DSD 1.4 and mbelib 1.2.3 released

[Astrak]

Using a single-board-computer with a Pentium 3 733MHz right now to decode ProVoice and P25 100%. Works very well considering the low power.

Does anyone have an idea how to capture raw IMBE packets not the compressed one that dsd outputs?

Thanks in advance!

Just wondering how close are you to a tower, and is the P25 simulcast or single site?

 

[Radioman96p71]

The P25 i monitor caries from 5 to 25 miles, all single sites. I will admit that dsd has a problem with weak signals and unless it is practically noise free will give decode errors. But, for the most part, works very well.

Provoice is about the same distances, much better signal strength tho and actually performs nearly as well as an actual radio.

No idea how it performs on simulcast sites, i dont have any remotely close to me.

 

[Forts]

Using a single-board-computer with a Pentium 3 733MHz right now to decode ProVoice and P25 100%. Works very well considering the low power.

Does anyone have an idea how to capture raw IMBE packets not the compressed one that dsd outputs?

Thanks in advance!

What flavor of Linux are you running?

 

[bigbud42010]

9.10 and i've always used this flavor and have never had a problem

 

[Radioman96p71]

Running a very barebones install of Ubuntu Server 10.04. Once installed, just apt-get install alsa and either wget the dsd/mbelib files or i used a usb key to copy them over and compile. Running top in another screen during heavy decoding the CPU maxed out at around 60%, which is pretty minimal considering. I will find out more specs on these boards, they are very cheap i have a few laying around. Thought about even setting 2 or 3 up, one for P25, ProVoice and a third that runs without any parameters to decode whatever is sent to it. Now i just need a mixer so i can handle all this audio routing!!

 

[safetyobc]

Okay, I am extremely new to Ubuntu. I am a newb! I need help please. I have downloaded and extracted the dsd 1.4.1 as well as mbelib 1.2.3. Now what? How do I make it run as a program or what do I do next?

Running Ubuntu 10.04

Thanks for any help!

 

[racingfan360]

I'm new to Ubuntu too...I found the instructions in this thread very helpful indeed:

http://forums.radioreference.com/tr...505-need-help-installing-dsd-into-ubuntu.html especially MattSR's post of 05-01-2010, 04:38 AM

Note you'll need to update the version numbers that MattSR posted as they're for mbelib-1.1 and dsd-1.2

Based on my experiences I'd also suggest:
- You need a pretty good signal strength to get good reliable decodes
- Its important to get the input volume right...works best for me at 20-60%: too high and it saturates the input, too low and there's no signal to decode
- For MotoTRBO decodes, if you get lots of 'pops and bangs' on decodes, try the invert option (dsd -xr)...I nearly gave up on dsd until I found this little trick !!

HTH

Jim

 

[safetyobc]

I've got data streaming in on a MOTROBO system. But audio is garbled if I set dsd -xr. If I don't do -xr, I hear nothing.

Any suggestions?

Also do I monitor the simplex (input) or repeater output on the frequency I want to monitor?

And, What can I do with all this data I am streaming in?

Thanks

 

[mtindor]

I've got data streaming in on a MOTROBO system. But audio is garbled if I set dsd -xr. If I don't do -xr, I hear nothing.

This likely means that (a) you don't want/need the -xr switch and (b) you are hearing nothing because audio simply isn't being transmitted at that time.

Assuming you are listening to a repeater output, if the agency has GPS capabilities on that TRBO system, it'll be transmitting nearly full time as long as there are mobile radios turned on and in range. So the vast majority of the time you may never hear any audio (because it's just sending GPS data, text messages, whatever).

Any suggestions?

Don't use the -xr switch; be patient; give an example of what you're typically seeing scroll down your screen.

Also do I monitor the simplex (input) or repeater output on the frequency I want to monitor?

Repeater output.

And, What can I do with all this data I am streaming in?

