BCD436HP/BCD536HP: Correct Time in Recordings

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kh6sz

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Is there a way that the time stamp in recordings reflect the ACTUAL time that the call was recorded? This would be extremely useful to pin down exactly when the call came in. Displaying the current time while listening to the recordings is totally useless. Hopefully this mod would not be too hard to do and will show up in a future firmware update.

In a related topic, when there has been 100 recordings received, the 436 creates 1 file. Is the filename consisting of the date and time the time that the LAST recording was received, or the FIRST file? Just wondering. Thanks.
 

kh6sz

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Your post is confusing. Mine show the actual date/time of the recording.

536/436/ws1095/996p2/996xt/325p2/396xt/psr800/396t/HP-1/HP-2 & others

My 436 does not. I just did a test that was recording all night and there was 3 files that was recorded. The filenames were all different (of course), but when you go and listen to the 100 calls for each file, the time and date in the upper right hand corner ALWAYS shows the current time, not the time and date they were individually recorded.

When you say that yours show the actual date/time of the recording, is that the 536 or the 436, or both?
 

troymail

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My 436 does not. I just did a test that was recording all night and there was 3 files that was recorded. The filenames were all different (of course), but when you go and listen to the 100 calls for each file, the time and date in the upper right hand corner ALWAYS shows the current time, not the time and date they were individually recorded.

When you say that yours show the actual date/time of the recording, is that the 536 or the 436, or both?

The time displayed on the radio during recording replay is always the current time vs. the time of the recording. I agree - could be improved but they've ignored that kind of request for years now.

The times on the folders and recordings are the time they were created (i.e. begin vs. end time). If I recall correctly, the recording header data contains the end time.
 

marksmith

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I now understand the issue.

On both 436 and 536 it does show current time. I never listen to the replays on the radio in the case of these two radios. The actual time of recording is captured in the files, and when I listen to them using MEDIA MONKEY, all of the data for the recorded info shows. I had assumed it was also on the radio.

Just realizing now that it doesn't on the radio.

536/436/ws1095/996p2/996xt/325p2/396xt/psr800/396t/HP-1/HP-2 & others
 

jonwienke

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The audio file is timestamped with the scanner's date/time when it received the transmission. The scanner date and time display always shows current time. But if you use third-party programs to hear the recordings, they will show the timestamp rather than current time.
 

racingfan360

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But if you use third-party programs to hear the recordings, they will show the timestamp rather than current time.

It is just hugely disappointing that Uniden have decided to now go with a file format that means that most of the useful metadata associated with a recording (CTCSS/DCS/DCC/GID etc) cannot be read by any of these 3rd party tools. Replays on the scanner mean you can't see the timestamp. Replays using a PC mean you can't see any useful metadata: it's a mess.
 

phask

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Which are you missing (PC)? I've found tags for everything I use, but might be missing something.

Anyone have a list of all known tags?


It is just hugely disappointing that Uniden have decided to now go with a file format that means that most of the useful metadata associated with a recording (CTCSS/DCS/DCC/GID etc) cannot be read by any of these 3rd party tools. Replays on the scanner mean you can't see the timestamp. Replays using a PC mean you can't see any useful metadata: it's a mess.
 

ofd8001

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I believe if one connects their scanner (in Mass Storage) and computer, then looks for the recordings, the name of the recording is the date and time the recording began. Same is true if the recordings are transferred from the scanner to a folder on the computer.

The purpose of the Recordings is to save a transmission to listen later. Logging of data associated with the transmission, such as CTCSS, frequency, signal strength, etc. is a whole 'nother thing. There is software (ARC 536 Pro, ProScan) that will do data logging.
 

Jay911

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Replays using a PC mean you can't see any useful metadata: it's a mess.

What is it you don't see?

KMwplYM.png


In the image above, Title is the channel name, Artist is the favorites list name, Conductor is the radio ID (or alias if you have assigned one), Genre is the department name.

If the recording is of a TG discovered during TGID Search, the Title is blank, and Comment is the TGID. [Comment is only "always" the TGID on HP1 in my experience, not the BCDx36HPs.]

And if you need it, color code/CTCSS/DCS/NAC is available in ISRC, as shown below. (ISRC is not displayable in the main screen of the media managing program I use.)

Za3Wpiz.png
 
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racingfan360

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Is there something still missing?

Grafetul if you can advise what tool/tools you are using to see the DCC/CTCSS/DCS info.

AFAIK you can only see any info when you have scanned a channel. I still haven't see anything that can be used to view a recording of a - or example - custom search.
 

Jay911

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That's MediaMonkey. The second screenshot is just the "Properties" page on a specific item - just hit Shift+Enter when a recording is highlighted, then move to the second tab to the "Details" page.

I haven't done any custom searches lately but I do know that when a Close Call hit comes in, the information is not included in the usual metadata - you see the info for whatever channel you were in before the CC hit went active. Similarly, the "new" data that comes up for a conventional DMR channel when you leave the name field "blank" does not come up in MediaMonkey, but does show up if you play the recording back on the scanner. Not sure where exactly it is stored in the metadata, but it's not anything that's human-readable (I have tried browsing the headers of the various files in Notepad++ and only seen the obvious data already described).
 
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