Unit ID's too long, need help!

[jziggity]

Hello, reaching out to the group at large to help solve an urgent issue. I did some cursory searching but didn't come up with anything, so my advanced apologies if this has already been covered. Ok, here's the situation:


Our local PD/FD dispatch center where I work has been using Uniden Homepatrol scanners for years (the original version), to display unit ID #'s for our dispatchers. Our current analog county trunking system is about to go dark. Literally in a few days we are switching our entire agency to a new digital P25 system. I am responsible for maintaining the unit ID database. Currently we have ID's that look like 48759, which is then aliased in the Sentinel software to show "Fleet 2" on our scanners. The same basic premise applies for all mobile and handheld radios at our department. And just to clarify, we do not have a unit ID function on our radio console software, and the current software cannot be upgraded to add it.

So today, as I started building the new unit ID list for the P25 system, I quickly discovered that the Sentinel programming software will not take excessively long unit ID numbers for aliasing. An example of a new ID number on the P25 system: 6819050. The scanner itself can display this system ID number no problem. The software, however, will only allow a maximum numerical value in the Unit ID field of 65,535. So now it looks like I have no way around this, because it is a limitation of the programming software, and not the scanner itself.

It goes without saying that there are times when an officer is fighting with someone, and all they can do is click their radio. We have used the unit ID feature successfully many times to identify which officer needs assistance and send them help. Now it appears this feature will go dark for us in a few days. Unnerving, to say the least.

I'm assuming Uniden won't reprogram their software to accommodate this issue for us, and I wouldn't expect them to. Although I do find it odd that the scanner itself is fully capable of displaying unit ID's that long, but the software can't handle it? I am using Sentinel version 2.03 (revision 02).

At this point we are open to any/all solutions, including different scanner hardware if needed, as long as it is capable of aliasing a unit ID that is 7 digits long. If anyone has any ideas, they would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advanced!

 

[nessnet]

ProScan?

I was just able to enter 3072100000 (add the zeros to an ID)

 

[phask]

I'm not following ....Unit ID Name has 36 characters - Unit ID has 8.

 

[jziggity]

Ahh, figured there might be some 3rd party software solutions. phask, is that screen shot from ProScan? If so, that looks like it should work.

 

[jziggity]

Also this is the error message I'm getting in the HomePatrol Sentinel software:

 

[ofd8001]

This isn't making any sense. Dispatchers should not have to rely on a scanner for responder safety purposes. This should be a function of the radio dispatcher's console. If you are getting a new P25 system and the console does not have that feature, there is something horribly wrong. A vendor needs to be straightened out. I'm too lazy to look right now but I believe the applicable NFPA standards, on which your dispatch center will be "judged" has that requirement.

That said, a Uniden scanner can accept Radio ID numbers from 1-16777215, which is 8 digits. For the associated alpha tag, I've seen more characters that can be displayed on the scanner screen.

So I'd say you need to dig into this a little more, because I kinda think you might be operating under some bad information.

 

[ofd8001]

Got over being lazy. National Fire Protection Association Standard 1221 (and I dearly hope this document was referenced in the specifications for your new P25 Systems):

9.3.4.1.9* Emergency Priority.
9.3.4.1.9.1 All field units in the system shall be capable of
gaining access to the system within 1∕2 second of activation of an
instantaneous emergency switch.
9.3.4.1.9.2 When a field unit activates the emergency function
of the radio unit, the field unit ID shall be displayed at the
dispatch terminal, console, or both, and an audible alert shall
be activated.
9.3.4.1.9.3 A voice channel shall be immediately assigned to
handle the emergency communications regardless of system
loading.

