APCO-25 Decoder Module? Generic? Icom PCR1000?

[KC1UA]

Good price,but again does not support trunktracking.Guess it depends how you want to use it.I'm only interested in trunktracking local emergency type services.

I can't see how any add-on device such as this would actually add the capability of trunktracking to a radio. That's not going to happen. But again, if you use the radio that the device is attached to as the trunk-following scanner in a Trunker/MTrunker/Uni-Trunker (future) setup, then it will indeed allow you to follow an APCO-25 trunked system.

For the person looking for the link to PCR1000 info: http://qsy.to/pcr/

 

[woody_461]

Yep...but I used an Optotrakker connected to my IcomR8500 combined with Scanstar software for the PC.It allowed me to Trunktrack Motorola 1&2 and Edacs systems.So A hardware/software solution for trunktracking with a wideband(conventional radio)can be achieved.It is possible,but not all receivers were supported,only selected models.The performance was nowhere as good as a true Trunktracking scanner.

The Optotrakker allowed me to Trunktrack with a receiver not designed to..The cost of the hardware/software rivalled/surpassed the cost of a Trunktracker at that period of time.I did it based on the receive characteristics of the Icom which was superior to the Uniden or GRE receivers.

 

[poltergeisty]

Re: APCO-25 for ICOM IC PCR-1000

What I really want is to be able to use my computer based scanner (PCR1000) with APCO-25. I would hate to have to go out and buy another system...I like the PCR-1000. Maybe someone will come out with a software solution.

Well it sounds like you will have to try this mod out for the PCR-1000 using the decoder that -AOR- offers, but as said before the audio is more then likely going to be bad. I think you have it made though when you live in LA county. Because the decoder does not trunk track you just need to enter the desirable frequencies you choose to hear. I got to say Los Angeles has one awesome system.

On the other hand you may want to just drop half a grand on the bc396d thats going to be out soon. Or buy a AR8600MkIIB and a P25-8600 card from an -AOR- vendor.

Here is a link for the ard25. http://aorusa.com/ard25.html Boo!-Poltergeisty :-0

 

[hotdjdave]

10.7 MHz IF output for ICOM PCR-1000

Also, there is apparently a modification for the PCR1000 that allows for the addition of a 10.7 MHz IF output. With that in mind it may well work with the ARD-25.

Modify Icom PCR-1000 to have 10.7 IF output.

Any idea where to find info on this modification?

 

[hotdjdave]

Re: 10.7 MHz IF output for ICOM PCR-1000

Also, there is apparently a modification for the PCR1000 that allows for the addition of a 10.7 MHz IF output. With that in mind it may well work with the ARD-25.

Modify Icom PCR-1000 to have 10.7 IF output.

Any idea where to find info on this modification?

I have not seen an answer. Does anyone know where to find modification information to allow 10.7 IF output for the IC PCR-1000?

Thanks,

Dave.

 

[Al42]

Re: 10.7 MHz IF output for ICOM PCR-1000

I have not seen an answer. Does anyone know where to find modification information to allow 10.7 IF output for the IC PCR-1000?

I think the modification is to allow the decoder to work with audio input, not to redesign the scanner.

 

[pbigelbach]

I think the modification is to allow the decoder to work with audio input, not to redesign the scanner.

The PCR1000 wikki page here on RadioReference lists the 10.7Mhz mod, which I am very interested in doing since I just received my ARD25.

I have a BC250D and a Pro-2096 digital trunking scanners, but IMHO the PCR1000 would be a better solution once I can decode the APCO P25 IBME signals. I use a software package TrunkPCR and for large trunked systems like the San Diego County RCS system I have not found a better solution than TrunkPCR.

SDCRCS has 1509 listed talk groups and it is so hard come up with a working bank scheme that works well so one can listen to all of the groups that you want to listen to without exceeding the small max number of groups the scanners support.

TrunkPCR supports up to 2000 talkgroups and out of those talkgroups you can chunk them into 23 separate banks which can be clicked on and off with the mouse.

Priority talkgroup based scanning is yet another shortcoming of the digital trunking scanners I own. And since TrunkPCR allows you to set a priority 1-99 to each talkgroup it is the coolest thing in the world to listen to the entire system and have the talkgroups I designate interrupt lower priority talkgroups. I do use an old Pro-2022 with discriminator mod to tune the control channel so that this will work. But this way I never miss high priority traffic.

The other thing that is really cool about using the PCR1000 is that while the TrunkPCR program is running I can monitor the control channel and that will display which radios are talking on which talkgroups in real time. Scanners will not give you that much detail since their visual output is limited.

The ARD25 set me back $404.00 includung shipping and I know I could get another digital scanner for almost that amount, but it is worth it to me to have the extra features that computer controlled trunk tracking yields.

The 10.7Mhz mod looks tricky since I believe it is all surface mount which is tough for me to do, but once I get it working I post on here.

-=Patrick=-

 

[flyingwolf]

Holy revived thread batman.

 

[poltergeisty]

So long as someone can get information from it, way not?

 

[mancow]

It's possible to put two Motorola Maxtracs back to back and repeat P25 CAI signals. The plans are over at Batlabs. They took the flat audio (discriminator out) and ran it into the transmit radio.

That at least proves the data can be had right from the discriminator.

 

[N_Jay]

It's possible to put two Motorola Maxtracs back to back and repeat P25 CAI signals. The plans are over at Batlabs. They took the flat audio (discriminator out) and ran it into the transmit radio.

That at least proves the data can be had right from the discriminator.

