Another "Multiple Uniden" Sentinel Thread....

[Jake68111]

Almost trampled on someone else's thread.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this method of doing things.

If I want to make 2 separate profiles, one named 536HP and one named SDS100, with two totally different FL's, one would think that those profiles, because they are being categorized as such (hence the reason for them being separate), would "save" independently from each other. Hook up the 536, open the 536 profile and the FL's that you last saved to that profile, populate. Hook up the 100, open the 100 profile and the FL's that you last saved to that profile, populate.

Is this a primitive form of thinking for the way the software "should" operate? I find the way I'd "like" to do it, which has come from years of using numerous software packages, as being the "norm" but the way we are "forced" to do it is like reinventing the wheel.

I've never really had to just "deal" with this till recently (with the SDS100 I now own 2 Unidens at the same time) and perhaps someone could make a guide for maintaining 2 separate radios for 2 separate purposes wanting both radios to have 2 different sets of FL's.

It's simply frustrating the way it is now. My rant is over and I feel much better. Now if I could only program without getting agitated.......

 

[UPMan]

FLs are shared across all profiles. If you want two different versions of a FL, you need to make and save two different versions (with different names). Then, in the profile editor, you select which version to download/monitor when that profile is active.

If you have an FL built that you want to make relatively minor changes to for a variation, export it as an HPE, then import that HPE, giving the incoming FL a new name.

 

[captainmax1]

I agree. I wish that the profiles were separate with the SDS100 and X36 series. If you make a profile change in X36, it also changes the profile in SDS100. If I set the volume and squelch under Miscellaneous/Options (BCD 436 Only), It also sets the volume and squelch the same on the SDS100. I know you can have as many profiles as you want if you name them separate and save them but I understand what Jake68111 is talking about. Would be nice if the x36 and SDS100 profiles were completely separate in Sentinel when it comes to mutual settings of each scanner. Until then, you can make separate profiles and save them with different names for each scanner.

 

[jonwienke]

I agree. I wish that the profiles were separate with the SDS100 and X36 series. If you make a profile change in X36, it also changes the profile in SDS100. If I set the volume and squelch under Miscellaneous/Options (BCD 436 Only), It also sets the volume and squelch the same on the SDS100.

All of this is wrong. Profiles are completely separate and independent, and making changes to one has zero effect on any other profile. Changing the Target Model setting within a profile does NOT make a new profile, it merely changes the properties of an existing profile. To switch profiles, you have to load a different profile in the file menu.

 

[captainmax1]

All of this is wrong. Profiles are completely separate and independent, and making changes to one has zero effect on any other profile. Changing the Target Model setting within a profile does NOT make a new profile, it merely changes the properties of an existing profile. To switch profiles, you have to load a different profile in the file menu.

Guess I don't explain it good. I know if I want completely separate Sentinel Profiles for x36 & SDS100 I can rename and save as many Sentinel files as I want. Was just stating that when I make a Service Type change in X36 in the same Sentinel file, It also changes it in SDS100. If I make any changes in Sentinel to one scanner then it makes the same change to the other scanner no matter which scanner I have checked under tool. For example: Service Types, Volume, Squelch. As for me, I make separate Sentinel Files for different areas I might travel and I take both the 436 & SDS100 with me so not a problem.

 

[Ubbe]

It would be nice if a profile could have a setting to name a folder to store the favorite lists and systems. If you want the FLs to be the exact same with different profiles you only set the folder names the same in both profiles.

When I first started having several scanners I prepared one profile for one scanner and saved it and then started to prepare another profile for another scanner and deleted systems and added new ones. I then thought I could get the old setup back by loading the old profile, but no, everything was changed in that profile as well and it is not really what you would expect. As an extra precaution every change you do to a system could trigger an automatic save of that system to a backup file so there always would be a way to undo a change one step back if the change didn't turn out the way you wanted it to be in the scanner.

