DMR Programming

[troymail]

Thanks for the reply. Yes, I'm within range and have listened to the system on a CS750. I'll reprogram and give it another shot.

FWIW.... With this upgrade, I now have 3 (more portable) ways to listen to some systems (or at least try). I have one system nearby that I can receive on my MD-390 but not well if at all on the Uniden 436 ( regardless of which way I program it). However, I am now hearing it on the Whistler just fine as well.

 

[gordonbrittas]

Well, I took a best guess approach to programming in a local conventional DMR channel. Here's what I did, and my results..

- Went to the Trunked Systems tab, hit New System
- Set the name to DMR Test and selected DMR as the system type
- Under Site Details, for site 1 I gave it a name and set the frequency and color code in the site frequencies box
- Under the Talkgroup Details tab, I entered the talkgroup ID and assigned it an alpha tag and scan list

Aaaaand I think that was it! I updated the programming on the radio and enabled only that scanlist and sure enough, it was talking away... and it sounds EXCELLENT!

Seems like a convoluted way to do a conventional system though. Not sure why you can't just enter your frequency, select DMR as the channel type (instead of FM/NFM etc). Assign CC, timeslot and talkgroup and away you go. The way it is now doing it via a pseudo trunked setup... how do I differentiate between talkgroup 100 on TS1 vs talkgroup 100 on TS2? A fire dept local to me uses this exact setup. OPS 1 is TG100 on TS1, OPS2 is TG100 on TS2.

Great start though, thanks to all involved at Whistler!!

I am trying this method but struggling as i don't know how to get the talkgroup details or where the Trunked Systems tab is,i went straight to New system from program menu?

I am trying to add one frequency that is mototrbo,i don't actually know where to find it once it's stored.

Obviously i am a complete newbie so be patient with me,please.

 

[n2pqq]

Has anyone had any luck with a Cap+ system yet? I would appreciate any tips, because I'm striking out here trying to listen to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

There are only 9 talk groups on the system you want to monitor.
Add a wildcard talk group to explore for more groups.

Also based on the system monitor in daytime hours.

 

[scannerman200]

I need assistance.......I programmed several dmr vhf frequencies as a trunk dmr system, and added a wildcard to a different scan list as well as each frequency to a separate scan list. I have not received anything. What am I doing wrong???

 

[troymail]

I need assistance.......I programmed several dmr vhf frequencies as a trunk dmr system, and added a wildcard to a different scan list as well as each frequency to a separate scan list. I have not received anything. What am I doing wrong???

Can you provide any additional info? Where did you get the frequencies? Are you sure they are active DMR frequencies?

I'm assuming it not a system listed on RR that you can just import?

BTW... I've seen already some frequencies listed in various places as being DMR but listening to the frequencies, all I've ever heard is analog voice.

 

[n2pqq]

I need assistance.......I programmed several dmr vhf frequencies as a trunk dmr system, and added a wildcard to a different scan list as well as each frequency to a separate scan list. I have not received anything. What am I doing wrong???

Your not alone I have the same problem.

The same frequencies decode fine in DSD+

 

[KI6AOK]

There are only 9 talk groups on the system you want to monitor.
Add a wildcard talk group to explore for more groups.

Also based on the system monitor in daytime hours.

Thanks for the response! There are significantly more than 9 talkgroups on this system (which I have cleverly deduced from monitoring it with a Uniden scanner with beta firmware). I added a wildcard group, but nothing doing on the Whistler. About the only thing working well on either Whistler or Uniden is the single frequency DMR....

~ Laura

 

[AC9BX]

Well, just for fun I programmed a couple amateur repeaters using DMR.
Very basic to start, just set type as DMR, added site and the frequency, any color, wildcard talk group, worked like a charm.
Audio quality is great.

 

[troymail]

One day in.....looking great!

Not sure about problems that others are seeing but I can confirm tonight that I've programmed and received activity on the following systems:

Southwest Airlines (BWI) Trunking System, BWI Airport, Maryland - Scanner Frequencies (RRDB says is CAP+)

Communications Electronics Trunking System, Baltimore, Maryland - Scanner Frequencies (RRDB says is CAP+)

FleetTalk (DC-Area Connect Plus) Trunking System, Various, Multi-State - Scanner Frequencies (Catonsville site - RRDB says is CON+)

and

MARC DMR (Upper Marlboro Maryland repeater - one frequency).

The CAP+ and CON+ were imported directly using EZ Scan with all documented talkgroups and adding wildcards for talkgroups and private calls. I'm seeing both documented and undocumented talkgroups as well as private calls.

I'm using my standard RS 800 Mhz antenna.

Can't say for certain that I'm hearing 100% of the activity given I'm scanning all of these systems but I have collected 602 recordings (1 hour and 9 minutes) over the last 4 hours alone.

I've also confirmed additional systems in my area not yet listed on RRDB. I will submit that information soon.

 

[troymail]

Today, I manually programmed this VHF DMR system using EZ Scan and am receiving activity as expected:

ULS License - Industrial/Business Pool, Conventional License - WQJZ884 - THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY APPLIED PHYSICS LABORATORY LLC - Locations Summary

It obvious (and not really unexpected) that with a few exceptions, these systems tend to have limited range/coverage since they aren't generally intended to provide countywide coverage like most public safety (EDACS, Motorola, P25, etc.) systems.

