Turn XTS into a scanner

[knockoffham]

wait.

you went from (not-NAS-but)NAS to hardware limiting a radio, to scanning on a BTT, to Unitrunker to crossbanding it onto MURS...and then you've decided that you can stream this onto a website?

this sounds very much like a 'flight of ideas', are you ok?

methinks you should try walking, before you run.

I came here for feedback, and I got great feedback. Those are all just possible ideas to listen to MPSCS with fairly good reliability and without spending a fortune. I have plenty of potential options now I didn't think of, nothing set in stone. What's wrong with that?
I went from the idea of using a modified Astro to listen, to using a Harris or an SDR to listen. I'm sorry that listening to other people when they have better ideas than I do is objectionable. Methinks you're possibly trying to find a bone to pick.

 

[chrismol1]

First, I somehow missed this message or I would have replied earlier. I mis-typed, I have old Astro CPS and Astro 25 CPS too. But you're right, I have limited understanding of P25 trunking. My idea was not to do a scanlist, but to set up individual channels with the talkgropus used in the county, and just remove the PA amp so it can't transmit. But after help from this thread, it seems that an XTS is not a good radio to do something like this with, as with other models I could fully inhibit any affiliation without having to do any hardware mods or anything sketchy. So yeah, An astro is out of the question after all the great info on this thread. I'll go with a Harris, Unication, or proper scanner.

I know how trunking works and I have Astro CPS. My idea is that I would program the radio with all the frequencies for my county’s simulcast sites, but make it so that it cannot transmit. So instead of being limited to 16 talkgroups as it would be in scan mode, I have as many individual talkgroups as needed and can easily cycle through them (I’ll set up channels for all my county’s talk groups), the radio just won’t be able to transmit. I’ll look into a Harris. I have programmed several radios, LTR and DMR trunking just not P25. But I am familiar with the technology and how it works.

I think you're missing a bit about why P25 trunking requires affiliation on Motorola radios and disabling transmit will do nothing for you.. In order to unmute audio in trunked mode, the radio needs to have affiliation to and from the system and do that handshake. Thats the reason why non-affiliate scan exists for that purpose and otherwise hacking it up whatever will still result in no audio while programming it in regular trunked fashion

Yea you could setup conventional scan with all the individual voice frequencies for that site and listen to all traffic across the voice channel frequencies or setup selectable talkgroup to only unmute on a selected talkgroup while scanning those conv frequencies

 

[MikeNike42]

Knowing myself, and how I get sucked into the unnecessary, I will probably end up getting a used Harris radio and program it for no TX, that is once I can find Harris RPM. Currently all I have for listening to analog and DMR is all old part 90 radios

Even if you get Harris RPM you still would need a system key to program for a trunked system, TX or not.

 

[knockoffham]

I think you're missing a bit about why P25 trunking requires affiliation on Motorola radios and disabling transmit will do nothing for you.. In order to unmute audio in trunked mode, the radio needs to have affiliation to and from the system and do that handshake. Thats the reason why non-affiliate scan exists for that purpose and otherwise hacking it up whatever will still result in no audio while programming it in regular trunked fashion

Yea you could setup conventional scan with all the individual voice frequencies for that site and listen to all traffic across the voice channel frequencies or setup selectable talkgroup to only unmute on a selected talkgroup while scanning those conv frequencies

Oh ok, I asked something like that but I guess it wasn't worded well. That makes sense. Thanks

Even if you get Harris RPM you still would need a system key to program for a trunked system, TX or not.

I read online that that is only as of recent-ish firmware versions for Harris P25 radios, but ok. Hopefully if I go that route I could find some way around needing a system key. Thanks

 

[WX4JCW]

I'm just going to be honest at this point, im trying to say this as gently as possible, system radios will get you into a lot of legal issues if something goes wrong, doesnt matter the manufacturer, these agencies are not playing around with this stuff, stick with something that wont transmit

 

[jeepsandradios]

You can scan P25 audio over murs. Why not just use a scanner app on your phone ?

 

[Citywide173]

From experience with both a G4 and G5 on the MPSCS system in Wayne County and Detroit, I can say that they work great. I've also used an SDS100 and 200 on the same systems with great results. I know you're looking to save money, but if you want quality without a lot of hassle, these are the way to go.

 

[knockoffham]

You can scan P25 audio over murs. Why not just use a scanner app on your phone ?

Not as fun. It was just a silly idea. In all practicality I'd just use my phone

From experience with both a G4 and G5 on the MPSCS system in Wayne County and Detroit, I can say that they work great. I've also used an SDS100 and 200 on the same systems with great results. I know you're looking to save money, but if you want quality without a lot of hassle, these are the way to go.

