Why is there no Marine Service type?

Status
Not open for further replies.

dazza0768

Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2019
Messages
199
Location
Timaru, New Zealand
In the world of scanning things like aircraft, trucking, police and fire are very large and dominant companies which scanners listen to.....my question is why is marine not a service type in the uniden sds service tags? As far as I'm aware marine is just as big as the above listed departments.

It's annoying when I have most of the stuff saved under service tags but maritime is the odd one out with a custom service tags.
 

Hit_Factor

Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2010
Messages
2,435
Location
Saint Joseph, MI
Just copy it into your own FL, set the service type to whatever you need.

This is a set architecture for Uniden's modern scanners. It's been in place for awhile and a change would require firmware updates, RR updates, and who knows what else. So don't expect it any time soon.

Only Uniden can answer why?
 

n1chu

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Oct 18, 2002
Messages
2,546
Location
Farmington, Connecticut
Yes... it’s a good question. “Marine” should have been included as a service type and why it was not included is anybody’s guess. Did Uniden make a deliberate decision to not include it or was it an oversight? (Uniden makes marine gear-possibly a marketing ploy? Doubtful. They also make aviation gear and they included a service type.)

But you do have 8 additional generic groups you can choose from. They are called “Custom 1-8”. I don’t think you can change the label from “Custom” but it’s just a parking spot for whatever you choose to use it for. That’s not to say you won’t see whatever system you choose on the display, you will see what it is you have in that custom service slot. So, “Marine” will show as the name of the system(s) if that’s what you have labeled it/them. I also find it curious why Uniden only allowed for eight Custom Service Types... why not ten? Or added another Service Type they call “Marine”, with seven “Custom” types instead...
 

dazza0768

Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2019
Messages
199
Location
Timaru, New Zealand
Just copy it into your own FL, set the service type to whatever you need.

This is a set architecture for Uniden's modern scanners. It's been in place for awhile and a change would require firmware updates, RR updates, and who knows what else. So don't expect it any time soon.

Only Uniden can answer why?
Read my question again.
 

dazza0768

Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2019
Messages
199
Location
Timaru, New Zealand
Yes... it’s a good question. “Marine” should have been included as a service type and why it was not included is anybody’s guess. Did Uniden make a deliberate decision to not include it or was it an oversight? (Uniden makes marine gear-possibly a marketing ploy? Doubtful. They also make aviation gear and they included a service type.)

But you do have 8 additional generic groups you can choose from. They are called “Custom 1-8”. I don’t think you can change the label from “Custom” but it’s just a parking spot for whatever you choose to use it for. That’s not to say you won’t see whatever system you choose on the display, you will see what it is you have in that custom service slot. So, “Marine” will show as the name of the system(s) if that’s what you have labeled it/them. I also find it curious why Uniden only allowed for eight Custom Service Types... why not ten? Or added another Service Type they call “Marine”, with seven “Custom” types instead...
Yeah it is confusing why they didn't add it. Weird huh.
Considering Uniden had Service Search on most previous scanners with Marine included...even with channel numbers on the display once holding on a channel in the spectrum.

Oh well, perhaps in the future then.

Another niggle is the lack of a function key for changing global filter. Would sure be nice to be able to key function and one other button without having to go through the whole menu for it.
 

n1chu

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Oct 18, 2002
Messages
2,546
Location
Farmington, Connecticut
Yes... it’s a good question. “Marine” should have been included as a service type and why it was not included is anybody’s guess. Did Uniden make a deliberate decision to not include it or was it an oversight? (Uniden makes marine gear-possibly a marketing ploy? Doubtful. They also make aviation gear and they included a service type.)

But you do have 8 additional generic groups you can choose from. They are called “Custom 1-8”. I don’t think you can change the label from “Custom” but it’s just a parking spot for whatever you choose to use it for. That’s not to say you won’t see whatever system you choose on the display, you will see what it is you have in that custom service slot. So, “Marine” will show as the name of the system(s) if that’s what you have labeled it/them. I also find it curious why Uniden only allowed for eight Custom Service Types... why not ten? Or added another Service Type they call “Marine”, with seven “Custom” types instead...
Thanks to Hit_Factor for explaining the architectural factor plays a part in explaining why there is no Maritime service type. But it still doesn’t explain why Uniden decided it was not to be included when they originally designed the architecture without it.
 

ProScan

Software Provider
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jul 2, 2006
Messages
7,409
Location
Ontario, Calif.
It's logical that the Service Types (or Function Tags) would be created by RadioReference so the channels can be tagged by anyone submitting a database report. All downloads from the RRDB by all software and all scanner brands will have the same tags for consistency.
 

n1chu

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Oct 18, 2002
Messages
2,546
Location
Farmington, Connecticut
Yeah it is confusing why they didn't add it. Weird huh.
Considering Uniden had Service Search on most previous scanners with Marine included...even with channel numbers on the display once holding on a channel in the spectrum.

Oh well, perhaps in the future then.

