Tuesday, December 29, 2020

SCANNER FOR CHRISTMAS - TROUBLE PROGRAMMING?

 Hello and Welcome Back... Did Santa Bring you a New Scanner for Christmas?

If your having trouble programming your new toy, your not alone. It took me a few months to get my head around programming my 436PT Uniden Scanner and the Software program that goes with it.. 'Sentinal'

I have been using scanners since 1986 and even i was having problems...

The Good News is, my headaches can be your gain as i now offer Full Programming of several Radio Scanners

What i offer is FULL Scanner Programming, meaning, everything you can think of* is programmed into your radio, all you have to do is sit back and enjoy...


WHAT SCANNERS DO I PROGRAM

UNIDEN UBCD396T / XT


UNIDEN UBCD325P2


UNIDEN UBCD436PT


UNIDEN USDS100


UNIDEN USDS200

 

UNIDEN UBCD536PT


 

UNIDEN UBCD996T



UNIDEN UBCD126AT

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

Remembering, i offer a Full Program of your scanner which includes NSW GRN (Ambulance, SES, Rural Fire, Fire & Rescue & More), Sydney Airport, Rural Fire frequencies / Aviation, NSW Surf Lifesavers***, Bus Comapanys, Shopping Centres***, NSW Marine, Military & More

Most Radio Programming just does NSW GRN...

Cost is only $50

I can meet you in Springwood, NSW (or nearby) OR i can post the Micro SD Card** needed (tracking included) OR send you the File so you can download the file into your radio yourself...

Payment is done through Paypal, just click on the "Shout me a Coffee" Donate Badge on the top right side of this page...

Payment is done BEFORE any programming is done.. 

 

MORE INFO = http://scanradionsw.blogspot.com/2016/11/program-your-scanner-in-5-mins.html

 

* = Police not included.. They are digital encrypted and cannot be scanned

** = Models that use a Micro SD Card memory

*** = DMR Upgrade needed


Hope to Hear From You Soon...

 

QUESTIONS? = michael-bailey1708@hotmail.com

Michael

 

#radioprograming

#radio

#program

#unidenprograming

#scannerprograming

#scanner

#radioscanner

#unidenscanner

 


Thursday, December 24, 2020

MERRY CHRISTMAS

 

 Hello & Welcome Back...

Just wanted to wish all my Readers / Owners of most excellent Radio Scanners, a Safe and Happy Christmas & New Year...

Cheers

Michael

 


 

Thursday, December 10, 2020

POLICE NSW - NEW HELICOPTER

 Hello and Welcome Back... Swish New Bird

Police NSW will be receiving a new bird rumored to be replacing the Eurocopter AS350s (Squirrel) helicopters..

The new Polair 1 will be a Bell 429 (VH-PHW)



Photos - K H Media

SIZE IS EVERYTHING

 Hello and Welcome Back... Excellent photo found on Facebook

Would make a brill Wallpaper for your Computer..

 


This Antonov AN-124 was taken at Williamtown NSW while delivering F-35A training systems

What a Beast..

ANTENNAS

 Hello and Welcome Back... Found this on Facebook..

Wicked photo of a RAAF (Based on a Boeing 737-700) E-7A Wedgetail, check out all the antenna's...

 


These planes are based at Williamtown NSW and the RAAF own 6 of them...

LINK = https://www.airforce.gov.au/technology/aircraft/intelligence-surveillance-and-reconnaissance/e-7a-wedgetail

 
 

Wednesday, December 2, 2020

UNIDEN SDS100 - AN OVERVIEW

Hello and Welcome Back... I Recently had the chance to play with a Uniden SDS100 Handheld Receiver..

Here are my Thoughts...

The SDS100 Scanner Receiver from Uniden is a Hybrid between Conventional Scanning Radio and a SDR (Software Defined Radio) in One..

Its currently the best you can get in Uniden's Scanner line Up.. (apart from its desktop brother, the SDS200)


Programming in done via Sentinal Software (American Version) and uses the same Micro SD card memory as the 436pt & 536pt Radios..

