HP-2: Sentinel set up NYC only

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usnasa

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Hello All

I have the home patrol 2 with an outside mag mount antenna , Is there a way to set up the Sentinel software to listen just for NEW YORK and my favorites list Rather then scan the full database that I will never get because IM in Nyc area ?


Thank you
 

UnidenSupport

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Yes,
In the sentinel software, you should be able to find the frequencies you wish to have on a favorites list. Right click on the frequency/TGID you want and select "append to favorites list" it will ask you to create or select a favorites list to add the frequency to. Once you have your list setup how you want it, connect your scanner and get it into mass storage mode. select "homepatrol" and "write to scanner. After it transfers the information, go into your scanner and disable the full database and enable your favorites list and you should be scanning just the frequencies on your list.

If you need any help or clarification, feel free to call us at 1-800-297-1023 or direct message me.
 

usnasa

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oh ok thank you so I would want all of NYC added to my favorites list then and just turn off full database and just listen to favorites list correct ? and if I travel I can always turn on Full database to listen do I have it Right ?
 

KE4ZNR

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oh ok thank you so I would want all of NYC added to my favorites list then and just turn off full database and just listen to favorites list correct ?

That is correct. Just scan the Favorites List only without the full database. That is one of the beautiful things about the HP line of scanners: Being able to listen to everything in the full database or being able to narrow down your monitoring to just a favorites list.

and if I travel I can always turn on Full database to listen do I have it Right ?

Yep. Though I would recommend making sure your full database in the scanner has been updated to the latest version by updating it within Sentinel (Update->Update Master HPDB) then writing that new database to the scanner (HomePatrol->Write to HomePatrol).

Marshall KE4ZNR
 

usnasa

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the only thing I don't like about a favorites list when you update the database it doesn't update your list
 

ansky

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There are obviously a lot of frequencies used by so many NYC agencies. I would highly recommend setting up multiple favorites lists so you can fine tune what you want to listen to. I keep 1 list for NYPD, another list for FDNY, and another list for the DoITT trunking system. You could even take it a step further and break each borough out into a separate list. You can then select 1 or more favorites lists to listen to at any given time.
 

Hit_Factor

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the only thing I don't like about a favorites list when you update the database it doesn't update your list
That's one of the things I like. I spend a lot of time setting GPS coordinates, adjusting service types, renaming talk groups and other labels to match local conditions and optimize scanning.

DB updates overwriting my FLs would be a disaster.

When things don't work as expected, it is nice to have an up to date DB right on the scanner.
 

usnasa

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hi Ansky when you say u have multiple favorites lists u mean one list just broken down in groups can I see a screen shot if I may
 

ansky

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hi Ansky when you say u have multiple favorites lists u mean one list just broken down in groups can I see a screen shot if I may

I have 2 completely separate favorites lists set up. One list has all the NYPD frequencies and I have a second favorites list set up for FDNY. If I want to hear both at the same time I have to select both lists.
 

Danny37

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I have 2 completely separate favorites lists set up. One list has all the NYPD frequencies and I have a second favorites list set up for FDNY. If I want to hear both at the same time I have to select both lists.

I have it set up the same way and even have another list setup by boroughs only with PD, FD and EMS combined.
 

donirving

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Update Master vs Rebuild Full Database?

Yep. Though I would recommend making sure your full database in the scanner has been updated to the latest version by updating it within Sentinel (Update->Update Master HPDB) then writing that new database to the scanner (HomePatrol->Write to HomePatrol).
Marshall KE4ZNR

Ok, so that's the proper way to update the HPDB database. (obvious newbee here) So can someone tell me what "Rebuild Full Database" does when that dialog appears? I presume it rebuilds the HPDB from scratch, but does it also reinitialize Favorites Lists to a blank slate?

My favorites list were gone after doing a Full Rebuild. (I thought that was the way to get the new data, duh.) But there is one other possible (unrelated) cause for the missing Favorites list at that moment. I will explain here if people think it is reasonably on thread topic, or I can start a new thread for the Rebuild question.

Oh, and regarding writing it to the scanner, it hasn't arrived yet :)

Thanks!
Don
 

Ubbe

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Favorite lists are never touched unless you do it manually.

I guess rebuild database means it downloads the whole DB.

/Ubbe
 

donirving

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The other possibility

Favorite lists are never touched unless you do it manually.

I guess rebuild database means it downloads the whole DB.

/Ubbe

Thanks, so that brings up the other possibility. I had moved my Sentinal folder to a network computer, and then afterwards I changed the folder path in Sentinel. Apparently when you change the path it creates a new, empty set of folders/files there overwriting whatever may already be there - such as your current Favorites. I have since found that if I change the path in Sentinel first, then exit, then go to the new location and manually replace the fresh (empty) Profile and Favorites folders with my real ones, then start Sentinel, it sees my Favorites in the new location. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

In any case, hard lesson, I had to rebuild my Favorites.

Cheers,
Don
 

UnidenSupport

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if you hit "overwrite favorites list" before you transfer, it will only mirror what is on sentinel and get rid of everything on the scanner. If you switched computers and didn't "read from scanner", you probably just overwrote everything. if you are using a sentinel with a different version of your favorites than your scanner, always read from scanner first.

It could just be that by moving the folders you were no longer connected to the folder that holds your favorites since that is stored separately from the program files
 

donirving

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Thank you for those hints and for being here to help newbies like me. I see now that it's my non-normal situation leading to my confusion over behavior - there is no scanner yet to read from, it arrives tomorrow. ;)
 

Ubbe

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I moved my uniden folder to another drive as C: where getting full with just Windows updates.
It reset everything as if it where a new installation. Just read the scanners profile setting and favorite lists and save to computer and everything is restored.

/Ubbe
 
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