DSDPlus DSD+ .txt Files Miscellaneous Questions Thread

[CanesFan95]

Hello, I am starting to write an unofficial user guide for DSD+ Fast Lane 2.465 and am unable to figure out a few things here and there. So This is a thread to make inquiries to clarify my understanding, especially about what's in the instructions in the .txt files.

First off, there's files called "FMP.txt" and FMPA.txt which only appear to talk about the free versions of FMP.exe/FMPA.txt and not FMP24.exe. For example, "FMP.txt" says "...its spectrum display spans 1 MHz of the RF spectrum.", while the paid version does 2.4. Is there a guide written for the paid versions of FMPx.exe? Thanks.

 

[CanesFan95]

In FMP24.cfg, what’s the difference between the primary frequency list and the auxiliary frequency list (which I guess is also called the secondary frequency list)?



If I have the search distance at 30.0 miles, is that the radius from the coordinates entered? So the FCC license data displayed will be whatever there is within a 30-mile radius of my coordinates? If there's more than one licensee within the 30.0 miles, which one will I see?

I also noticed that what FMP.txt describes for line 6 in FMP24.cfg is different than what's inside the FMP24.cfg file (it should be DSD+ path) and the rest of the line #'s are off by 1:

 

[CanesFan95]

FMPA.txt: says “lowest serial number = device #1, next highest serial number = #2, etc.” AirSpy serial numbers are a mixture of letters and numbers. So, how do you tell which one is higher or lower? Thanks.

 

[cg]

It is the order you type them into the cfg file

 

[CanesFan95]

So where it says lowest serial number, next highest serial number, that's not sorting on the serial number itself? It seems worded a little confusing.


So next up, Hytera XPT trunking. I don't have any systems locally to try out. Does DSD+ Fast Lane trunktrack these and how do you figure out the LSNs? What little I can find online is they work similar to LTR or Cap+ and have no system ID, only site IDs, up to 8 TDMA repeaters for 16 slots max. So, what's the syntax for entering them in DSDPlus.networks, DSDPlus.frequencies, and DSDPlus.sites so I can write this up? We just have to make up a Network ID like with Cap+? Thanks.

 

[mcjones2013]

In FMP24.cfg, what’s the difference between the primary frequency list and the auxiliary frequency list (which I guess is also called the secondary frequency list)?

If I have the search distance at 30.0 miles, is that the radius from the coordinates entered? So the FCC license data displayed will be whatever there is within a 30-mile radius of my coordinates? If there's more than one licensee within the 30.0 miles, which one will I see?

If you use the per-state downloads that DSDPlus offers for license data, you could put your primary state in the first field and then an adjacent state that maybe you travel to frequently in the second. I used to do that (CA as primary and NV as secondary) since I live in California but also do frequently travel to Nevada. (I don’t do this method anymore, now using the nationwide FMP download from the Digital Frequency Search site)

The radius is 30-miles from the lat long you input in the config file. I always update the lat long for wherever I’m monitoring from (home, work, mountain tops, hotels, etc).

It will show the closest license based on that license’s lat long compared to your lat long. This doesn’t mean that’s the license you’re actually hearing (example being an electronics store close to you may have a 452.525 licensed for use within the store, but there’s a high-powered DMR repeater on the same frequency 40 miles away which is actually what you’re hearing). To combat this, sometimes I go in and delete the non-repeater licenses from the FreqList.csv file.

 

[dave3825]

FMPA.txt: says “lowest serial number = device #1, next highest serial number = #2, etc.” AirSpy serial numbers are a mixture of letters and numbers. So, how do you tell which one is higher or lower? Thanks.

I only have 2 airspy and both of mine start with a number. Not sure if any start with letters or not.

04ABLA-BLA-BLA
744BLA-BLA-BLA

To me, 04A is lower than 744. In all honesty, not sure it really makes a difference. My cfg actually has the 744 listed first.

Where exactly did you see that text?

FMPA.txt: says “lowest serial number = device #1, next highest serial number = #2, etc.”

FMPA v2.1

an Airspy serial number list has been added to FMPA.cfg

the first line of FMPA.cfg is now used for the (optional) Airspy serial number list

the first listed serial number will be device #1, second serial is device #2, etc.

a populated serial number list is required for -i<num> device selection

if you do not populate the serial number list,
use of -i<num> on the FMPA command line will trigger an error

to determine an Airspy's 16 digit serial number, plug it in and run FMPA

 

[CanesFan95]

I'm seeing that in a file called "FMPA.txt":



But it looks like what you've pointed out is in "Notes.txt":



So i guess there's different information and I'm getting tripped up. Another example, notice how at the bottom it says Eco mode has been removed. I wonder why they don't take that out of "FMPA.txt":



I have a feeling maybe "FMPA.txt" is only for the free version. I'm seeing other differences in the .txt files like hotkeys that no longer work. That's why I think it will be helpful to have a single current updated guide with examples and screenshots for Fast Lane and have decided to take this on. My draft is in progress . . .

 

[CanesFan95]

I'm trying to use the -P argument for per-call recordings (ex. -Pwav), but it doesn't seem to be working. I know it's in the Event Log Output menu, but is this command line option no longer working?

 

[CanesFan95]

If I use TCP ports like so:

START CMD /c "FMP24.exe -g29.7 -b12.5 -f768 -o20001"
START CMD /c "DSDPlus.exe -i20001"

But the Event Log Input menu has "Use Direct FMPx Link" selected instead, will this cause a conflict? Or do I even need to use -o20001 and -i20001 in the .bat file?