Ignore it, for the most part. INLVL is relevant... and some digital types decode better with higher INLVL (like 40%-70%) and some decode better with lower. I've successfully decoded [with a lot of errors] TRBO at 40%-70% levels via mic-in, and I've successfully [with a bit of errors, but sounding much much better] with 5% INLVL via line-in.

I'm sure my setup [tap, audio cable, sound card] are not optimal, so assuming you've got everything else right you may find that different levels work better.

Mike

 

[safetyobc]

They are using GPS. I know this as fact. Thanks for the info!!

 

[mtindor]

I've got data streaming in on a MOTROBO system. But audio is garbled if I set dsd -xr. If I don't do -xr, I hear nothing.

I don't know what the audio sounds like when they run privacy on the TRBO stuff. So I can't tell if that is what is happening in your case. What i do know is this -- on some TRBO systems I have to run -xr and on some I don't. On the ones that require me to run with -xr, then if i don't run -xr I get what sounds like garbled audio (when there actually isn't any audio even being transmitted) - and if i switch to using -xr, suddenly all is quiet for the most part until a true audio transmission occurs. The same effect occurs if I run -xr on systems that don't require it.

If you run -xr and it sounds like nearly constant garbled audio, then you can be fairly certain that you shouldn't be running -xr (unless you are fairly certain that 95% of the time there is actual audio on that system). Most of the time, on systems that are running GPS, the repeater is up for long periods of time transmitting -- but during that time, there is only audio on the system a small fraction of the time.

That's why I say that if the repeater seems to be transmitting more often than not (over 50% of the time), it probably isn't actual audio bein transmitted but rather GPS data. So if you are running -xr and getting constant garbled audio the whole time the repeater is up, you probably need to NOT run -xr and then you'll find it is "silent" most of the time as far as voice traffic goes.

Mike

 

[mtindor]

They are using GPS. I know this as fact. Thanks for the info!!

Ok, then the repeater will be up nearly constantly (at least during business hours when radios are on). And, if you use the -xr switch and are hearing constant "garbled audio", then you really aren't decoding audio. You need to cease using the -xr switch. It'll be a lot quieter, and you'll be able to tell when actual audio is transmitted because you'll see references to it on the lines that scroll down your screen.

You're experiencing exactly what i experienced on a local system i monitor until I realized that I needed to stop using the -xr switch. The only reason I used the -xr switch to begin with was because I could hear the repeater transmitting but I wasn't getting any audio. Took me a while to realize they were actually running GPS, that this is why the repeater was transmitting all the time, and that "true" audio wasn't being decoded.

Like I said though, there are times to use -xr. Some systems will require it, some won't.

Mike

 

[safetyobc]

Thanks.

And if I do not user -xr and still hear garbled audio, then it's a lost cause?

I have to go to work so it'll be tomorrow before I can test the -xr switch off and see what happens. Today when I was using the -xr I got constant garble. Turned off, it was silent. So I'm hoping when actual audio is transmitted, I'll hear it!

Thanks for the info!!

 

[mtindor]

Thanks.

And if I do not user -xr and still hear garbled audio, then it's a lost cause?

Perhaps, I'm not sure. I've never heard totally garbled audio with and without -xr on the same system.

Then again, I'm not sure what it would sound like if DSD was trying to decode audio on a system with privacy turned on.

I have to go to work so it'll be tomorrow before I can test the -xr switch off and see what happens. Today when I was using the -xr I got constant garble. Turned off, it was silent. So I'm hoping when actual audio is transmitted, I'll hear it!

Thanks for the info!!

You're welcome. And, I'm betting that without the -xr switch, if you listen long enough you'll hear some audio [it just won't be constant]. At that pointt, if you do hear periodic audio but are having trouble decoding it, then you're going to have to look at audio levels, ensure that you've got a clean tap and the expected audio coming into the soundcard from the tap [easier said than done, I know].

