Sentinel: Why so many duplicates in the master database? Could this be improved, I wonder?

[TeeJayZee]

I'm wondering if the Sentinel application could be improved on the way it lists the master database?

For example, when we download the master database in Sentinel each county in the USA (since it also includes Canada) will have the same duplicated entries for Nationwide and also Statewide. -- (See screenshot below where I open up some counties in the USA state of Alabama -- I point to the duplicated entries...)



And this duplication pattern repeats itself to all the USA States as well as the Counties for each state (it also does this for the other country the master database provides: Canada). Meaning the duplicated Nationwide frequencies are found within east county for all states, and the Statewide frequencies are duped to each county within the state it belongs to. Making the database download to the scanner (like the SDS100 and so on) unnecessarily too large than what it really should be.

So, I was thinking that perhaps this organization could be improved... Below is my suggestion (and perhaps even that could be improved?):

\---Database
    \---USA
        +---Nationwide
        \---States
            +---Alabama
            |   +---Counties
            |   |   +---Autauga
            |   |   |   \---County Systems
            |   |   \---Baldwin
            |   |       \---County Systems
            |   \---Statewide
            +---Alaska
            |   +---Counties
            |   |   +---Aleutians East
            |   |   |   \---County Systems
            |   |   \---Aleutians West
            |   |       \---County Systems
            |   \---Statewide
            \---Arizona
                +---Counties
                |   +---Apache
                |   |   \---County Systems
                |   \---Cochise
                |       \---County Systems
                \---Statewide

As you can see above, here is what I did:

1. I've placed the Nationwide frequencies under the country name (I guess you can do the same for each other country?) -- and that would be the only place that it will be found for each country and so on.
2. And the Statewide frequencies for each state will only be found once under each state.
3. And then I created an entry for each state called Counties, and under that it will only provide the County System for each one.

 

[dave3825]

this duplication pattern repeats itself to all the USA States as well as the Counties for each state (it also does this for the other country the master database provides: Canada). Meaning the duplicated Nationwide frequencies are found within east county for all states, and the Statewide frequencies are duped to each county within the state it belongs to. Making the database download to the scanner (like the SDS100 and so on) unnecessarily too large than what it really should be.

The master db is about 50 megabytes. Not what I would consider large

1. I've placed the Nationwide frequencies under the country name (I guess you can do the same for each other country?) -- and that would be the only place that it will be found for each country and so on.
2. And the Statewide frequencies for each state will only be found once under each state.
3. And then I created an entry for each state called Counties, and under that it will only provide the County System for each one.

Why? Nothing wrong with it the way it is. In Sentinel, each county has an entry for place holder for Statewide and Nationwide so you can get to that data from wherever you are in the tree. Pretty sure those act as shortcuts, if you will.


If you copy the full database file to a safe location, MasterHpdb.hp1, and search the file for something from Nationwide, only one entry is found, not 50 duplicates for each of the 50 states.





If you do the same for a Statewide system, like search New York Electric and Gas, there are only 7 entries and the trunked systems appears one time, even tho there are 62 counties in NYS.




If you search Starcom 21, a statewide trunked system in Illinois, the trunked system only comes up once. Not sure why Nexedge is shown on the right side as its a P25 Phase 2 system.

 

[n1chu]

I wonder if the reasons it is set up as it is are related to previous data entries from hard copies, database constraints that existed at the time the data was transcribed? But now more efficient methods are available? Just a guess…

 

[n1chu]

Mr. Blankenship might be able to share some history of the operation? I know I would find the history of RR from the first thoughts of collecting and creating a databank and growing it into what we see today.

 

[dave3825]

Sentinel reads and displays it one way and @ProScan reads and displays it differently. Proscan lists Nationwide and Statewide on the top of each state and not in each county like Sentinel does. I could not find any duplicate Statewide or Nationwide entries in the db file..

 

[phask]

It is or is similar to a relational database. The same data is entered once but can be displayed in multiple ways. Not a true, scientific explanation, but it should cover it.

 

[TeeJayZee]

Pretty sure those act as shortcuts, if you will.

Ah, I see.

If they are actual shortcuts in the Sentinel app pointing to the same list, then that is great.

I thought they were dupes in the Sentinel app and also inside the SDS100 DB.

But if there are no dupes, then nevermind my suggestion then. 😎

 

[YoShep69]

Sentinel reads and displays it one way and @ProScan reads and displays it differently. Proscan lists Nationwide and Statewide on the top of each state and not in each county like Sentinel does. I could not find any duplicate Statewide or Nationwide entries in the db file..


View attachment 153878

Is that screenshot from Proscan? Thanks

 

[ProScan]

Is that screenshot from Proscan? Thanks

Yes, That's the Modify Uniden (HPDB) Database utility located in the Tools menu.