Siren App Tips

Before Running Siren

Before you run Siren the first time on any platform, you need to make sure you are using the latest version of Sentinel and have updated the scanner and wi-fi dongle to the latest versions. To do so, follow the instructions at BCD536HPFirmwareUpdate.

Connecting To or Creating a Wi-Fi Network

Once you've updated to the latest firmware on both the scanner and wi-fi dongle, you are ready to either connect your scanner to an existing network (infrastructure mode) or create a wi-fi hotspot using the scanner (access point mode). In general, follow these guidlines for selecting the type of network to use:

• Infrastructure Mode -- use this mode to connect the scanner to an existing wi-fi network. For example, if you will use the scanner in and around your home or office, you would typically use infrastructure mode.
• Access Point Mode -- use this mode to have the scanner create its own wi-fi network. You would use this mode for a mobile installation, or when there is no local wi-fi to connect to.

Connecting in Infrastructure Mode

1. On the scanner, select: MENU --> Wi-Fi Setup --> Set Connection --> Infrastructure Mode
   After a few seconds, the scanner will make a list of all detected wi-fi networks.
2. Scroll to select the network you want to connect to, then press E.
3. If the network uses security, enter the password for the network. Use the scroll knob to select a letter, number, or symbol and 4 and 6 to move the cursor left or right. When you finish entering the password, press E.

The scanner connects to the network and returns to the Wi-Fi Setup Menu

Connecting in Access Point Mode

1. On the scanner, select: MENU --> Wi-Fi Setup --> Set Connection --> Access Point Mode
2. Input the desired SSID for the access point (this is the name of the hotspot as it will appear on your mobile device), then press E.
3. Select either OPEN (no security for the access point) or WPA/WPA2 (password protected access point).
4. If you selected WPA/WPA2, then enter the password you will use on your mobile device to access the hotspot and press E.

Determine Your Scanner's IP Address

On the scanner, select MENU --> Wi-Fi Setup--> Show Wi-Fi Information. The scanner displays the name of the access point used, the IP address of the scanner, the scanners MAC address, and the wi-fi dongle's firmware version.

Make a note of the IP address, then exit the menu back to scanning mode.

Get and Run the Apple App

1. In the App Store, search for Uniden Siren. Get and install the app.
2. If necessary, connect to the same network the scanner is connected to, or to the scanner's access point.
3. Tap the Siren logo to launch the app.
4. When you first launch the app, you are prompted for the IP address of the scanner. Note that there will already be a number in this field. Normally, this is the last IP address you entered, but upon first run, the IP address needs to be entered. Backspace to erase the existing IP address, then enter the IP address of your scanner, as noted above.

The app should run, displaying the items on the scanner's screen. Any audio from the scanner will be played by the app (typically with several seconds of delay).

Using the App

If you've ever used a Uniden HomePatrol-1 or HomePatrol-2 scanner, then the interface should look pretty familiar. Here are some quick tips:

• To hold on a system, department, or channel, tap the system (top), department (middle) or channel (lower) area of the main display. To release hold, tap again.
• To access a contextual menu, tap the small right-arrow on the right of the system, department, and channel areas.
• To adjust squelch, tap Squelch at the top of the screen, then use the slider to select the desired setting.
• To adjust the selection range for systems, press Range at the top of the screen, then use the slider to select a new range. After you tap Accept, the scanner will apply the new range setting.
• To enable or disable a quick key or use the channel number tag function, tap Quick Key at the top of the screen, then tap either Quick Key or Number Tag and input the desired value. Note that for Quick Keys, the scanner will display the currently available values for each digit after you enter the first digit for each section (FQK/SQK/DQK). As on the scanner, use the decimal point to seperate FQK, SQK, and DQK settings.
• To mute audio in the app, press MUTE at the bottom of the screen. Note that this does not affect scanner audio, only app audio.
• To replay the last audio (per the settings in the scanner), press Replay. (But, don't do this right now. There is a bug that affects the scanner mode after playback.)
• To start a recording session, press Record.
• To set your location using the app, press Settings --> Set Location and then use one of three methods:
  • Enter Zip Code -- enter your zip code.
  • Enter Address -- enter your address. The mobile device will attempt to resolve this to a physical location.
  • Setup GPS -- use the device's own GPS to send your current location continuously.
• Set Range to set the range the scanner will use to select systems to monitor.
• To set what kinds of agencies to be be monitored, Settings --> Select Agencies and then toggle the desired agency types on or off.

Running Siren w/Access Point Mode w/o Losing Internet Access on your iPhone

Dan (wise871) over at RadioReference has offered the following solution:

By nature the when connected to 536 AP WiFi connection, the iPhone is trying to funnels all requests through the scanners Wifi connection. Some apps are programmed to switch to cellular if the connection times out but if it's not designed too then your connection times out.

The work around is as followed.

1. Connect your iPhone to the Scanners AP connection like you normally would. Verify your connected.
2. Tap the blue arrow next to the name of the BCD536HP _XXXX WiFi network to view more options.
3. Select "Static" as the type of IP address, and then enter the following IP address and Subnet Mask :
IP Address : 192.168.1.2
Subnet Mask: 255.255.0.0
4. Make sure you leave Router, DNS, and Search Domains blank!

This tells the iPhone that it should use its cellular network to route internet traffic rather than trying to do it via the scanners WiFi.

Troubleshooting

On some devices, audio playback is stopping after some time. To restore audio, in most cases you can simply Settings --> Connection --> Accept without changing any settings and audio will resume. We are looking into why this is happening and will provide an update when we've got a fix.