Obsolete

[nexus]

I've been trying to get DSD to properly decode provoice audio for the last few days and I keep getting closer but I could use some suggestions/ideas what to do next.

I'm using a PRO-95 tapped at TP4 with a 10kohm resistor inline soldered to the mono jack which I've installed. Using a mono (non-attenuated) cable to my PC's built-in mic-in. (Realtec ALC888). I have no trouble decoding P25 audio, but I noticed that I had to adjust the volume slider for my input to just above the 'unamplified' tick line in order for it to decode.

I'm using Ubuntu 10.04.

Can someone explain to me about the error codes in provoice displayed below? I've noticed that when the signal gets very close to being converted into voice the = marks are minimal and no identifiers like R or M appear. But I'm having to constantly play with the mic input slider to try to get the best decode. So far for two days I've been unable to get it perfect enough to get any good voice. It's mostly garbled with sporadic captures of a word here or there that make it through.

This is really aggravating because I want to decode provoice and it's just not making it. My question is to those of you who have been successfully decoding provoice, what are you having to do to make it work?

nexus@ubuntu:~$ dsd -fp
Digital Speech Decoder 1.4.1
mbelib version 1.2.3
Setting symbol rate to 9600 / second
Enabling only GFSK modulation optimizations.
Decoding only ProVoice frames.
Audio In/Out Device: /dev/audio
Sync:  -ProVoice  mod: GFSK inlvl: 72% VOICE e:====
Sync:  -ProVoice  mod: GFSK inlvl: 86% VOICE e:==
Sync:  -ProVoice  mod: GFSK inlvl: 93% VOICE e:======
Sync:  -ProVoice  mod: GFSK inlvl: 96% VOICE e:=
Sync:  -ProVoice  mod: GFSK inlvl: 98% VOICE e:===========
Sync:  -ProVoice  mod: GFSK inlvl: 99% VOICE e:==
Sync:  -ProVoice  mod: GFSK inlvl: 99% VOICE e:=
Sync:  -ProVoice  mod: GFSK inlvl: 99% VOICE e:=
Sync:  -ProVoice  mod: GFSK inlvl: 99% VOICE e:========
Sync: no sync
Sync:  -ProVoice  mod: GFSK inlvl: 72% VOICE e:=====
Sync:  -ProVoice  mod: GFSK inlvl: 86% VOICE e:=========
Sync:  -ProVoice  mod: GFSK inlvl: 93% VOICE e:
Sync:  -ProVoice  mod: GFSK inlvl: 96% VOICE e:===
Sync:  -ProVoice  mod: GFSK inlvl: 98% VOICE e:======
Sync:  -ProVoice  mod: GFSK inlvl: 99% VOICE e:=====
Sync:  -ProVoice  mod: GFSK inlvl: 99% VOICE e:====
Sync:  -ProVoice  mod: GFSK inlvl: 99% VOICE e:===
Sync:  -ProVoice  mod: GFSK inlvl: 99% VOICE e:============R====R
Sync:  -ProVoice  mod: GFSK inlvl: 72% VOICE e:=======R=========R=========R========RM

 

[vinzep491]

I'm interested in replies as well, I plan on trying this soon.

 

[Astrak]

Looks like your input levels are a little to high, try using the line in or turning down the input volume.

 

[nexus]

I've been adjusting the heck out them trying to find the best spot. Since my last post I did what you suggested and connected the radio to the Line in. I'm not noticing any difference. P25 decodes perfectly, in fact it sounds better than my BCD396T which is being used on my RR Feed.

Provoice is still giving me fits trying to decode.

 

[nexus]

I feel like an idiot now... I got provoice working.

My issue was signal to noise ratio. In other words the tower I'm trying to listen into is over 25 miles away and I'm using a 4 element yagi connected to my Pro-95 in my bed room on a 6' coax. So I started moving the antenna around in my room and then I started to hear more voice. So it's not an input issue. I need to get this antenna outside of the house to get a good signal. It's good enough for analog but apparently not for digital.

I'm on the fringe area for this system, but it is working now...

 

[vinzep491]

Congrats - Update us on the issue after you fix your antenna problem.

 

[nexus]

vinzep491 I don't know what issue I should update on since I finally discovered my only issue was that I lived too far away to get a strong enough signal to decode.

I ordered an Griffin iMic for my notebook and it came in today. i connected it to my notebook and set it to Line in, and plugged my PRO-95 into the iMic and set dsd to point to the iMic (dsd -i /dev/audio1) and BAM! I was instantly decoding my local P25 Phase 1 trunked system and listening to voice.

So I grabbed my notebook and scanner and took it out to the car and took a drive. I headed toward the Provoice tower and as I got closer into range I started decoding voice. I was able to achieve nearly 100% voice.

I had to order the iMic because the built-in audio driver on my notebook wasn't cutting it. No matter how much I played with the audio settings I could never successfully decode voice. Since others on here were successful with the iMic I ordered one from amazon.com. I'm 100% satisfied and this thing WORKS!

Vinzep491 you should do this if you have a digital system near you.

 

[puzzleriddle]

vinzep491 I don't know what issue I should update on since I finally discovered my only issue was that I lived too far away to get a strong enough signal to decode.

I ordered an Griffin iMic for my notebook and it came in today. i connected it to my notebook and set it to Line in, and plugged my PRO-95 into the iMic and set dsd to point to the iMic (dsd -i /dev/audio1) and BAM! I was instantly decoding my local P25 Phase 1 trunked system and listening to voice.

So I grabbed my notebook and scanner and took it out to the car and took a drive. I headed toward the Provoice tower and as I got closer into range I started decoding voice. I was able to achieve nearly 100% voice.

I had to order the iMic because the built-in audio driver on my notebook wasn't cutting it. No matter how much I played with the audio settings I could never successfully decode voice. Since others on here were successful with the iMic I ordered one from amazon.com. I'm 100% satisfied and this thing WORKS!

Vinzep491 you should do this if you have a digital system near you.

GREAT news nexus!, what type cable did you use from the Imic to the tap? stereo or mono which 1 of these would work best do you think RadioShack.com I have 1/8 jack for the tap and then 1/8 to 1/4 adapter & old cable from a pair of compter speakers that isnt working the speaker cable seeems to be too large.

 

[nexus]

I used a mono cable that was not attenuated with 1/8 phone plug on each end, bought it at radio shack. I've attached pictures of the cable and the iMic. If your sound card isn't good enough to decode, or you want to have a second sound card, the iMic is an excellent solution. One end plugs into the USB port of your computer, and the other end has a 1/8 stereo mic/line-in jack, and a 1/8 stereo line-out jack. There is a switch on the side that allows you to select either Mic or Line in.

Of course the other end of the black cable goes into the 1/8 mono jack I installed into my PRO-95 which has the tap.

 

[nexus]

I'm missing something, what would you plug the 1/4 in plug into? As far as I know all sound cards use the 1/8 standard. I don't know if any that use the 1/4 size plug.

 

[SCPD]

Perhaps puzzle meant an RCA jack.

 

[nexus]

Perhaps puzzle meant an RCA jack.

well the link he provided in his post to radio shack showed a cable that had one end terminated with a 1/8 phone plug and the other end with a 1/4 phone plug. So I don't know?

 

[puzzleriddle]

thanks folks!! I got it straight & headed to RS Friday afternoon. I was confused & making it harder than it is HEH