DSDPlus FL & DMR Cap+ MOTOTRBO woes

[ArktiiK]

Hi, all. I am (attempting to) listen to a local DMR system, however my current setup does not seem to work. I am utilizing 2 RTL-SDR dongles (1 CC, 1 VC) in a flat 16cm dipole configuration (tried vertical as well.) FWIW, I also have a 3rd dongle.

Here is a screenshot of the details for the site in question:



.bat file:

REM Initializing Control Channel Decoder
ECHO Starting Control Channel Decoder...
START CMD /c "DSDPlus -rc -i20001 -o1 -t -E -v4"
TIMEOUT /t 2
START CMD /c "FMP24 -rc -i1 -o20001 -f463.4125 -g40 -P51 -b12.5"

REM Initializing Voice Channel Decoders
ECHO Starting Voice Channel Decoder...
START CMD /c "FMP24 -rv -i2 -o20002 -g40 -P51 -b12.5"

.frequencies file:

Cap+, <ID>, 1, 1, 461.6625, 0.0, 0
Cap+, <ID>, 1, 2, 461.8125, 0.0, 0
Cap+, <ID>, 1, 3, 463.2375, 0.0, 0
Cap+, <ID>, 1, 4, 463.4125, 0.0, 0

.sites file

Cap+, <ID>, 1, <SITE>

.networks file:

Cap+, <ID>, <SITE>

Regarding the batch file, I've tried numerous configurations, keeping most of the options the same. In its current state, it will grab the rest channel briefly, then enter an (nearly) eternal death loop of "Lost rest channel." Either I've fudged something, or the signal just isn't strong enough, though I'm not so sure as it's just down the road about a mile or 2. Can't seem to dial in the gain/PPM for the VC dongle, either.

Thanks for the help.

 

[mtindor]

Hi, all. I am (attempting to) listen to a local DMR system, however my current setup does not seem to work. I am utilizing 2 RTL-SDR dongles (1 CC, 1 VC) in a flat 16cm dipole configuration (tried vertical as well.) FWIW, I also have a 3rd dongle.

Here is a screenshot of the details for the site in question:

View attachment 165282

.bat file:

REM Initializing Control Channel Decoder
ECHO Starting Control Channel Decoder...
START CMD /c "DSDPlus -rc -i20001 -o1 -t -E -v4"
TIMEOUT /t 2
START CMD /c "FMP24 -rc -i1 -o20001 -f463.4125 -g40 -P51 -b12.5"

REM Initializing Voice Channel Decoders
ECHO Starting Voice Channel Decoder...
START CMD /c "FMP24 -rv -i2 -o20002 -g40 -P51 -b12.5"

.frequencies file:

Cap+, <ID>, 1, 1, 461.6625, 0.0, 0
Cap+, <ID>, 1, 2, 461.8125, 0.0, 0
Cap+, <ID>, 1, 3, 463.2375, 0.0, 0
Cap+, <ID>, 1, 4, 463.4125, 0.0, 0

.sites file

Cap+, <ID>, 1, <SITE>

.networks file:

Cap+, <ID>, <SITE>

Regarding the batch file, I've tried numerous configurations, keeping most of the options the same. In its current state, it will grab the rest channel briefly, then enter an (nearly) eternal death loop of "Lost rest channel." Either I've fudged something, or the signal just isn't strong enough, though I'm not so sure as it's just down the road about a mile or 2. Can't seem to dial in the gain/PPM for the VC dongle, either.

Thanks for the help.

You should get one dongle working before you try two dongles. Are you using DSDPlus free version from www.dsdplus.com or are you using DSDPlus FastLane?

If you are using FastLane, you should be able to simply run FMP24-CC.bat and 1R.bat and be up and running. All you have to do is find/tune to the current rest channel. For CAP+, I can't remember if there is always some rest channel beaconing, or if after a period of total inactivity on the system everything goes quiet. I think there should always be at least one of the active frequencies beaconing. If it goes into a death spiral not finding the rest channel, then perhaps the site is weak. It may be only a couple miles away, but if you are using cheesy stock antennas that came with dongles and if the site is low power (not intended to cover more than a hospital or something) then it might be weak.

