PSR-800: DMR and NXDN systems

[EricCottrell]

Hello,

I have done FTA DVB Satellite as well in the early days. I had a Satellite receiver that used EPROMS and a Nokia tuner. The Nokia turner had search capability, but the firmware did not support it. I did manage to modify the EPROM so I could cause it to search. It was very useful in finding new DVB services.

I modified another stand-alone program that can write to the scanner. I am not aware of any available program that can take a local bin file and write to the scanner. It is possible EZ-Scan has a special mode to do this, but I have not investigated.

The modify on-the-fly method is a traditional work around for distributing changes to copyrighted programs. All that is distributed is a "patch" that transforms the original into the modified.

73 Eric

 

[Blackswan73]

You have to change the FTP address in Iscan, to a local address on your PC, or cloud where the file you want to load is stored.

 

[EricCottrell]

Since I used to be in FTA satellite, I saw how firmware could be hacked for receivers not intended for it, like the Blackbird clones, for example. Good work. There was some experimentation along this line about a year ago in another thread. Since the radios have the same processor, it follows they should be able to use the same firmware.

Hello,

Is it this interesting thread?
http://forums.radioreference.com/gre-scanners/228595-gre-scanner-firmware-dump.html

The project page is still up, but no recent updates. Too bad the OP of the thread did not post the firmware downloader.

My trick works because the three scanners have very similar hardware. It may not work on other GRE/Whistler scanners because of hardware differences.

73 Eric

 

[Blackswan73]

Actually, I was referring to this thread

http://forums.radioreference.com/radio-shack-scanners/311120-pro-668-whats-latest-firmware.html

 

[EricCottrell]

Hello,

Oh boy, I forgot about that thread! The end result was the group figured out how GRE/Whistler scanner updates are done.

I did figure out very quickly that the code was obfuscated. I wondered if the firmware update code in the scanner read the first byte to determine how to remove it, like in other firmware schemes. My first test gave similar results as the other thread. Fortunately the bootloader code in the scanner allowed me to experiment further. I was successful when I transcoded the file, basically converting the part of the obfuscation that was different between products.

I was concerned that the firmware would not work in the PSR-800 from comments about changes due to parts availability. For the PSR-800, it was mainly changes in the battery charging circuitry. Fortunately there does not seem to be changes to the CPU I/O pin assignments. I doubt I could do something similar with my PSR-600. It is an older design and more changes were likely needed for the Whistler model.

73 Eric

 

[CycleSycho]

Hello,

Oh boy, I forgot about that thread! The end result was the group figured out how GRE/Whistler scanner updates are done.

I did figure out very quickly that the code was obfuscated. I wondered if the firmware update code in the scanner read the first byte to determine how to remove it, like in other firmware schemes. My first test gave similar results as the other thread. Fortunately the bootloader code in the scanner allowed me to experiment further. I was successful when I transcoded the file, basically converting the part of the obfuscation that was different between products.

I was concerned that the firmware would not work in the PSR-800 from comments about changes due to parts availability. For the PSR-800, it was mainly changes in the battery charging circuitry. Fortunately there does not seem to be changes to the CPU I/O pin assignments. I doubt I could do something similar with my PSR-600. It is an older design and more changes were likely needed for the Whistler model.

73 Eric

Sure hope you get good results from this! The video shows the 668 even loaded up faster as well. I am asking if both radios were loaded with the same file (identical)? If so, can you explain why the longer delay for the GRE boot-up? Again, awesome find!

.

 

[EricCottrell]

Sure hope you get good results from this! The video shows the 668 even loaded up faster as well. I am asking if both radios were loaded with the same file (identical)? If so, can you explain why the longer delay for the GRE boot-up? Again, awesome find!

.

Hello,

The PSR-800 has a bigger SD Card so it takes longer to boot up, otherwise loaded with the same file.

73 Eric

 

[Haley]

WOW! how I missed this thread is beyond me. That is really cool, very impressive. I usually follow most of your threads, far and away the MOST interesting one I have seen on RR in a long time. Not here to ask how exactly you did it, just to congratulate you.

On a side note, do you think a Pro18 could handle this also? Or change the firmware to at least P25 Phase 2? Don Starr in an old thread said everything was there to do it, it was just never given the upgrade. Anyway-----congrats on you "new" toys. Mike

 

[EricCottrell]

Hello,

The Pro-18 does not have the Tri-color alert LED, so it is a slightly different hardware platform from the PSR-800. The battery charging circuit is different from the WS-1080.

The upgrade Don mentioned consists of adding the P25 Phase II related source code to the Pro-18 code base and compiling a new firmware version. Both must use the same DSP chip. Using the WS-1080 firmware in the Pro-18 is different as the firmware uses hardware that may not be present or different in the Pro-18.

73 Eric

 

[n3obl]

Now I'll have to play with my 800. How's the audio decode on Dmr vs a uniden product?

