SDS100E Understanding the Memory, Sentinel & Database Updates

Summary: How the SDS100E organises its memory, what Sentinel does, and how to update the firmware and database.

The Structure

Everything lives on the microSD card, following the RadioReference database structure: Favorites List > System > Site (trunked only) and Department > Channel.

• Favorites List – systems you choose to monitor together. Up to 256 lists can be saved in the scanner and Sentinel and associated with any or all of your profiles. You can monitor one or more lists and/or the database, and export lists to a file to share them. Deleting a profile doesn’t delete its lists; deleting a list removes it from every profile.
• System – holds all of your sites, departments and channels.
• Site – inside a trunked system; holds the trunking frequencies and any band plan. Each trunked system needs at least one.
• Department – inside a system; holds the channels: frequencies for conventional systems, talkgroup IDs for trunked systems. Think of departments as channel groups if you know Uniden DMA scanners.

The easiest way to make a list is to save channels while scanning the full database. You can also add systems (not single sites), departments and channels from the database, or create your own in Sentinel or on the scanner.

Sentinel

• Manage Profiles – a profile is a snapshot of the scanner’s set-up (settings, Favorites Lists, avoids and system settings).
• Manage Favorites Lists – create lists in Sentinel, associate them with profiles, and create or edit systems. Only the lists in the profile are written to the scanner. All Favorites Lists are shared by all profiles; to use a list in some profiles and not others, use the Download and Monitor settings in the Profile Editor.
• Manage Databases – Uniden updates the database every week. Sentinel checks the website, saves the latest and writes it to the scanner when you choose Write to Scanner. Updating the main database doesn’t change your Favorites Lists. Your customisations are preserved.

Installing Sentinel

1. Go to the SDS100E’s page on Uniden Japan’s website and open the support files link.
2. Download the latest version of Sentinel.
3. Unzip it, run setup.exe and follow the instructions.

Updating the Firmware

Connect the scanner with the USB cable and choose Mass Storage. In Sentinel choose Update, Update Firmware and follow the prompts (it connects to the internet to find the current version). It takes a few minutes. Uniden lists what each update contains on its SDS100 firmware updates page.

Updating the Database

1. Connect the scanner with the USB cable and choose Mass Storage.
2. In Sentinel choose Update, Update Master HPDB.
3. Choose Scanner, Write to Scanner.

Menu, Manage Full Database, Information shows the date the database was last updated.

Outside North America

The database only covers the US and Canada, so you’ll rely on your own Favorites Lists. Sentinel remains the tool for trunked systems and database updates. See SDS100E Loading Frequencies From Squawker PC & Squawker Online.