DSD+ P25 Site Aliases

[K8JSM]

Trying to get side aliases to show up on the DSD+ Event Log window so that I can better understand which tower a unit is transmitting on for georeferencing. (Further, if anyone has suggestions on georeferencing units transmitting, I'm all ears. I see something called FMP-Map in the folder, but not sure the Ohio MARCS-IP even transmits location data. Still looking into it.)

I've tried editing the DSDPlus.sites file, but I can't seem to get the DSD+ Event Log window to show the site names.

I'm using DSD+ 1.101pt [Public Release] with audio being input from UniTrunker via a virtual audio cable to monitor the Ohio MARCS-IP system via the Conesville tower.

Here are a couple of relevant screenshots.

 

[dave3825]

Been a long time since I used the public version but pretty sure that the Sites file works in conjunction with the Networks file. You may not have entered the system info into the Networks file as its not showing in your screen shot.

 

[BM82557]

Been a long time since I used the public version but pretty sure that the Sites file works in conjunction with the Networks file. You may not have entered the system info into the Networks file as its not showing in your screen shot.

He's correct, here is an example of entries in my Networks file --

P25, BEE00.19E, "VA STARS"
P25, BEE00.1E8, "South Central PA Interop Network"
P25, BEE00.942, "PA STARNet P25"

 

[K8JSM]

Actually, I did. I didn't realize it was relevant, but I did do so while testing just in case.

 

[dave3825]

Now that both eyes are open, your entries in site's file are not right. You have the same info entered two different ways.

Line 9 can come out and the file should start like this,


P25,BEE00.348,3.021,"New Castle"
P25,BEE00.348,1.033,"Brinkhaven"
P25,BEE00.348,3.022,"Killbuck (Warsaw)"
P25,BEE00.348,3.023,"White Eyes (Coshocton)"

 

[K8JSM]

I entered it several different ways while testing, but none seemed to show the alias instead of the siteNumber. Line 9 is just a blank entry for copy/pasting to make new sites.

I added the extra "0" at the beginning of the site number as you recommended, but I'm still not showing an alias in the DSD+ Event Log, unfortunately.

 

[GTR8000]

Something doesn't look quite right in the event log window. P25 systems should display as wwwww.sss where W = WACN and S = SysID. It's also adding a leading zero to the SysID, 0348 instead of displaying BEE00.348, which is unusual.

You should be seeing entries for Current Network followed by Current Site, which do not appear in either of your screenshots.

Are you sure that you're locked onto a control channel, and not a traffic channel? The traffic channels will display limited info, which might be the issue here. It's also best practice to disable any decoders you're not using, such as D-STAR, NXDN, etc.

Could also be an issue with using a badly outdated version of DSD+ coupled with using an external program like Unitrunker to pipe the discriminator audio into DSD+. The recommendation here is to upgrade to DSD+ Fast Lane and to use a dongle dedicated to the software, which is controlled by FMP24.

 

[dave3825]

We need to focus on why the network name is not displaying. Also, what is in your freqs file?

 

[cg]

Perhaps he is not monitoring the current control channel but monitoring an active data channel.

 

[GTR8000]

Yes, I already questioned that in my post.

 

[mtindor]

DSDPLus.Networks
P25,BEE00.348,"Ohio MARCS-IP"

DSDPlus.Sites
P25,BEE00.348,1.33,"Brinkhaven (Knox)"
P25,BEE00.348,3.12,"Bloomfield (Muskingum)"
P25,BEE00.348,3.13,"Conesville (Coshocton)"
P25,BEE00.348,3.14,"Dresden (Muskingum)"
P25,BEE00.348,3.21,"New Castle (Coshocton)"
P25,BEE00.348,3.22,"Killbuck (Coshocton)"
P25,BEE00.348,3.23,"White Eyes (Coshocton)"
P25,BEE00.348,3.81,"Coshocton (Coshocton)"

And make sure you are monitoring a control channel, not a voice channel.

 

[GTR8000]

I guess my post is set to invisible status. 🤦‍♂️

 

[mtindor]

I guess my post is set to invisible status. 🤦‍♂️

Nah. I just like to p*** you off

 

[K8JSM]

Something doesn't look quite right in the event log window. P25 systems should display as wwwww.sss where W = WACN and S = SysID. It's also adding a leading zero to the SysID, 0348 instead of displaying BEE00.348, which is unusual.

You should be seeing entries for Current Network followed by Current Site, which do not appear in either of your screenshots.

Are you sure that you're locked onto a control channel, and not a traffic channel? The traffic channels will display limited info, which might be the issue here. It's also best practice to disable any decoders you're not using, such as D-STAR, NXDN, etc.

Could also be an issue with using a badly outdated version of DSD+ coupled with using an external program like Unitrunker to pipe the discriminator audio into DSD+. The recommendation here is to upgrade to DSD+ Fast Lane and to use a dongle dedicated to the software, which is controlled by FMP24.

Thanks for the reply.

I am using UniTrunker to monitor the CC and the VCs with two separate SDRs. UniTrunker is piping only the VC audio to DSD+ so that I can hear audio on the computer speakers and still watch UniTrunker for the CC activity. Seems that may be the issue here.