In your hand, the radio fits well with rubber grips on the sides giving excellent grip-ability in rainy weather being weatherproof, its also a decent size as well, where as the 325 is smaller and the 436 is larger its almost the perfect radio scanner.. Almost

Here, the radio shows it size to a 436PT and a well used 396XT (pic below)



As you can see from the Pic above, the SDS100 is quiet chunky, almost double the size of the 436pt but its not too much, its actually has a great secure feel to it where as the 436pt, i have almost dropped a few times (i will cry if that happens, there will be tears..)

So its the perfect radio??

Well, No...

A few things bugged me about this radio...

1. The Antenna Connection..  None of my Antennas fit this radio, sure its got a SMA connection but it also has a plastic ridge that the only way to put an antenna on this radio is through an adapter. So to get a SMA antenna to fit to this radio, you need to get a SMA to BNC adaptor (comes with the radio) and then get another  BNC to SMA adapter just you can get an antenna to fit which is ok if you only have BNC antennas i suppose..(pic below)


 

2. The Speaker... For a sub $1000 radio, you would think that Uniden would put in a decent speaker, not so with this unit.. Its reeealy tinny.. Some people might say its o'k but i wasn't impressed with the sound, not for a radio, that i'll ever be able to afford. (pic below of biddy speaker)



3. Keypad... If has history has shown me anything, is that plastic pads eventually crack and break and guess which radio has a plastic button pad?.. At least other radios have a rubber keypad that can be replaced (pic below)



 

So is it Worth Buying?

I Think Yes,  Under the hood of this beast is an amazing radio, sensitivity is excellent and it looks and feels good...

To be honest, the first thing i would do is take off the back cover and trim down the antenna surround, at least my antenna will fit... That's important Right?

Is it the Perfect Scanner Receiver?

I'll Let You Decide

** NOTE = Programming is Available for this Radio (Conditions Apply)   See HERE

 


 


#SDS100

#overview

#Uniden

#Scanner


Thursday, November 5, 2020

Tuesday, October 13, 2020

HANDHELD ANTENNA FOR YOUR NEW SCANNER

 Hello and Welcome Back.. Finding a good replacement antenna for you new radio is, sometimes, like getting teeth pulled.. 

Sometimes they work and sometimes they, well, they suck

So i have narrowed down a few excellent handheld antennas for my UBCD436PT radio and did a strength test on the type of signal.

The problem with the 435pt (and others that does GRN / DMR ) decoding, you need a strong signal for the decoder to work properly so a good antenna is a wise investment.

 

LOCATION... I live in Springwood, NSW and while height is an advantage, trees, hills, strong wind (no comment from Mother in Law) and other obstructions can screw up a signal, even if that signal is only a few suburbs away.

*** ORIGINAL ANTENNA ***... The stock Uniden antenna is pretty basic and is recommended for 'Local' use, meaning, the signal has to be very close to pick up anything.

I used the stock antenna on GRN to start my test. (Below)

As you can see in the above photo, the stock antenna only managed a signal strength of 1 to 2. It struggled to lock to the control channel and when it did, dropped out repeatedly.. 


*** SECCFARXUG / NAGOYA NA701*** ... These excellent antennas are a VHF / UHF combination with added gain. (pic Below)

 

On VHF, gain is rated at 2.15db and on UHF, gain is rated at 3.0db.

They are not overly tall and are quiet cheap. 

On testing, picking up GRN was a breeze with a solid 2 to 3 (sometimes 4) and with little or no dropouts..

I brought this antenna from South Eastern Communications for $15 and its my go to antenna when traveling due to its size and strength

Highly Recommend

LINK = https://secomms.com.au/product/nl701-uniden-upgrade-antenna/

 

*** Mobile One BNCSCAN *** .... A good antenna, with no gain.. 

On GRN, the Mobile One BNCSCAN with adapter (BNC to SMA) got 1 - 2 (sometimes 3) signal strength.. The antenna kept signal so i had no dropouts.

 Its not bad antenna but i've always found the Mobile One antenna better on VHF than on UHF.. 

