SDS100/SDS200: Updating System Frequencies in Favorites Lists

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adl320

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Looking through the forum, It seems that if system frequencies get updated in the Radio Reference Database and you then update your device, SDS100 in my case, these frequencies DO NOT get updated in the favorites list? For example, the Maricopa County P25 system in Arizona was updated last week with 4 new system sites consisting of multiple new frequencies. When browse the RRDB in Sentinel and "append" the system to my existing favorites list, the new frequencies do not get copied. In fact, I wonder if anything would get updated since I've heard the logic is to not overwrite unique configurations we have made to our favorites lists.

I either have to make a new list if there are "significant" changes and just start over with my edits, then delete the old, or, simply manually add the few edits I have to my existing favorites list. So does the update process from the RRDB attempt to update what it can in our favorites lists or not update anything at all so that we would manually update any changes? This is making me think twice about making massive modifications to favorites lists. Thoughts?
 

jeffdafoe

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I was wondering the exact same thing. I know that new TGs and such get added but I haven't figured out how to get the new frequencies in a trunked system to append.
 

jonwienke

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Right-click on the system in the main database, select Append, select list.
 

adl320

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Right-click on the system in the main database, select Append, select list.
Jonwienke, that bit works just fine. What isn't happening in this case is that there are new sites that have been added. When you append to the existing FL, it does not copy the new sites and frequencies. if I create a TEST FL, which I did, and then copy to that FL, the new sites and frequencies copy.

There were only 4 new sites but one is in my area so wanted to have it added in case traffic started flowing through that site. The concern is I had to manually add these sites which in the surface isn't bad but adding location information is not a simple copy/paste. The RRDB has Lat/Long in Decimal Degree format. My FLs are set for Degrees/Minutes/Seconds so had to call up a handy conversion site to get the correct data.

Hopefully there will be an easier way to do this in the future. One way that would have worked, possibly would be the ability to select a site and right click to add to FL. From my old Pro 106 using WIN500 software, you could do just that. That software made a live connection to the RRDB and would allow me to just select sites for instance and import into an existing system.

A few gripe I'm seeing and not sure if it's a Object Oriented vs. DMS system thing or a software difference between what I used with WIN 500 and Sentinel.

1. With Sentinel/DMA, Favorites list includes sites instead of just TGIDs. I'm sure there is a value to this somehow but I'm new to the SDS and Sentinel but so far not seeing one. What this means, is if you have a few FLs with the same system in it for instance, You'll need to duplicate ANY update you do to one system to all the other systems MANUALLY. Brutal. Lesson for me was to NOT do this!

2. With Win500/Object Oriented, I create ONE system which is an object that contains all the system frequencies. I can then create as many favorites REFERENCING this system as I want as the favorites only contain TGIDs. Now, when an update occurs, I either just update the system frequencies, as in my above example OR I can update new TGIDs for example and copy them into as many favorites lists as I've created directly from the DB without issue.

Using method 2 above, was perfectly fine to create super targeted favorites on the Pro106 like North PD, West PD, South PD, etc.. I could turn on/off the FL in a similar fashion to the SDS but the key difference is if I did that in the SDS, I'd have multiple SYSTEM and TGID FLs, making updating a nightmare. So now, I simply have to use the QK setup to keep everything in the home system and turn on/off as needed. Just something to get adjusted to with this new format.
 

sibbley

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Kind of funny, I hadn't realized that when appending to an existing favorite, sites and frequencies aren't copied. I just tried and thought wow, that does bite! Admittedly, I rarely use the database in Sentinel. If I find new additions I just copy and paste from the RR website database. It is a little slower, but I don't mind.
 

ofd8001

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It's the two edged sword. Many folks will customize their Favorites Lists so they are more consistent with their scanning preferences, such as departments. There may also be a lot of alpha tag modification.

If Sentinel was to automatically update Favorites Lists, it may cause some of that work to be wiped out.

