DSDPlus DSD+ .txt Files Miscellaneous Questions Thread

[mtindor]

Ok, understood. So what's an ideal decode score? Right now I get 56,134 on 700 MHz P25 with RTL-SDR dongle. DSDPlus.txt says "Adjust a single parameter to determine which value produces the highest score", but then later says "Rolloff: start at 1 and go up by 1 until the score starts trending down".

So is it better if the score is higher or lower? Thanks.

The higher the score of the better. And every score is different for every signal, length of audios, captured, etc..

Generally, what people do is capture some audio and save it to a wave file. Then attempt to use the advance decoder options to get a higher score out of that same bit of audio.

You aren’t supposed to try changing the tuning parameters in real time. It’s all based upon recorded audio that you’ve saved that you then want to go over and try to make better.

If you’re listening to a local P25 system and you’ve got a signal that or 25 DB above the noise, then it’s gonna be great and there’s not gonna be any improvement that you can do to ii

The idea is trying to improve a crappy signal, either one is weak or suffering from interference. If you’ve got a decent signal and you’re not getting decoding errors, then fiddling around with the advanced decoder options is absolutely and unequivocably useless.

 

[dave3825]

Generally, what people do is capture some audio and save it to a wave file. Then attempt to use the advance decoder options to get a higher score out of that same bit of audio.

I used to capture file and run thru dsdtune but signals are always changing and if you watch rssi on all the voice channels they fluctuate so it’s not worth spending a ton of time.

 

[CanesFan95]

Does anyone know what this Amateur Radio option does in the Misc menu?



I put in frequency ranges of 145.0000-148.0000 and 440.0000-450.0000 for 1 and 2, but now I don't know what you do next.

And for the default Network ID and Site Number, what's the purpose of those? Thanks.

 

[CanesFan95]

I'm also wondering what the -F command is described in Notes.txt:



I'm unclear what this is for or how to decide what number value should go after the -F. Something about filename collisions with logging?

 

[CanesFan95]

Is there a way to adjust the text font size for data points on FMP-Map.EXE ?

 

[slicerwizard]

Does anyone know what this Amateur Radio option does in the Misc menu?

View attachment 165013

I put in frequency ranges of 145.0000-148.0000 and 440.0000-450.0000 for 1 and 2, but now I don't know what you do next.

And for the default Network ID and Site Number, what's the purpose of those? Thanks.

You tell DSD+ what frequency ranges you can pick up ham DMR repeaters (and inputs, I suppose) on, so on UHF, 440 to 450 MHz? and what DMR network ID DSD+ should automatically assume when decoding DMR signals in those frequency ranges. Then you use the same DMR network ID on those 260k+ entries in that ham radio data file (DMR-IDs.zip/DMR-IDs.txt) that you download from dsdplus.com. Search/replace all "DMR, 0," with "DMR, <theNIDyouToldDSD+toUseOnTheHamBands>". Then DSD+ can display the info of hams who are talking on DMR repeaters in the ham bands, and on any conventional (non-trunked) DMR signals on commercial frequencies, DSD+ won't equate some random commercial radio ID / user, like, say, RID 1023115, with a ham ("VE3KUU: William Marquis in Toronto, Ontario, Canada")

 

[slicerwizard]

I'm also wondering what the -F command is described in Notes.txt:

View attachment 165014

I'm unclear what this is for or how to decide what number value should go after the -F. Something about filename collisions with logging?

View attachment 165015

Try running DSDPlus.exe twice. Or try running a batch file that starts DSDPlus.exe (like 1R.bat) twice. Won't work. Can't have two copies trying to write to the same log files. Now try running "DSDPlus -F1" and "DSDPlus -F2" from two command prompts. Works fine. Look at the names of the files that get created.