 

[u2brent]

Hello, reaching out to the group at large to help solve an urgent issue. I did some cursory searching but didn't come up with anything, so my advanced apologies if this has already been covered. Ok, here's the situation:


Our local PD/FD dispatch center where I work has been using Uniden Homepatrol scanners for years (the original version), to display unit ID #'s for our dispatchers. Our current analog county trunking system is about to go dark. Literally in a few days we are switching our entire agency to a new digital P25 system. I am responsible for maintaining the unit ID database. Currently we have ID's that look like 48759, which is then aliased in the Sentinel software to show "Fleet 2" on our scanners. The same basic premise applies for all mobile and handheld radios at our department. And just to clarify, we do not have a unit ID function on our radio console software, and the current software cannot be upgraded to add it.

So today, as I started building the new unit ID list for the P25 system, I quickly discovered that the Sentinel programming software will not take excessively long unit ID numbers for aliasing. An example of a new ID number on the P25 system: 6819050. The scanner itself can display this system ID number no problem. The software, however, will only allow a maximum numerical value in the Unit ID field of 65,535. So now it looks like I have no way around this, because it is a limitation of the programming software, and not the scanner itself.

It goes without saying that there are times when an officer is fighting with someone, and all they can do is click their radio. We have used the unit ID feature successfully many times to identify which officer needs assistance and send them help. Now it appears this feature will go dark for us in a few days. Unnerving, to say the least.

I'm assuming Uniden won't reprogram their software to accommodate this issue for us, and I wouldn't expect them to. Although I do find it odd that the scanner itself is fully capable of displaying unit ID's that long, but the software can't handle it? I am using Sentinel version 2.03 (revision 02).

At this point we are open to any/all solutions, including different scanner hardware if needed, as long as it is capable of aliasing a unit ID that is 7 digits long. If anyone has any ideas, they would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advanced!

Sounds to me like someone is confusing TG ID's with RID's (UID's) P25 TG's are limited to 65,535, ofd8001 is correct with the RID's (ID)

 

[jziggity]

I understand the difference between a talkgroup ID and a UID. I guess I'm not sure how else to make it work in Uniden Sentinel software though. As far as I know I am running the most recent version, and as soon as my other moderated posts go through, it will show the error message I am getting.

 

[KevinC]

My guess is he has chosen the incorrect system type. 3600 systems can only go to 65535. Whereas 9600 systems can go to 167777215.

 

[jziggity]

My guess is he has chosen the incorrect system type. 3600 systems can only go to 65535. Whereas 9600 systems can go to 167777215.

YES!! That was it, thank you!! I didn't realize until just now, I was trying to add the new, longer UID's to the older analog system, just for testing purposes. I didn't realize that I wasn't actually making edits to the new P25 system at that point. Duh. Thank you very much, easy fix, and back in business.

 

[KevinC]

YES!! That was it, thank you!! I didn't realize until just now, I was trying to add the new, longer UID's to the older analog system, just for testing purposes. I didn't realize that I wasn't actually making edits to the new P25 system at that point. Duh. Thank you very much, easy fix, and back in business.

You're welcome.

 

[ofd8001]

I'm glad to see you get it going on your scanner, but I still question why a dispatch center needs a scanner for this function instead of the radio console.

 

[maus92]

It certainly sounds like a kludge. Maybe the company / jurisdiction cannot afford to upgrade their CAD / radio consoles at this time. I hope they never have a failure that would cost someone their life.

 

[gillham]

It certainly sounds like a kludge. Maybe the company / jurisdiction cannot afford to upgrade their CAD / radio consoles at this time. I hope they never have a failure that would cost someone their life.

I wonder if they're using mobiles for dispatching instead of consoles.

 

[ofd8001]

I wonder if they're using mobiles for dispatching instead of consoles.

Mobile and portable radios are capable of being programmed to display Emergency Button activations both visually and audibly.

 

[gillham]

Mobile and portable radios are capable of being programmed to display Emergency Button activations both visually and audibly.

I suppose I should've been more thorough in reading the OP - they're using consoles, they're just not capable of displaying the IDs.

In any event, I figured they're leveraging the scanner so they can find out who has an open mic, or is trying to key up and is having trouble - but isn't necessarily pressing their Emergency Button.