Digital voice with old school receiver?

[fasteddy64]

I dont want to mess with an SDR
I would like to decode digital voice (P25, Dstar, Fusion, ProVoice etc..) with an old school reciever (AOR-3000, FRG-9600, R-100 etc..)
Would something like DSD with a discriminator tap be the way to go?

 

[Markb]

Well, if you don't want to mess with an SDR, then yes......

But why do you not want to use SDR? Programs like DSDPlus function better with SDR vs. the relatively ancient idea of using a discriminator tap. Also, if you want to listen to trunked systems, a DT won't work, as the radios you mentioned will only scan conventionally and not follow conversations.


I would really reconsider SDR. It's the wave of the future.

 

[fasteddy64]

Well, if you don't want to mess with an SDR, then yes......

But why do you not want to use SDR? Programs like DSDPlus function better with SDR vs. the relatively ancient idea of using a discriminator tap. Also, if you want to listen to trunked systems, a DT won't work, as the radios you mentioned will only scan conventionally and not follow conversations.


I would really reconsider SDR. It's the wave of the future.

I just dont like SDR's.
I had an RSP Duo and kept it for 6 months, tried really hard to like it and just couldnt.
I am not looking to follow trunked systems with it, I have plenty of scanners that do it, just wondered about using DSD to decode different types of digital audio.
If SDR is the future I am glad I wont live long enough to see it. I will take my old school radios all day long. I have a love/hate relationship with modern radios as it is. I use an SDS-100 not because I like it but because I have no choice if I want to monitor simulcast trunked systems.
I have an Icom 9700 and really just dont enjoy using it. I leave the scope turned off. I am seriously considering getting rid of it and going back to a TS-2000X. I just enjoyed that radio more.
Thanks,
Ed

 

[slicerwizard]

I dont want to mess with an SDR
I would like to decode digital voice (P25, Dstar, Fusion, ProVoice etc..) with an old school reciever (AOR-3000, FRG-9600, R-100 etc..)
Would something like DSD with a discriminator tap be the way to go?

Go for it.

 

[KA1RBI]

OP25 with Discriminator Audio Question

I've added a discriminator jack to my BCT15x and I am able to decode p25 easily with DSDPlus. I would like to do the same with OP25 so that I can decode on a pi4. However I have not been able to figure out if OP25 has an option for accepting discriminator audio via the microphone jack. I have...

forums.radioreference.com

Excerpt from that thread:

The reason for using the PRO-2006 instead of, say, the RTL-SDR is that the 2006 blows the doors off of the SDR in terms of dynamic range. I estimate there are approx. 15 or 20 stations I can hear perfectly on the 2006 (regardless of whether the disctap or the IF tap is used) whose presence *can't even be detected* on the SDR.

 

[fasteddy64]

Go for it.

Thanks, I think I will.
So at the risk of showing how ignorant I am, I just download the software and run an audio cable from the tap to the computer soundcard?

 

[slicerwizard]

Pretty much. The default sound in/out devices are probably your sound card and your speakers, so it's likely to "just work".

 

[fasteddy64]

Pretty much. The default sound in/out devices are probably your sound card and your speakers, so it's likely to "just work".

thanks, I may try it at some point just for fun. I bought an AOR AR-DV-1 to use for chasing down digital stuff also.

 

[WB9YBM]

I dont want to mess with an SDR
I would like to decode digital voice (P25, Dstar, Fusion, ProVoice etc..) with an old school reciever (AOR-3000, FRG-9600, R-100 etc..)
Would something like DSD with a discriminator tap be the way to go?

In some cases whatever decodes the digital signals can be hooked to the "EXT SPKR" or earphone jacks and it will work (examples include PACKET radio and RTTY). I'm not sure if this works universally with all digital modes...