TRX-1: HAM DMR talkgroups and scanner listening

Status
Not open for further replies.

marjam49

Newbie
Joined
Apr 28, 2018
Messages
40
I am relatively new to the digital scanner world, but i have had my trx 1 for almost a year now. I am wanting to know if it is possible to listen to the DMR MARC talkgroups without a hotspot, provided a DMR repeater close to me is registered. And if so, do i list that repeater as a new talkgroup and just put the talkgroup ids under it, to get it to work, or do i need to do something else? If anyone knows of a tutorial whether by video or written does not matter to me. I apologize if this topic has been addressed, i could not find it with a search. Thank you so much for anyone that can help...




Sent from my LG-H931 using Tapatalk
 

N8IAA

Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
7,240
Location
Fortunately, GA
I am relatively new to the digital scanner world, but i have had my trx 1 for almost a year now. I am wanting to know if it is possible to listen to the DMR MARC talkgroups without a hotspot, provided a DMR repeater close to me is registered. And if so, do i list that repeater as a new talkgroup and just put the talkgroup ids under it, to get it to work, or do i need to do something else? If anyone knows of a tutorial whether by video or written does not matter to me. I apologize if this topic has been addressed, i could not find it with a search. Thank you so much for anyone that can help...




Sent from my LG-H931 using Tapatalk


Quite simple actually. In EZScan software, you go to conventional frequencies, click on New Channel, click on channel type (conventional DMR), put the frequency in, leave Color Code and Time slot clear. TG as 0, which will show any ID. Then make sure you put it into a ScanList, and enable that ScanList. To add to the scanner, Click on Scanner/SD, then click on copy configuration to scanner memory/SD card. When the scanner reboots, you'll be able to monitor any activity.

That's how I have my WS1088 set up.

HTH,
Larry
 

marjam49

Newbie
Joined
Apr 28, 2018
Messages
40
Ok, i have had it set up that way, im just not hearing the DMR MARC talkgroups and rarely the repeater itself. Could it be the repeater isn't set up to receive the DMR MARC talkgroups although it is showing up on the website? I can hear one way conversation on the DMR repeater at times but that's it.

Again, I really just learned about DMR MARC a couple of days ago, so I got alot of learning to do concerning it.

Sent from my LG-H931 using Tapatalk
 

hill

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
1,417
Location
Middle River, MD
Some of the ham DMR talkgroups arn't on full time and must be activated by a user transmitting on it. This is done, so it doesn't use a repeater time slot if no one on the air isn't using that talk group. After activated these mostly time out after 10 minutes without activity.

Going forward with your scanner being a passive device you will only receive the talk groups on full time or if another ham activates any of them.
 

marjam49

Newbie
Joined
Apr 28, 2018
Messages
40
Some of the ham DMR talkgroups arn't on full time and must be activated by a user transmitting on it. This is done, so it doesn't use a repeater time slot if no one on the air isn't using that talk group. After activated these mostly time out after 10 minutes without activity.

Going forward with your scanner being a passive device you will only receive the talk groups on full time or if another ham activates any of them.
Ok. That makes sense. So does a hotspot have an advantage over a repeater in terms of listening to these talkgroups?

Sent from my LG-H931 using Tapatalk
 

W4ELL

Member
Feed Provider
Joined
Feb 11, 2005
Messages
635
Location
Maryville, Tennessee
Ok. That makes sense. So does a hotspot have an advantage over a repeater in terms of listening to these talkgroups?

Sent from my LG-H931 using Tapatalk

In my opinion, that is the big advantage to using a hotspot. With it, YOU choose which talkgroups you want to hear.
 

marjam49

Newbie
Joined
Apr 28, 2018
Messages
40
In my opinion, that is the big advantage to using a hotspot. With it, YOU choose which talkgroups you want to hear.
I have the talkgroups programmed into the nearest DMR repeater i want to hear, and i am getting transmissions. But they are one sided. Is this the reason i am only hearing one side of the conversation? And this happens it seems anytime someone comes on.

Just trying to make sense of this so I can begin to understand it. I can't seem to find anything on YouTube that even relates in terms of using a police scanner to listen to these.

I guess there's always hoseline i can listen to online with my smartphone, but I really want to be able to listen with my scanner.


Sent from my LG-H931 using Tapatalk
 

BrianG61UK

Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2016
Messages
355
Location
England
I have the talkgroups programmed into the nearest DMR repeater i want to hear, and i am getting transmissions. But they are one sided. Is this the reason i am only hearing one side of the conversation? And this happens it seems anytime someone comes on.

