Motorola Digital Turbo Scanner? How to listen?

[powderchaser]

I am looking to monitor a small 4 frequency Turbo Digital system (Might be trunked) of a ski area and have the frequencies but no key codes. IF i were to purchase a Motorola Turbo radio and put the Freq's in it is it unlikely that I would be able to hear anything? Is there any way of idetifying the codes or a scanner that can pick this up?

[Forts]

Without the Group Codes and Color Codes you won't hear a thing. Unfortunately there isn't an easy way to get this information either. There isn't a scanner currently on the market that will do anything with TRBO.

[powderchaser]

Eventually you would think they would have to figure something out with the Turbo market inceasing.

[N_Jay]

Originally Posted by powderchaser

Eventually you would think they would have to figure something out with the Turbo market inceasing.

Probably, but right now it is a drop in the bucket.

Trunking just started shipping this past summer.

[MattSR]

I think I recall someone posting that both TRBO and NXDN are open standards... can anyone confirm/deny?

[Comint]

Originally Posted by MattSR

I think I recall someone posting that both TRBO and NXDN are open standards... can anyone confirm/deny?

MOTOTRBO (to give it its correct name) is based on the European 'Digital Mobile Radio' (DMR) Standard, which is an 'open' Standard.

Whether or not Motorola has added some proprietary embellishments, that limits its compatibility with DMR, is another matter.

DMR Association link.

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Comint

[MattSR]

Cool, anyone got any links to PDFs describing the standards?

[N_Jay]

ETSI DMR - Google Search

[Comint]

Originally Posted by MattSR

Cool, anyone got any links to PDFs describing the standards?

ETSI Digital Mobile Radio and follow the Links.

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Comint

[RayAir]

Gees, in a situation like that you would almost have to hope that a local communications company programmed the radios and try to talk to one of the tech's and offer to pay him to have him program up a radio so you can listen in (RX only). $200-$500 should be more than enough.

[mikeps]

Once you know the frequency of the repeater, there are 2 Time Slots and 16 color codes to determine. Assuming the system uses the ALL CALL talk group (default), then you only have 32 modes or channels to scan. That will require 2 zones only to scan. Program your radio for the 16 color codes on time slot 1 in one zone and TS2 in the next zone, then scan (be sure to create two scan lists, 3 most likely as scan lists hold only 15 talk groups as I recall).

I'd put an analog receiver on the frequency as your alert to repeater activity and then simply switch between the zones as your TRBO radio scans. You will not see any RSSI signal in the TRBO radio until you land on an active talk group. If the system is using custom talk groups, then you have millions of possibilities. Most small or simple systems tend to use ALL CALL so you might get lucky.

Originally Posted by powderchaser

I am looking to monitor a small 4 frequency Turbo Digital system (Might be trunked) of a ski area and have the frequencies but no key codes. IF i were to purchase a Motorola Turbo radio and put the Freq's in it is it unlikely that I would be able to hear anything? Is there any way of idetifying the codes or a scanner that can pick this up?