XTL/XTS5000 XTS5000 talk group issue

[Isk223]

Hello, I am using my xts5000 vhf to do non affiliated scanning. I have all my cc's in and all the talkgroups in but the radio will not do anything. I am trying to listen to Virginia stars talkgroups. My flashcode is
589088-001686-6 if that helps. Thank you

 

[KevinC]

Is your bandplan correct?

 

[Isk223]

as far as I can tell it is. I have tweaked as many settings as I can think and I cant get it to do anything.

 

[natedawg1604]

Uggh, I would seriously consider stopping right now and changing your Flashcode. In case you weren't aware, your current Flashcode includes the following:

Q498 Hardware Multikey Encryption w/ OTAR (this is over-the-air re-keying of encryption keys)
H43 Trunked Remote Monitor/Radio Trace
G996 Over the Air Provisioning
ADP Software Encryption
Q947 APCO Packet Data Interface
H46 Trunked One Touch Status Message

Suffice it to say, you don't need or want any of these in your radio. The following Flashcode should be more than sufficient for non-affiliate scanning:
500008-000482-8.

Unfortunately I have a feeling this thread is headed down the path of a trainwreck, as RR does not allow discussions about the the specifics of how to change your flash code, or how to do several other things that must be done to make a XTS usable for Non-affiliate scanning. For example, if you're radio has all this stuff in the flashcode "out of the box", it probably has ASK as well. It's frankly trivial to remove ASK and "re-set" everything, but again the specifics of this cannot be discussed on RR forums.

I would strongly suggest you stop posting here, create a free account at "Austech.info", and spend dozens of hours searching the archives under "Communication Devices" and post further questions there.

 

[Outerdog]

as far as I can tell it is. I have tweaked as many settings as I can think and I cant get it to do anything.

It's not a guessing game. Either it is or it isn't correct.

 

[Isk223]

Ok thank you. I am aware of what the flashcode is. I have disabled the secure equipped as it was messing with the system key. I have been doing hours and hours of research on every aspect of this radio, but I will take your advise and do what is recommended. Do you believe that the issue could be the flashcodes that are on here causing the issues? The trunking that im trying to scan is not that hard to do. I am just stumped on this one problem. Sorry for upsetting anyone, thank yall for your time.

 

[KevinC]

I have disabled the secure equipped as it was messing with the system key.

That's a new one on me.

 

[Isk223]

That's a new one on me.

After I wrote the programming to the radio I turned it on awhile later and it came up with key fail. So a little while later after some research I found it was from secure equipped box was checked.

 

[KevinC]

After I wrote the programming to the radio I turned it on awhile later and it came up with key fail. So a little while later after some research I found it was from secure equipped box was checked.

Ok. So nothing to do with the system key. Got it.

 

[natedawg1604]

Ok thank you. I am aware of what the flashcode is. I have disabled the secure equipped as it was messing with the system key. I have been doing hours and hours of research on every aspect of this radio, but I will take your advise and do what is recommended. Do you believe that the issue could be the flashcodes that are on here causing the issues? The trunking that im trying to scan is not that hard to do. I am just stumped on this one problem. Sorry for upsetting anyone, thank yall for your time.

Once you have enough Posts up and can do private messages, in I'll PM you (I can't remember how many it takes but you should get there soon). The flashcode is just one of many, many issues you could be having; I would recommend changing that flashcode before doing anything else. Having all those Encryption, remote monitor & over-the-air options enabled would scare me on a non-affiliate radio; they certainly won't help you, but they could definitely cause you problems at some point. I will PM you to discuss further.

Setting up non-affiliate scan radios requires pretty extensive knowledge of the P-25 protocol and Trunked systems, along with Astro25 Software and various related topics. You may spend months just figuring out the basics.

P.S. While your first starting out, always check for a tiny red LED to flash when you first power up the radio. If you ever see this red light next to the antenna, it means abandon ship, you've screwed up big time. You never, ever want to see that red light. A green LED is okay, just not red.

 

[Isk223]

Once you have enough Posts up and can do private messages, in I'll PM you (I can't remember how many it takes but you should get there soon). The flashcode is just one of many, many issues you could be having; I would recommend changing that flashcode before doing anything else. Having all those Encryption, remote monitor & over-the-air options enabled would scare me on a non-affiliate radio; they certainly won't help you, but they could definitely cause you problems at some point. I will PM you to discuss further.

Setting up non-affiliate scan radios requires pretty extensive knowledge of the P-25 protocol and Trunked system, along with Astro25 Software and various related topics. You may spend months just figuring out the basics.