Gain adjustment with dongles is as easy as focusing on the FMP24 screen and pressing G or g to raise/lower gain. You don't want too much gain. You don't want to overload the dongle.

 

[mtindor]

Hi, all. I am (attempting to) listen to a local DMR system, however my current setup does not seem to work. I am utilizing 2 RTL-SDR dongles (1 CC, 1 VC) in a flat 16cm dipole configuration (tried vertical as well.) FWIW, I also have a 3rd dongle.

Here is a screenshot of the details for the site in question:

View attachment 165282

.bat file:

REM Initializing Control Channel Decoder
ECHO Starting Control Channel Decoder...
START CMD /c "DSDPlus -rc -i20001 -o1 -t -E -v4"
TIMEOUT /t 2
START CMD /c "FMP24 -rc -i1 -o20001 -f463.4125 -g40 -P51 -b12.5"

REM Initializing Voice Channel Decoders
ECHO Starting Voice Channel Decoder...
START CMD /c "FMP24 -rv -i2 -o20002 -g40 -P51 -b12.5"

.frequencies file:

Cap+, <ID>, 1, 1, 461.6625, 0.0, 0
Cap+, <ID>, 1, 2, 461.8125, 0.0, 0
Cap+, <ID>, 1, 3, 463.2375, 0.0, 0
Cap+, <ID>, 1, 4, 463.4125, 0.0, 0

.sites file

Cap+, <ID>, 1, <SITE>

.networks file:

Cap+, <ID>, <SITE>

Regarding the batch file, I've tried numerous configurations, keeping most of the options the same. In its current state, it will grab the rest channel briefly, then enter an (nearly) eternal death loop of "Lost rest channel." Either I've fudged something, or the signal just isn't strong enough, though I'm not so sure as it's just down the road about a mile or 2. Can't seem to dial in the gain/PPM for the VC dongle, either.

Thanks for the help.

And it may just be that all of the active frequencies / LCNs have not been figured out. It's a Casino, and most of the freqs are licensed for 20w ERP. And at least half the repeater frequencies on the license aren't even listed in the channel lineup for the CAP+ system. So maybe there are more frequencies to be discovered that are active as part of the CAP+ system.

And if that is the case, you're going to run into issues because at any given time the rest channel could be one of the frequencies that is listed on the license but not listed in the "Primary" site.

 

[mwjones]

.frequencies file:

Cap+, <ID>, 1, 1, 461.6625, 0.0, 0
Cap+, <ID>, 1, 2, 461.8125, 0.0, 0
Cap+, <ID>, 1, 3, 463.2375, 0.0, 0
Cap+, <ID>, 1, 4, 463.4125, 0.0, 0

Take a look at your frequencies file - you appear to have LCN's in it, whereas DSDPlus is looking for LSN's, so when the beacon says it's going to LSN 3, your setup is going to timeslot 1 of 463.2375 instead of timeslot 1 of 461.8125, and thus begins the death spiral.

If you click on the Site name in the database, you should be able to see the LSN's next to the LCN's, but with most Capacity+ systems they stay rather simple, and in your example, it should be LSN's of 1, 3, 5, 7.

 

[mtindor]

Take a look at your frequencies file - you appear to have LCN's in it, whereas DSDPlus is looking for LSN's, so when the beacon says it's going to LSN 3, your setup is going to timeslot 1 of 463.2375 instead of timeslot 1 of 461.8125, and thus begins the death spiral.

If you click on the Site name in the database, you should be able to see the LSN's next to the LCN's, but with most Capacity+ systems they stay rather simple, and in your example, it should be LSN's of 1, 3, 5, 7.

Nice job. Can't believe I didn't see that. I'm getting old.

 

[dave3825]

Can't believe I didn't see that. I'm getting old.

Lol



As @mwjones says,

in your example, it should be LSN's of 1, 3, 5, 7.

 

[CanesFan95]

Agree, frequencies file needs correcting. I believe your .bat file needs a 2nd instance of DSDPlus.exe. And I don’t believe you need the -i1 and -i2. A gain of -g40 is probably too high for most uses.