Sharing files with ARC-XT

[bbedsole]

I feel like a newbie again!! For a few years, I have strictly used and programmed RadioShack/GRE scanners, but I recently picked up a BC346XT, and I'm trying out ARC-XT for programming.

While I was at work tonight, I was able to download plenty of data through the Radio Reference import feature and assign it all to groups etc, and I thought I had a nice little starter programming. Then I emailed the PROFILE to myself so I could upload it to the scanner at home.

But when I try to open the file at home with ARC-XT, it's basically a bunch of empty shells with no data.

Do I literally have to email myself all the systems individually AND the profile in order to get it to work? Or am I missing some simple step that would allow me to email myself or someone else a complete programming file? (similar to Win97/Win500)

Any help on this issue (or any other hurdles I am certain to run into) would be very much appreciated.

-BART

 

[kruser]

I've run into that as well. I find when I need to do that, using Freescan is much easier as it stores everything in a single and small file.

I forget if there is an export option that ArcXT will also Import but that may be an option also if you don't like Freescan.

If there is an export option, there stands a good chance that it may bunch it all together as a single file.

 

[Butelsoftware]

You only need the system files, copy them to a folder and then do a batch import.
A profile is just an easy way to load multiple system files.

Gommert
Butel Software

 

[bbedsole]

No disrespect to Butelsoftware, but the Freescan idea really is the way to go when it comes to saving and sharing files.

Tonight, I created a programming using ARC-XT, uploaded it into my BC346XT, then downloaded it into Freescan. Everything seemed intact, no changes to the data or settings. Then I saved it all as a Freescan file, emailed it to myself at home, and when I got home and opened it up, everything looked great.

ONE MORE QUESTION... if I have a friend with a BCD396XT, and he sends me a Freescan file that obviously includes some digital data, will the 346XT accept all of it? Or will it only upload the analog data?

Obviously, I won't be able to pick up any of the P25 stuff with the 346, but will the 396's programming file remain intact inside the 346?

(sorry if I'm getting a little nerdy here)

 

[ka3jjz]

With the exception of the P25 stuff which would need to be dropped (which you've already noted), I think so - here's a handy little chart in the user guide that can help answer this question...

Moving DMA Data to Other Radios in Freescan - The RadioReference Wiki

Be sure to check your special keys - quick keys, startup keys, etc....

HTH...Mike

 

[garys]

This is entirely too cumbersome Gommert. I'm not even sure it will work. I recently bought a WD Passport drive to keep all of my data on. That way I can share data between two or more computers and not have to worry about keeping all files current. This isn't just for scanning files, but for all files.

So, I disconnected the drive from my desktop and connected it to my laptop. Then I started ARC-XT and opened the profile. All I got were a lot of files that said "New File" with no data. I plugged the drive back into my desktop and all worked as expected.

I then thought that maybe the program was sensitive to the driver letter, so I changed the drive letter to match between the two computers. The same thing happened.

The only way I can get this to work is to load my 396XT with the new profile using my desktop and then use my laptop and read out the profile and save that on my laptop.

It's cumbersome to say the least and is prone to me having different profiles loaded on my 396XT and 996XT.

Even if I use Batch Import, I have to manually select the particular files I want to import. In a complex profile that can be over 100 different systems. That's what a profile is supposed to prevent, but ARC XT won't allow me to move a profile from one computer to another, even with a shared HD.

There really has to be a better way that doesn't require me to use Freescan or BCTool. The way the program is configured is not acceptable for those of us with multiple computers and multiple scanners.

You only need the system files, copy them to a folder and then do a batch import.
A profile is just an easy way to load multiple system files.

Gommert
Butel Software

 

[kruser]

With the exception of the P25 stuff which would need to be dropped (which you've already noted), I think so - here's a handy little chart in the user guide that can help answer this question...

Moving DMA Data to Other Radios in Freescan - The RadioReference Wiki

Be sure to check your special keys - quick keys, startup keys, etc....

