Why is Profiles always saved the same

[mully95]

I was trying to create two different profiles but they are always the same. I created a profile on 03-15-15 in which that is what I "Save as" for future reference. Now I created a new profile today and used "Save as" again with a profile name of 03-17-15. Now if I open the profile 03-15-15 to "Edit" or just to view it is exactly the same as profile 03-17-15. Everything that I have created in 03-17-15 is automatically opened up in 03-15-15 in which that is not what I want.
When I use FreeScan with my 396T I could always save "Profiles" and they would save differently. For instance if I would like to share a "Profile" 03-15-15 with someone how could I do that without sending 03-17-15 because that is the way Sentinel saves it?

Sorry to be so confusing. If there is a way to save them differently I'm just not aware of it.

 

[ofd8001]

What software are you using and for which scanner? Is it Sentinel for your 436?

 

[Voyager]

Profiles do not contain any FLs. They don't work the way you would think they do.

The only data a profile contains is what is in the EDIT PROFILE section of Sentinel.

Every profile will always 'appear' to contain every FL you have in Sentinel.

And this is the most important part - if you erase a FL from one profile, you "erase it" from all of them.

I really wish I too could save different profiles. I found that out very early on when I was saving each incarnation of the FLs I had written in about version 26, and accidentally erased some data. I thought I could retrieve it from an earlier profile, but It was gone. I then made the same discovery you had. I thought it was a bug, but UPMan said that is the way it was designed.

 

[ofd8001]

I'm scratching my head on this one. For various reasons I have 9 different profiles, mostly around the scanning I do. For example "House Scanner", "Car Local" and "Car Travel".

While all of my 23 Favorites List will "appear" in all of these profiles, I can change the "behavior" of the Favorites Lists as in either not downloading or not monitoring in the profile.

The thing that can't be done through profiles is to change details in a Favorites List. For example System "A" can't be avoided in Profile 1, but unavoided in Profile 2.

I can somewhat get around this but it takes time, concentration and a few extra micro SD cards. I'll open a profile, do whatever changes I want to Favorites Lists for that profile, then write that to an SD card. Then I'll go on to another profile with another SD card with the other changes within the Favorites List.

 

[Voyager]

The thing that can't be done through profiles is to change details in a Favorites List. For example System "A" can't be avoided in Profile 1, but unavoided in Profile 2.

It can't be AVOIDED, but you can essentially do the same thing via the MONITOR ON/OFF setting in the profile. What you want AVOIDed, set MONITOR to OFF.

 

[ofd8001]

It depends what you have in your Favorites List. Monitor ON/OFF affects the whole Favorites List.

Here's an example. In a Favorites List I call "Jefferson County" I have ten systems. One of those systems is "Louisville Airport" and another is "Railroads". For profile I use in my house scanner I do not want those systems on, but in the car scanner profile I do.

Yeah, I'll be the first to admit I'm a "wierd duck" and might go against the common way of doing things :twisted:.

 

[mully95]

Thanks guys for your input. So it CAN'T be avoided and the MONITOR ON AND OFF is the only way around it. I understand now. Strange way of doing it. I guess I'm used to the old method in FreeScan.

 

[ofd8001]

Monitor On/Off applies to Favorites Lists. As a reminder a Favorites List is something new to the xHP line of scanners. It is an even bigger container holding one or more Systems.

Two separate and distinct things worth mentioning. Monitor On/Off is the default behavior of the Favorites List(s). Monitor On means the Favorites List will be scanned, subject the typical Avoid/Location control "influences". Also, Monitor can be turned on via the scanner keypad.

The other thing is Download On/Off. Download On means the Favorites List is downloaded to the scanner. Download Off means the Favorites List will NOT be downloaded to the scanner.

On some of my Favorites Lists, depending upon the profile, I won't download a Favorites List. For example, I won't download a Florida or Minnesota Favorites List for my local area scanning.

 

[Voyager]

Thanks guys for your input. So it CAN'T be avoided and the MONITOR ON AND OFF is the only way around it. I understand now. Strange way of doing it. I guess I'm used to the old method in FreeScan.

With all the storage space in the scanner, why not just use Quick Keys to enable/disable whatever FLs/Systems you want, or just put the systems you want to monitor together in the same FL?

If you use the Monitor OFF feature to not monitor a given FL, it won't even load when you power on the scanner until you enable it later (if you do).

 

[mully95]

With all the storage space in the scanner, why not just use Quick Keys to enable/disable whatever FLs/Systems you want, or just put the systems you want to monitor together in the same FL?

If you use the Monitor OFF feature to not monitor a given FL, it won't even load when you power on the scanner until you enable it later (if you do).

