Single Frequency Capacity Plus Systems

[CanesFan95]

I seem to notice there are some Cap+ systems in my area that look like 1-frequency systems. The rest channel flips back and forth between slots 1 and 2 (which DSDPlus shows as Ch. 1 and Ch. 2). So what happens if both slots are used up by voice talk groups at the same time? Where does the rest channel go and will other users on different talk groups get busied out if they try to key up?

 

[CanesFan95]

Here's an example of what I mean. This is on 462.3000 MHz.

 

[natedawg1604]

Does the channel activity window ever announce more than 2 channels? Also, do you ever hear conversations get cut off? If you leave DSD+ parked on that frequency for an extended period of time (perhaps 12-24 hours) and you only see 2 channels in the activity window, then perhaps they were planning to add another frequency but haven't yet, or they are still configuring the system or something along those lines.

 

[TampaTyron]

I have installed several single repeater capacity plus systems. They would often replace a community tone panel where users are used to sharing the repeater with other groups. I would be comfortable placing 3-5 talkgroups in this scenario. In any other scenario where users are use to having their own dedicated radio repeater resources, then no more than 3-4 talkgroups, depending on number of radios on each group and volume of radio traffic. TT

 

[natedawg1604]

I have installed several single repeater capacity plus systems. They would often replace a community tone panel where users are used to sharing the repeater with other groups. I would be comfortable placing 3-5 talkgroups in this scenario. In any other scenario where users are use to having their own dedicated radio repeater resources, then no more than 3-4 talkgroups, depending on number of radios on each group and volume of radio traffic. TT

Oh interesting I wasn't aware of that. What features are available with Cap+ vs. DMR conventional on a single repeater?

 

[CanesFan95]

I haven't seen it announce more than 2 channels and never heard any conversations get cutoff. The only thing that happens is a talk group may switch between slots 1 and 2 but stay on the same RF frequency. So I'll hear a conversation bounce between the left and right computer speakers. And just out of curiosity, how could the channel activity window show more than 2 channels active if each frequency only has 2 slots?

This is a busy security company in the Tampa area (they actually sound a bit like real cops). So, can the rest channel exist on the same slot that a voice call is active on at the same time?

Thanks.

 

[TampaTyron]

Homeboys....... You are hearing Critical Intervention Services operating on Telecom Network (Owned by Allcomm Wireless) on their Oldsmar site.

natedawg....... I prefer Cap Plus to standard convention for a few reasons........
-capacity (trunking- you can easily have 4-6 talkgroups on a single repeater)
-system wide all call (you light up every radio when doing a cap plus all call)
-system wide private call (you will connect to your private call recipient if his radio is on and in range)
-system wide radio ping and disable (I can ping your radio to see if it is on and in range, I can disable as well)

Conventional DMR you must be on the right slot and correct talkgroup in order to do any of the above......... TT

 

[EricCottrell]

I haven't seen it announce more than 2 channels and never heard any conversations get cutoff. The only thing that happens is a talk group may switch between slots 1 and 2 but stay on the same RF frequency. So I'll hear a conversation bounce between the left and right computer speakers. And just out of curiosity, how could the channel activity window show more than 2 channels active if each frequency only has 2 slots?

This is a busy security company in the Tampa area (they actually sound a bit like real cops). So, can the rest channel exist on the same slot that a voice call is active on at the same time?

Thanks.

Hello,

If only one talkgroup is active, then the rest channel and the active channel will swap slots on the same frequency. This occurs on all the Cap+ systems I monitored so far. There has to be two or more talkgroups active at the same time to move the rest channel to another frequency. If there is another frequency, DSDPlus should log it as the rest channel indication will change to 3 or 4. If there are only channels 1 and 2, then system will indicate busy. This only affects additional talkgroups trying to use the system as the first two talkgroups have channel allocations already.

73 Eric

 

[CanesFan95]

Homeboys....... You are hearing Critical Intervention Services operating on Telecom Network (Owned by Allcomm Wireless) on their Oldsmar site.

natedawg....... I prefer Cap Plus to standard convention for a few reasons........
-capacity (trunking- you can easily have 4-6 talkgroups on a single repeater)
-system wide all call (you light up every radio when doing a cap plus all call)
-system wide private call (you will connect to your private call recipient if his radio is on and in range)
-system wide radio ping and disable (I can ping your radio to see if it is on and in range, I can disable as well)

Conventional DMR you must be on the right slot and correct talkgroup in order to do any of the above......... TT

Just out of curiosity, do you use DSDPlus? The signal is very strong, but no matter what I do, I always get partly garbled audio. Have you had any luck getting good clear audio? And how come the same talk groups are multicast on 462.3000 + 452.6125 + 463.3125 MHz?