HTH...Mike

Thanks for that informative link Mike.
I'd never seen that before and always just figured it out in my head!

That sure explains a lot and is most helpful for those of us with multiple scanners.

 

[kruser]

This is entirely too cumbersome Gommert. I'm not even sure it will work.
It's cumbersome to say the least and is prone to me having different profiles loaded on my 396XT and 996XT.

Even if I use Batch Import, I have to manually select the particular files I want to import. In a complex profile that can be over 100 different systems. That's what a profile is supposed to prevent, but ARC XT won't allow me to move a profile from one computer to another, even with a shared HD.

There really has to be a better way that doesn't require me to use Freescan or BCTool. The way the program is configured is not acceptable for those of us with multiple computers and multiple scanners.

I feel the same and find myself using ProScan now more than anything. It also handles RR direct to scanner downloads with my old BC-780XLT.
ProScan, like Freescan, will save everything in a single file which makes moving it to another computer a breeze. ARC-XT's method is just strange and often confuses me. I've already made mistakes by trying this which should be very simple but I've lost programming somehow. I'd first used ProScan though so I had a backup that I did use to restore my 996XT from. I found it too easy to miss a file for a system when trying to move the data to another computer from ArcXT Pro's data files. I don't remember why I was even doing that but I think it may have been due to a new computer or recovery after replacing a bad drive.

The good thing about the way Butel does it is that it makes it easy to send someone a "system" from your scanner without needing to send the entire scanners worth of data. I've done that before with a buddy in Canada that was having issues with a system their. He sent me the file for just that system which I was easily able to add into ArcXT Pro and then send to my 996XT.

When I was done, I simply removed that systems file from my drive and that was that. I had to also remove it from the list of systems in ArcXT Pro and send the data to the scanner but no big deal. I do like that ability which none of the other packages provide.

I also never liked the way GRE's PSR500 and 600 work, it is all or nothing when you read and write the scanner. I'd much rather have the ability to upload a single system like I can with the Uniden's instead of uploading everything each time. That is not a super big deal though as the 500 and 600 do upload the entire shebang pretty fast.


As far as Freescan goes, it usually works but I have had it corrupt the data sent to my 996XT or T before so I never fully trusted it. In Freescan's credit, that happened a long time ago and Freescan has had several bug fixes and updates since. The problems I had in the past appear to have been fixed but I still get a funny "here goes nothing" feeling when I use it so I still use ProScan first and make a full copy of everything before I use Freescan. I really only use Freescan when I need to do something say at work where I don't have ArcXT or ProScan installed due to being paid programs. ProScan does allow install on two computers but I've used both on computers here at home. Not sure on ArcXT's policy regarding installing on more than one computer you may own. I've never tried it on a second computer due to the odd multiple files per scanner thing that this thread is about. It just seems awkward to use it on more than one computer for the same scanner unless you synchronize the folders between the two computers first. Files are many and it can be hard to figure out which you need to copy so you can duplicate everything on another machine.

I think every programming software out there, free or paid, has something that I don't like! So I have almost all of them.
Not one single one works perfectly for my needs but ProScan is the one that is the best for me. Freescan is second when I need to do something on a computer without any programming software on it. I used to be all Butel until ArcXT and ArcXT Pro came out. I think that is about when the multiple files per scanner started. I don't recall if the version for the old T models also has multiple files for a given profile.
I still like and use ArcXT Pro pretty often but I find myself using multiple copies of ProScan running each of my Uniden scanners at the same time these days. Mainly used for logging purpose though with the new statewide system that is coming online here. I can copy several towers so I set each Uniden to a single tower and let ProScan run an instance for each scanner from different folders. It works very well for that.

