SDRTrunk - Baltimore County

[LethalDosage]

I am using SDRTrunk v0.5.0-alpha6 on Linux. Can see the radio and see the waterfall. Hardware seems to work.
I configured based on this info:
Baltimore County Trunking System, Various, Maryland - Scanner Frequencies
I tried all 4 control frequencies and I get "SYNC LOSS - BITS PROCESSED [1570]" Sometimes I see[9600].
I setup as P25 Phase 1, LSM and talk group 9606 (Parkville) using APCO-25.
Most of the above is greek to me, but I can read! I also watched a youtube. Seemed easy, but not working.
I have read in the forums that other people have this working, so can anyone help?

I did have it configured for the wrong system and was getting talk group info. But I had the wrong system. It was called "Baltimore Simulcast" and I used 773.80625 for the control freq. Since I never saw any of the 960? talk groups I figured I had the wrong system. I found the link above and now using freq 856.2125, but getting the sync loss errors.

Thanks,
Guy

 

[Spleen]

I am using SDRTrunk v0.5.0-alpha6 on Linux. Can see the radio and see the waterfall. Hardware seems to work.
I configured based on this info:
Baltimore County Trunking System, Various, Maryland - Scanner Frequencies
I tried all 4 control frequencies and I get "SYNC LOSS - BITS PROCESSED [1570]" Sometimes I see[9600].
I setup as P25 Phase 1, LSM and talk group 9606 (Parkville) using APCO-25.
Most of the above is greek to me, but I can read! I also watched a youtube. Seemed easy, but not working.
I have read in the forums that other people have this working, so can anyone help?

I did have it configured for the wrong system and was getting talk group info. But I had the wrong system. It was called "Baltimore Simulcast" and I used 773.80625 for the control freq. Since I never saw any of the 960? talk groups I figured I had the wrong system. I found the link above and now using freq 856.2125, but getting the sync loss errors.

Thanks,
Guy

This is my setup and it works great...

 

[LethalDosage]

My settings are the same. I think I don't have the correct antenna or maybe the USB dongle is not good enough.
My antenna is 4 and 1/8 inch, measuring the wire to the tip. I think it should be about 350mm or 13.8 inches.
I made a 13.8 inch antenna out of a wire, but no difference.

Another web site said 6.55 inches for 1/2 wave, so tried that. No luck.

If I pull the antenna out, the waterfall goes mostly blank. Some snow. So it is getting signals, but not the ones I need.

I saw someone comment that the transmitters are in Towson, Essex and the Hickey school. They are west, east and north of me, maybe 5 miles or less. Essex maybe more than 5.

This is my radio
Amazon.com: JahyShow DVB-T DAB FM RTL2832U & R820T Tuner Mini USB Stick RTL-SDR SDR for SDR# HDSDR FM+DAB & ADS-B Receiver Set: Electronics
Any idea if it is good enough?
If not, what about this one?
https://www.amazon.com/NooElec-NESDR-Smart-Bundle-R820T2-Based/dp/B01GDN1T4S
If not, got a better choice?

Thanks.

 

[Spleen]

I'm actually using an Airspy...the prices have dropped on those lately so it might be worth it for you...but unless you live in some sort of deep valley, you should be able to pick up BaCo with what you have. I'm in Baltimore City, Charles Village (think JHU campus), and all I have for an antenna is a mag mount I got out of the trash at work that was originally for MSP VHF-Lo frequencies but someone unscrewed the top part so it's only about seven or eight inches tall now. From this location I have SDRSharp programmed for Baltimore City, Baltimore County, FIRST, FleetTalk, CMARC, with the Horseshoe Casino thrown in just for the hell of it.

Here's what I see in the Tuners screen set to the Baltimore County system:

 

[maus92]

My settings are the same. I think I don't have the correct antenna or maybe the USB dongle is not good enough.
My antenna is 4 and 1/8 inch, measuring the wire to the tip. I think it should be about 350mm or 13.8 inches.
I made a 13.8 inch antenna out of a wire, but no difference.

Another web site said 6.55 inches for 1/2 wave, so tried that. No luck.

If I pull the antenna out, the waterfall goes mostly blank. Some snow. So it is getting signals, but not the ones I need.