Thank you

I'm just going to be honest at this point, im trying to say this as gently as possible, system radios will get you into a lot of legal issues if something goes wrong, doesnt matter the manufacturer, these agencies are not playing around with this stuff, stick with something that wont transmit

Yeah, I've got to weigh my options. Thanks

 

[ElroyJetson]

Best option: Unication. It's DESIGNED to do what you want, and there's NO chance of it EVER transmitting. It is superior to a scanner, being a public safety grade product and intended to be used by public safety where reception ONLY is a requirement.

It costs a bit but solves ALL other issues. So....DO DAT.

 

[knockoffham]

Best option: Unication. It's DESIGNED to do what you want, and there's NO chance of it EVER transmitting. It is superior to a scanner, being a public safety grade product and intended to be used by public safety where reception ONLY is a requirement.

It costs a bit but solves ALL other issues. So....DO DAT.

Thanks! I think it’s been made obvious that whatever I do it is going to be more expensive and difficult than I expected.

 

[mmckenna]

Thanks! I think it’s been made obvious that whatever I do it is going to be more expensive and difficult than I expected.

Yeah, that's a big part of the hobby. If you want cheap, this ain't the one.

 

[ElroyJetson]

It's not like it used to be. There was a time when there were no commercially available trunking scanners. To scan trunking took a trunked radio. The first generation of trunked radios to hit the surplus market is where things got started. The system key issue had to be solved for that to work. Same problem exists today, only greatly enlarged. It took years for the scanner industry to catch up and make the first trunking capable scanners. Some formats took longer to catch up. (Anybody remember the STX...?)

 

[DeoVindice]

Yea you could setup conventional scan with all the individual voice frequencies for that site and listen to all traffic across the voice channel frequencies or setup selectable talkgroup to only unmute on a selected talkgroup while scanning those conv frequencies

For low-traffic sites, this is a totally acceptable method. I have an EFJ 5100ES in 700/800 (I think it ran me about $10 in a trade) programmed this way that I occasionally use to listen to AZWINS. Typically only about four talkgroups have subscribers affiliated to the local site and it works just fine.

If you're in a busy area, I'll second everyone who says to buy a scanner.

 

[knockoffham]

For low-traffic sites, this is a totally acceptable method. I have an EFJ 5100ES in 700/800 (I think it ran me about $10 in a trade) programmed this way that I occasionally use to listen to AZWINS. Typically only about four talkgroups have subscribers affiliated to the local site and it works just fine.

If you're in a busy area, I'll second everyone who says to buy a scanner.

Busy-ish. Also simulcast, I've heard scanners can have trouble with simulcast.

 

[knockoffham]

Yeah, that's a big part of the hobby. If you want cheap, this ain't the one.

Yeah, I'm just lucky with cheap workarounds sometimes. But I've spent the last few years blowing a lot of money on radios . My car's got 2 mobile radios with 4 bands, 4 antennas, and a mobile extender crammed on it. My next project plan is a MMDVM type DMR repeater from 2 CDMs without using a Raspberry Pi.
I just haven't gotten into P25 scanning yet since my county didn't start to go P25 until a couple years ago. Mostly conventional analog repeaters as well as some EDACS before that, mostly 70cm. Very rarely they still use analog 440 (mostly 1 small agency-my college) even though the P25 setup is 700. So they must have separate radios. I doubt they wasted money buying APX 8000s just to use a couple analog repeaters every couple weeks.
Sorry for the rambling...

 

[WX4JCW]

Busy-ish. Also simulcast, I've heard scanners can have trouble with simulcast.

the SDS200 and SDS100 do not

 

[ecps92]

It's not like it used to be. There was a time when there were no commercially available trunking scanners. To scan trunking took a trunked radio. The first generation of trunked radios to hit the surplus market is where things got started. The system key issue had to be solved for that to work. Same problem exists today, only greatly enlarged. It took years for the scanner industry to catch up and make the first trunking capable scanners. Some formats took longer to catch up. (Anybody remember the STX...?)

ahhh the ole STX, still have one

 

[northstarfire0693]

I remember the STX. I dont believe any are in use to this day. You will still find them on ebay

 

[PreferredCustomer]

Best option: Unication. It's DESIGNED to do what you want, and there's NO chance of it EVER transmitting. It is superior to a scanner, being a public safety grade product and intended to be used by public safety where reception ONLY is a requirement.

It costs a bit but solves ALL other issues. So....DO DAT.

I just want to say, one can spend time, or money. Unication works very well, and one can just input the proper info.

If one tries to go another route, it can start out inexpensive, but end up being a massive time consumer, trying to get it to work.

I am not as knowledgeable as some on here, (hobbyist, not a dealer), so I went with Unication for my local scanning needs. Looking toward a possible SDS 200 purchase.

 

[buddrousa]

@knockoffham
If you want to dance you need to PAY THE BAND.