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Monitoring MOTOTRBO Capacity Plus Conventionally

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JASII

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I have a Connect Systems CS750. I currently am monitoring a MOTOTRBO Capacity Plus system conventionally. I created a zone of all 16 possible frequency/timeslot/talkgroup ID combinations and scan them conventionally. Does MOTOTRBO Capacity Plus, by design, switch frequencies and/or time slots with each transmission?
 

IAmSixNine

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I monitor a 2 repeater/4 voice channel capacity plus system and from what i have seen on it, the conversation will hold a channel/time slot if the conversation if kept going. The longer the gap between transmissions the more likely it is to send it to the next open channel/time slot.
The busier the system the more likely it is to switch them as well.
Thats just what i have seen on this one i monitor.
 

IAmSixNine

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Lots of variables with this one. The more channels and users and more talkgroups you have to scan the more likely you are to miss.
The system i monitor has a public safety agency on it with shared police fire duties and monitoring it conventionally i never miss anything. But again its only a 2 repeater / 4 voice channel system. So its easy to monitor.
Also some of the moto gear i have you can set up an RX only cap plus system to monitor it. Works great.
If monitoring a system like that is priority for you and scanners fail go that route as an alternate.
 

N1GTL

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Multiple the number of available time slots and the number of talk groups the system uses and that's how many channels you'd need to program.

One repeater = 2 time slots. 4 talk groups = 8 channels you need to listen to.
Two repeaters = 4 time slots. 6 talk groups = 24 channels you need to listen to.

I'm working on an installation now that has 4 repeaters (8 time slots) and 13 talk groups. You'd need to program in 104 channels. I'd recommend a TRBO capable scanner if that's something you're interested in monitoring.
 

IAmSixNine

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Thats IF you wanted to have each TG have its own unique channel to park on. You can simply program a group of talk gruops to monitor then your only having to put them in for each repeater and time slot.
For each time slot you can have 1 color code, 1 time slot, and multiple talk groups
I have a radio set up to scan 3 talkgroups with 1 color code and 1 time slot.
Unless you just wanted to designate only 1 talk group to monitor at a time.
Also FYI, Hytera lets you program in pseudo trunk. So you can put in 1 colorcode and it monitors both time slots at the same time. So anybody who wants to monitor systems with out a scanner and doesnt want to buy moto gear can get Hytera units.
 

N1GTL

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I was not aware that those radios could monitor any talk group, kind of like a wildcard. I was in "Motorola Mode" since this is the Motorola forum. With the XPR series, there is no way to monitor all talk groups so you'd have to do it as I posted.

Good call.
 

IAmSixNine

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Not sure there is a wild card. But you program the radio under Digital with the TG you want to monitor. Put in what you want. Then under RX Group is where you select the different talk groups to monitor.
When programming the Digital channel you then select the group you created that you want to monitor.
I have an XPR6550 set up with some amateur stuff and that one channel has about 5 talk groups it can monitor.
Use the scanner to find the TG and then use the radio to follow the trunking side if you want.
Unfortunately the OP doesnt have a moto so he is having to do it the hard way. Id stick with a scanner or mototrbo radio for capacity plus trunking, scanner for connect plus trunking, and use a scanner to find new DMR info.
If you find new DMR stuff and its non trunking use the non moto radio to monitor it.
Thats what i like about my set up.
Scanner used to find new stuff, used to monitor Connect plus.
If its worth monitoring and conventional i can then program it into my Hytera radios or my Moto. If its capacity plus it goes into my moto, and if its connect plus keep it in the scanner.
 
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HT600

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Monitoring Motorola CapPlus conventionally

Gents,
You have me curious on this topic.
My company recently switched from an LTR system to a Motorola Capacity Plus system so I am learning on this system. We have 6 repeaters in a single site configuration. (no IP site connect etc)

Previously I monitored the LTR system in conventional mode.
I have not had the time yet to explore how to program my XPR7550 to scan the system in conventional mode. I am willing to dedicate one of our 7550s exclusively for this purpose. I am more interested in listing to a specific repeater vs individual talkgroups..

