Anyone using Digital Speech Decoder?

satownchevy · #1 (**permalink**) 09-14-2011, 01:27 PM

Seeing if anyone has gotten something working to hear San Antonio EDACS.

Im looking into buying another scanner (currently have BCT15) and doing a tap but not too sure which radios would work best for our location.

I have my eye on a few pro-95's on ebay. Just wanting some insight before I drop some money.

Any help is appreciated, Thanks.

Unitrunker · #2 (**permalink**) 09-14-2011, 10:18 PM

I suggest getting a PSR-410 ($50 less than a BCT15X) for monitoring the control channel; add a tap to your BCT15 for use with DSD. However, with more P25 coming to SAT, you may want to get a digital model.

satownchevy · #3 (**permalink**) 09-16-2011, 08:43 AM

I see you changed your reply, I was told awhile back that my bct15 would not be able to pick up since it was analog. Glad you clarified it.

Is there a decent portable unit that you recommend? I can only see myself using it in one of two places, at work and on the road. Its easier to setup at work at the sacrifice of signal quality. For on the road, I already take my laptop with me and can setup a dual boot on it.

Unitrunker · #4 (**permalink**) 09-16-2011, 10:20 AM

The three current production scanners I have are the PSR500, PSR800 and BCD996XT. I'm unhappy with the control channel data output from Uniden's XT models. EDACS, LTR and P25 work fine but Motorola output gives mostly good data but just enough bad data to cause confusion. If you use discriminator audio from these models instead of the built-in control data output, the problem goes away.

The '500 is four years old and works great. The 800 is fantastic - includes both built-in discriminator output through the headphone jack and CC data output via the USB cable. The PSR310 is the portable version of the 410. It's basically an analog only version of the 500.

The '396XT will likely do what you want. For DSD, you'll need a tap.

To follow ProVoice, consider a virtual machine to host Linux on your windows laptop. You can run Unitrunker and DSD at the same time. This setup requires separate receivers for voice and control channels.

mk262 · #5 (**permalink**) 09-16-2011, 02:07 PM

I could be misunderstanding something here, but it sounds like DSD would not help you with EDACS because EDCAS is analog.

hiegtx · #6 (**permalink**) 09-16-2011, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mk262

I could be misunderstanding something here, but it sounds like DSD would not help you with EDACS because EDCAS is analog.

The DSD would be used on a Provoice system. That is digital.

mk262 · #7 (**permalink**) 09-16-2011, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hiegtx

The DSD would be used on a Provoice system. That is digital.

That would make sense. The OP didn't mention provoice though so I wasn't sure if he was on the same page.

Unitrunker · #8 (**permalink**) 09-16-2011, 10:01 PM

The OP is referring to this system.

San Antonio/Bexar County EDACS ProVoice Trunking System, San Antonio, Texas - Scanner Frequencies

satownchevy · #9 (**permalink**) 09-19-2011, 07:51 AM

Yea I was on the same page, sucks to have one of the most restrictive radio systems in your backyard.
Well this project is going to the back burner for awhile longer and it always seems to happen when I want to buy a new toy.

My wife got into a wreck because some idiot driver couldnt wait a little longer to exit a parking lot. Nobody got hurt, very good thing, and the other lady had insurance, another good thing, but we need to hold onto that money for those 'just in case' situations that might arise.

Unitrunker, thanks for the insight on the radios, keeping an eye on ebay for a good deal on an 800.

Michael-SATX · #10 (**permalink**) 10-11-2011, 10:50 PM

Hello Mr Unitrunker,

I would be curious to know what your setup is.
Do I understand that you are successfully using 2 scanners and 1 laptop ...
That would be cool to run say Windows XP / Unitrunker and in a "shell" type thing
you are running Linux for DSD. So you are NOT running a dual boot right ?
This virtual machine mode while in Windows would let Linux-Ubunto run for doing DSD ?

ps ~ To bad that GRE doesn't have a menu toggle for digital TG muting other than v1.0 (PSR-500)
Also, is it to much to dream for GRE to release source code and someone then crank out
an uploadable DSP to decode EDACS Pro-Voice systems ... again dreaming ... for now

To follow ProVoice, consider a virtual machine to host Linux on your windows laptop. You can run Unitrunker and DSD at the same time. This setup requires separate receivers for voice and control channels.

Unitrunker · #11 (**permalink**) 10-12-2011, 12:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael-SATX

I would be curious to know what your setup is.
Do I understand that you are successfully using 2 scanners and 1 laptop ...
That would be cool to run say Windows XP / Unitrunker and in a "shell" type thing
you are running Linux for DSD. So you are NOT running a dual boot right ?
This virtual machine mode while in Windows would let Linux-Ubuntu run for doing DSD ?

Short answer, yes. If you search the Texas and Florida regional forums, there are quite a few folks doing this. Most of systems in my area are P25. The only ProVoice I see is when I'm in San Antonio which isn't often (and DSD works great down there).

Michael-SATX · #12 (**permalink**) 11-09-2011, 04:22 AM

Unitrunker, you said the other day:
To follow ProVoice, consider a virtual machine to host Linux on your windows laptop. You can run Unitrunker and DSD at the same time. This setup requires separate receivers for voice and control channels.

Lindsay said 11/1/11 :
I've tried to run DSD on Ubuntu under both Virtual Box and Vmware fusion, and it just doesn't work. I suspect the virtual USB interfaces aren't cut out to properly translate the discriminator audio to DSD.

If anyone has experienced any other behavior in virtual environments I'd love to hear from you.

I say, does anyone have a one laptop, 2 scanner solution "successfully working" ports and all ?