Ok that sounds like I have even more research topics to look up. Again thank you for your time

 

[FFPM571]

Uggh, I would seriously consider stopping right now and changing your Flashcode. In case you weren't aware, your current Flashcode includes the following:

Q498 Hardware Multikey Encryption w/ OTAR (this is over-the-air re-keying of encryption keys)
H43 Trunked Remote Monitor/Radio Trace
G996 Over the Air Provisioning
ADP Software Encryption
Q947 APCO Packet Data Interface
H46 Trunked One Touch Status Message

Suffice it to say, you don't need or want any of these in your radio. The following Flashcode should be more than sufficient for non-affiliate scanning:
500008-000482-8.

Unfortunately I have a feeling this thread is headed down the path of a trainwreck, as RR does not allow discussions about the the specifics of how to change your flash code, or how to do several other things that must be done to make a XTS usable for Non-affiliate scanning. For example, if you're radio has all this stuff in the flashcode "out of the box", it probably has ASK as well. It's frankly trivial to remove ASK and "re-set" everything, but again the specifics of this cannot be discussed on RR forums.

I would strongly suggest you stop posting here, create a free account at "Austech.info", and spend dozens of hours searching the archives under "Communication Devices" and post further questions there.

you are telling him to use depot to make changes that is using illegally obtained great .......

 

[natedawg1604]

you are telling him to use depot to make changes that is using illegally obtained great .......

No I just told him to do his own research and figure out what he needs to do. I didn't say anything about how to do it lol...

 

[jeepsandradios]

Buy a scanner or a unication pager. Sell your radio.

 

[Skypilot007]

I had a radio once with the flash code all whored out with options like these. I didn't have any problems at all using it for non-affiliate scanning. So long as the radio does not affiliate those scary looking options are moot.

 

[chrismol1]

What does do nothing mean? No audio? No changing to talkgroup on the screen? You said its a VHF system, you need the correct VHF bandplan channel id for that VHF system or it wont work, full stop. Use an SDR/scanner or ask someone local on here

 

[Isk223]

What does do nothing mean? No audio? No changing to talkgroup on the screen? You said its a VHF system, you need the correct VHF bandplan channel id for that VHF system or it wont work, full stop. Use an SDR/scanner or ask someone local on here

I'm not getting audio, or any change to a talk group screen. Like I said previously as far as I can tell my band plan is right, I know it either is right or it's not and this is probably my issue. But that's why I'm here, to learn more just like other folks.

 

[Outerdog]

Look, Nate is making this more complicated than it needs to be. The concepts around no affiliate scan are not difficult. Trunked talkgroups are placed where the radio cannot park on them, then they are added to a scan list which is then associated with a conventional personality. Among that stuff, there are some settings which can get you into trouble. Most notably the scan list transmit type (or whatever its called) being Selected Chan versus Talkback.

Otherwise, when things don't work, the most common mistakes are the band plan being wrong and the tuning/alignment of the radio is out of whack. Most people assume both are correct when they are not.

You have been asked several times about the band plan, and all you have said is that "as far as you can tell" it is correct. When I said that it is not a guessing game, I was being serious. How did you determine the band plan? The best way to get it is to use a control channel decoder (like OP25, Unitrunker, or whatever else).

In P25, alignment is crucial. It's not at all as forgiving as analog.

 

[Isk223]

Look, Nate is making this more complicated than it needs to be. The concepts around no affiliate scan are not difficult. Trunked talkgroups are placed where the radio cannot park on them, then they are added to a scan list which is then associated with a conventional personality. Among that stuff, there are some settings which can get you into trouble. Most notably the scan list transmit type (or whatever its called) being Selected Chan versus Talkback.

Otherwise, when things don't work, the most common mistakes are the band plan being wrong and the tuning/alignment of the radio is out of whack. Most people assume both are correct when they are not.

You have been asked several times about the band plan, and all you have said is that "as far as you can tell" it is correct. When I said that it is not a guessing game, I was being serious. How did you determine the band plan? The best way to get it is to use a control channel decoder (like OP25, Unitrunker, or whatever else).

In P25, alignment is crucial. It's not at all as forgiving as analog.

Ok I fully understand non affiliated scanning. I have it set up on my xts5000 800 and it works flawless. From what I have read it's more touchy with vhf, referring to the band plan. I have seen a few forums on the band plan I'm looking for and have inputted what I have seen but I'm still trying to wrap my head around the entire picture of how it works.

 

[natedawg1604]

Ok I fully understand non affiliated scanning. I have it set up on my xts5000 800 and it works flawless. From what I have read it's more touchy with vhf, referring to the band plan. I have seen a few forums on the band plan I'm looking for and have inputted what I have seen but I'm still trying to wrap my head around the entire picture of how it works.

It sounds like you're further along than I thought. If the only issue is the band plan and you have the trunked system(s) and everything else setup properly, just get a RTL SDR dongle and setup Unitrunker to monitor the system in question, and you should get all the bandplan info you need.

Also you really should use Unitrunker to double-check that your radio is not affiliating, particularly when you first start using a the radio. It's very easy to check.