 Highly Recommended for Aviation Lovers

Mobile one Antenna's (Company) are still going strong, as i got a conformation from the new owner (Greg Ackman) yesterday with manufacturing still being done in Australia

LINK =  https://www.mobileone.com.au/4d_scanner.html

 

*** DIAMOND  SRH771 *** ... This antenna is a beast, its quiet tall at 40cm and has a receiving gain of  2.15dbi.


As you can see from the pic above, GRN booms in at a solid 5 in signal strength, in fact, this is the only antenna that lets me receive GRN indoors, sitting on the lounge in the middle of the house (2 signal bars).. Impressive

I got the Diamond SRH771 (Genuine, not fake) from 'Stictly Ham' in Victoria and it costs around $39

Money well spent in my option as the antenna is well built, with a metal base and a rubber ring accessory to fill in the gap between the antenna and radio (you will find that fake Diamond antennas sold on Ebay and such, wont supply the rubber ring)

LINK = https://www.strictlyham.com.au/diamond-srh-771

 

Rubber ring with


Without..


 

OTHER ANTENNAS

Some other antennas that was tested...

Metal Retractable Antenna... Ive had this for years, it came with a 10ch Realistic scanner and is heavy, so heavy, that with the push - pull motion of the retractable part and the solid metal frame, it broke the weld on the Tandy antenna plug inside the scanner.. Not Recommended


 

I Forget where i got this antenna (pic below) (Maybe Seccoms?) but its long and veeeery thin, in fact, too thin.. it sways around too much and causes the signal to drop...

 

About the only thing this antenna is good for is maybe whipping the.. wife / girlfriend / boyfriend / sex buddy... If you're into that sort of thing :)

 

*** (NOTE) *** If you own a Uniden UBCD436PT and change antennas often, be very careful.. I managed to somehow miss the center pin in the scanner and pierced the soft foam surround with the center of the SMA Male Antenna leaving a small hole in the scanner

I have never had this happen to any other radios but.. it can happen and really easy, which was scary..

Hope you found this Helpful

 

*** ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS? ***

Email me at = mickyb1970@hotmail.com and let me know your favorite handheld antenna


#handheld

#Uniden

#radioscanner

#handheldantenna

#antenna

#scannerantenna

#weirdsextip

Friday, September 11, 2020

DMR - WORTH THE UPGRADE

Hello and welcome Back... Is it Worth Upgrading your Scanner with DMR

I get asked alot about this question from various emails about the Uniden DMR upgrade and whether its worth paying the $89 for the unlock code.

I would say... Yes

Since unlocking the DMR function of my UBCD436PT, i would say, it has put the 'fun' back into scanning...

DMR unlocking is available on certain Uniden Radio Scanners inc UBCD436-PT, UBCD536-PT, USDS100 & UBCD325P2... Sadly no to UBCD396XT :(

To program DMR Frequencies, most radios will use Sentinel which is an excellent program, once you learn how its set-out.
On the 325P2, you can use Freescan software but Freescan does not support DMR programming, only the 'Digital' tab.
The Sentinel program allows colour code setting that DMR uses making it easier for the scanner to decode. (I use the 'Auto' tab in Sentinel and once i know what colour code the frequency uses, i then enter that into the program)
You can also use Proscan to program 325P2 but will set you back $50 U.S. but it has a good DMR setup

For those who don't know what DMR is, DMR stands for Digital Mobile Radio and just about everything from Bus Company's to Shopping Centers, even Surf Life Savers (Bondi Rescue Anyone?) uses DMR Radios.

Non DMR enabled radios can still pick up the frequency but will hear a strange 'Hammering' sound which is the encryption stream which is why my 436PT will decode but the 396XT wont.


FREQUENCIES (some of the ones i've picked up )

Busways - 507.4125  Col Code 1
Westmead Hospital - 412.975  Col Code 4
BTW Penrith - 464.0375  Col Code 8
VRA (Volunteer Rescue) - 465.925  Col Code 5
Westmead Hospital - 412.700  Col Code 7
Blackjack Security - 164.5375 & 164.300  Col Code 1
Westfields Mt Druitt - 471.150  Col Code 1
Westmead Childrens Hospital - 412.5375  Col Code 15
Westfields Penrith - 466.625  Col Code 7

The list above is just a snippet of whats available.