Another niggle is the lack of a function key for changing global filter. Would sure be nice to be able to key function and one other button without having to go through the whole menu for it.
Maybe Uniden will offer it in a future software release... they did promote the SDR (Software defined radio) series with the promise of updates-a great selling point if they ever get around to it. I’m not gonna hold my breadth however. Is the radio open source? Possibly their claim of updates referred to third party submissions where people other than Uniden would be jumping on board, offering everything from what you see lacking to a keypad lock! (Seems they were more interested in claims of water proofing with a raised ridge on the antenna mount that prevents the use of most aftermarket antennas, not to mention other shortcomings.)
 

Ubbe

Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2006
Messages
8,944
Location
Stockholm, Sweden
It looks to be an oversight from the RR administration. They stipulated tags for aircraft, railroad and transportation, as well as all the different public safety ones, but they forgot Marine.

One thing that's strange with Uniden are that they have these Custom 1-8 but no means to alter their names. They should be part of Sentinels profile settings where it should be possible to change their names and those would then be loaded into the scanner and be properly presented in the display. What's the point if you can't remember that you had used Custom 4 as Marine and have to pull up a ducument with what different Customs you have for different services. I suggested it to Uniden the first week after I got my BCD536HP, four years ago.

/Ubbe
 

Hit_Factor

Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2010
Messages
2,435
Location
Saint Joseph, MI
One thing that's strange with Uniden are that they have these Custom 1-8 but no means to alter their names. They should be part of Sentinels profile settings where it should be possible to change their names and those would then be loaded into the scanner and be properly presented in the display. What's the point if you can't remember that you had used Custom 4 as Marine and have to pull up a ducument with what different Customs you have for different services. I suggested it to Uniden the first week after I got my BCD536HP, four years ago.

/Ubbe

Going into the configuration files with a text editor, might allow some name changing. It would be tedious for sure. When all is said and done, the firmware might not accept the change.

I've had good luck removing Canadian entries from the database. Living close to the border there are times you want to run the full DB, but not hear the international traffic. The drawback to this is every time the DB is updated, the edits have to be performed again. If nothing else, I learned a lot about the inner workings.
 

iMONITOR

Silent Key
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Sep 20, 2006
Messages
11,156
Location
S.E. Michigan
I've had good luck removing Canadian entries from the database. Living close to the border there are times you want to run the full DB, but not hear the international traffic. The drawback to this is every time the DB is updated, the edits have to be performed again.

I agree. I don't know why Uniden would force you to download the entire database for a country you don't live in! It takes time it, it puts additional wear on the memory card. I live about 30 miles N-E of Detroit. Even if I set the Radius to only 2 miles I will get tons of stuff out of Canada that I never want. It would be so easy to modify Sentinel so you could omit Canada.
 
Last edited:

ProScan

Software Provider
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jul 2, 2006
Messages
7,409
Location
Ontario, Calif.
Going into the configuration files with a text editor, might allow some name changing. It would be tedious for sure. When all is said and done, the firmware might not accept the change.

I've had good luck removing Canadian entries from the database. Living close to the border there are times you want to run the full DB, but not hear the international traffic. The drawback to this is every time the DB is updated, the edits have to be performed again. If nothing else, I learned a lot about the inner workings.

Service Type name changing? That will not work. Each Service Type is represented by a numerical value in the database text files. If changing to "Marine" How would you toggle it on and off in the scanner menu "Select Service?
 

Hit_Factor

Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2010
Messages
2,435
Location
Saint Joseph, MI
Service Type name changing? That will not work. Each Service Type is represented by a numerical value in the database text files. If changing to "Marine" How would you toggle it on and off in the scanner menu "Select Service?
At some point the number is translated into/from a text tag, profile.cfg has Custom 1, etc. I did qualify it with 'might'.
 

Hit_Factor

Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2010
Messages
2,435
Location
Saint Joseph, MI
I agree. I don't know why Uniden would force you to download the entire database for a country you don't live in! It takes time it, it puts additional wear on the memory card. I live about 30 miles N-E of Detroit. Even if I set the Radius to only 2 miles I will get tons of stuff out of Canada that I never want. It would be so easy to modify Sentinel so you could omit Canada.
You probably figured this out already. If not, in Sentinel, go into the Canada list and start avoiding traffic you don't want to hear. You'll have to drill down into the nationwide, statewide (sic), and County.
 

ProScan

Software Provider
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jul 2, 2006
Messages
7,409
Location
Ontario, Calif.
At some point the number is translated into/from a text tag, profile.cfg has Custom 1, etc. I did qualify it with 'might'.

The translation is done at the firmware level and Sentinel. Numeric value -> Service Type (before displaying) and Service Type - > Numeric value (after editing). Never will you see a "Custom 1", etc. in any of the text files.
 

Hit_Factor

Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2010
Messages
2,435
Location
Saint Joseph, MI
The translation is done at the firmware level and Sentinel. Numeric value -> Service Type (before displaying) and Service Type - > Numeric value (after editing). Never will you see a "Custom 1", etc. in any of the text files.
Like I wrote in post 13: "When all is said and done, the firmware might not accept the change"

84571
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top