With degradation!

 

[mancow]

True, there's degredation since the data isn't being error corrected, cleaned up, and rebroadcast but I think it goes to show that there is a useable signal there.

Now here's my question and this is where I get confused. What about the differences between C4FM and QPSK? Am I correct to assume that the disc. method may be possible when attempting to decode C4FM but in no way possible for QPSK due to the fact QPSK is modulating the signal by phase shifting and defining 4 channels at 0, 90, 180, and 270 degrees?

 

[poltergeisty]

It's possible to put two Motorola Maxtracs back to back and repeat P25 CAI signals. The plans are over at Batlabs. They took the flat audio (discriminator out) and ran it into the transmit radio.

That at least proves the data can be had right from the discriminator.

This too.

http://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Digital_Voice_Conversion_Method

 

[hotdjdave]

Holy revived thread batman.

My sentiments exactly, well actually more like: "Holy crap, who dug this one out the grave?"

But I guess if someone has a legitimate answer to a unanswered question or a valid update, then "bring our your dead..." (from Monty Python's Quest for the Holy Grail).

:lol:

 

[pbigelbach]

I NOW have a working APCO-25 decoder working on my PCR1000!

I was able to sucessfully mod an AOR ARD25 to decode APCO P-25 digitized voice from my PCR1000.

The mod was a bit difficult since the ARD25 only supports 10.7Mhz IF as an input and the PCR1000 does not have an IF output. But, the the packet output of the PCR1000 can be inserted after the FM detecter chip in the ARD25 after it's amplitude has been adjusted to match.

Sound quality is good.

I now can use TrunkPCR on my mixed analog and P25 trunked system and tottally control what traffic I want to hear.

-=Patrick=-

Does anyone know if there is any generic APCO-25 decoder modules out there to attach to scanners?

Is this a possibility? Can it be done?

I remember a module you could add to your scanner antenna that enabled scanners to receive 800 MHz frequencies. I have see APCO-25 modules for certain scannes.

I would like to see one for the Icom IC PCR-1000 (computer controlled scanner).

Does anyone else want to see this? What can we do?

Dave. :idea:

 

[mancow]

I was able to sucessfully mod an AOR ARD25 to decode APCO P-25 digitized voice from my PCR1000.

The mod was a bit difficult since the ARD25 only supports 10.7Mhz IF as an input and the PCR1000 does not have an IF output. But, the the packet output of the PCR1000 can be inserted after the FM detecter chip in the ARD25 after it's amplitude has been adjusted to match.

Sound quality is good.

I now can use TrunkPCR on my mixed analog and P25 trunked system and tottally control what traffic I want to hear.

-=Patrick=-

Now see that's the way to get things done! I like your style.

That's the method I was thinking of when considering how a guy could possibly decode certain other signals with an AOR HF digital voice unit that use AMBE.

 

[SCPD]

Well you could use it as the trunk following scanner using one of the Trunker incarnations. UniTrunker will apparently offer 9600 baud P25 system tracking.

It does.

If the R7100 and/or R8500 were added as compatible trunk following radios when Rick gets to that stage, then I guess it would work.

They've been added (plus just about any other CI-V compatible radio). Look for this in the next release.

As far as the ARD-25's passing of analog signals goes, it sounds God awful, to put it bluntly. I don't feed analog audio through it. P25 audio is produced via the 10.7 IF output and does not require the external speaker connection from the radio. I use a separate speaker for the ARD-25, and kill the radio's volume when listening to a P25 signal.

The ARD-25's internal IF filter is probably narrower that the IF filter used for analog (eg. FM) signals. I'm just guessing here but that's probably why.

I use a PRO-96 and PRO-2096 for "everyday P25 decoding".

How does the ARD-25 sound compare to the GRE radios?

As for HotDjDave's original question ... I don't have support for the PCR100, 1000, 1500 or 2500. That's because I don't have access to such radios for testing. If I see something on-the-cheap at eBay, who knows? If he wants to trunk-track an all-digital-P25 system with his PCR1K, he'll have to wait a little longer.

-rick

 

[hotdjdave]

As for HotDjDave's original question ... I don't have support for the PCR100, 1000, 1500 or 2500. That's because I don't have access to such radios for testing. If I see something on-the-cheap at eBay, who knows? If he wants to trunk-track an all-digital-P25 system with his PCR1K, he'll have to wait a little longer. -rick

Actually, I only need P25 conventional. The trunking I listen to is not P25. I have a PCR1000.

 

[KC1UA]

How does the ARD-25 sound compare to the GRE radios?

The GRE's are clearly superior. However, there is a new player in this, the Icom IC-R2500 or the IC-PCR2500. With the UT-122 P25 module, P25 audio is superb.

Originally Posted by scancapecode

CODE? Good thing I passed the 13WPM test way back when, or I'd be scancapenocode!

 

[SCPD]

The GRE's are clearly superior.

That's disappointing because - in my opinion - the GRE models' P25 voice performance is in the "fair to good enough" category. I'd like to see/hear something better - much better.

However, there is a new player in this, the Icom IC-R2500 or the IC-PCR2500. With the UT-122 P25 module, P25 audio is superb.

Interesting ... I see at least one dealer including the UT-122 free with the radio. Even as a separate accessory - at about $189 - that's not a bad upgrade path - considering the price difference between Uniden's line (III vs. IV) of radios. Icom could have included trunking in the module.

CODE? Good thing I passed the 13WPM test way back when

Oops. Gotta watch those silent-E's. They'll sneak in when you're not looking.

-rick