On September 26th 2020, is when Surf Lifesavers start their patrol season so hopefully should get some hits there as well...Being in mind, most DMR radios are only 5W, so you usually have to be in a close vicinity but with a good outdoor antenna up high, you never know..


What you scanner screen should look like if your decoding DMR properly.. (below)





#DMR
#Uniden
#DigitalMobileRadio
#Upgrade
#NSWRadio
#UBCD436PT
#UBCD536PT




Tuesday, September 8, 2020

NSW GRN - NSW WIDE FREQUENCIES

Hello and Welcome Back... There's COWs in that field

During the 2019 Bushfires in NSW, Several GRN towers lost communication as fire damaged the wiring and control boxes... The solution was COWs

No silly, not the Mooo Type

COWs or "Cell On Wheels" (see pic below) are a portable GRN solution, able to be ushered anywhere around NSW in a Jiffy..




Currently, as i write this, my local tower 'Glenbrook' has been switched off  for upgrades and a COW is put in its place.
The problem was, i had entered all the frequencies for that tower into my scanner aaaand.. Nothing

The problem was, the replacement was a COW and not much was known about the frequencies that belonged to COWs.

Two things stood out...

1. The COW was currently being used (Glenbrook)
2. It is portable, so a search should hopefully show an Ambulatory (Portable) system or NSW Wide.

Turns out i was right with the second thought, the 'NSW Wide' stands out like the proverbial, with all the other 45 or so pages of Government frequencies assigned to various long sounding sites.

Just to be sure on my theory, i ran the frequency that is active at Glenbrook into the search, sure enough, it came back as a 'NSW Wide' frequency...

And that is todays lesson on COWs

I set up my findings under 'COWs - Portable Sites' in my scanner and entered all the frequencies below and got several hits...

Happy with my findings, which i will now share with you.


FREQUENCIES

414.4750 - Station 1
414.4875 - Station 2
414.5000 - Station 3
414.5125 - Station 4
414.5250 - Station 5
414.5375 - Station 6
414.5500 - Station 7
414.5625 - Station 8
414.5750 - Station 9
414.5875 - Station 10
414.6000 - Station 11
414.6125 - Station 12
414.6625 - Station 13
414.8625 - Station 14
415.3875 - Station 15
415.4000 - Station 16
415.4125 - Station 17
415.4250 - Station 18
414.95625 - Notional Station - HGSA Band 2
420.40000 - Notional Station - HGSA Band 5
423.90000 - Notional Station - HGS Band 5
423.1125 - Station 1
423.2375 - Station 2
423.3625 - Station 3
423.4875 - Station 4
423.6125 - Station 5
423.7375 - Station 6
423.8625 - Station 7
423.9875 - Station 8




#COW
#CellonWheels
#Cell
#GRN
#Frequencies



Sunday, September 6, 2020

PROGRAMMING FOR UBCD325PT, UBCD436PT, UBCD536PT & USDS100/200 NOW AVAILABLE

UPDATED 19/02/2021 (Bank 9 - Was FM Radio - Now 'Transport') (Bank 11 - Orion DMR Network)
 
Hello and Welcome Back... Good news if you own a UBCD436PT, UBCD536PT & USDS100/200 Radio Scanner

Programming is now available for models above for NSW / Canberra Only

 
This is a Full Radio Setup using Sentinel Software (10 Banks) (11 banks for Sydney)

Its highly Recommended that you do a DMR upgrade (through Uniden) as most of this file uses DMR Frequency's

The setup is as follows..

BANK
0 = RURAL FIRE inc Rural Fire Aviation, UHF / VHF Fireground, PMR, NPWS & Forestry
1 = CB Radio inc AM CB & UHF CB
2 = GRN (Government Radio Network) inc Ambulance, Fire & rescue, SES, RTA, & heaps More
3 = MEDICAL / RESCUE inc Surf Rescue (must have DMR enabled), Hospitals, VRA & More
4 = LOCAL inc Westfields / Shopping Centres, Bus Companys (Radio must be DMR) & More
5 = SYDNEY AIRPORT inc Companys, Main Airport Frequencys
6 = LOCAL AIRPORTS inc Bankstown & Camden
7 = MILITARY inc Richmond, Williamtown & More
8 = MARINE RADIO inc Marine Rescue
9 = TRANSPORT (Air Companys, Buses, Taxis, ect, ect)
11= DMR Orion Trunking (Bus Companys, Various Private Companys)

HOW MUCH DOES THIS COST TO PROGRAM?