 

[CanesFan95]

You tell DSD+ what frequency ranges you can pick up ham DMR repeaters (and inputs, I suppose) on, so on UHF, 440 to 450 MHz? and what DMR network ID DSD+ should automatically assume when decoding DMR signals in those frequency ranges. Then you use the same DMR network ID on those 260k+ entries in that ham radio data file (DMR-IDs.zip/DMR-IDs.txt) that you download from dsdplus.com. Search/replace all "DMR, 0," with "DMR, <theNIDyouToldDSD+toUseOnTheHamBands>". Then DSD+ can display the info of hams who are talking on DMR repeaters in the ham bands, and on any conventional (non-trunked) DMR signals on commercial frequencies, DSD+ won't equate some random commercial radio ID / user, like, say, RID 1023115, with a ham ("VE3KUU: William Marquis in Toronto, Ontario, Canada")

Ah, very good. So this whole thing is basically to resolve duplicate radio IDs from hams and commercial subscribers that may coincidentally have the same radio ID. This looks like an option to ensure that the DMR aliases for hams in DSDPlus.radios only show up in the band(s) you tell it (assuming, the 2 ham bands of your choice that you enter). And vice-versa, so when monitoring a commercial frequency outside the ham bands you entered, the radio alias shown not will be the ham's but the commercial one from whatever other Network ID they're on.

So this won't work on RIDs on trunking, like Cap+/Con+?

 

[CanesFan95]

And, what does the DMR site # do?

 

[slicerwizard]

And vice-versa, so when monitoring a commercial frequency outside the ham bands you entered, the radio alias shown not will be the ham's but the commercial one from whatever other Network ID they're on.

DMR conventional repeaters don't have network IDs. At least, not unless you add entries for them (to the .siteLoader file, I suppose) with pseudo NIDs.

So this won't work on RIDs on trunking, like Cap+/Con+?

Not sure what you're asking. On trunked signals in the ham bands? I know they exist, but I don't think I've seen that around here, so I have no idea.

And, what does the DMR site # do?

I guess it provides a default site number (instead of zero) for DMR signals in the ham bands. Not sure what that does for anyone.

...Ok, had to play with this one a bit. Set ham DMR NID to 123 and default site to 999, then added these lines:

DSDPlus.networks:

DMR, 123, "Amateur Radio"

DSDPlus.sites:

DMR 123, 999, "Undefined Station"


Monitored a local UHF ham repeater and got this at the bottom of the event log window:



I could then add known local repeaters to the .siteLoader file:

Conv, 123, 1, "442.5 DMR VE0XYZ"
Conv, 123, 2, "444.1 DMR VE0ABC"
etc.

And DSD+ would display those repeater callsigns when I tune to those repeaters. "Undefined Station" would be a clue that I should do a repeater look up and add another entry to the .siteLoader file...

 

[CanesFan95]

Sorry, trunked frequencies in the commercial bands. Say a ham radio ID of 3114912 is used on a Cap+ system on 460.000 MHz. You mentioned above on conventional (non-trunked) DMR signals. So there's no way to stop the ham alias from being seen on the Cap+ system because it's trunked?

 

[slicerwizard]

Sorry, trunked frequencies in the commercial bands. Say a ham radio ID of 3114912 is used on a Cap+ system on 460.000 MHz. You mentioned above on conventional (non-trunked) DMR signals. So there's no way to stop the ham alias from being seen on the Cap+ system because it's trunked?

Why would a ham alias show up? Cap+ (a DMR trunking protocol) != DMR (DMR conventional).

 

[CanesFan95]

DSD+ seems to use a default Network ID of 0. Say you're tuning around and find a new Cap+ frequency. A security guard keys up and happens to have a radio ID of 2061149 which duplicates one of the ham IDs. I'm basically hoping to understand how to make the ham alias not be shown.

 

[cg]

Unless your local hams use Cap+, it will not be an issue.
If it a Cap+ system then the radio ID get stored with a Cap+ prefix on it rather than a DMR prefix. They would have separate lines and would be seen as separate radios. Same with Groups. The prefix and Network ID would keep them separate.
Perhaps 0 is used because systems with Network IDs do not use 0.
If you want to keep users separate that share a common mode such as DMR and share radio IDs, you may need to use the custom Network ID feature. It is in the Notes file, search for "disambiguation" and read each section that the search points to.

 

[slicerwizard]

DSD+ seems to use a default Network ID of 0.