So the lesser of two evils, in my opinion, is for a user to have to deliberate make additions. Fortunately that doesn't happen often in established systems.
 

powerhouse

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I have long advocated that the favorites lists have the ability to be updated with any new additions to the main database.
I do understand the concerns mentioned and I don't think it would be wise to automatically add updates to favorites lists, I would still like to see an option with a "would you like add these to an existing favorites list" check box.
Another thing about Sentinel that I can't seem to wrap my head around is the "profile" issue.
I sure do wish "profiles" acted like the old "V folders" in the psr 500's.
I run into this when my neighbor asks me to set up his 436 using my computer, (he doesn't have one). This creates all kinds of issues with both his and my own 436 with completely different programming.
Why can't there be a "profile" with his lists, settings etc. and a separate "profile" for mine.
I loved the V folder system in the PSR 500's and to my mind "profiles' should be the same idea.

Powerhouse
AB3JP
 

W6KRU

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If Sentinel would allow the option of using the alpha tag for the channel name it would greatly reduce my need to customize. The description is only needed for channel name on systems I am unfamiliar with.
 

jonwienke

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Append to favorite takes a couple mouse clicks.

And if your neighbor has different favorites than you, put them in a different favorite list than yours. Have separate profiles for you and your neighbor, and turn download off for your neighbor's list in your profile, and vice versa.

And if you make a list you both want to monitor, turn monitor on in both profiles.

Sentinel has easy ways to do everything you want, if you bother to learn it.
 

KE5MC

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...snip...

Why can't there be a "profile" with his lists, settings etc. and a separate "profile" for mine.
I loved the V folder system in the PSR 500's and to my mind "profiles' should be the same idea.

Powerhouse
AB3JP
Along the line of what jonwiernke said, you can.

Example:
Whatever profile you are using for yourself, save as MINE. Then immediately save a second one has HIS. At this point both profiles of MINE and HIS will be the same. The one thing you are "stuck with" is the Favorites Lists will be the same for both profiles, but under the edit profile on HIS you can change Monitor and Download different from MINE. If he wants different Favorites Lists than your then you have to add them and they will show up in both profiles but you will not check Monitor and Download on MINE and he will on HIS.

You can manually arrange the Favorites Lists as shown in Sentinel so yours are group say at the top of the list and his at the bottom.

Clear as mud... :)
Mike

P.S. Just remember before making changes which profile you have loaded in Sentinel by name (MINE/HIS) and which radio you want to push the changes too and save to the correct file name before closing Sentinel.
 

Ubbe

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The database has a reference number for each frequency, talkgroup and department. That way the updates just refers to the reference number when the information changes. But Uniden did not allow the reference numbers to be carried over to the favorite lists so Sentinel have no clue of if a record in a favorite list needs to be updated. If the reference numbers had been in place then Sentinel could have asked "Do you want the new name tag "Sheriff Dispatch" for TG 65125 in Department "Miller County" to overwrite your old name tag "Sheriff South East" ? "Do you want the new frequencies 825.100 and 833.000 to be added to site "Mt Vernon" in system "Harris DMR"?"

I don't know why Uniden decided to strip the reference numbers from the favorite lists. It seems like a bad decision.

/Ubbe
 

jonwienke

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I don't know why Uniden decided to strip the reference numbers from the favorite lists. It seems like a bad decision.
They RR unique ID numbers are for sure in the database, and are part of the data in the serial remote control/communication protocols.
 

ofd8001

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Uniden is a hardware manufacturer rather than a software programmer. They are unlikely to produce software other than "bare-bones" to make the scanners work.

However ProScan and Butel are software authors. You might have been luck asking these two to update their software so there is an option to automatically update Favorites Lists.
 

powerhouse

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Thanks guys,

I have figured out various ways to work within the parameters I've been given including what has been mentioned above.
It just seems like it's more complicated than it has to be or perhaps there could be a better, easier or more intuitive way to do it.

Powerhouse
Ab3JP
 

Ubbe

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I can't agree with that statement. Especially when their flagship product line is SDR.
As I understand from Upmans comments it was Uniden Japan who did the SDS software for the specific SDR parts. But of course the US dept also have software knowledge but as many other companies they try and do just as little as possible that they can get away with. Software development and bug fixes are probably the most expensive part of most products using a microcontroller.

/Ubbe
 
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