1.. $50
This gets a Mini SD card sent to your address with Postal tracking.
Please give me a 24 - 48 hours to modify the Master File, Transfer to Chip and Post (I will send you a email with your tracking number)
The card will be tailored to your area, all you have to do is plug the chip into the radio and away you go.


2.. $50
This method requires you to meet with me and i will supply a micro sd with the master file on it tailored to your area, i will then install the chip in your radio for you.
I am in Springwood, Blue Mountains and will take about 5 Mins to do.
You can then enjoy the rest of your day..
 
 
PAYMENT IS TO BE MADE BEFORE PROGRAMMING as I have spent time programming only for people not bother to turn up...This way Slots you into a time frame and gets programming Started.
 
 
*** HOW TO PAY  ***

1. Using this Website, Click on the 'DONATE' tab on the top right corner of this page "Shout Me A Coffee" & Deposit the correct amount
This Method uses Paypal and Takes 30sec of your Time
 
2. In the notes section in Paypal, please state the its for 'Radio Programming', and address if sending Micro SD Card & Area of Listening


Please allow 24/48 hours for the instructions and link to the file to be emailed to you. (i have 4 kids so things get hectic at times) also it gives me time to find frequencies for your area. 

Make sure you put your address in the notes section

*Disclaimer - I offer this service AS IS, meaning... i don't claim that its 100% correct, as whats good for me, may not be good for you.. (so far no problems :). I am not a professional, just a fellow hobbyist.

The setup is designed to get you started and then you can add, modify or delete to make it your own.
This file is the same one i use so i know it works but sometimes things change.
Please have patience as i will endeavor to fix any problems that should they arise.
 

WHY CHOOSE ME TO PROGRAM YOUR RADIO?  
1. 40 year experience with Radio Scanners
2. I was the founder of the COW (Cell on Wheels) frequency list on GRN. 
After searching for nearly 2 days, i found that the GRN COW Portable systems have a 'NSW Wide' assignment attached to them, which means if your tower goes down for maintenance, the COW system will kick in & because my Master File includes all NSW Wide COW frequencies, you will be able to continue to listen...
3. I was also the person who worked out settings for the 436PT that need to be changed in order to receive the GRN properly. 

While everyone else was wondering why they were getting crappy reception on GRN using the 'Auto' setting, I worked out that it needed to be set to 'Manual 6' in order to be more sensitive on decoding GRN.

 

NOTE - DISCLAIMER
I offer this service AS IS, meaning i don't claim that its 100% correct, as whats good for me, may not be good for you.. (so far no problems :)
 
The setup is designed to get you started and then you can add, modify or delete to make it your own.
This file is the same one i use so i know it works but sometimes things change.
Please have patience as i will endeavor to fix any problems that should they arise

If you have a problem please email me and let me know because it may be something that i have overlooked or hadn't thought about.
 
My Email Is = michael-bailey1708@hotmail.com


UNIDEN UBCD436-PT
UNIDEN USDS100



UNIDEN UBCD536-PT

#Uniden
#UBCD436PT
#ubcd436pt
#programing
#ubcd536pt
#USDS100

Saturday, August 22, 2020

HOW TO PROGRAM A UNIDEN UBCD436 / 536PT USING SENTINEL SOFTWARE

Hello and Welcome Back... hope this helps..

I decided to make this horrible sounding video with various whining noises to show you how i program my Uniden UBCD436PT Radio Scanner using Australian Version of Sentinel.

Everyone programs differently, this is the way i do mine...

There doesn't seem to be many places to show how you program this amazing radio so i decided to make this, only the microphone picks up on the laptops fan adding a bit of mystery to the video...

Some people have hinted that the whining sounds like my wife, i can ether confirm nor deny...

