DSD Plus and Unitrunker

[moonbounce]

I am new to Unitrunker and I am kind of stuck. I have an old scanner with a discriminator tap going to "line in" on my computer. I use a VB cable to route the signal through DSD plus.It looks like everything is ready to go but I am not getting any decode on DSD and there is no sound. Am I missing some little thing or a big thing.

The scanner is locked on the control channel, the audio in is my VB cable audio out is Microsoft sound mapper. I have also used VB cable and speakers.

MB

 

[frazpo]

Unsure of your goal. Are you trying to decode a trunked system and decode it? To do that is kind of involved. Are you using SDR-RTL? Fill us in.

 

[moonbounce]

Unsure of your goal. Are you trying to decode a trunked system and decode it? To do that is kind of involved. Are you using SDR-RTL? Fill us in.

In my original post I said I was using a scanner with a discrimination tap and that the scanner is locked on the controls channel (to decode Apco 25). On Unitrucker I am using the signal receiver, it is running I have VB cable as audio input and speakers as audio output. I am sure I am missing something but obviously I don't know what? Type of radio system is Motorola Type 2 SmartZone.

MB

 

[frazpo]

In my original post I said I was using a scanner with a discrimination tap and that the scanner is locked on the controls channel (to decode Apco 25). On Unitrucker I am using the signal receiver, it is running I have VB cable as audio input and speakers as audio output. I am sure I am missing something but obviously I don't know what? Type of radio system is Motorola Type 2 SmartZone.

MB

So your goal is to monitor a digital system with Unitrunker, DSD, and one tapped scanner? This will not work. You are correct on using the scanner to decode the control channel. However, you also need a way to follow voice channels on either another scanner or an SDRtrunker setup. You cannot just decode the control channel and pipe control channel audio to DSD and get anything.

The two following links are setups using SDR-RTL setups with Unitrunker.

SDRSharp UniTrunker Support
RTL-SDR Tutorial: Following Trunked Radio with Unitrunker - rtl-sdr.com

 

[moonbounce]

Thanks Frazpo, that would be what I was missing. I had asked on another thread ( before I found this one) if it was possible to use an old pro 2006 with Unitrunker. A poster replied "yes that is what I use". I guess I should have mentioned that I wanted to decode an Ap 25 signal, that would probably have produced a different reply. Anyways I guess I will order another R820T dongle and use both to decode Ap 25.

MB

 

[SCPD]

MB - I think you said you had two receivers - an RTL stick and a tapped BCT15.

You'll need to set one receiver as the "signal" role receiver for control channel decoding - and set the other receiver as the "voice" role receiver for voice following. It's a "six for one and half a dozen for the other" kind of thing. You're BCT15 will need two cables ... an audio cable and a serial port cable.

Read the second link in frazpo's post above. Please let us know if that works for you.

 

[moonbounce]

Thanks Unitrunker I will try that and let you know how it works out. It was a Pro 2006 and a Pro 2020 that I am using for a scanner tap. I had thought earlier about what you were just mentioning and I was going to give it a shot but then I thought that one would be a radio source and one would be an RTL/SDR source and I thought I probably wouldn't be able to hook up two different systems, But now that you have mentioned it I will try it. Which source would best be the control, radio or SDR or does it matter? Thanks for the help, I will be back with a report.

MB

 

[SCPD]

For voice following, one of the receivers must be computer controllable. I don't think either of these models does that. There was an aftermarket module for the PRO-2006 but I'm not sure if the program supports it.

Either will work as a source for the control channel. You can program the control channels into one bank and set the radio to scan only that bank.

Since the program does not limit the number of receivers, you can configure both to watch different sites. IF you don't have two separate audio inputs - the program will allow them to share a single stereo input. Select the left or right channel for each signal receiver.

 

[joeuser]

Might be easier to just run 2 dongles

 

[moonbounce]

Yeah I think it will be a two dongle project thanks all.

MB

 

[Forts]

I recently ordered two of the 'mini' dongles on eBay (they are only about the size of a postage stamp... hey, remember those!?!) anyways they work great with everything I've thrown at them (T88, UT, DSD+ etc etc). For the price they can't be beat.

 

[joeuser]

Good luck MB!

 

[kscott]

I recently ordered two of the 'mini' dongles on eBay (they are only about the size of a postage stamp... hey, remember those!?!) anyways they work great with everything I've thrown at them (T88, UT, DSD+ etc etc). For the price they can't be beat.

My experience with the mini's is that they run too hot and take forever to stabilize the ppm settings.