JASII, any chance of obtaining instructions on how you accomplished that?

Regards all,
ht600
 

IAmSixNine

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If you have a capacity plus system and you want to monitor an individual repeater you will miss a lot of traffic, as the point of trunking is to rotate the repeaters to be able increase capacity.
Out of curiosity why would you want to monitor an individual repeater and not a talk group?
 

HT600

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I want to monitor the audio output of individual repeaters to check the audio quality etc. Did this with the old LTR system to troubleshoot and monitor problems before they became a bigger problem. WE did th same with an Ericson EDACS system in the 90's. I have two 7550s and four 3500s that I monitor specific talkgroups with using the the flexible rx list.
 

HT600

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we use the GenFIT software to monitor the system for activity but I still want to listen to specific repeater output. Thanks all!
 

mikewazowski

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All you need to do is program in each repeater twice, one for each timeslot.

Then you just select which repeater and timeslot you want and your RX Group List will allow you to listen to that talkgroup when it's active on that repeater and timeslot.
 

IAmSixNine

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Almost sounds like a good scanner would be better for monitoring individual repeater channels vs following the trunking talk groups.
But i do see your point now for wanting to monitor audio out and stuff.
 

N1GTL

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I agree with IAmSixNine. I have not tried it with my 436 but you may be able to program each repeater into a channel in the scanner and let it fly. Someone who knows the scanner better than I might know if you can put a single frequency in and have it rx on a CP signal. Now you have 6 "channels" programmed into your scanner. At any time, you can hold on a specific frequency. It won't care about TGID like Motorola radios require.

In an XPR7550, you should already have each repeater in the channel pool. Go down on the tree to CAPACITY PLUS > VOICE and create a CP Voice List. Add only ONE repeater. Name the voice list REPEATER ONE. Now create a CP channel and under SITE LIST, select REPEATER ONE. Do this 6 times, once for each repeater

Next, create a RX GROUP LIST with all your talk groups. If you have more than 16 channels, you're going to have to do this with two channels per repeater to cover them all. In your CP Channel, assign that to the RX GROUP LIST. This should give you 6 channels on your radio, one for each repeater. Whenever activity pops up on that repeater, you will hear it. Just select which repeater you want to listen to.

With 6 available CP capable radios you say you already have, follow this programming and put one radio on each repeater. You won't hear everything since you could be listening to TS 1 and there may be activity on TS 2 but I think it'll provide what your looking to do.
 

IAmSixNine

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With a 436 you can program in each frequency in the system as an individual channel and have it pass any audio from just the one repeater.
And since your close to the source you dont have much to worry about in terms of RX reception and no weak signal.
 

N1GTL

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With a 436 you can program in each frequency in the system as an individual channel and have it pass any audio from just the one repeater.
And since your close to the source you dont have much to worry about in terms of RX reception and no weak signal.

Thanks. That'll help with some testing.
 

piper9285

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How would something like this work with say, monitoring a system like Disneyland, where everything with them is highly secretive, and held close to the vest?
 

IAmSixNine

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How would something like this work with say, monitoring a system like Disneyland, where everything with them is highly secretive, and held close to the vest?

Im assuming you mean this system.
Disneyland Resort Trunking System, Anaheim, California - Scanner Frequencies
Program in the freqs in your scanner and set it to ID search. start logging the talk groups and post info when you confirm.
My guess is though they may use encryption.

EDIT.. Yup i missed the part on the link that all operations are Encrypted. So the actual answer is you dont monitor it.
 

piper9285

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Im assuming you mean this system.
Disneyland Resort Trunking System, Anaheim, California - Scanner Frequencies
Program in the freqs in your scanner and set it to ID search. start logging the talk groups and post info when you confirm.
My guess is though they may use encryption.

EDIT.. Yup i missed the part on the link that all operations are Encrypted. So the actual answer is you dont monitor it.

Which brings me to my next question. There is software that allows you to decrypt MOTOTRBO. In watching YouTube video, a scanner was connected to a laptop, and the scanner audio was put in to the computer where the software decrypted the signal, and Voila, you could hear what was going on.
 
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