troymail
Silent Key
Python script based PPS helper
Didn't want to start a new thread for this ---
After manually entering 1000+ talkgroups over the last two or so months for various systems and not being able to sort or otherwise manage the group data entered, I finally got around to creating a Python script that pulls the talkgroup data directly from RRDB and formats it as insert statements for the underlying sqlite that the pager uses.
It's a first step and there are still a few things I need to do to load the data but it's a whole lot better than clicking through the rows and columns to enter the group data data manually.
As time permits, I'm going to look at improving the script as well as looking at other functions beyond just group data (i.e. systems, sites, frequencies, etc.). I see lots of possibilities.
This script finally gave me the opportunity for the first time since getting my G4 to start with a clean slate.
I created a new profile and then added the Baltimore City system and groups and then created a zone with 5 switch positions for the system's talkgroups. Initially, after pushing the configuration to the G4, the radio unexpectedly displayed a message that indicated the radio was "unprogrammed". Odd.... I determined that, although the PPS detects and stops you from creating new groups with the same label, the database doesn't care and accepts them. But then the radio doesn't like it. I went back and fixed the dupe groups and made the labels unique and all went smoothly (for this first system) after that.
Next, I did the same for Baltimore County MD... things went pretty well....
Next, I added the Maryland State system and it's 425 or so talkgroups... and learned a couple of things here as well.... First, I ran into the duplicate label issue again (next thing on my list to detect with my script). Interesting, in this case, the duplicate labels didn't stop the radio from booting properly like I saw with the dupes in the first (Baltimore City) system. Rather, instead, the radio refused to find an lock onto any control channel frequency for the system. Once I fixed the dupes on this system, it starting locking onto a CC without and issues.
It was at this point I found the radio to be pretty sluggish (saw this early on after getting the radio but couldn't put my finger on what exactly caused it to be sluggish). I now have programmed:
Didn't want to start a new thread for this ---
After manually entering 1000+ talkgroups over the last two or so months for various systems and not being able to sort or otherwise manage the group data entered, I finally got around to creating a Python script that pulls the talkgroup data directly from RRDB and formats it as insert statements for the underlying sqlite that the pager uses.
It's a first step and there are still a few things I need to do to load the data but it's a whole lot better than clicking through the rows and columns to enter the group data data manually.
As time permits, I'm going to look at improving the script as well as looking at other functions beyond just group data (i.e. systems, sites, frequencies, etc.). I see lots of possibilities.
This script finally gave me the opportunity for the first time since getting my G4 to start with a clean slate.
I created a new profile and then added the Baltimore City system and groups and then created a zone with 5 switch positions for the system's talkgroups. Initially, after pushing the configuration to the G4, the radio unexpectedly displayed a message that indicated the radio was "unprogrammed". Odd.... I determined that, although the PPS detects and stops you from creating new groups with the same label, the database doesn't care and accepts them. But then the radio doesn't like it. I went back and fixed the dupe groups and made the labels unique and all went smoothly (for this first system) after that.
Next, I did the same for Baltimore County MD... things went pretty well....
Next, I added the Maryland State system and it's 425 or so talkgroups... and learned a couple of things here as well.... First, I ran into the duplicate label issue again (next thing on my list to detect with my script). Interesting, in this case, the duplicate labels didn't stop the radio from booting properly like I saw with the dupes in the first (Baltimore City) system. Rather, instead, the radio refused to find an lock onto any control channel frequency for the system. Once I fixed the dupes on this system, it starting locking onto a CC without and issues.
It was at this point I found the radio to be pretty sluggish (saw this early on after getting the radio but couldn't put my finger on what exactly caused it to be sluggish). I now have programmed:
- 3 systems in 8 variations (search, specific sites, etc.)
- 784 unique talkgroups for these 3 systems
- 6 zones programmed with 25 switch positions of various mixtures of talkgroups - several with the maximum 64 talkgroups assigned
- all talkgroups with recording enabled
- watch for the possibility that a talkgroup dynamically changes to Phase 1 (it happens occasionally on this system)
- allow ANY talkgroup to popup on any switch position since there are more than 400 talkgroups and each switch position only allows 64 talkgroups
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