Mike

 

[racingfan360]

For me, the clue to getting it right with inverted or non-invereted signals is 'do I see any data or not'. For example,

If I ONLY see voice AND it sounds garbled, then I know its wrong (you also tend to see more of the wrong modulation type such as C4FM and QPSK when it should be GFSK):
Sync: +DMR mod: C4FM inlvl: 20% SLOT0 [SLOT1] VOICE e:============R=====E======R======E======R========R=======E======R
Sync: +DMR mod: C4FM inlvl: 16% SLOT0 [SLOT1] VOICE e:==E======================R============R========R=====
Sync: (+DMR) mod: QPSK inlvl: 32% [SLOT0] SLOT1 VOICE e:=======R======R====================R========T==T==T
Sync: no sync
Sync: +DMR mod: GFSK inlvl: 14% [SLOT0] slot1 VOICE e:=======E=====R======E=============E======E====R===
Sync: +DMR mod: QPSK inlvl: 16% SLOT0 [SLOT1] VOICE e:=======E=====E=============R=======E=========R=====
Sync: (+DMR) mod: GFSK inlvl: 14% SLOT0 [SLOT1] VOICE e:==============R==========R====R====R=======
Sync: no sync


This is what claer voice looks a bit like:
Sync: no sync
Sync: -DMR mod: GFSK inlvl: 22% slot0 [slot1] Unknown burst type: 1101
Sync: -DMR mod: GFSK inlvl: 19% slot0 [slot1] Unknown burst type: 1101
Sync: -DMR mod: GFSK inlvl: 17% slot0 [slot1] Unknown burst type: 1101
Sync: -DMR mod: GFSK inlvl: 16% [SLOT0] slot1 VOICE e:===================R===
Sync: -DMR mod: GFSK inlvl: 18% [SLOT0] slot1 VOICE e:====
Sync: -DMR mod: GFSK inlvl: 18% [SLOT0] slot1 VOICE e:===========
Sync: -DMR mod: GFSK inlvl: 19% [SLOT0] slot1 VOICE e:=======================
Sync: -DMR mod: GFSK inlvl: 19% [SLOT0] slot1 VOICE e:===========
Sync: -DMR mod: GFSK inlvl: 19% [SLOT0] slot1 VOICE e:=======
Sync: -DMR mod: GFSK inlvl: 20% [SLOT0] slot1 VOICE e:================
Sync: -DMR mod: GFSK inlvl: 19% [SLOT0] slot1 VOICE e:======R==T======
Sync: -DMR mod: GFSK inlvl: 19% [SLOT0] slot1 VOICE e:===========
Sync: -DMR mod: GFSK inlvl: 19% [SLOT0] slot1 VOICE e:=============
Sync: -DMR mod: GFSK inlvl: 18% [SLOT0] slot1 VOICE e:========R===============
Sync: -DMR mod: GFSK inlvl: 19% [SLOT0] slot1 VOICE e:=====
Sync: -DMR mod: GFSK inlvl: 18% [slot0] slot1 TLC
Sync: -DMR mod: GFSK inlvl: 18% slot0 [slot1] Slot idle
Sync: -DMR mod: GFSK inlvl: 18% [slot0] slot1 TLC
Sync: -DMR mod: GFSK inlvl: 17% slot0 [slot1] Slot idle
Sync: -DMR mod: GFSK inlvl: 17% slot0 [slot1] Unknown burst type: 1101

