Computer Scanner using SDR

[nated1992]

I came across this article which provided instruction to use SDRSharp ( Software defined radio ) and a $20.00 USB Antenna set up to be able to scan im assuming just about any thing imaginable.

Hoping to try it out this weekend ( If the USB shows up tomorrow in the mail )

But has any one tried this or had success with this application?

Being it is all opensource software and the USB need is only $20.00 this could be a very economical solution to a very expensive hobby!

I will also post my results shortly

Hope to get some good feed back on this topic!!

 

[7StoryMTN]

Can u post a link to the article?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[rbm]

There are lots of threads discussing these in the:
Software Defined Radio sub forum.

Here's just one of them.
http://forums.radioreference.com/software-defined-radio/287118-what-do-you-use-your-r820t-sdr.html

Rich

 

[nated1992]

I see that now!
I have also found unitrunker is set up to do this standalone now however im having some difficulty getting any results or listing to any trunked audio

 

[jdobbs2001]

Buy two dongles and run unitrunker.. One for the control channel and the other for tracking the voice. You can run it native without needing sdr#

 

[nated1992]

I did manage to locate that already. And I do recive controle single and it shows site info for the one. I wish to follow however I have been unable to bet any voice to come through... any thoughts

 

[joeuser]

As others have said, forget SDR# if you want to listen to trunked radio. Get latest version of Unitrunker & 2 USB dongles 820T's combined with DSD+ I'm getting amazing results. I listen to KSICS & have mapped out nearly all the KHP troopers & their portables, all local PD & portables, etc.

 

[nated1992]

As others have said, forget SDR# if you want to listen to trunked radio. Get latest version of Unitrunker & 2 USB dongles 820T's combined with DSD+ I'm getting amazing results. I listen to KSICS & have mapped out nearly all the KHP troopers & their portables, all local PD & portables, etc.

I have the setup you speak of however I do not get any audio passed through dsd+ I even have the paid version of virtual audio cable. I have the signal and voice set up. I aldo get the site tracking to come up but no audio care to point me in the right direction?!?!

 

[nlurker]

I have the setup you speak of however I do not get any audio passed through dsd+ I even have the paid version of virtual audio cable. I have the signal and voice set up. I aldo get the site tracking to come up but no audio care to point me in the right direction?!?!

After many hours of tinkering, I was never able to get a legible P25 voice decode using Unitrunker only, so I now use a combination of Unitrunker for control channel and SDR# for voice channel, with excellent results.

 

[rjdj2000]

I have the setup you speak of however I do not get any audio passed through dsd+ I even have the paid version of virtual audio cable. I have the signal and voice set up. I aldo get the site tracking to come up but no audio care to point me in the right direction?!?!

nated1992... Check your settings in the voice dongle... Make sure deemphasis is not checked. I have to uncheck that every time I start Unitrunker. I thought it was supposed to save the settings, which it does, just not that one. I have been able to get decent results with Unitrunker and DSD+. I have never tried to get SDR# to work as the voice part of it.

 

[nated1992]

After many hours of tinkering, I was never able to get a legible P25 voice decode using Unitrunker only, so I now use a combination of Unitrunker for control channel and SDR# for voice channel, with excellent results.

How do you have SDR# set up to follow the voice??!?!?! I have been unable to get the plugin for unitrunker to work with the current version of SDR#,

As for deemphasis not being checked i have tried this with still no results.
The voice frequencie is zeroed out is that correct ?

 

[joeuser]

I have the setup you speak of however I do not get any audio passed through dsd+ I even have the paid version of virtual audio cable. I have the signal and voice set up. I aldo get the site tracking to come up but no audio care to point me in the right direction?!?!

Are you seeing anything over DSD+ - if you see stuff scrolling by see post below

nated1992... Check your settings in the voice dongle... Make sure deemphasis is not checked. I have to uncheck that every time I start Unitrunker. I thought it was supposed to save the settings, which it does, just not that one. I have been able to get decent results with Unitrunker and DSD+. I have never tried to get SDR# to work as the voice part of it.