 

[Haley]

Hello,

The Pro-18 does not have the Tri-color alert LED, so it is a slightly different hardware platform from the PSR-800. The battery charging circuit is different from the WS-1080.

The upgrade Don mentioned consists of adding the P25 Phase II related source code to the Pro-18 code base and compiling a new firmware version. Both must use the same DSP chip. Using the WS-1080 firmware in the Pro-18 is different as the firmware uses hardware that may not be present or different in the Pro-18.

73 Eric

Thank you for explaining that Eric. And again great work! Mike

 

[scruggsy]

"Only Whistler has announced that they intend to offer NXDN but for the new TRX models only."

I couldn't find this info anywhere as far as the NXDN goes, could someone provide a link please.
thanks

 

[ka3jjz]

Not using the search feature?

Anyway, the very first post in this thread has a PDF with the announcement of the DMR fixes, and the reference to the fact that NXDN is being developed. We don't have any idea of a release date, and yes, it's just for the TRX-1 and 2 only...

http://forums.radioreference.com/whistler-scanners/333386-cats-out-bag-16.html#post2575070

Mike

 

[ka3jjz]

And I found the announcement on the Whistler website that was reorganized recently...

https://whistlergroup.com/blogs/news/whistler-launches-dmr-capable-scanners

Mike

 

[scruggsy]

And I found the announcement on the Whistler website that was reorganized recently...

https://whistlergroup.com/blogs/news/whistler-launches-dmr-capable-scanners

Mike

Thanks, guilty as charged! actually I only looked on scanner master site for the info.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[trp2525]

Thanks, guilty as charged! actually I only looked on scanner master site for the info.

Actually there is a 22-page detailed review of the Whistler TRX-1 and TRX-2 on the Scanner Master website authored by Richard Carlson. The report clearly references the NXDN capabilities as being exclusive to the TRX-1 and TRX-2:

"What really sets the TRX series apart from other radios from both Uniden and Whistler was the announcement of NXDN functionality, promised for late 2016. This is used currently by many public safety operations (Mostly in the Southeast USA) as well as some business operations around the country. The big user of NXDN however is going to be railroads. NXDN was chosen as the format to be used by railroads in North America to replace analog."

Here is the link to read/download the entire 22-page report from the Scanner Master website: https://www.scannermaster.com/v/vspfiles/files/pdf/TRX Review.pdf

 

[scruggsy]

Actually there is a 22-page detailed review of the Whistler TRX-1 and TRX-2 on the Scanner Master website authored by Richard Carlson. The report clearly references the NXDN capabilities as being exclusive to the TRX-1 and TRX-2:

"What really sets the TRX series apart from other radios from both Uniden and Whistler was the announcement of NXDN functionality, promised for late 2016. This is used currently by many public safety operations (Mostly in the Southeast USA) as well as some business operations around the country. The big user of NXDN however is going to be railroads. NXDN was chosen as the format to be used by railroads in North America to replace analog."

Here is the link to read/download the entire 22-page report from the Scanner Master website: https://www.scannermaster.com/v/vspfiles/files/pdf/TRX Review.pdf

Thanks, as I said before guilty as charged, I guess I just didn't look hard enough, and found it easier to just ask.
Also my city PD went to nxdn a few years ago, so this is big for me.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[ka3jjz]

What will interest me will be to see which flavor of NXDN (Icom's IDAS or Kenwood's NEXEDGE) will be supported. Either way, I'm sure there will be some big dolleros shelled out for licensing agreements, etc. It will also be interesting to see whether this will include trunking (as there are a few- not many- NXDN trunks documented in the wiki), or just conventional.

Lots of questions here, and I guess we'll have to wait for the answers...Mike

 

[fourthhorseman]

"What really sets the TRX series apart from other radios from both Uniden and Whistler was the announcement of NXDN functionality, promised for late 2016.https://www.scannermaster.com/v/vspfiles/files/pdf/TRX Review.pdf

Sounds like a puff piece.
Now if TRX actually had NXDN..ok..
but boasting what it Will be able to
do and what it Currently will do are
vastly different things..
Ask all the UNIDEN buyers that were
expecting the WIFI/Siren feature
on the X36 line to be present and ready..

the write up is worded like a magazine
advert..

2016 is coming to a close..kids are going
back to school...Time will tell....

 

[EricCottrell]

Hello,

It does read more like an ad than a review, but it is from a dealer selling the radio. there is some background on features, although many are basically the same since the PSR-800.

I am wondering if the reviewer got the information about the internal flash limitation of the WS-Series from comments I made on RR or directly from Whistler. Another possible improvement in the TRX-1/TRX-2 not mentioned is an improved front end.

NXDN is likely to happen barring an oops, like the firmware ends up needing more than 512K of Flash memory. There are steps that can be done to minimize it, like optimizing code and removing unused code.

73 Eric