Trunker Setup for AA County

[maus92]

Hi:

Here's a hypothetical question: If I was to build/purchase the necessary hardware/software for a system to decode and display the present/future AACo trunking system on a PC, what would be the most practical solution? I already have a good spare PC, and a spare BC785 (w/o the digital card.) I'm pretty good with software setup and cabling, however I suk at soldering so I'd have to find someone to do radio mods for me.
I have tried looking up the info that I need on RR, but it's difficult to get a consensus of opinion, and an answer tailored to my specific area. (However, if anyone can suggest some links, I'm all ears )

So here is the info that I need.

What scanner should I use, if the 785 won't work out?
What software should I use?
Where can I find someone to do the necessary mods?
Any special cables required?

Thanks in advance,

CA
Annapolis

 

[ka3jjz]

The 785 as it stands is fine for the AA system (for now, until rebanding hits or the digital switch gets hit, whichever comes first), unless you're looking to go deeper into the system. There's a wiki page for UniTrunker which has gotten a great deal of attention, and should be more than sufficient for most needs. All you'd need is a discriminator tap; no data slicer required.
As to how to get the tap done - I can't recall if this is true, but the fellow that runs the DataSlicers.com website I THINK also does mods. But there's someone closer to us, and the little experience I've had with him suggests this guy is good. He's called the Radio Doctor, and he's in Virginia. I think his link is either on the Virginia or Scanners page on the CHM website.

73s Mike

[edit] Of course, if you're talking about getting the many digital systems around us - you need to find the BC25i card - there's no software available, that I know of, that decodes digital via a soundcard...pity...

Anyway, here's the Radio Doctors website

 

[troymail]

Actually - for TRUNKER, rebanding doesn't matter as far as the scanner is concerned (I'm pretty sure) and you don't need to tap a digital scanner since all you're going to do is park your tapped scanner on the control channel frequency. If anything, you'd need to make some adjustments to TRUNKER or the TRUNKER configuration itself (we'll know more when that time comes).

It *could* make a difference if you were going to try to have TRUNKER control a 2nd scanner but with TRS capable scanners, I'm not sure what the reason for that really is at this point ... other than to set priority TGs where the scanners won't.

If I were you, I'd look for a low end 800Mhz scanner that allows a discriminator tap (can this be done on a non trunking scanner? http://www.scancat.com/Code-30_html_Source/discriminators.html seems to say "yes").

I tapped my BC-245XLT and it has been sitting on 854.3375 (and on rare occasions it jumps to 854.4125 - the alt. control channel) for more than a year (or is it two years? - I've lost track). I've also created my own "special" AA County version of TRUNKER that is pretty cool for watching the fire department units and statuses (even if I do say so myself!).

If you can do the tap in the radio, you can build (some skill and patience required) or just purchase a slicer (http://dataslicers.com) for about $35.00.... or you can have them tap it for you for another $35.00 ... (it isn't that hard, really). After that, it's a breeze.

 

[ka3jjz]

Yes potentially any scanner that can receive 800 can be tapped and used as an input to things like UniTrunker and Trunker. I've had it done to my old, scratchy 2004 and it works just fine.

As an aside, I would disagree about rebanding; if AA county moves, it will very definitely matter. A 785 will not be upgraded by Uniden, and it will no longer trunk 800 Mhz Moto systems. But this is, hopefully, some time down the road.
If you want to read a very basic description of what is going to happen (whenever) rebanding happens, UPMan wrote a terrific Wiki page on the subject 73s Mike

 

[troymail]

As an aside, I would disagree about rebanding; if AA county moves, it will very definitely matter. A 785 will not be upgraded by Uniden, and it will no longer trunk 800 Mhz Moto systems. But this is, hopefully, some time down the road.
If you want to read a very basic description of what is going to happen (whenever) rebanding happens, UPMan wrote a terrific Wiki page on the subject 73s Mike

I agree that it is likely that the scanner itself won't scan/track after rebanding but it should still be fine as a discriminator tapped radio to feed TRUNKER ... the tapped signal will change and TRUNKER may need a slight change ...

If you tap it and use it as a TRUNKER data source, it won't be tracking anything anyway - it will be parked on the control channel (and probably with the volume turned all the way down).