I tried SDR# with terrible results and it was probably me. Unitrunker just makes things much - much easier. Also note that deemphasis MUST BE unchecked each time you start the Unitrunker program. It defaults to on.

 

[nlurker]

How do you have SDR# set up to follow the voice??!?!?! I have been unable to get the plugin for unitrunker to work with the current version of SDR#,

SDR# can only follow the voice with the trunking plugin. I couldn't get it working with the current SDR# version either, so I am using SDR# 1174, which it does work with. You add a "debug" receiver for voice in Unitrunker.

 

[nated1992]

SDR# can only follow the voice with the trunking plugin. I couldn't get it working with the current SDR# version either, so I am using SDR# 1174, which it does work with. You add a "debug" receiver for voice in Unitrunker.

Does that version of sdr have the USB support? As the older version didn't support the usb doungables with out going through a local server which im not really that committed to this.

 

[nlurker]

Does that version of sdr have the USB support? As the older version didn't support the usb doungables with out going through a local server which im not really that committed to this.

Yes it does, after using "zadig" to install the USB driver.

 

[screamin72]

Providing you have 2- RTL2832u R820T dongles!

In UniTrunker main window there are tabs below press OPTIONS

Scroll to LISTEN

Click on that empty box by ENABLE

UniTrunker auto saves options and activates immediately your chosen preferences.

For a G.E. EDACS system you must do one of two things. Allow Unitrunker to download the system's information (must have a premium subscription here at RR) or manually enter in the frequencies and labels for talk groups. Not needed to input any frequency for a Motorola system.

Make sure each radio in UniTrunker has these settings:
Control
Voice (If you are monitoring a P25 system make sure it is selected in the voice radio or it won't pass it through. Same for ProVoice and analogue.) Deemphasis must be off for digital voice.

Enter ppm correction for each dongle in the radio windows.Find it using SDR# or HDSDR.

No decodes will happen until the correct ppm correction is entered.

 

[nated1992]

Providing you have 2- RTL2832u R820T dongles!

In UniTrunker main window there are tabs below press OPTIONS

Scroll to LISTEN

Click on that empty box by ENABLE

UniTrunker auto saves options and activates immediately your chosen preferences.

For a G.E. EDACS system you must do one of two things. Allow Unitrunker to download the system's information (must have a premium subscription here at RR) or manually enter in the frequencies and labels for talk groups. Not needed to input any frequency for a Motorola system.

Make sure each radio in UniTrunker has these settings:
Control
Voice (If you are monitoring a P25 system make sure it is selected in the voice radio or it won't pass it through. Same for ProVoice and analogue.) Deemphasis must be off for digital voice.

Enter ppm correction for each dongle in the radio windows.Find it using SDR# or HDSDR.

No decodes will happen until the correct ppm correction is entered.

I have all this done, And i get decodes but nothing comes through the DSD+ as far as audio its all just radio info. signal side and nothing come through on the voice side

 

[screamin72]

You need VB Audio

VB-Audio home page

That's the free one. It works fine for this.

Afte rinstall change audio source to VB audio point in the voice radio

In windows sound system set VBAudio as defazult recording device.

Run DSD+

 

[nated1992]

You need VB Audio

VB-Audio home page

That's the free one. It works fine for this.

Afte rinstall change audio source to VB audio point in the voice radio

In windows sound system set VBAudio as defazult recording device.

Run DSD+

I have the paid version of virtual audio cable, and have set every thing accordingly yet dsd+ never shows any data nor does any sound come through.
Will get some pictures up of my settings this evening

 

[n4yek]

I have the paid version of virtual audio cable, and have set every thing accordingly yet dsd+ never shows any data nor does any sound come through.
Will get some pictures up of my settings this evening

I have the same problem with my setup. One thing I found is if I move the frequency in 100Hz steps up or down, can't remember which way it was, I will find that it will start scrolling data on DSD+
I find it hard to believe that my setup is so narrow, everything says I have it set to 6.25 kHz bandwidth in the SDR Sharp program but I still find myself moving the freq to make it start to scroll.
It is also extremely narrow, perhaps on 200 or 300 Hz wide then it stops scrolling on the screen again.