Sentinel: Uniden Software Download Link is Broken

[wuzafuzz]

Is it just me, or is the link to download Sentinel software broken? There's a shiny new SDS200 on my desk but I can't download the software to make the scanner truly sing! It's working, but I want to update the firmware, create favorites, and so on.

Using the link on this page results in a 404 error in multiple web browsers.

https://info.uniden.com/twiki/bin/view/UnidenMan4/BCDx36HPSentinel

 

[KK4JUG]

Works for me.

 

[rchamann]

I get a 404 not found error...cant get it either

 

[fxdscon]

This is what I get, been broken for a while.

Works for me.

Did you click on the actual link to download the zip file? That's what's broken.

 

[GTR8000]

Link to both versions of Sentinel is broken. @JoeBearcat where you at?

 

[rchamann]

Thank goodness its broken, I thought I was more than just a scanner newbie

 

[GTR8000]

I'm providing this link for a limited time, so if you need BCDx36HP Sentinel 2.03.00, grab it while you can.

File on MEGA

mega.nz

 

[wuzafuzz]

Cool deal. That'll get folks like me started, until Uniden fixes their link. Thanks GTR8000

 

[rchamann]

Thanks very much

 

[Frasso]

I'm providing this link for a limited time, so if you need BCDx36HP Sentinel 2.03.00, grab it while you can.

File on MEGA

mega.nz

You are my hero

 

[wuzafuzz]

After downloading the software (thanks to GTR8000!) I attempted to install it and ran into the prompt to download .net version 2. The prompt includes a helpful link to a page to download .net. Unfortunately that page only has versions back to v4. Newer is better right? So I downloaded and installed v 7. No joy! I turned my computer off for the night and thought the fresh boot this morning might resolve things. Once again, no joy.

So I started searching the Radio Reference forums and Wiki. Fortunately this Wiki article included a link to useful information:
Sentinel (Uniden software) - The RadioReference Wiki
and ultimately this article contained the winning info:

How to Enable .NET Framework 2.0 and 3.5 in Windows 11

Resolve your app launch problems!

www.howtogeek.com

Option 3 on that page is the method that worked for me. Options 1 and 2 have presumably been rendered obsolete thanks to changes in the Windows 11 interface.

Hopefully Uniden will update their links and software soon, so we can find the software and have it work without issue in the current version of Windows.

 

[fxdscon]

So I downloaded and installed v 7. No joy!

.
Yes, the newer versions of .net don't include older versions so you need to install what the software is looking for. It's a very frequent question here in the forums... here's one from last week:

Sentinel: - Can't Install Sentinel

I had sentinel on my PC and then my hard drive died and now I can't install it. It keeps asking for NET 2.0 which I cannot find. Any suggestions? Thanks!!

forums.radioreference.com

.

 

[wuzafuzz]

.
Yes, the newer versions of .net don't include older versions so you need to install what the software is looking for. It's a very frequent question here in the forums... here's one from last week:

Sentinel: - Can't Install Sentinel

I had sentinel on my PC and then my hard drive died and now I can't install it. It keeps asking for NET 2.0 which I cannot find. Any suggestions? Thanks!!

forums.radioreference.com

.

All true. Which reinforces my assertion that Uniden should be clearer about how to do all this. So far I give them an "A" grade on the scanner, a "C" on the software, and "F" on their own support resources. There's just no good excuse for the fact that we have to depend on outside resources to find the software and to learn how to install it.

 

[Fixitt]

Go to Control Panel/Programs and Features/Turn Windows features on or off and tick both boxes for .NET Framework. They come unticked by default.

No need to install anything.

 

[nessnet]

Hopefully Uniden will update their links and software soon, so we can find the software and have it work without issue in the current version of Windows.

You have always had to enable .NET Framework via the Windows Turn Features On/Off in order to get Sentinel to work. Remember, it is part of the OS, not Sentinel, thus there is nothing to download/install. Just need to enable it.

 

[wuzafuzz]

You have always had to enable .NET Framework via the Windows Turn Features On/Off in order to get Sentinel to work. Remember, it is part of the OS, not Sentinel, thus there is nothing to download/install. Just need to enable it.

But Uniden doesn't SAY that anywhere I saw. Instead their Sentinel installer points the user to the Microsoft page to download the .net software. That was my gripe (in addition to the Sentinel download link being broken). Whether you actually need to install .net is beside the point, their instructions are misleading. Hoping they either update their instructions online or update their software to work with current versions of .net would render the entire conversation unnecessary. As it stands a new scanner user doesn't possess the tribal knowledge resident in RadioReference and might not even know RadioReference exists. Even if it's always been this way, there is room for improvement.

 

[N9JIG]

You have always had to enable .NET Framework via the Windows Turn Features On/Off in order to get Sentinel to work. Remember, it is part of the OS, not Sentinel, thus there is nothing to download/install. Just need to enable it.

In older versions of Windows one usually downloaded the appropriate .NET version from Microsoft's download pages or a runtime version (basically a standalone installer) was included in the software package. When Windows 10 came around it was installed via the Windows Settings' Feature On/Off section. It could have started earlier in Windows 8 but I don't recall. I am pretty sure that in Windows XP and 7 it required downloading or a runtime version to be installed.

As for the version issue; software that uses .NET is built around a specific version type but later version types do not always include older versions frameworks. For .NET 2.0 (in which Sentinel is built) you can also use .NET 3.5x, which does include the frameworks of .NET 2.0. Other versions, even with higher numbers, do not include the proper framework.

Not all computers require an installation of .NET, sometimes other software already calls for it so it might be there. For example; our company phone software also uses .NET 2.0/3.5x so there is no need to install it for Sentinel if the computer has our phone system on it. There are a lot of database type packages built around .NET.

 

[wuzafuzz]

It appears the download link on this Uniden page is working again. http://info.uniden.com/twiki/bin/view/UnidenMan4/BCDx36HPSentinel

 

[JoeBearcat]

Link to both versions of Sentinel is broken. @JoeBearcat where you at?

Fixing the issue. Well, not really - that is up to the IT guys who seem to have gotten it fixed.