Further, and to the point of why I am doing this, if I monitor the CC with DSD+, will I be able to tell which tower the system users are transmitting on? (By looking at which neighboring sites activate or otherwise.) I probably don't fully understand what I'm really doing!

 

[K8JSM]

We need to focus on why the network name is not displaying. Also, what is in your freqs file?

Nothing is in the frequencies file. I am monitoring a VC with DSD+. Might be the issue. What would you recommend?

 

[dave3825]

UniTrunker is piping only the VC audio to DSD+ so that I can hear audio on the computer speakers and still watch UniTrunker for the CC activity.

I have never done it that way and that's most likely why your DSDPlus does not show the current network. I always ran DSDPlus with the supplied tuner (FMP.EXE)

I would read the Trunking.txt file that's in your DSDPlus directory. It will explain how to run it on a system without Unitrunker and or Virtual cables.

if I monitor the CC with DSD+, will I be able to tell which tower the system users are transmitting on?

If you monitor the control channel of a site, it will show you all users that affiliate and transmit on that site. It will not tell you all sites a user is capable of transmitting on. You would have to watch each site and take notes, then monitor another site and take notes, then compare.

probably don't fully understand what I'm really doing!

The more parts involved, the harder the trouble shooting.

Nothing is in the frequencies file. I am monitoring a VC with DSD+. Might be the issue. What would you recommend?

I am pretty sure that even when you get the control channel set up properly to where it displays the Network name, I do not believe the site info will display until you go in the freqs file and define freqs for each site.

To be honest, as mentioned in the invisible post above (post 7), you are using rather outdated software. That version requires 2 dongles where as the new FastLane version offers a single dongle mode. And the older versions required the freqs file to be populated with all freqs you wish to monitor. The newer FastLane versions do require the same, but not with P25 freqs. All you need to do is tune to an active control channel, and the software does the rest..

 

[mtindor]

@dave3825 entries in DSDplus.frequencies will not be necessary for P25 systems, at least not Ohio MARCS.

@K8JSM You really should bite the bullet and purchase ($25) the DSDPlus Fast Lane version.

Unless you are hellbent on using Unitrunker simply because you like the interface, if you had DSDPlus Fast Lane you could monitor a single site per dongle. Of course, if you have Unitrunker set up to monitor more than 2 sites at one time, you wouldn't be able to do that with DSDPlus Fast Lane and would want to stick with UT. But, using DSDplus Fastlane for everything on a single MARCS site really makes much more sense. Heck you can use one-dongle mode (and monitor the CC except when it switches to a voice call) or two-dongle mode (and monitor the CC 24/7 and let the 2nd dongle handle voice).

Unitrunker:
can monitor multiple site CCs at once -- can monitor multiple VCs at once.

DSDPlus Fastlane:
can monitor only one site CC at a time per dongle -- can monitor only one VC at a time.

So if you are doing something fancy like monitoring multiple Ohio MARCS sites at once, and multiple voice channels at once (to save/record them or something), then you might want to stick with UT.

DSDPlus / DSDPlus Fastlane work significantly better when you use only FMP24 + DSDPlus versus having things piped through VB cables and using additional softwares with it.

Your decision. But as Dave mentioned, if you are only monitoring VCs with DSDPlus then you aren't going to get all of the information displayed at the bottom of DSDPlus that you would normally see when monitoring a CC.

 

[dave3825]

older versions required the freqs file to be populated with all freqs you wish to monitor. The newer FastLane versions do require the same, but not with P25 freqs. All you need to do is tune to an active control channel, and the software does the rest..

@dave3825 entries in DSDplus.frequencies will not be necessary for P25 systems, at least not Ohio MARCS.

If he sticks with the public version, pretty sure they are needed. The DSDPlus.P25Data file came to light in FastLane back in 2018.

DSD+ 2.145

By request, added a new data file named DSDPlus.P25Data;
DSD+ auto-records P25 trunking system information for each monitored system/site.
Information includes system IDs, system bandplans, site numbers, site NACs, site BSIs,
site neighbors, site channels and their usage (CC/SCC/voice/data)

Added P25 Phase II trunktracking and voice decoding

 

[GTR8000]

If he sticks with the public version, pretty sure they are needed. The DSDPlus.P25Data file came to light in FastLane back in 2018.

"DSD+ auto-records P25 trunking system information for each monitored system/site."

The P25Data file is automatically created and populated by decoded info; it never needs to be manually edited.

 

[mtindor]

If he sticks with the public version, pretty sure they are needed. The DSDPlus.P25Data file came to light in FastLane back in 2018.

I can't recall that. It's been forever since I've used non-FL. You are likely right, but I certainly don't remember ever having to do that. But that could be because Ohio MARCS P25 and AEP P25 may not have been active when I was using the non-FL and thus I would have been monitoring a Type II and an EDACS system instead.

I figured that DSDPlus (even the ancient stuff) wouldn't have an issue as long as everything needed was being broadcast on the CC. Figured it would just gather the info / keep it in memory. I guess not.

All the more reason for everyone to just get DSDPlus FL.