I saw someone comment that the transmitters are in Towson, Essex and the Hickey school. They are west, east and north of me, maybe 5 miles or less. Essex maybe more than 5.

This is my radio
Amazon.com: JahyShow DVB-T DAB FM RTL2832U & R820T Tuner Mini USB Stick RTL-SDR SDR for SDR# HDSDR FM+DAB & ADS-B Receiver Set: Electronics
Any idea if it is good enough?
If not, what about this one?
https://www.amazon.com/NooElec-NESDR-Smart-Bundle-R820T2-Based/dp/B01GDN1T4S
If not, got a better choice?

Thanks.

The Nooelec is the best choice, as it is TXCO - which means it won't drift as it warms up. Your JahyShow is junk.

Both systems, the Baltimore County 800 system, and the state of Maryland's 700 system have excellent coverage in your area. You should not have any trouble receiving them, unless you have some sort of weird local interference. The antenna length is not your problem, assuming it's between ~3.5 - 7 (1/4 or 1/2 wavelength for 800 band.)

 

[rlmurray56]

I don't know if Nooelec is the "best", I use the orange Flightaware sticks, also TXCO...BUT they have a 20db preamplifier in them. Work amazingly well in 700mhz/800mhz. I have 3 of them deployed.

Amazon.com

 

[maus92]

I don't know if Nooelec is the "best", I use the orange Flightaware sticks, also TXCO...BUT they have a 20db preamplifier in them. Work amazingly well in 700mhz/800mhz. I have 3 of them deployed.

Amazon.com

I have one FA Orange. I also have 5 Nooelecs, one RTL-SDR, and 2 Airspys (one R2 and one Mini.) I don't need the pre-amp as I am well within the service area of the 700/800 systems I monitor. And I like metal casings for its potential for heat dissipation and shielding - FA is plastic. The Nooelecs require the least warp / PPM / drift adjustment, hence I tend to use them most often.

 

[slicerwizard]

I don't know if Nooelec is the "best", I use the orange Flightaware sticks, also TXCO...BUT they have a 20db preamplifier in them. Work amazingly well in 700mhz/800mhz. I have 3 of them deployed.

Agreed. They handle all but the worst RF environments and have very nice sensitivity above 400 MHz. Even below, they work ok for me. Frequency stability is fine and the price is right. I've had four of them for a few years now and no issues/failures so far.

 

[awasser1]

try turning up the gain to 495 that's what my Nooclec has as the hightest. The gain setup by default sdrtrunk parameters are lower. when i did this a system i didnt get before came to life. you might try a yagi directional if you can put an antenna outside.

Alec
N1AJW

 

[LethalDosage]

I tried auto and every gain thinking maybe it was too high. I don't understand the other settings, like:
PPM, Mixer, LNA and VGA.

I did order a Nooelec with 3 antennas. It should arrive Monday.
Nooelec has a model that looks like what I have, so I wonder if it really is a rebranded Nooelec.

 

[maus92]

I tried auto and every gain thinking maybe it was too high. I don't understand the other settings, like:
PPM, Mixer, LNA and VGA.

I did order a Nooelec with 3 antennas. It should arrive Monday.
Nooelec has a model that looks like what I have, so I wonder if it really is a rebranded Nooelec.

Hopefully you purchased TCXO Nooelec, and not the one that "looks" like you already have.

 

[LethalDosage]

It is TCXO!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GDN1T4S

This is the one that looks like what I currently have:
https://www.amazon.com/NooElec-NESDR-Mini-Receiver-RTL2832U/dp/B00VZ1AWQA
But mine is black and does not say Nooelec and my antenna is different.

 

[maus92]

Nooelec also makes one that looks like yours, but is not TCXO.

https://www.amazon.com/NooElec-NESDR-Mini-Compatible-Packages/dp/B009U7WZCA/ref=psdc_3015428011_t1_B01H830YQ6

The new one you purchased is the model you need. And you will need two of them to cover the frequency spread of the Baltimore County system.

 

[LethalDosage]

I got my Neoelec today. Was listening within a few minutes. No errors listed under "Messages".
Currently using SDRtrunk, but plan to switch to OP25 and a RaspberryPI.