Very true Mike, although it would be nice for software to have the option to import all the frequencies used by the trunk even if the radio itself is not capable of trunk tracking--- many of the folks here on RR forums know that it is still advantageous to be able to monitor said frequencies, and to pick up bits and pieces of conversations, without necessarily following any one particular group.
I agree with this. On all Icom receivers capable of digital modes, the ability to use software to import data for "Trunked Systems" or sites has always been a problem.
I find myself doing a lot of old fashioned copying and pasting to get this info into the various Icom receivers I own. This does work of course but being able to do it via software would be much preferred.
Luckily most Icom receivers have a lot of Groups available so one can keep these trunked systems in a dedicated group for those times you may want to actually try to scan a trunked system conventionally. I know there are a lot of people out there that don't get the fact that the Icom's (and most others not made by Uniden or Whistler/GRE) are not scanners and wonder why they don't behave like a scanner but I think that most that discover and purchase a communications receiver do probably understand this simple fact.
I have a Harris P25 system here that does not always work well in the Icom's. As many probably know, Harris P25 systems often rotate the control channel at least once each 24 hours. So the user of an Icom must go in and skip the CC frequencies and remember to un-skip those that are now voice channels. Still not a big deal. The Harris site I monitor is one of many that our electric utility uses. It is very monitorable in a conventional mode with an Icom during most times. If a storm occurs though, you will miss traffic as several TGs will be in use at the same time.
Even with that limitation, I still use one of the Icom's to monitor this utilities site as it can be valuable during storms.
I'd guess most software packages available for the various Icom receivers simply don't know what to do with the extra data that a trunked site would contain so they don't offer to import them. It seems like it would be easy to overcome though.
Uniden's Sentinel is not much better really. If there is a new site on the air that does not have any talkgroups submitted yet, Sentinel will not show that site for import to a favorites list or just to scan conventionally.
Same goes for site types that require LCN info, Sentinel will ignore those sites each Sunday night when they pull the RRDB for Monday's updates. Until at least one TG is listed, Sentinel will ignore a site or system. For frequencies needing an LCN, Sentinel will ignore those frequencies without LCN or Channel ID info but will import those with that info. This could have changed now with the addition of more and more DMR and NXDN trunked sites that are still being discovered but I've not checked in a long time.
I think for the missing LCN data, the DB Admins can just set a value of zero and Sentinel will then import the frequency data. It's too bad they can't set a dummy placeholder talkgroup as well so these systems can be imported. I would think this would be a benefit to all as more users may monitor and submit new data as it is found. If you can't import the system, how many will add it manually so they can catch new TGs?
Dedicated users will but those that rely upon the ease of just plugging in a zip code would probably not manually add a trunked systems frequencies. How many even know how with today's complicated radio's! If it's not 'plug an play', it probably won't be monitored by many other than those truly dedicated to the hobby. That's my thoughts anyway.
Hopefully some will add the ability to add trunked info into an import for models that cannot trunk track. It may confuse some but would probably be more of a benefit than any confusion it may cause for the casual or simple user.
