BCD436HP/BCD536HP: zip code database info

[Ilikeradiostuff]

I am about to buy the BD436HP and was wondering about the zip code feature, is there a way to see all the frequencies and or talkgroups that are included in the zip code program instead of just waiting for a channel I have never heard before pops up

 

[trentbob]

So normal operation would be to program favorites list and number them taking systems and frequencies from The Sentinel programming tool of your choice. You will update Sentinel from Uniden who gets it from the radio reference database.

When you get the radio you will update the database in the radio itself from The Sentinel program. You can then search the database that's in the radio by putting in your ZIP code, you also put in a range of how far out you want to search the database, you also put service types of what you would like to listen to so you can filter out certain types of systems and frequencies. When you first get the radio by default not all service types are activated so that's the first thing you want to do is turn on all service types. Put in a range of maybe five miles and then start to search the database.

To answer what I think your question is it's hard to predict what you're going to actually search at a 5 mile range because you're going to pick things up that are further than 5 miles. If you're not hearing enough you can extend it to 10 miles or 25 miles, if you're picking up too much or too far away you can reduce the range.

The good thing about the database zip code searching is you can pluck things out of the search and add them to existing favorites list.

 

[RandyKuff]

If using the zip code function... Might be nice to have a place in sentinel where you could dump it from the scanner to see what it did load...
Or what got added or removed with range changes...

 

[hiegtx]

If using the zip code function... Might be nice to have a place in sentinel where you could dump it from the scanner to see what it did load...
Or what got added or removed with range changes...

Actually, you can do that in Sentinel, even before you receive the scanner.

Download & install Sentinel (if you have not already done so).
Update the Sentinel database.

Start the Profile Editor by either picking it from the drop-down Edit menu, or by clicking the small icon that resembles a piece of paper with a pencil on it, under the V of the drop-down View menu.


In the Profile Editor, select the Service Types you want to monitor. By default, initially the only Public Safety service types enabled for Public Safety are Dispatch, for Law, Fore, EMS, and Multi. Also enable the Tac & Talk types for these as well, i.e. Law Talk, Fire Tac, etc.


After selecting the service types desired, click on the Location Settings tab and enter your location and a range, For location, you can use your Zip code, or enter your actual location using latitude & longitude. (You can find that using Google maps, or there are several smart phone apps that will display the information for you.)

Once you've set your location, choose a range setting. Remember that if the circle representing the rane you set intersects the range circle for a system's site or department, that system would be included in what's scanned.
See How it Works: Location, Location, Location for a more complete explanation of how Range is used.

Once you've selected the Service Types you want to hear, and entered your location and the desired range, click on the drop-down Edit menu.

Click on "Add Channels on Range

That will get you a pop-up menu to confirm your location, range, and service types choices.

After confirming what you want to use, click OK on that pop-up. Sentinel will then ask you which Favorites list to add those channels to, or you can create a new list, entering the name you want to use.



Sentinel will then create a Favorites list which will contain the systems, departments, channels, and talkgroups that match your choices. You can then review what was created and edit it if so desired. You can then load this list in your scanner (once it arrives).

 

[RandyKuff]

I know how to do all that... Just meant it would be nice to be able to do it in reverse... As in download it from the scanner also...

Just like when you make changes to your Fav lists or whatever on the scanner itself... And then read it back into sentinel...

 

[StoliRaz]

I know how to do all that... Just meant it would be nice to be able to do it in reverse... As in download it from the scanner also...

Just like when you make changes to your Fav lists or whatever on the scanner itself... And then read it back into sentinel...

Isn't there a button in Sentinel "read from scanner"?

 

[RandyKuff]

Yes... But progrmming the scanner directly from a zip (On the scanner itself) will not write back to sentinel... Only Fav lists, as far as I know...
The scanner uses the full database when using the zip code...

 

[doctordialtone]

Isn't there a button in Sentinel "read from scanner"?

 

[RandyKuff]

What @hiegtx wrote will let you do the same thing, but create a Fav list/lists from it in sentinel...

 

[StoliRaz]

Yes... But progrmming the scanner directly from a zip (On the scanner itself) will not write back to sentinel... Only Fav lists, as far as I know...
The scanner uses the full database when using the zip code...