 

[CanesFan95]

Homeboys....... You are hearing Critical Intervention Services operating on Telecom Network (Owned by Allcomm Wireless) on their Oldsmar site.

natedawg....... I prefer Cap Plus to standard convention for a few reasons........
-capacity (trunking- you can easily have 4-6 talkgroups on a single repeater)
-system wide all call (you light up every radio when doing a cap plus all call)
-system wide private call (you will connect to your private call recipient if his radio is on and in range)
-system wide radio ping and disable (I can ping your radio to see if it is on and in range, I can disable as well)

Conventional DMR you must be on the right slot and correct talkgroup in order to do any of the above......... TT

And, another question if you don't mind, since it looks like you're in my area. Who is CHARLES C. STULL? I keep seeing that same name coming up on FCC searches. For example, 464.7625 is licensed to TBA COMMUNICATION & STULL, CHARLES C, with 2 different callsigns, both in Tampa. How can an individual get licensed for the same frequency as another company in the same city and not interfere with each other?

 

[kma371]

He probably owns a communications company. Lots of FCC licenses under his name.

 

[Voyager]

And there are lots of users who get licenses for frequencies in areas where others have licenses. Licenses are not exclusive in any given area except for some services such as paging.

 

[CanesFan95]

Hello,

If only one talkgroup is active, then the rest channel and the active channel will swap slots on the same frequency. This occurs on all the Cap+ systems I monitored so far. There has to be two or more talkgroups active at the same time to move the rest channel to another frequency. If there is another frequency, DSDPlus should log it as the rest channel indication will change to 3 or 4. If there are only channels 1 and 2, then system will indicate busy. This only affects additional talkgroups trying to use the system as the first two talkgroups have channel allocations already.

73 Eric

Thanks for this post. I am now tracking this system with 2 dongles and still have the same problem with S1 and S2 showing up in the CC Activity Window. It usually happens when there is more than 1 talk group keyed up at the same time. I'm fairly certain this is just a 1-frequency Cap+ system, because DSD+ has never tried to bump the rest channel to any other channels (like 3, 4, 5, 6, or whatever). It's only been on 1 and 2.

The problem is, if I'm holding on a talk group to listen to just that talk group (with the space bar), sometimes it will jump to S1 or S2 instead of the frequency 462.300, and that causes me not to hear the transmission. This only happens when there is one other talk group active at the same time (that I'm not holding on). How can I tell DSD+ to stay on the RF frequency while holding on the talk group instead of generating rows for S1/S2? When the talk group trunks around, it should just stay on one of the two 462.3 rows and not bump to some arbitrary S1/S2 so then I get no audio.

 

[CanesFan95]

See, here's a couple more screenshots of what I mean. Why does DSDPlus show the talk groups on "S1" and "S2" instead of showing them on one of the slots on the actual frequency? You can see where I'm holding on talk group 17, but it's not letting me hear it because it's putting it on "S1" instead of 462.3. Why?

Do I have something setup wrong with this Cap+ system? If I have a Cap+ system setup correctly with all the right frequencies and LCNs in the DSDPlus.frequencies file, then am I correct in assuming that I should never see "S1" and "S2"? Exactly what are these "S1" and "S2" things for, anyways?

 

[natedawg1604]

See, here's a couple more screenshots of what I mean. Why does DSDPlus show the talk groups on "S1" and "S2" instead of showing them on one of the slots on the actual frequency? You can see where I'm holding on talk group 17, but it's not letting me hear it because it's putting it on "S1" instead of 462.3. Why?

Do I have something setup wrong with this Cap+ system? If I have a Cap+ system setup correctly with all the right frequencies and LCNs in the DSDPlus.frequencies file, then am I correct in assuming that I should never see "S1" and "S2"? Exactly what are these "S1" and "S2" things for, anyways?

Can you post screenshots of the DSD+ main activity windows as well?

 

[slicerwizard]

Upload a big raw audio recording so we can see what's going on.

 

[CanesFan95]

How do I upload a recording on here? Do I just type 'R' to make a recording? And should I record the CC or VC instance of DSD+?

Can you post screenshots of the DSD+ main activity windows as well?

Which screen is that, the command prompt screen that looks like DOS, or the Event Log? I will have to wait until it happens again to capture more screenshots.

 

[CanesFan95]

Something else I notice is that the "S1" and "S2" will disappear after a while during the same monitoring session. Then other times, they'll come back. This screenshot is from the same monitoring session as the last screenshots.

 

[CanesFan95]

Here's a screenshot with the Event Log. I have a recording now off the CC instance of DSDPlus during another time this same problem happened, but it's a big 10 Mb .wav file and I don't know where to post it.

 

[natedawg1604]

Here's a screenshot with the Event Log. ...

Yeah that's the event log I was looking for. However, don't you have a VC instance of DSD+ also running? Can you post a screenshot of the VC Event Log as well?