HomePatrol Extreme Upgrade

HomePatrol-2 The HomePatrol-1 and HomePatrol-2 are the worlds easiest-to-use Digital Trunktracking Scanners. Designed from the ground up to be suited to enthusiasts at any level, getting started is as easy as entering your zip code. With features like color touch screen, instant replay, session recording, and more never before seen in a scanner, the HomePatrol-1 has already made its reputation as a groundbreaking innovation.

But that is not enough for us. In addition to being a great platform for people who "just want to listen to the police" without having to become a radio engineer in the process, we saw potential in the platform to create revolutionary features for advanced scanner users (and, well, real radio engineers, too).

That potential has now been realized, and we call it the Extreme Upgrade.

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So, What are the Extreme Features (And Why Should You Want Them)?

Complete front-panel programmability — Having the entire USA and Canada database built-into the scanner (and updated weekly to keep it fresh) was a great idea for the average person who just wants to hear interesting agencies talking, without having to know a lot about the radio systems they are using. But, some people want more control over what they hear and how it displays, and already know the ins and outs of radio systems. They like the convenience of just entering your zip code...but want the ability to put in their own stuff, too. The Extreme upgrade lets you do just that, taking advantage of the large color display to make programming it by hand easier than on any other scanner on the market (even our other models).
Trunked System Analysis Tools — For the first time ever, the Extreme Upgrade gives you tools to monitor the technical performance of trunked radio systems in an affordable handheld device. Tools include:  
System Status monitor — Indicates how well the HomePatrol-1 is receiving and decoding the control channel information, as well as the overall system activity level.
Current Activity — Shows the activity present on each of the system frequencies.
Activity Log — Shows key system commands as they are sent over the control channel. Saves a complete log of all commands to the built-in SD card for later analysis.
LCN Activity Monitor — Provides a visual indication of all channels as they become active and idle.
Talk Group Converter — Gives you a quick tool for converting talk group IDs between various formats.
EDACS / LTR LCN Finder — An invaluable tool for finding the relationship between the system's frequency and its Logical Channel number. This feature is a must-have for anyone trying to map out an EDACS or LTR system that is not yet fully documented in the database.
Band Scope — A great tool for visually finding the frequencies being used in a band, and for zeroing in on interference sources and determining some frequency characteristics of found signals.
RF Power Plot — Want to know which antenna works best for what you are trying to receive? This tool lets you find that out at a glance. Plus, use it for rough direction finding, antenna positioning for best reception, and more.
Trunking Discovery — Ok, we already mentioned that the HomePatrol-1 Extreme Update lets you add your own channels. But, how can you find those channels to begin with? The Trunking Discovery mode makes capturing new channels on a trunked system almost too easy. Just select the trunked system to check, and the HomePatrol-1 will continuously monitor the system, logging all channel activity. When a channel becomes active that is not in the database, the HomePatrol-1 will record up to 3 minutes of audio, making it a snap to review later and determine what agency is using the channels. Armed with this information, you can program the new channel into your HomePatrol-1 with confidence and, better yet, submit the new channel information to RadioReference.com so that the entire community can benefit.
Conventional Discovery — While trunked radio systems are certainly the continuing future of big radio systems, there is still plenty of "conventional" (that is what we call non-trunked channels) stuff to listen to, and even more to discover. The Conventional Discovery Mode makes finding undocumented channels easier than ever. Just specify the frequency range and your location, and your HomePatrol-1 will scan that range, comparing every transmission to the database of frequencies known to be in use in your area. If a new channel is discovered, your HomePatrol-1 records up to 3 minutes of audio to make it easy to identify when you review your discovery session. If we could have thought of an easier way to do this...well, we'd have done it that way, instead.
USB Audio and Data Out — Want to set up your HomePatrol-1 to stream live audio to the web...without creating a rat's nest of wires? The Extreme Upgrade lets you do just that, sending both audio and the channel data out through the USB port to your computer. (Third-party software required for streaming applications.)  

Convinced, yet?

Right about here, we should be providing you a comparison of the HomePatrol with the Extreme Upgrade vs. the competition. But, we can't. Not because we don't want to...but because there is nothing to compare against. No one has ever before put these features into a scanner, in any form...not us, and not our competition. The closest you can get to a few of the tools this Extreme Upgrade provides in a portable device...well the cost of those products put them way out of the ballpark for any kind of sane comparison. So, what are we left with? Just the most advanced, most feature-rich, and still the easiest-to-use digital trunktracking scanner available anywhere, from anybody, at any price.

But, maybe you think that this isn't for you. That it is too advanced. Well, even though we made the Extreme Upgrade with the advanced scanner user in mind, we've made the advanced features so easy to use, that we really think that just about everybody will be able to use and get great value from these features. Remember, this update lets just about anyone:

Better yet, check out some of the features in action on our YouTube Channel.

How to Get the Extreme Upgrade

Normally, great new features like the ones we are adding with the Extreme Upgrade are only available when you buy a complete new scanner. We could have opted to do that...to come out with a separate model that has all these great features. But, we absolutely refused to leave our loyal HomePatrol owners behind. For the first time, ever, we are offering an easy, fast, and inexpensive upgrade path...without having to buy new hardware.

When you count up all the features in the Extreme Upgrade, you probably wouldn't be surprised to see a $200 or even $300 price tag. The value added, especially as compared to other scanners on the market today, would make either of those prices a bargain. But, that isn't the price. You can upgrade your HomePatrol to include all the Extreme features for the low price of $49.99. Read on to find out how! Note: All Sales Are Final.

If you don't have Sentinel Version 2.02 and Firmware Version 2.02 for HomePatrol or later, do this now! (Otherwise, skip down to " Where to Buy")

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To install the latest version of HomePatrol Sentinel:

  1. Click HomePatrol Sentinel v2 to download the HomePatrol Sentinel 2.0 zip file.
  2. Unzip the files in the above link to a temporary directory on your PC.
  3. Run Setup.exe and follow the on-screen instructions to install HomePatrol Sentinel.
Note: If you have an earlier version of HomePatrol Sentinel, you do not need to remove it before installing the new version.

If You Have Favorites Lists in your HomePatrol-1

Start HomePatrol Sentinel, then select "Read from HomePatrol." This saves your current Favorites Lists as they are in your HomePatrol-1.

Update your HomePatrol-1 Firmware

  1. Connect your HomePatrol-1 to your PC using its USB cable.
  2. In HomePatrol Sentinel, select "Update Firmware."
  3. Download the new HomePatrol-1 Owner's Manual by clicking HomePatrol V2 Owner's Manual.
Follow the on-screen prompts to update your HomePatrol-1's firmware to the latest version.

Where to Buy

Now that you have the latest firmware in your HomePatrol-1, or if you have a HomePatrol-2, you are ready to purchase and install the Extreme Upgrade.

Head over to My Uniden and log in (create a login if you haven't been there before). Then, register your HomePatrol. Once registered, select "All My Scanners" on that site, and you'll see a link next to your registered product to purchase the upgrade.

Activating your Extreme Upgrade

At the end of the purchase process, you'll be provided with a registration key. Here's how to use that key to unlock the Extreme Upgrade features in your HomePatrol.
  1. On your HomePatrol select MENU --> Advanced Menu --> Advanced Option --> Register Advanced.
  2. Enter the registration key provided when you purchased the Extreme Upgrade, including the hyphens.
  3. Download the latest HomePatrol-1 Extreme Owner's Manual by clicking HomePatrol-1 Extreme Owner's Manual.