Exactly. So use a different NID for ham stuff. Done and done. And as noted, only an issue for conventional DMR.

 

[CanesFan95]

Ok, understanding this more now. I don't see why one couldn't just do a replace all on all the ham IDs using a unique pseudo network ID and then use that same pseudo network ID to enter individual repeaters in the other data files. I believe the only real benefit of this "Amateur Radio" menu is you can tell it to apply a pseudo network ID to an entire range of frequencies (or 2 ranges) and then you don't have to sit there and edit DSDPlus.frequencies one repeater at a time.

But DSDPlus.radios doesn't save site numbers, so I guess that option in the menu is only for the DSDPlus.siteLoader or DSDPlus.sites.

 

[mtindor]

Ok, understanding this more now. I don't see why one couldn't just do a replace all on all the ham IDs using a unique pseudo network ID and then use that same pseudo network ID to enter individual repeaters in the other data files. I believe the only real benefit of this "Amateur Radio" menu is you can tell it to apply a pseudo network ID to an entire range of frequencies (or 2 ranges) and then you don't have to sit there and edit DSDPlus.frequencies one repeater at a time.

But DSDPlus.radios doesn't save site numbers, so I guess that option in the menu is only for the DSDPlus.siteLoader or DSDPlus.sites.

I have to say that you focus on the absolute silliest things. I bet 99% of the DSD plus users don’t care at all about anything related to listening to ham radio in DSD plus. they can just go out and buy a $25 Chinese DMR radio and do the same thing and not have to be saddled to a computer.

You should focus on what DSDplus is most beneficial for, and that is sleuthing out new things on the airwaves that nobody else is documented

Mike

 

[slicerwizard]

Ok, understanding this more now. I don't see why one couldn't just do a replace all on all the ham IDs using a unique pseudo network ID and then use that same pseudo network ID to enter individual repeaters in the other data files.

I have no idea what percentage of DSD+ users are not hams, but I suspect it's pushing at least 50%. So why would they even know what ham repeaters are within earshot? By using a pseudo network ID for the ham bands where DMR signals can be found and applying that same NID to the downloadable ham radio IDs, a DSD+ user can find some clear digital voice traffic (not an easy thing to do outside the ham bands in some locations) and see name, callsign and QTH data just by clicking on DMR carriers in the relevant ham bands with FMPx. I've certainly done this many times on Sunday nights when all the nets are active and it's nice having all that talker metadata presented. Without the properly populated DSD+ ham menu entries, I'd see zero metadata unless I looked up all of the local repeaters (and some distant ones that show up on skip nights) and added entries for them to the relevant data file.

I believe the only real benefit of this "Amateur Radio" menu is you can tell it to apply a pseudo network ID to an entire range of frequencies (or 2 ranges) and then you don't have to sit there and edit DSDPlus.frequencies one repeater at a time.

Oh, like when the ball and chain is visiting relatives two hours away, usually on a weekend (when those nets are active...) and I'm killing time surfing the FMPx spectrum spikes and finding some in the 440-450 MHz range and for damn sure I haven't entered any repeater data for whatever city/region we're in? Yeah, that "only real benefit" definitely comes into play.

Maybe you can only hear one or two ham DMR repeaters, so the feature seems pointless to you? I dunno, it's certainly the impression you're making. Around here, I've found high spots with excellent RF views and regularly pick up traffic from New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan. Again, that "only real benefit" makes a big difference.

And wasn't that only real benefit already explained by someone? Maybe a bit wordy, but still done?

"You tell DSD+ what frequency ranges you can pick up ham DMR repeaters (and inputs, I suppose) on, so on UHF, 440 to 450 MHz? and what DMR network ID DSD+ should automatically assume when decoding DMR signals in those frequency ranges. Then you use the same DMR network ID on those 260k+ entries in that ham radio data file (DMR-IDs.zip/DMR-IDs.txt) that you download from dsdplus.com. Search/replace all "DMR, 0," with "DMR, <theNIDyouToldDSD+toUseOnTheHamBands>". Then DSD+ can display the info of hams who are talking on DMR repeaters in the ham bands"