However, it is surprising to me how far away some of the MARC DMR repeaters can be heard.

 

[n2pqq]

Today, I manually programmed this VHF DMR system using EZ Scan and am receiving activity as expected:

ULS License - Industrial/Business Pool, Conventional License - WQJZ884 - THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY APPLIED PHYSICS LABORATORY LLC - Locations Summary

It obvious (and not really unexpected) that with a few exceptions, these systems tend to have limited range/coverage since they aren't generally intended to provide countywide coverage like most public safety (EDACS, Motorola, P25, etc.) systems.

However, it is surprising to me how far away some of the MARC DMR repeaters can be heard.

Did you put all the frequencies into site 1 ?

I am still confused see post 17 this thread.

Can you help me with my programing dilemma ?

 

[troymail]

Did you put all the frequencies into site 1 ?

I am still confused see post 17 this thread.

Can you help me with my programing dilemma ?

Wow. That's a creative and unusual way (compared to others I've seen) for the admins to document a DMR system/frequency. I think RR is still trying to determine the right way to database this information. Right now, the admins are putting data everywhere (tone code fields, system description/notes, notes, wiki pages...). Jamming what looks like trunking data into conventional frequency sections doesn't seem quite right to me. But don't let that stop you from trying different things.

Also, looking at the FCC license, it doesn't seem to say it is the right emission type but I've heard (and seen) that we can't always trust what that says.

If it were me, I'd ignore (for now) what the RRDB listing says (that's very confusing) and simply create a new DMR system in EZ Scan, enter the first repeater frequency (477.03750) into the first site, create a 2nd site and enter the second frequency (477.06250) into that site, and add a wildcard talkgroup and a wildcard radio ID.... Then, load it to the radio and see what happens....

I have no idea if this will work but hey, it doesn't cost anything to try, right?

I'm finding FCC licenses that are supposed to be DMR and doing exactly this - some work, some don't. I've found that some licenses say they are DMR but they are not. Here, you have one the RR says is DMR but the FCC license (as far as I know) doesn't indicate it is DMR.

 

[UPMan]

IIUC, the listing he referenced is the planned implementation on RR for documenting DMR (other than MotoTRBO and DMR Tier III).

 

[n2pqq]

I think the problem is with the way the whistler scanner shows the TG id's

I will try to explain: please look at Warren County, New Jersey (NJ) Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference

St. Clare's - Atlantic Health System

463.85000 WNLE372 RM 8 CC
10005000 TG
1 SL MICCOM West St. Clare's EMS/MICCOM Dispatch - West (Oxford Site)

PLEASE NOTE TG 10005000

I programmed this TG 10005000 into scanner *** nothing heard ***

I programmed in a wildcard. *** Now hear talk group 43528 as a wildcard.

I now connected DSD+ to scanner. *** Hear talk group 10005000 on computer while scanner

shows talk group 43528.

So I now know this is the same talk group.

Disconnect DSD+

Program talk group 43528 and remove wildcard on scanner.

Now hear talk group audio on scanner.

Which brings me back to why is scanner not showing or hearing what is in database and
DSD+ ?

Oh did I mention I was confused LOL !!1

 

[DonS]

I think the problem is with the way the whistler scanner shows the TG id's
[snip]

unsigned short vs. unsigned long in legacy code. It never came up in beta testing, but is fixed for the next release.

 

[n2pqq]

unsigned short vs. unsigned long in legacy code. It never came up in beta testing, but is fixed for the next release.

WOW at least I now know it was not me !

 

[EricCottrell]

WOW at least I now know it was not me !

Hello,

For now you can do a Mod 65536 operation on the actual talkgroup.

scanner_tg = actual_tg Mod 65536

11998211 is 5123 on the scanner
11998101 is 5013 on the scanner
11998175 is 5087 on the scanner

73 Eric

 

[DonS]

For now you can do a Mod 65536 operation on the actual talkgroup.

scanner_tg = actual_tg Mod 65536

11998211 is 5123 on the scanner
11998101 is 5013 on the scanner
11998175 is 5087 on the scanner

That works for interpreting the display, but it won't work for programming TGIDs.

Any TGID programmed that is >= 2**16 won't be "seen" when that TGID is received OTA. Received TGIDs >= 2**16 will only be heard via a Wildcard TGRP object - and even then, they'll be displayed mod 0x10000.

 

[Forts]

Good to know the bug has been identified and hopefully the next firmware update won't be far away....

 

[Ed6698]

I have very limited DMR in my location as far as I know. There is one EMS service that uses DMR, I don't hear much on that except shift changes it sounds like so far. I have tried Ham DMR and it is very active at times. It is nice to have DMR but I don't think I will be utilizing it very much. I like that the audio sounds great with DMR though. Most of the county I live in is on 700mhz P25 Phase II and that is enough to keep both my scanners very busy. I will keep in the loop with DMR as it progresses through the stages of development so I know how to work with it if and when I come across DMR.