mac without rebooting or slowing down your Mac, plus get over 200,000 Windows apps.

www.parallels.com

 

[W2SOX]

I do not believe I can run Bootcamp with the M3 Apple chip, only Intel machines? Not sure on VirtualBox?

Didn't think of that my Mac is still running an Intel chip. I can confirm there is a VirtualBox option for Apple Silicon chips now

 

[cbake777]

The subscription service for Parallels is $89 usd a year or a 1 time purchase of $220 usd. I think I'm better off in the long run buying a windows laptop with windows already installed. Windows 11 alone is $139 from the Microsoft store.

 

[cbake777]

UPDATE: Installed UTM and running windows virtual on MACBook pro. Installed Sentinel, connected the BCD436HP and selected USB Mass Storage, opened Sentinel and now it becomes hit or miss if it actually shows the scanner. It is hard to consistently get Sentinel to recognize the scanner. When it did, I was able to update the database and the firmware. After disconnecting and trying to reconnect, it does not recognize the scanner. I've tried multiple re0boots of computer, windows and scanner to no avail. Anyone else having a similar issue? When it worked it was great, reminds me of working with Garmin connections....bleh

 

[ratboy]

I had a weird thing happen last week when I was upgrading firmware, or trying to, on my SDS200. I had been using a Dell laptop on it,, but it had weird USB issues and sometimes couldn't find the scanner or it would reconnect with the "DA-DONK" sound repeatedly. I finally gave up and bought a new laptop that has no USB issues. I took the SDS200 to work and plugged in the cable and it was like nothing was connected. I turned off and rebooted my PC a couple of times, shut off and turned the SDS200 back on and nothing. The SDS was working fine, and I was totally confused as to what was happening. Just as I was about to give up, it suddenly worked and updated the firmware and restarted itself and all was well. Since then, I've hooked it up a couple of times, and no problems. I kind of thought for a while I was going back to my first PC with USB, that thing had all kinds of issues with non functioning USB port issues. Not as squirrely as the Dell laptop was later on, but that was the kind of thing that happened a lot back then.

 

[ChrisP]

Cbake777, I have similar issues when using Parallels on my Mac, and I have found that when I plug in the radio to the computer, the Mac OS takes it as a drive and won't let Windows have it. I go over to the Mac desktop and eject the radio drive, and usually Windows will see it after that.

- Chris

 

[hill]

I purchased one the computers linked below a few years ago.

It runs Sentinel, plus ARC-XT and ARC125 just fine. Also runs all of my Kenwood commercial radio software fine.

This is my carry computer when I travel for work while making deliveries during overnight trips. Works OK for online web surfing.

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I

 

[bradenmikael]

I recently purchased a BCD436HP and I'm a Mac user. I don't want to go the route of using an emulator and understand that there isn't (as far as I know) any scanner and fW updating software that is mac compatible. I am looking to find a new inexpensive windows based laptop that I can use to load Sentinel in order to manage the 436.

I've been to the Uniden webpage but can't find the computer requirements? Any known issues related to either Windows 10 or 11? Minimum RAM and storage? This will pretty much be dedicated to anything that I can't update on a mac and not used for anything else.

Thanks

I got Sentinel working on my MacBook perfectly. No, I’m not kidding.

 

[bradenmikael]

I run it in Parallels on an M3 with Windows 11 ARM, works great.

There may be other ways of achieving this (QEmu possibly?), but Parallels was the quickest for me. It is a paid product, but I use it for other OS's as well (primarily Linux environments) and it's been a solid solution.

Run Windows on Mac with a virtual machine | Parallels Desktop

Download Parallels Desktop virtual machine to run Windows on Mac without rebooting or slowing down your Mac, plus get over 200,000 Windows apps.

www.parallels.com

View attachment 179446

No need to spend all that money on a Parallels subscription, I bought Crossover via one time purchase and it works perfectly with the latest version of macOS and Sentinel. Crossover is pretty much an interface for WINE and it’s much easier to configure than using WINE alone.

It’s so nice to not have to rely on Windows anymore for a simple scanner update.