I havent figured out how to use the quick keys yet. I've had this scanner little over a week and still can't grasp it. I'm still abiding by the advice the manual gave me. LOL

"Advice: Assigning a QK to a FL is a good idea but don't go overboard and assign QK's to all your 40 Systems, 125 Departments, and 300 Sites if you don't need to. Only assign QK's to what you may want to turn on or off. If you are always going to scan a Department or Site, leave it at the default (no QK) which will always enable it for scan. Using locations along with Location Control can also turn Departments or Sites on and off. If you are still bent on shutting stuff on and off, try creating a FL for some stuff on, and another for some stuff off. There's plenty of room on the SD card. To sum it up, don't make QK's any more complicated than they have to be."

I know how to turn on/off a FL but not a System, Department, Site or Channel.
Until I can sit down and study the "easier to read manual" and learn how to do so I have manually created FL by using Sentinel. Then downloading to the scanner. All is good... listening to what I always have in my area but I still like to know "how" and "why" of this scanner.

 

[Voyager]

Dang. Wish I had read that before assigning QKs to all my stuff. LOL

My normal 'routine is as follows:

I only enable MONITOR on the FLs that I use often. I then keep all the FLQKs disabled except those I want to monitor at the time. For the Systems, I keep the most used Systems (regions in my programming scheme) active and those adjacent regions inactive unless I'm travelling in those areas - in which case I enable them and disable the others. For Sites, again I keep the most often ones enabled and all others disabled unless going to those areas. For Departments, again the same thing - I keep those most often used enabled, and the rest disabled unless wanted.

 

[ofd8001]

I know how to turn on/off a FL but not a System, Department, Site or Channel.

If you know how turn on/off Favorites Lists, you are "walking". Systems and Departments/Sites are "running".

The scheme for all of these is "FF.SS.DD Enter"-

FF is the Favorites List Quck Key
. is the .no button
SS is the System Quick Key
. is the .no button
DD is the Department/Site Quick Key
Enter is the Eyes button.

For example, you have 11 as a Favorites List Quick Key. In that Favorites List you have a System with 22 as the System Quick Key. Within that System you have a Department or Site with a Department Quick Key of 33. (Sites are at the same "level" as departments).

So to toggle the Department (or site) with Quick Key 33, your key press sequence would be: "11 period button 22 period button 33 Enter".

It took a while for this to sink in on me too. But now that I've done it so many times, its second nature.

As far as how to arrange/plan all your quick key numbers, it's a lot like selecting paint colors. Everyone has their own preferences. Whatever suits you, and mostly your memory, is what you should use.

 

[DSC45]

Programing the 536HP

I havent figured out how to use the quick keys yet. I've had this scanner little over a week and still can't grasp it. I'm still abiding by the advice the manual gave me. LOL

"Advice: Assigning a QK to a FL is a good idea but don't go overboard and assign QK's to all your 40 Systems, 125 Departments, and 300 Sites if you don't need to. Only assign QK's to what you may want to turn on or off. If you are always going to scan a Department or Site, leave it at the default (no QK) which will always enable it for scan. Using locations along with Location Control can also turn Departments or Sites on and off. If you are still bent on shutting stuff on and off, try creating a FL for some stuff on, and another for some stuff off. There's plenty of room on the SD card. To sum it up, don't make QK's any more complicated than they have to be."

I know how to turn on/off a FL but not a System, Department, Site or Channel.
Until I can sit down and study the "easier to read manual" and learn how to do so I have manually created FL by using Sentinel. Then downloading to the scanner. All is good... listening to what I always have in my area but I still like to know "how" and "why" of this scanner.

I have found this topic to be the most fascinating part pf owning the x36HP scanners. Quick Keys and Favorites Lists are the key to designing your system to accommodate your listening pleasure. In over forty years of monitoring public service radio, many changes occurred in scanning equipment, today, we have reached the pinacle of monitoring. I can only imagine what tomorrow will bring to this industry.

In the past thirteen months of owing a x36hp scanner, I must have modified my favorites lists a hundred times. Fine tuning each list for the optimum coverage. Having this forum has been a blessing for me. Ask a question and within a couple of hours getting responses from all over North America, it's simply amazing.

The old cliche of wishing I knew then what I know now, comes into play here, and would have made it so much easier. The manuals, and even the easier to read manual can be intimidating for the novice, such as I. But again, thanks to RR members and their patience to explain procedures to accomplish the goal, I got the job done.

 

[mully95]

Thanks guys! Especially ofd8001 for such a detailed post. I sat down last night and studied both the manual and the Sentinel manual. Referring back and forth to each manual. I used Sentinel to give FL,Systems,and Departments QKs. Then I number tagged everything in which that will help keep up with everything.
I'm getting there fellows..... not "second nature" yet but I'm on my way. lol