/Ubbe

 

[jonwienke]

Guess I don't explain it good. I know if I want completely separate Sentinel Profiles for x36 & SDS100 I can rename and save as many Sentinel files as I want. Was just stating that when I make a Service Type change in X36 in the same Sentinel file, It also changes it in SDS100.

Because changing the Target Model is NOT changing to a different profile, it's merely altering which model-specific settings are editable within a profile. Settings that are common among models are not affected by changing Target Model. So if you change Close Call mode to OFF, change Target Model to SDS100, Close Call will still be OFF. And if you change Close Call to Do Not Disturb and then change Target Model back to x36, Close Call will still be set to Do Not Disturb.

If you want separate settings, you have to switch to a different profile, you can't just change Target Model.

 

[jonwienke]

I then thought I could get the old setup back by loading the old profile, but no, everything was changed in that profile as well and it is not really what you would expect.

Only if you don't RTFM.

What you're proposing would actually be a giant PITA in practice, because you'd have to export and re-import favorite lists to share them among profiles. If you have several profiles, and make a favorite list and forget which profile you had open when you created it, then you have to go through every profile to find it. And if you have multiple scanners that you want to scan the same systems, but need different scanner settings because of model differences, you have to update each favorite list for every profile, instead of once. You could have a flag in a FL to specify whether a favorite list is specific to one profile or shared among all, but then you'd have confusion because some FLs disappear when you change profiles, and some don't.

KISS. A profile is a set of scanner settings. A Favorite List is a set of systems and their settings. And they should stay that way, separate and distinct. Otherwise you're making Sentinel more complex and confusing than it needs to be.

 

[MississippiPI]

What????

 

[Jake68111]

I'm just going to have to keep trying to grow accustom to the way this must be done. Seems more convoluted than it really needs to be. I like Uniden and what both my radios have to offer me but I must say, if I could change one thing, for simplicity sake, THIS probably would be it.

 

[ofd8001]

I thought I chimed in on this, but guess I didn't.

You can have multiple Profiles involving different scanners. I do this regularly for three different scanners and multiple scanning scenarios (home, travel, destination A, destination B). I also have different Favorites Lists, again for different scanning scenarios.

So for example, I'll have a "Home" Profile (which is in Louisville KY), a "Minnesota" Profile and a "Florida" Profile. I'll also have Favorites Lists for Louisville, places in Minnesota and places in Florida.

With the "Home" Profile, I've set the Minnesota and Florida Favorites Lists so they do not "scan", only the Kentucky Favorites Lists scan. In the "Minnesota" Profile, the Kentucky and Florida Favorites Lists don't scan, but the Minnesota FL does. Then as you may guess, for the Florida Profile, just the Florida Lists scan and the Minnesota and Kentucky lists are off.

There are a couple of ways of keeping Favorites Lists from scanning. One is Download Off where the FL isn't even written to the scanner. Another is Monitor Off where the FL is written to the scanner (Download On), but it is turned off. The third method, which I use, is to set the applicable Favorites List Quick Keys to be on or off by default. I find this to be less button presses if I want to turn something on (like when I'm back in Kentucky after a trip to either Minnesota or Florida). Unfortunately I need a "cheat sheet" to remember FL Quick Key numbers.

There will be others who advocate a fourth option - leave all FLs where they use Location Control and let the GPS device turn things on and off as appropriate. This is okay in my vehicle with a GPS, but not with my 436 as it doesn't have GPS.

Now if you are talking about a specific Favorites List doing one thing in Profile A and something completely different in Profile B (as in listening to just police in A and just fire in B), that's a whole different thing.

A Favorites List is like a tool, such as a screwdriver. Regardless of whether it is in a tool chest, a tool pouch or a 5 gallon bucket, it is intended to do one task, that being loosen/tighten screws. You shouldn't expect to move it from your tool chest, stick it in your tool belt and go to where the work is and then have it drive a nail.