Uniden is sending me an SD card

[gcopter1]

I just got my HP1 today. Slapped the batteries on, turned it on to verify that it was working. Now, I plugged it to my Mac for the firmware/data base updates using Wine. Sentinel seemed to be running fine except it didn't see the SD card on the HP1. So, I walked over next door to my neighbor with a Windows PC and repeat the procedure. Same thing happened.

Now I'm on the phone with Uniden who suggested that I ran Sentinel again, except this time try and choose the option to erase all user data. Someway somehow, during all this plugging and unplugging, my neighbor's PC saw the SD card in the HP1. I then was able to erase all user data and at the end of the process a window popped up and said to disconnect the USB from the HP1 and to let it re boot.

The unit re booted but I still got the SD card error message asking to remove the batteries for 1 minute.

I contacted Uniden support with this new bit of info and was told the card was corrupted and that they would send me a new one.

Here are the questions I have:

1. If Uniden is sending me a new SD card, wouldn't this card have the latest and greatest firmware?

2. Is there any way for me to get these files somewhere, so that I could download them to a properly formatted card, and make my HP1 whole again?

3. Would a corrupted card be so damaged that Sentinel wouldn't see it, even on a Windows PC?

I'm hoping I'm making some sense of what I'm trying to communicate here, but, once I get the new SD card from Uniden, I'm really reluctant to try another update, even on a Windows PC! What are the best practices to handle the SD cards and the related update operations?

 

[jonwienke]

Sentinel is how everyone updates firmware and database. There is no other option. Micro SD cards are cheap. Buy a spare one.

 

[gcopter1]

Sentinel is how everyone updates firmware and database. There is no other option. Micro SD cards are cheap. Buy a spare one.

I know that much.

I've got a spare one. Now what?

If you were to add more to your answer, maybe I could appreciate it more. Perhaps I wasn't very clear in presenting my question. Then again, that's what forums are for. Maybe you are very knowledgeable on the subject, but, with your answer, it doesn't show.

A little about myself, I have owned scanners since the early 80's, beginning with the 220, and have owned several since. My last one was a BC246. I was a CB user since the 70's and suffered thru crystal buying and witnessed the introduction of 40 channels.

I'm trying to get back to the hobby and after little research, I decided upon the HP1. Unfortunately, the SD card matter is very delicate. I fault myself for trying to update first via MAC (as I have many times before with other pieces of technology "not MAC compatible"). My bad that I guessed wrong. Now, I'm paying the price of waiting another week for an SD card to arrive.

I'm just looking for more info as to how and why Uniden can send me a replacement SD card, yet, there's no instructions to do it yourself? Seems trivial, but it's a mystery to me.

 

[ofd8001]

1. It may or may not. I'd figure it doesn't and do my own update (see below), just to be sure I got it.

2. Yes - visit HomePatrol and look for "Everyone Do This!" and follow the advice/instructions there.

3. A corrupted card can do crazy things - it may not be recognized by Sentinel, or even your PC if you connected into one of the SD card slots. SD cards are memory devices, sort of like hard drives. If they get corrupted, you're up the creek.

I agree with the above post. SD cards are so cheap it's well worth having a few extras on hand.

 

[rwier]

......... Micro SD cards are cheap. Buy a spare one.

At 75 years, I can hardly see those little devils, much less keep hold of them. I bet there are at least a half dozen hiding in my carpet. Easier to buy another half dozen from Amazon than to get down and search, lol. Uniden sending out a replacement Micro SD card sounds like a case of the "blind leading the blind"!

 

[gcopter1]

1. It may or may not. I'd figure it doesn't and do my own update (see below), just to be sure I got it.

2. Yes - visit HomePatrol and look for "Everyone Do This!" and follow the advice/instructions there.

3. A corrupted card can do crazy things - it may not be recognized by Sentinel, or even your PC if you connected into one of the SD card slots. SD cards are memory devices, sort of like hard drives. If they get corrupted, you're up the creek.

I agree with the above post. SD cards are so cheap it's well worth having a few extras on hand.

Thank you!