For simply receiving NXDN digital audio, do I need to use the 'NXDN Trunking System' feature when programming my radio?

[Mbr2002mbr]

Hello all,

I am looking to program my Kenwood NX-300-K radio. I have the KPG-111D programming software. My intentions are to use this radio to receive, not transmit, both analog AND NXDN channels. Does anyone know if I need to use the 'NXDN Trunking System' feature in the programming software, or will the other zone type options suffice.

Attached is an image of all the zone type options that are available.

Thank you

 

[Briar51rabbit]

It Depends on what you are trying to receive.
If it's conventional use conventional mode.
If it's Trunking use Trunking . But on Trunking it won't work without a system key.
Which is only available from a system administrators.

 

[mmckenna]

A Kenwood radio will not receive a NexEdge trunked system unless your radio has been programmed with a system key, and depending on how the trunked system has been set up, Radio ID and the radio's ESN —must— be programmed into the trunked system for it to work. Yes, -even- if RX only. The packets from a trunked system are tagged as such, and the radio will ignore them. You'll see the green LED light up and the signal meter go, but it will not decode audio. Doesn't matter what the RAN is set to.

If it's a conventional NXDN system (non-trunked), you don't need the NXDN Trunking System selected in the zone window. Just set it for "conventional group" and set the channel type to NXDN or Mixed.

A few other things….
"Ch Spacing (NXDN)" needs to be set correctly. Narrow or Very Narrow. If you have it set to something that doesn't match what you are trying to listen to, it will not decode audio. The bit rates are different. The green LED with illuminate, and the signal meter will go, but it won't decode audio if it's set incorrectly.
In Kenwood terms:
NXDN Narrow = 12.5KHz channel, 9.6K baud
NXDN Very Narrow = 6.25KHz channel, 4.8K baud.

Encryption happens. It's easy for a system admin to set up encrypted channels. You'll either hear garbage, or nothing, depending on how the radio is set up.

Set your channels to RX only, just in case the radio ends up in the wrong hands.

 

[otobmark]

seems like a moot point for kenwood to make since so many scanners can decode nxdn trunk anyway. Of course it may be a case of how nxdn normally works on the Kenwood as opposed to kenwood going to some effort to block reception. In the former case there is no reason to write "monitor" code for the tiny number of people who want it (I'm one of the tiny). In the latter case it is as I said "moot".

 

[mmckenna]

Well, when Kenwood rolled out NexEdge, there were not any scanners capable of decoding it. The only option was an NXDN radio.

One of the reasons it was done was to completely allow elimination of a radio from the system. If one of my radios goes lost/missing, I can remove it from the subscriber list, and it won't be allowed to access the system in any way, not even receiving. There are some good reason for that if you are running a system for profit. A customer not paying for service, and you can completely isolate their radio.

 

[otobmark]

"One of the reasons it was done was to completely allow elimination of a radio from the system." I accept that reasoning but why not just brick radio? I do have an answer to my own question: If subscriber owns the radio he can non-destructively be eliminated from the system without harm to his radio....

 

[mmckenna]

I do have an answer to my own question: If subscriber owns the radio he can non-destructively be eliminated from the system without harm to his radio....

Right. And to effectively brick a radio, you have to be able to send the stun/kill command to it. The radio has to receive it.
With the NexEdge solution, the radio doesn't have to even be on the system for me to prevent it from listening. I can block it in the subscriber list and next time it trys to log on to the system, it can't.

 

[MTS2000des]

Right. And to effectively brick a radio, you have to be able to send the stun/kill command to it. The radio has to receive it.
With the NexEdge solution, the radio doesn't have to even be on the system for me to prevent it from listening. I can block it in the subscriber list and next time it trys to log on to the system, it can't.

I've always said Nexedge is a superior way to keep unauthorized nonsense off a system. In the P25 world, an RID must be provisioned in the HLR and set to passive inhibit to keep it from bugging the zone core. With NXDN, all the nonsense with cloned IDs, unauthorized programming and kiddie games are eliminated. No valid radio ID? No valid ESN? No valid system key and software key? Sorry! No programming for you!

 

[mmckenna]

I've always said Nexedge is a superior way to keep unauthorized nonsense off a system. In the P25 world, an RID must be provisioned in the HLR and set to passive inhibit to keep it from bugging the zone core. With NXDN, all the nonsense with cloned IDs, unauthorized programming and kiddie games are eliminated. No valid radio ID? No valid ESN? No valid system key and software key? Sorry! No programming for you!

It has been nice. Never 'really' had control over the old SmartNet system. This one I know exactly who is on there. That is better for our bottom line.