 

[mtindor]

If I use TCP ports like so:

START CMD /c "FMP24.exe -g29.7 -b12.5 -f768 -o20001"
START CMD /c "DSDPlus.exe -i20001"

But the Event Log Input menu has "Use Direct FMPx Link" selected instead, will this cause a conflict? Or do I even need to use -o20001 and -i20001 in the .bat file?

View attachment 164093

If you are running recent FL and you are running FMP* and DSDPlus on same machine, you should always be using Direct FMPx Linking. Not TCP linking. If you were running FMP* on one box and DSDPlus on another, you'd use TCP Linking. Otherwise, direct linking is most efficient.

 

[dave3825]

I'm seeing that in a file called "FMPA.txt":

FMPA.txt is from 2015 and does state lowest to highest but does not mention a cfg file.



Notes.txt line 3171 states,

FMPA v2.1

note: TCP linking will not work with 1.x versions of DSD+

an Airspy serial number list has been added to FMPA.cfg

the first line of FMPA.cfg is now used for the (optional) Airspy serial number list

the first listed serial number will be device #1, second serial is device #2, etc.

a populated serial number list is required for -i<num> device selection

if you do not populate the serial number list,
use of -i<num> on the FMPA command line will trigger an error

to determine an Airspy's 16 digit serial number, plug it in and run FMPA

I believe the FMPA 2.1 came out with DSDPlus 2.5 sometime in 2016.

The first entered serial will be dev 1, and the second would be dev 2. So if you want to use your second listed dongle, you would use -2 in your fmpa-cc

I'm trying to use the -P argument for per-call recordings (ex. -Pwav), but it doesn't seem to be working. I know it's in the Event Log Output menu, but is this command line option no longer working?

All available keyboard commands are listed when you run the help (?) file on both DSDPlus and FMPA. -P (-Pwav/-Pmp3) are only done thru menu now.

 

[CanesFan95]

If you are running recent FL and you are running FMP* and DSDPlus on same machine, you should always be using Direct FMPx Linking. Not TCP linking. If you were running FMP* on one box and DSDPlus on another, you'd use TCP Linking. Otherwise, direct linking is most efficient.

For direct linking, what's the syntax we should use in .bat ? Right now, I'm using this:

START CMD /c "FMP24.exe -g29.7 -b12.5 -f768 -o20001"
START CMD /c "DSDPlus.exe -i20001"

 

[mtindor]

For direct linking, what's the syntax we should use in .bat ? Right now, I'm using this:

START CMD /c "FMP24.exe -g29.7 -b12.5 -f768 -o20001"
START CMD /c "DSDPlus.exe -i20001"

You should use the exact FMP24-CC.bat and 1R.bat files that came with it. If you want to modify the heck out of things and create your own batch files, you are on your own. FMP24-CC.bat and 1R.bat work out of the box.

I should make this more clear -- The default FMP24-CC.bat and 1R.bat combined with an untouched DSDPlus menu system work out of the box. If at some point you go in and change all kinds of things in the Input/Output/Control menus, then you might end up having to put all sorts of extra things in your FMP24 and DSDPlus startup files to seemingly get it to work again. But if that is the case, the easy fix is to (a) close all DSDPlus/FMP* related apps, (b) delete the DSDPlus.bin file (will remove all customizations you made in DSDPlus), and then (c) just use the default FMP24-CC.bat and 1R.bat files to start everything and go through the DSDPlus menu system to set your preferences again.

Often people make more trouble for themselves than is necessary. As long as a dongle is installed correctly and is detected, you can immediately fire up FMP24-CC.bat and 1R.bat and start trunk tracking

 

[CanesFan95]

Well, I thought creating our own .bat files was the way DSD+ was supposed to be used. Maybe a lot has changed.

 

[mtindor]

Well, I thought creating our own .bat files was the way DSD+ was supposed to be used. Maybe a lot has changed.

A lot has changed, with the menu system and how things in the menu system are stored.. at least compared to the free versions or much older Fast Lane versions. If you add things on to your batch files that are now typically handled within the DSDPlus menu system, you can end up running into issues.

I'd say back-up the original FMP24-CC.bat and 1R.bat. And then, if you want to disable logging to a text file (such as what is on by default in 1R.bat) you can do that without issue. If you want to set a default freq to tune to, you can do that. But you don't need to be adjusting port / device related stuff in batch files by default.

 

[DaveNF2G]

FMPA is for Airspy devices. FMPP is for SDRPlay devices. FMP (obsolete) and FMP24 are for dongles.

 

[cg]

There are valid reasons to edit the files. However, if you are asking how to change stuff, you probably do not know enough about what you are changing to do it correctly.
If you are writing a tutorial, it would be in the advanced chapter.

 

[dave3825]

Well, I thought creating our own .bat files was the way DSD+ was supposed to be used.

You still can but until one understands how the fmp24 bat and DSDPlus bat (1R.bat) pairs work, its best to use the way its outlined in the notes.txt.

I mostly run singe dongle mode and at times run different combos out of the same directory. I have 2 fmp24-cc bats using ports 20001 & 20002 and an FMPA bat using port 20003, with matched port 1R.bat files.

 

[CanesFan95]

Ok, good information. This will change the write-up and glad I asked. All this time I've been using my own custom .bat file which I guess was a remnant from prior versions. So it sounds like I should probably just scrap that and start fresh.