The nice thing about Freescan is of course that it is free but what also makes it nice is that you can download your programming and email it to someone else that can't afford software providing they are using a supported Uniden model and Win machine. It's also good for someone having troubles as they can use it to download their scanner and email you the file for inspection and error correction. Everyone can use Freescan which makes it kind of a universal Uniden programming platform. I only wish they made the same for the GRE radios!
I think it will even run on a Mac with Parallels or one of the other Windows emulators installed. So the Mac users are not left out in the dark. Not sure about running it under any of the Linux versions though but I bet it has been done.
I've never used BCTool so no comments on that one.

 

[garys]

The good thing about the way Butel does it is that it makes it easy to send someone a "system" from your scanner without needing to send the entire scanners worth of data. I've done that before with a buddy in Canada that was having issues with a system their. He sent me the file for just that system which I was easily able to add into ArcXT Pro and then send to my 996XT.

You can do this with BCTool as well. That program gives you the option to save everything in one file or to save individual systems.

I also never liked the way GRE's PSR500 and 600 work, it is all or nothing when you read and write the scanner. I'd much rather have the ability to upload a single system like I can with the Uniden's instead of uploading everything each time. That is not a super big deal though as the 500 and 600 do upload the entire shebang pretty fast.

I'm not thrilled with it either, but I only have one GRE scanner and it sits on my desk, so it's not a huge deal.

As far as Freescan goes, it usually works but I have had it corrupt the data sent to my 996XT or T before so I never fully trusted it. In Freescan's credit, that happened a long time ago and Freescan has had several bug fixes and updates since. The problems I had in the past appear to have been fixed but I still get a funny "here goes nothing" feeling when I use it so I still use ProScan first and make a full copy of everything before I use Freescan.

I've never been a big Freescan fan, but that's probably more me than anything else. I do like BCTool, but one of the earlier versions did have a problem with changing system settings. I should dig it out, reinstall it, and try it again.

I think every programming software out there, free or paid, has something that I don't like!

Think Microsoft! You pay a lot and Office has some major annoyances.

I used to be all Butel until ArcXT and ArcXT Pro came out. I think that is about when the multiple files per scanner started. I don't recall if the version for the old T models also has multiple files for a given profile.

I've used Butel products since the days of my BC780XLT, so it's more than a couple of years. I've bought a lot of product over the years, but this ARC XT thing is a PITA. And yes, I think it started with XT since like you I don't recall it in earlier versions. I hope that Gommert will pay attention to our concerns and find a way to address this.

I've never used BCTool so no comments on that one.

The free version is good for programming and controlling a single scanner. The pay version has a number of added features, the best of which is that you can control up to four scanners simultaneously. I did that for a while using a BC396T and BR330T. Then I upgraded to a 396XT and 346XT and found to RH 96 control heads. Still it's a very nice program.

 

[Butelsoftware]

This is entirely too cumbersome Gommert. I'm not even sure it will work. I recently bought a WD Passport drive to keep all of my data on. That way I can share data between two or more computers and not have to worry about keeping all files current. This isn't just for scanning files, but for all files.

So, I disconnected the drive from my desktop and connected it to my laptop. Then I started ARC-XT and opened the profile. All I got were a lot of files that said "New File" with no data. I plugged the drive back into my desktop and all worked as expected.

I then thought that maybe the program was sensitive to the driver letter, so I changed the drive letter to match between the two computers. The same thing happened.

The only way I can get this to work is to load my 396XT with the new profile using my desktop and then use my laptop and read out the profile and save that on my laptop.

It's cumbersome to say the least and is prone to me having different profiles loaded on my 396XT and 996XT.

Even if I use Batch Import, I have to manually select the particular files I want to import. In a complex profile that can be over 100 different systems. That's what a profile is supposed to prevent, but ARC XT won't allow me to move a profile from one computer to another, even with a shared HD.

There really has to be a better way that doesn't require me to use Freescan or BCTool. The way the program is configured is not acceptable for those of us with multiple computers and multiple scanners.