Hope this helps you program...


HOW TO PROGRAM UNIDEN UBCD436PT USING SENTINEL SOFTWARE




**** UPDATE****
If you live in Sydney, NSW, I can program your 436pt or 536pt for you
See Here = https://scanradionsw.blogspot.com/2020/09/programming-for-ubcd436pt-ubcd536pt-now.html

 
#Uniden
#ubcd436pt
#ubcd536pt
#uniden
#howto
#program
#sentinel
#software





Wednesday, August 19, 2020

UNIDEN UBCD436PT

Hello and Welcome Back... A Complicated but Worthy Radio?

The Uniden UBCD436PT (pic below) is a middle of the range Scanner Receiver from Uniden Australia and sits in the middle between the budget UBCD325P2 and the latest offering (and most expensive) the USDS100, Which is a cross hybrid of 436PT & a SDR radio.



WHAT TO BUY
I had a choice to buy a new radio just recently.

I still have my trusty UBCD369XT, (pic below) which is a beast of a radio & i will keep for now but i decided to buy something that would give me access to DMR and Phase 2 GRN, something the 396XT wont do..


For those who don't know what DMR is,
DMR stands for Digital Mobile Radio, and just about everybody seems to catching the DMR Bus, from various bus company's (see what i did there), shopping centers, Surf Life Savers, Taxi Company's, Transport, etc, etc... and its available on certain scanner radios as a paid upgrade from Uniden.

So i sold my entire Minidisc collection (Minidisc is like a CD & Cassette Tape in one) and set about doing my homework on which radio to buy.

The two choices were the UBCD325P2 and the UBCD436PT.

The Uniden 325PT (pic below) is a basically a remake of the UBCD73XLT but redesigned.
The main problem i encountered with the 325PT was the battery life.
From the forums i read and the various comments, they all said the same thing, the battery life sucked, like it lasted 3 hours on a set of AA battery's kind of suck...


*** HINT***
BTW, if you do own a 325PT, get yourself a set of Panasonic Enloop Pro batterys (2450mah), From what i read, they last about 8 hours in the 325PT and are made in Japan (also a scanner firmware upgrade that's available seems to help)


The other option was the UBCD436PT (pic below)

The first thing that gets you is the large screen and better battery usage but it was a bit steep in price.

In two days, the price changed from $550 / $600 to $700 / $750 in one week (new on ebay) due to demand i suppose.


Thankfully, a quick ebay bid for a second hand one got me in the market. Turns out the bloke who owned the one i bought had tried to get it to work and gave up after a few days...

There was a reason for that...

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
First of all, i will say, for a radio scanner, it bloody complicated... Veeery Compilated.

It took me at least a week to get my head around the various buttons and what they meant...
Avoid = Lockout (why not just write lockout??)... Its like they got together a bunch of engineers and said "lets make a scanner that is so bloody complicated that no one will ever be able to manually program it".
In America, they just download the Radio Reference database and put in where you live, the scanner does the rest.. sounds great but this doesn't work in Australia.

Read on..

First thing i noticed when i finally got my new radio (thanks for the 'no tracking' on my postage :( ) is the lack of a 'Scan' button.. This has to be the first scanner i have ever owned without an actual 'Scan' button..
Second thing i noticed was how big the screen is..excellent, right?.. actually, No.
What a waste of screen space.. There are 3 layers of screen space to tell you, you are using this bank, its accessing also in this bank and its also in this bank too..

The three main things i look for in a scanner is signal strength meter which is kinda there but its almost minut, the the bank numbers which are also tiny. Admittedly, i wear reading glasses and really struggled to see what bank im using and what the signal is like..

Third thing is programming... turns out, you can only program this radio using Uniden Sentinal Software.
Freescan wont touch it and Pro-Scan supports its American Brother but not the Australian Version. I tried to see if would run on Pro-Scan but i had no luck..

This radio also uses a MicroSD card for memory & storage, which is fun...