Just trying to make sense of this so I can begin to understand it. I can't seem to find anything on YouTube that even relates in terms of using a police scanner to listen to these.

I guess there's always hoseline i can listen to online with my smartphone, but I really want to be able to listen with my scanner.

Are you sure you're listening to the output of the repeater rather than the input frequency?
 

marjam49

Newbie
Joined
Apr 28, 2018
Messages
40
Yes. I am getting some transmission, just not both sides of the conversation. Could it be i have one talkgroup programmed in talking to another person on another talkgroup i dont have programmed? I thought this might be a possibility. Again not sure how these talkgroups communicate with each other. Like if they are on north America and talking to midatlantic for example, is that possible, or does both parties have to be in the same talkgroup to hear each other?

Sorry to ask sort of a dumb question, just trying to learn.......

Sent from my LG-H931 using Tapatalk
 

marjam49

Newbie
Joined
Apr 28, 2018
Messages
40
Are you sure you're listening to the output of the repeater rather than the input frequency?
I programmed the frequency of the repeater in that was on the dmr marc website, I will double check your suggestion.

Sent from my LG-H931 using Tapatalk
 

marjam49

Newbie
Joined
Apr 28, 2018
Messages
40
I have the correct output frequency plugged in. I double checked it with another website to make sure.

I appreciate all suggestions made so far.

Sent from my LG-H931 using Tapatalk
 

BrianG61UK

Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2016
Messages
355
Location
England
Do you hear complete conversations if you program the frequency in as a conventional DMR and select just the slot you want leaving the talk group and colour code as wild cards?
 

hill

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
1,417
Location
Middle River, MD
Both people must be on the same talk group to communicate. Sometimes the users don't program their radios correctly or have a radio that causes issues to both timeslots.

Here we have one talkgroup and for some reason it always causes issues to the others for some reason.
 

marjam49

Newbie
Joined
Apr 28, 2018
Messages
40
Do you hear complete conversations if you program the frequency in as a conventional DMR and select just the slot you want leaving the talk group and colour code as wild cards?
Yes, i have tried both ways. Still one side of the conversation. I have gotten more chatter on it since i put it in as a talkgroup, and i guess i am picking up all the different talkgroup ids i have in, but still just one side of the conversation. I have other end repeaters programmed in around me as well, and nothing at all from them. They are within range, but i only hear from the closest one which is about 10 miles away. I am using an outdoor discone antenna mounted on my roof. I live in a hilly area, it could be the terrain, but i would think i wouldn't get anything at all instead of one side if that was the issue. It comes in loud and clear.

One thing i do notice is on my scanner, i get the main repeater frequency to display only when i do get a transmission, not the particular talkgroup the transmission is coming from. This might be normal, but i know on my p25 talkgroups from SIRN each talkgroup will show up when they transmit.


Sent from my LG-H931 using Tapatalk
 

lurch89

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jan 3, 2008
Messages
28
Location
West Fargo, ND
TRX-1 owner and DMR repeater op here - I monitor my repeater on my TRX-1 with a single conventional entry. Just left timeslot and talkgroup as any. My guess, as others have suggested, is that you're only hearing the full-time talkgroups (on Brandmeister's system these are also called "static"). You might hear other talkgroups when users key them up ("dynamic") but they will drop after 10 minutes.

If you want to find which TG's are full time and which are part-time, try and find the callsign of the repeater, and then Google it or find the sponsoring club/person. Usually there's a website somewhere with which TG's are static and which timeslot they are on.

Depending on the hotspot, you can only control the talkgroup by transmitting on it to "change channels" if you will. Some have a web interface (openSPOT series I believe) that allows changing the TG without a transmitting radio.

If you're really interested in listening to ham radio DMR, you may want to seek out a local club and get your technician license. Then you can get an inexpensive DMR radio and transmit to change channels and listen to whatever you want. I skimmed back through the thread and it didn't say if you were already licensed or not.
 

marjam49

Newbie
Joined
Apr 28, 2018
Messages
40
No I don't have a license but i am seriously thinking of getting it. I like to listen more than i would talk, but it would beneficial to have the license for sure.

I most likely have dynamic talkgroup ids in the repeater then. I will follow your recommendations and try to contact the repeater owner or find a list of static talkgroups.

Thanks for everyone's help..

Sent from my LG-H931 using Tapatalk
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top