DMR Search

[xawen]

I have a BCD436HP and SDS100 that I have not yet purchased the DRM upgrades for. There's a nearby site that uses DMR, but I'm not sure if I'm in range for my radios to hear them.

If I setup a custom search but do NOT have the DMR keys enabled on my scanners, will I still be able to see results for DMR traffic? Or will the scanner completely ignore the traffic?

I know the audio won't come through, but really I'm just trying to see if it's worth it for me to purchase the upgrade. I need to see if the scanner can hear it well enough to decode it.

Is there some other way I can test DMR reception before I purchase the upgrade?

Thanks!

 

[jtwalker]

Completely ignore. Borrow someone’s scanner, or connect an SDR dongle to your PC to test the waters.

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

There's a nearby site that uses DMR, but I'm not sure if I'm in range for my radios to hear them.

If you don't have the upgrade the scanner will still show signal bars and pass audible data emissions to at least tell you if you're within range, DMR data emissions typically sound like this (turn volume down, clip is loud) My SDS100 will decode DMR audio with as little as 1 bar (sometimes zero) so it's definitely worth the upgrade for DX

 

[N4ANJ]

Try using an old analog scanner and enter the frequency(s). You should pick up the digital noise every transmission if you are close enough. You can use this method to detect any digital format and even P25 phase 2 and even if encrypted which your 436HP or SDS100 will skip over as it is designed to do.

 

[racingfan360]

Do what Whiskey3JMC says. Use the 436 or SDS100 to find the frequencies in question. If in range you will detect the DMR signals (as a data stream) but you won't be able to decode without the upgrade. If you can't detect the nearby site at all then the upgrade is unlikely to be much use to you, won't magically transform the receivers sensitivity either.