**Tip** I found that if i put the MircoSD card into a full size SD adapter, plug that into my computer using the inbuilt card reader and access the Sentinal software,  the computer thinks the SD card is actually a radio scanner...
Handy if you plug the scanner into your computer, select 'PC Control" on the scanner and the computer fails to read the scanner...
It only needs to access the card and put the info onto the card, then just put the card into your scanner and boom, it works...
I was using several MicroSD cards and trying different settings to see what worked and what didn't, each time using the SD adapter instead of plugging in the scanner over & over..

Apart from that, its a meaty radio... quiet a large piece of plastic with a big screen. I like large radios, it feels like its worth more..
I own a Alinco DJ-X3 that i spend several hundred dollars on and its like, credit card size.. sure its a good radio but it reminds me of a toy, its tiny..

But not the Uniden UBCD436PT.

The button layout on the 436PT is ok.
Its a shame you cant relabel the buttons to your liking..

Once again, no 'Scan' Button and no 'Lockout' button, there's not even a 'Hold' button, that the CHAN/MOD button (confused yet??)

Programming this beast is done via Australian Uniden Sentinal Software (its a free download) and is typical for a excel type software layout.

When you first open the software, forget about the U.S / Canadian database list. It has no use in the Australian layout...Sadly, you cant delete this bit either.

Main list of Sentinal is "Favorites" part, its exactly the same function as "Systems" in Freescan.
The setout is the same, Main folder with small sub folders.. (see pic below)


There are 2 types of editing...
1. Edit Profile (Background settings)
2. Edit Favorites List (all Frequency's, TGIDs & everything else)

*** TIP*** One thing i found while writing my data-bank was that when i finished and uploaded into the radio, half the banks would scan and the other banks were not...I kid you not, for a week, i was swearing and cursing as to why some banks were active and some seemed to just disappear, even know all the frequency's were in the file...
The first thing to check was that (see pick above) that all banks are set to Monitor 'ON' and Download 'ON'.. this is done through the 'Edit Profile' tabs, but that was not what the problem was.

Turns out when your programming your frequency's, you have to set a 'Service Type' (see below)

As you can see, i used 'Fire-Talk' as my service type for this part. It doesn't really matter which one you use BUT it does matter that you have all service types ticked in the 'Edit Profile' section... (see pic below) Meaning, THESE TWO PARTS OF THE SOFTWARE ARE LINKED...if you don't have the service types ticked (as i did) then that bank wont scan..
I had all the services unticked as i usually don't use service searches... MAKE SURE THEY ARE ALL TICKED :)


This radio also has the function to use DMR, once again this is done via the Sentinal software.

The DMR part is done through Uniden and costs around $85 (uses paypal..yay) and in return for your money, they send you a very long key code.. took me 3 goes to get the code into the radio but it now works..

To program DMR into your DMR activated radio, you create a new 'Favorites' bank and when asked what type of system choose 'Conventional'.. Once you have all your frequency s set out, choose Audio Option to 'Search', even if you already know the Digital code, i find letting the radio do all the work seems to work... I have been listening to Busways on the DMR Orion Network, frequency 507.4125mhz

But i still had one more problem with my new radio...

On GRN (P25 Government Radio Network), the receive function was horrid, while my Uniden UBCD396XT was receiving flawlessly.

I had full signal strength on the 436PT but no audio... check out the video below..



As you can see, i used the same basic antenna on both units. It wasn't a setting problem because when i connected to my outdoor antenna, the 436pt worked as it should.. see video below



*** TIP*** after alot of messing around and me almost about to resell the unit thinking it was crap, i played around with the 'Digital Threshold' Mode & 'Digital Threshold' level, it is adjustable in the Edits Favorites List Setup part of the P25 Trunking section when setting up GRN Trunking.

SOLUTION
I set the Digital Threshold level to 6 instead of 8 and set the Digital Threshold mode to 'Manual' and this was the result... see video below



As you can see, My UBCD436PT is now running as it should and i'm very happy with it.

I am still setting up my Sentinal Frequency base as you cant cut and copy from Freescan to Sentinal so its all got to be done by hand..Sigh

FINAL THOUGHT

I would highly recommend this 'Future Proof' radio with the DMR upgrade... I have managed to set my radio up the same as my UBCD396XT using banks 1 - 0 to turn things on and off..

