BCD436HP/BCD536HP: Updating favorites lists

[jefflackey]

Reading the "user friendly" manual for Sentinel software, I see it says that when you update the Master database, it does NOT update your favorites lists with any changes.

Since I almost exclusively use my favorites list, I assume this means if anything changes on those channels I don't get the updates in those favorites lists. Surely I don't have to go in and rebuild my favorites lists every time I update the Master database???

Thanks
Jeff

 

[UPMan]

If a channel you are interested in changes, then you'll need to change the FL to reflect the new info. We don't overwrite the FL's in part because many people customize some or all of the channel descriptions. If we constantly changed them back to match the main dB, that would be annoying.

 

[jefflackey]

If a channel you are interested in changes, then you'll need to change the FL to reflect the new info. We don't overwrite the FL's in part because many people customize some or all of the channel descriptions. If we constantly changed them back to match the main dB, that would be annoying.

That makes sense, though I wish there was an option in the software to overwrite the FLs. As a relative newbie to the software, I guess my challenge is how do I know if the channels in my FLs have been changed? Other than going into the main DB and looking at all of them (which would be pretty tedious!)

What do people normally do to keep their FLs updated?

 

[kb3isq]

I agree, I would like to see the FLs reflect updated info.

 

[jonwienke]

What do people normally do to keep their FLs updated?

Add Channels On Range or Append Favorite List menu functions.

 

[fxdscon]

That makes sense, though I wish there was an option in the software to overwrite the FLs. As a relative newbie to the software, I guess my challenge is how do I know if the channels in my FLs have been changed? Other than going into the main DB and looking at all of them (which would be pretty tedious!)

What do people normally do to keep their FLs updated?

Just look at the RR database for the updates indicated by the color codes on the database maps. Any areas in yellow have been updated in the past week, and green indicates changes in the last 24 hours.

Click on the colored areas of the map and you can see exactly what has been updated for just your specific area and adjust your favorites lists accordingly.

Click here:

Iowa Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference

.

 

[AuntEnvy]

The ezscan program (whistler/gre) offers an option to save, or not, all "customized" list info along with db updates.

Seems uniden would be able to do the same...

 

[ofd8001]

I go back to a suggestion I made long ago. A field should be added in the database to show the date a given channel was added/modified. That way we can know what needs to be changed versus what does not.

Having said that, once established big radio systems don't change often. If anything a couple of channels are added. In that case, it is easier to manually added the new ones in Sentinel, rather than have Sentinel make wholesale changes.

As a guy who has spent a lot of time customizing my Favorites Lists, I'd hate to see something come in and undo a lot of work.

 

[rwier]

........................................
What do people normally do to keep their FLs updated?

Monitor your State Forum. A few "old pros" will fight to be the first to post recent changes. Changes that affect you, in general, are few and far between. Also, in my recollection, most changes are massive (might as well make a new FL). I have 20+ FLs (ScanLists, etc.) in all my scanners. If I didn't check for DB changes for six months, I probably wouldn't notice any difference in the scanner's output. Weekly updates of the DB are highly overrated (IMO, lol).

 

[jonwienke]

It depends on how often changes are made in your area.

In some cases, annual updates may be overkill. In others, weekly updates my be behind the times, if a new system is being stood up. YMMV

 

[AKJohnny]

You can also go to the RR database, navigate to your county, and in the top right of the page you'll see "Last Updated:", click the date and it will show you all that's been updated. It has much more history than just a week.

 

[rwier]

Monitor your State Forum. A few "old pros" will fight to be the first to post recent changes. Changes that affect you, in general, are few and far between. Also, in my recollection, most changes are massive (might as well make a new FL). I have 20+ FLs (ScanLists, etc.) in all my scanners. If I didn't check for DB changes for six months, I probably wouldn't notice any difference in the scanner's output. Weekly updates of the DB are highly overrated (IMO, lol).

Just to clarify ... The monitoring of the State Forum will assist in keeping anyone up to date. I have regularly made changes to my scanner programming based upon the postings of a handful of EXTREME Arizona experts, often days, or weeks, before the changes show up in the RRDB. All Arizona scanner enthusiasts should be/are extremely grateful that these individuals are performing this "service", apparently as a hobby, not for pay.

 

[kb3isq]

Does the updated info show up in the Full Database when you use the zip code function?

 

[ofd8001]

Does the updated info show up in the Full Database when you use the zip code function?

Yes as long as you are monitoring the full database (and assuming you have downloaded the database to your Sentinel and written it to your scanner).

 

[drdispatch]

User jdolina created a program called "Favorite List Helper" that accomplishes that. If you send him a PM, he'll probably forward the link.

Edit: I found his thread -
https://forums.radioreference.com/u...6-free-software-bcdx36hp-favorite-helper.html