Can SDRTrunk drop a channel grant so it doesn't tie up a dongle?

[dimab]

I'm running SDRTrunk with 2 Nooelec dongles, works fine, listening to the CLMRN system in CT. Based on the site design, sometimes I can't cover all the voice channels with just 2 dongles. I see "TUNER UNAVAILABLE" message. Can SDRTrunk drop the voice call/talkgroup so that it can go back to monitoring for other TGs? For me this seems very useful because I find that a select few talkgroups are constantly having very long conversations, and tying up one of the dongles (since the freq spread is wider than my 2 dongles combined). If they could be ignored/blocked from even being picked up, it would free up my dongle. I realize this isn't fool proof because other voice channels can cause this too, but seems like it's the same few TGs giving me the most headache.
I have "Listen" set to off, but the dongle is still processing the data and getting tied up.
My antenna setup is such that running an additional coax to the office for a third dongle will be a huge pain. So I'd like to avoid this option.
I know that getting a better SDR that has wider bandwidth will help, but hoping that this can be solved with software.

Monitoring an adjacent site doesn't have any of these issues because I can cover all the frequencies with 2 dongles. But the site doesn't carry all the traffic I want to monitor.

 

[maus92]

Depending on the specific site you are monitoring, I can see scenarios where 2 RTL type SDRs would not be sufficient as a) the channel spread is too wide and the channel loading is high; b) the are several sites that have both 700 and 800 channels. If it were me, I'd have an R2 (~10 MHz spread, 851 - 860) covering the 800 band and a Mini (~6 MHz spread, 769 - 775) covering the 700 band and be done with it.

 

[louisik1]

This is a fairly common request, and a request has been logged for a long time. Sorry, I deal with the same issue. As a workaround I added more (cheap) tuners (5 on sdrtrunk, 2 on unitrunker) until I could comfortably cover all the calls with capacity to spare.

 

[dimab]

This is a fairly common request, and a request has been logged for a long time. Sorry, I deal with the same issue. As a workaround I added more (cheap) tuners (5 on sdrtrunk, 2 on unitrunker) until I could comfortably cover all the calls with capacity to spare.

I get adding an additional dongle. My office setup is such that running 1 more feedline will be a giant PITA for me. My 4 port stridsberg is all used up. The next option is to add a wider bandwidth reciever like an Airspy SDR, just didn't want to spend the $150 for an inconvenience. I'm holding out hope for SDR Trunk to add this feature.

 

[louisik1]

Yeah, I understand. Sorry to hear. Have you tried setting priorities on the channels? It might cause it to drop the lower priority call and let the tuner switch to a higher priority one.

 

[dimab]

Yeah, I understand. Sorry to hear. Have you tried setting priorities on the channels? It might cause it to drop the lower priority call and let the tuner switch to a higher priority one.

did not consider this. how does the priority numbering work? higher number means higher priority? like 99 is higher than 10?

just tried, but this setup doesn't work for me either. you can only set priority on channels that are enabled for "Listen". My setup is that all channels are set to off for "Listen", but are streamed into Rdio Scanner, so I can capture all the traffic. appreciate the suggestion.

 

[dave3825]

My office setup is such that running 1 more feedline will be a giant PITA for me. My 4 port stridsberg is all used up.

If the signal is nice and strong, you might do fine using a splitter on one of those ports and feeding the second dongle. If the stridsberg is somewhere else and you only have one line going to the dongle, you could split there.

 

[dimab]

Yeah, I understand. Sorry to hear. Have you tried setting priorities on the channels? It might cause it to drop the lower priority call and let the tuner switch to a higher priority one.

I have found a temporary solution with a few caveats -
can't set priority to a range of IDs, only works on single TG ID. maybe feature request?
so, I created talkgroups that I want to set low priority on, and enabled all talkgroups "Listen" to ON.
In the SDRTrunk UI, I can mute the audio (separate from the Playlist Editor "listen" toggle) - this gets me priority functionality, AND still keeps the audio traffic muted, until I want to listen via rdio scanner interface.
this seems to be doing the trick in prioritizing the talkgroups I want when the freq spread is too wide, and not channel granting the talkgroups on lower priority.

thanks louisik1!

 

[dave3825]

I see "TUNER UNAVAILABLE" message.

freq spread is too wide

If the spread is too wide, you need another dongle. If you have enough dongle to truly cover the spread while incorporating roll off, and you are missing calls, you would see Max Traffic Channels Exceeded messages.

 

[louisik1]

and you are missing calls

I think that's the entire reason for this post and this common request. People understand they may max out, or they are maxing out, but it's being wasted on talkgroups they absolutely don't want.

Also, I believe OP stated adding another dongle isn't feasible in their location.

Using priority and muting is an ok workaround (congrats @dimab!), but skipping unwanted talkgroups is still a very common request (and is a critical function in hardware scanners).

All this is not to say I don't appreciate sdrtrunk and all the awesome hard work Dan has put into it. I'm very grateful! I just feel for others who have to go through this like I did.

 

[GTR8000]

All this is not to say I don't appreciate sdrtrunk and all the awesome hard work Dan has put into it. I'm very grateful! I just feel for others who have to go through this like I did.

Denny, not Dan.

 

[louisik1]

So sorry!! 🙏

 

[Sydmd]

Defiantly would like to see this feature. I am hosting a number of feeds to Broadcastify from a PSN tower for one agency. Other agencies also use the PSN network and despite the other agencies being muted, the tuners are still tuning to them.

 

[dimab]

keeping this thread alive -
I gave in and bought an airspy mini, thinking it would solve my issue. The 6mhz still doesn't always solve the problem, so now I'm running 3 dongles total, and capture 100% of the traffic I want. maybe Denny patrols these threads, and sees this request

 

[frazpo]

keeping this thread alive -
I gave in and bought an airspy mini, thinking it would solve my issue. The 6mhz still doesn't always solve the problem, so now I'm running 3 dongles total, and capture 100% of the traffic I want. maybe Denny patrols these threads, and sees this request

The SDRTrunk google group is fairly active. Just FYI.

 

[DaveNF2G]

There is also an SDRTrunk Users group on Facebook.

 

[mtindor]

There is also an SDRTrunk Users group on Facebook.

I can't say for sure, but I seriously doubt Denny has anything to do with that -- and I seriously doubt assistance would be provided there that wouldn't otherwise be provided in the Google group.

 

[DaveNF2G]

He is also on the GroupsIO SDRTrunk group.

 

[lwvmobile]

Your best bet is probably to request this feature is to do so directly on Github. It may already be a request or issue that's been brought up over there, so probably a good idea to check over there first.

Issues · DSheirer/sdrtrunk

A cross-platform java application for decoding, monitoring, recording and streaming trunked mobile and related radio protocols using Software Defined Radios (SDR). Website: - Issues · DSheirer/sdr...

github.com

 

[dimab]

it's been submitted under 2 separate feature requests. dev hasn't responded.
Ironically one of the feature requests has a url back to this thread.