MY SETUP

BANK
0 - Rural Fire (Aviation, NPWS, PMR, Fireground)
1 - Surfcom DMR
2 - GRN
3 - Medical / Rescue (Various Air, Land, SES, Fire & Rescue P25)
4 - Local Comms (Bus Company's, Rail, Hotels, Westfields)
5 - Sydney Airport (inc Companys)
6 - Local Air (Bankstown, Camden)
7 - Military (Richmond, Williamtown)
8 - Marine Radio (Inc Marine Rescue)
9 - FM Radio (good for checking antenna range from various stations)
10 - CB Radio (80ch UHF, CB & Amateur Radio)

I Hope to have available to sell, this file on a Micro SD card so all you have to do is put in your radio and everything works... No Hair pulling and No grey hair (like me)

WATCH THIS SPACE...


#Uniden
#ubcd436pt
#ubcd396xt
#436pt
#scanner
#scannerradio
#bcd436pt
#ubcd325pt


Tuesday, May 5, 2020

VARIOUS FREQUENCIES

Hello and Welcome Back... Some Various Frequencies

Media (Camera - Camera) 466.2875 (DCS116) (NFM)
Media (Camera Setup) 486.375 (DCS116) (NFM)
Media (Sound Checks) 486.950 (DCS116) (NFM)
Media (Director) 507.475 (DCS116) (NFM)

ADVANT Couriers (Sydney Tower / MLC) (50w)
507.575
507.600 (Ch1 Dispatch)
507.725
507.875
508.175
508.575

PACIFIC NATIONAL (Rail)
418.100
418.250
454.000
465.575
469.650

ALLIANCE AIRLINES
491.8375
485.100
129.750

4KZ (Queensland) Shortwave service
5055khz (1 kilowatt)

RFDS (Royal Flying Doctors Service) (NSW)
2020khz (2.020mhz)
4055khz (4.055mhz)
6920khz (6.920mhz)

RAAF (NSW)
301.500 (Air - Air Refuel)
282.800 (Search & Rescue)

SYDNEY AIRPORT
120.800 (Helecopter ch)

Monday, February 3, 2020

RURAL FIRE (RFS) PAGE UPDATED

Hello and Welcome Back... Just a quick note to let you know that the RFS - Rural Fire & NPWS Page has been updated..

I have also worked on the Layout so it is easy to read rather than everything everywhere...

One Other Thing... Can I Ask if you use this page,

Pleeeeese try and make a donation to this site, it makes posts like this possible...

Just have to click on the 'Shout me a Coffee' badge, (Top Right Hand side of this site).. Its takes a mere 30sec and means sooo much.

Have a look at the New Layout / Frequencies = https://scanradionsw.blogspot.com/2012/08/nsw-busfire-frequencies.html




Monday, January 27, 2020

GRN RAZORBACK SITE CHANGED

Hello and Welcome Back...


Quick update... Seems the Razorback Site on GRN has reverted back to its former Control Channel of  416.4750mhz

To update your radio without deleting the GRN file and re-writing it again, follow this =

Press Function button on the side of the radio

“program System” should be highlighted, press E (yes)

Using the scroll button on the top of the radio, scroll till “GRN P25 Digital” is highlighted, press E

Scroll to “Edit Site”, press E

Scroll to Razorback Range, press E

Scroll to set Frequencies, press E

Scroll to New Frequency, press E

Enter 416.475, press E

Keep pressing function button on the side till exit

Cheers

Thanks to David for alerting me of this..

Thursday, January 23, 2020

RFS AIR TANKER "THOR' HAS CRASHED - 3 DEAD

Hello and Welcome Back... Sad News

This afternoon, the RFS C130 Hercules Air Tanker owned by Canadian company 'Coulson', commonly known as "Thor" has sadly crashed while doing fire fighting duties near Cooma in the Snowy Mountains NSW.

Its been confirmed, the aircraft's 3 occupants have sadly died.

RIP



#Thor
#RFS

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

RADIO SCANNERS - REALISTIC 1994

Hello and Welcome Back - A Look at Realistic (Tandy) Scanners in 1994

DESKTOP






MOBILE


HANDHELD