Again you should copy the system files and not the profile file to the other PC. After copying the system files in a new folder you can use batch import so it imports all files in that folder. Profile files store the full path so profiles can only be shared if the full path and location of all the system files is exactly the same.

Gommert
Butel Software

 

[garys]

Again you should copy the system files and not the profile file to the other PC. After copying the system files in a new folder you can use batch import so it imports all files in that folder. Profile files store the full path so profiles can only be shared if the full path and location of all the system files is exactly the same.

Gommert
Butel Software

I understand that. The problem is that I have several hundred system files and several different profiles. So, doing what you suggest would require me to rebuild the profiles on the second computer. Which defeats the purpose of having profiles.

I bring my 396XT with me when I travel. I have profiles for the Northeast corner of the United States, Texas, several southern US states, the Detroit, MI area, and one for my 346XT that covers the area where I live. That's a lot of different system files and it would be a major duplication of work to recreate those profiles because you made file saving path specific.

I'm not a programming, but I'd bet that there is a way to save files that isn't path specific. Frankly, I think it's poor programming and a major problem for users such as I that have multiple scanners and multiple computers. Butel products aren't cheap and for what we pay, we should have a better feature set than a free program that someone developed in their spare time.

 

[kruser]

You can do this with BCTool as well. That program gives you the option to save everything in one file or to save individual systems.

The free version is good for programming and controlling a single scanner. The pay version has a number of added features, the best of which is that you can control up to four scanners simultaneously. I did that for a while using a BC396T and BR330T. Then I upgraded to a 396XT and 346XT and found to RH 96 control heads. Still it's a very nice program.

Thanks for the info regarding BCTool. Having never really used it before, I was not aware of its features and also did not know there was a free (missing some features) version that did the basics. I'm going to grab a copy and check it out.

I like what you said about it allowing the save of individual systems or the entire shebang in one file. I think that is a neat idea and great for sending someone a single system.
When you save a single system, how does it handle that when you add that system into a scanner of the same model that never had the system before? I imagine you must also do some manual work and enter some of the common stuff such as assigned quick keys and that type info.
That would be preferred anyway as you could share the system with someone that may be using the same quick key for an existing system so I assume it does not save that info when you save a single system.

 

[garys]

When you save a single system, how does it handle that when you add that system into a scanner of the same model that never had the system before? I imagine you must also do some manual work and enter some of the common stuff such as assigned quick keys and that type info.
That would be preferred anyway as you could share the system with someone that may be using the same quick key for an existing system so I assume it does not save that info when you save a single system.

The way I do it is to just incorporate it into the profile and then select upload selected systems. You can can change the Quick Keys, Start Up Keys, whatever. Pretty much what you can do with ARC XT for that matter. The person just has to save it into the same file where he keeps the rest of his files.

 

[Butelsoftware]

I understand that. The problem is that I have several hundred system files and several different profiles. So, doing what you suggest would require me to rebuild the profiles on the second computer. Which defeats the purpose of having profiles.

I bring my 396XT with me when I travel. I have profiles for the Northeast corner of the United States, Texas, several southern US states, the Detroit, MI area, and one for my 346XT that covers the area where I live. That's a lot of different system files and it would be a major duplication of work to recreate those profiles because you made file saving path specific.

I'm not a programming, but I'd bet that there is a way to save files that isn't path specific. Frankly, I think it's poor programming and a major problem for users such as I that have multiple scanners and multiple computers. Butel products aren't cheap and for what we pay, we should have a better feature set than a free program that someone developed in their spare time.

System files are not path specific. A profile is an easy way to work with multiple system files but it has to store path info. If you need the files on a different PC copy the system files and make a new profile or use exactly the same path on both PC's.

Gommert
Butel Software

 

[garys]

Got it. You want me to use a different package than ARC XT.

System files are not path specific. A profile is an easy way to work with multiple system files but it has to store path info. If you need the files on a different PC copy the system files and make a new profile or use exactly the same path on both PC's.

Gommert
Butel Software