This is what Ive assumed to be encrypted voice to look like:
Sync: -DMR mod: QPSK inlvl: 34% slot0 [slot1] MBC
Sync: -DMR mod: QPSK inlvl: 31% slot0 [slot1] MBC
Sync: -DMR mod: QPSK inlvl: 41% slot0 [slot1] RATE 1/2 DATA
Sync: -DMR mod: QPSK inlvl: 35% slot0 [slot1] Unknown burst type: 1101
Sync: -DMR mod: QPSK inlvl: 39% [SLOT0] slot1 VOICE e:==========R=======R=========R======
Sync: -DMR mod: QPSK inlvl: 36% [SLOT0] slot1 VOICE e:========R================E================R=====
Sync: (-DMR) mod: QPSK inlvl: 44% [SLOT0] slot1 VOICE e:=========R======R===T============R=========R====R=====
Sync: -DMR mod: QPSK inlvl: 34% SLOT0 [SLOT1] VOICE e:==========E====R======R=========T=====E====R===
Sync: (-DMR) mod: QPSK inlvl: 36% [SLOT0] slot1 VOICE e:======R=================R=======R================R
Sync: -DMR mod: QPSK inlvl: 38% [slot0] slot1 Unknown burst type: 1101
Sync: no sync
Sync: -DMR mod: QPSK inlvl: 34% [slot0] slot1 MBC
Sync: -DMR mod: QPSK inlvl: 39% [slot0] slot1 RATE 3/4 DATA
Sync: -DMR mod: QPSK inlvl: 33% [slot0] slot1 Unknown burst type: 1101
Sync: -DMR mod: QPSK inlvl: 40% [slot0] slot1 Unknown burst type: 1101
Sync: -DMR mod: QPSK inlvl: 38% slot0 [slot1] Slot idle
Sync: -DMR mod: QPSK inlvl: 34% [slot0] slot1 Unknown burst type: 1101
Sync: no sync
Sync: -DMR mod: QPSK inlvl: 34% [slot0] slot1 Unknown burst type: 1111
Sync: -DMR mod: QPSK inlvl: 46% slot0 [slot1] Slot idle
Sync: -DMR mod: QPSK inlvl: 44% [slot0] slot1 TLC
Sync: -DMR mod: GFSK inlvl: 41% slot0 [slot1] Slot idle
Sync: -DMR mod: QPSK inlvl: 44% [slot0] slot1 CSBK

Im fairly sure inverted or not inverted is a characteristic of your setup and not the signal itself....Ive decoded a TRBO signal on one laptop inverted, the same signal non-inverted on another laptop.

Jim

 

[mtindor]

Im fairly sure inverted or not inverted is a characteristic of your setup and not the signal itself....Ive decoded a TRBO signal on one laptop inverted, the same signal non-inverted on another laptop.

Jim

Jim,

Thank you for that post. Especially, thanks for mentioning what you did above in the quoted section. I _thought_ I had noticed that when I went from using the mic-in on my soundcard to line-in on my soundcard, I no longer needed to use the invert switch. But I didn't think that made any sense, so I just assumed I was monitoring a different system when I had been using the invert switch.

But, now that you say that, then it wasn't my imagination when I switched from mic-in to line-in and no longer had to use invert. Go figure.

I guess that I'll have to presume then that if I need -xr on one computer/soundcard/sound input combo when monitoring a system, I'll likely need -xr on all repeaters I monitor if I use that same computer/soundcard/sound input combination.

Mike

 

[steve0622]

woohoo!! finally decoding P25 phase 1 on my system using radio shack pro 97 with tap, but cannont figure out how to decode Wichita Falls, Tx Provoice system.......if anyone has any ideas please let me know.....thanks

 

[mel1718]

woohoo!! finally decoding P25 phase 1 on my system using radio shack pro 97 with tap, but cannont figure out how to decode Wichita Falls, Tx Provoice system.......if anyone has any ideas please let me know.....thanks

Provoice requires -fp to decode provoice frames only.

 

[steve0622]

ahh..ok thanks a bunch...in my scanner i have the edacs provoice system programed in as a trunked system....do i need to take those frequencies used and convert them to conventional channels?

 

[mel1718]

Yes unfortunately most all scanners cannot track provoice systems; you can use a second scanner with unitrunker and press the scan key to follow the conversation if the system is not too busy.

You can also use 2 scanners (1 voice and 1 control) and 2 computers (1 DSD and 1 Unitrunker) that will track the system just as a normal trunking scanner would, this is the setup I am currently using and it works very well for provoice.