Ahhh, I get what you're saying. I tend to turn off the full database and just run my favorites list

 

[RandyKuff]

So again what I meant is... To be able to read the data the scanner found using a zip code and create Fav lists from that data in sentinel rather than sifting thru the database.

 

[JoeBearcat]

Yes... But progrmming the scanner directly from a zip (On the scanner itself) will not write back to sentinel... Only Fav lists, as far as I know...
The scanner uses the full database when using the zip code...

After setting up the zip...

MENU
MANAGE FAVORITES LIST
NEW FAVORITES LIST
ADD CURRENT DB CHANNELS

Then read that FL using Sentinel.

It is the same difference doing it in Sentinel, however, as heigtx explained.

 

[RandyKuff]

So your saying...
You can set the scanner up using a zip code only... Then go thru your steps above... And it will load what it pulls from the database on the scanner to a new fav list on the scanner that you can download into sentinel then...
If thats the case... Never new that...

 

[RandyKuff]

Ok... That does work... Tried it...

 

[RandyKuff]

For me I don't use the zip feature...

I brought it up for new people trying to use the scanner and setting it up with the zip code...
This way they can get that data from the scanner into sentinel then...
It could help them to see how it is configured...

 

[JoeBearcat]

It's also a great way to get a jump start on organizing your Favorites Lists.

Use this method, import to Sentinel, and refine, delete, add as you like.

 

[hiegtx]

So again what I meant is... To be able to read the data the scanner found using a zip code and create Fav lists from that data in sentinel rather than sifting thru the database.

Randy,
If you use the scanner, rather than Sentinel, to create a Favorites list based on location & range, you have an option that you do not have if using Sentinel.

Press Menu on the scanner
Select "Set Scan Selection"
Select the Full Database as one of your scan options


Now, press Menu to get back to the 'Set Scan Selection menu

Select "Set Nationwide Systems


That gets you to a menu where you can select "Nationwide Categories" to be scanned



Doing this, you can keep these from coming up when scanning, unless there is one or more that you do want to include.

For illustration, I turned Air Shows & Citizens Band to "On" in the Nationwide systems, then, on the scanner, created a new list from "current db channels.
Air Shows and Citizens Band then showed up in the list when I read it back into Sentinel.


There is no selection in Sentinel to include or ignore those categories. The first list I created in Sentinel, using the 'channels in range' from the Edit menu, did not include those. But, after reading the scanner into Sentinel (with the list created in the scanner), when I again did 'add channels in range' in Sentinel, those two showed up. After I set them back to off in the scanner, and read the scanner (again) into Sentinel, I created another 'channels in range' list, and it did not include them. So apparently, Sentinel is taking it's queue from the setting in the scanner, even though there is not a specific place in Sentinel to select or deselect those Nationwide categories.

 

[RandyKuff]

Steve

I do ALL my programming in Sentinel... Not on the scanner itself...
On the scanner I might open up the MarcsIP (Statewide System) with an ID Search and let it run with ProScan all day...
Just to see if anything new crops up and see what kind of hit counts I'm getting...
Then I deciide if I want to add items or not to my lists... And it's usually not...

But just for the heck of it now, I might just swap the SD card in one of my scanners... Set it up with the zip code... Add that data back to a fav list and let it fly on ProScan all day... That will be fun to see what crops up...

 

[hiegtx]

Steve

I do ALL my programming in Sentinel... Not on the scanner itself...
On the scanner I might open up the MarcsIP (Statewide System) with an ID Search and let it run with ProScan all day...
Just to see if anything new crops up and see what kind of hit counts I'm getting...
Then I deciide if I want to add items or not to my lists... And it's usually not...

But just for the heck of it now, I might just swap the SD card in one of my scanners... Set it up with the zip code... Add that data back to a fav list and let it fly on ProScan all day... That will be fun to see what crops up...

I do the same. Create a list in Sentinel with what I want to listen to, and what I know is within receiving range. I have several relatively new systems in my area, that are slowly adding talkgroups, or where another city is in the oprocess of moving to the system. So, periodically I run one or more of those systems using ID Search, while being logged via ProScan.

The steps of creating a list based what location & range would add is simply to illustrate visually what would be scanned if the user was only using location, and no Favorites lists.