Help with XTS5000 as a Scanner

[Pancake955]

I've been trying to get my XTS 5000 to Monitor the Palmetto 800 which is a Phase ii but uses phase i digital for comms, i got the control channels and hex ids set up but it keeps flashing out of range on the screen, and when it dosen't i dont hear anything, but i hear talking on my other scanner i have set up on the same system, i feel im doing something wrong but as cps is still quite new to me i would love some feedback

 

[KevinC]

Unfortunately you're doing a lot wrong. If it displays out of range it's trying to transmit, which a) is illegal and b) can get you in a lot of trouble.

 

[Pancake955]

Unfortunately you're doing a lot wrong. If it displays out of range it's trying to transmit, which a) is illegal and b) can get you in a lot of trouble.

Do you know how i can get it to not try to transmit? i have a switch set to disable it

 

[Outerdog]

 

[prcguy]

Do you know how i can get it to not try to transmit? i have a switch set to disable it

A better question might be “do you know how I can avoid jail”? I’m pretty familiar with Astro programming and I would not attempt to try receive only programming on a trunking system with that radio.

 

[FFPM571]

You probably shoul not be trying to do what you are attempting, as this radio is trying to affiliate to the system.. No setting for no TX will stop it .. It is programmed incorrectly. End of story

 

[GTR8000]

Unfortunately you're doing a lot wrong. If it displays out of range it's trying to transmit, which a) is illegal and b) can get you in a lot of trouble.

You sure you're not thinking of NO COMMS? I can make my XTS or APX display OUT OF RANGE all day long and they are absolutely not attempting to transmit any RF.

 

[GTR8000]

Do you know how i can get it to not try to transmit? i have a switch set to disable it

If you're seeing OUT OF RANGE, you're already doing it way wrong. You're parked on a talkgroup, which is exactly what you should never be doing with passive scanning. Turn the radio off and stop before you wind up with a brick or worse.

 

[MTS2000des]

Paging Palmetto 800 system guy...that FDMA subscriber affiliating on your DDM or TDMA talkgroup? Countdown to launcing PRNM suite/RCM and ZAP!

 

[jeepsandradios]

Another user who should get a scanner or unication....

 

[ElroyJetson]

Get a scanner. Or a Unication. Seriously. Before you end up in legal trouble. Setting that up to scan safely can not be done legally unless someone who has the AUTHORITY to do so has allowed you access to a system key. And that's even assuming that your radio has all the proper features.

Do not be the fool who ventures where even angels fear to tread. Buy a scanner.

Motorola does not design those radios to be able to scan without transmitting or affiliating. So to make them do that requires specialized programming techniques.

 

[Ace9133uwu]

. Setting that up to scan safely can not be done legally unless someone who has the AUTHORITY to do so has allowed you access to a system key.

Debatable. I’m a hobbyist scanner with absolutely no public safety background and programmed mine non-affiliate RX only. Pain in the ass, yes. But it can be done carefully. A seasoned person has to 110% know what they’re doing… which OP obviously doesn’t. Scanner or Unication for sure.

 

[N4KVE]

There’s been a saying for years. Someone with a little knowledge about something is more dangerous than someone with 0 knowledge. I have a little knowledge about NAS, but I’m smart enough to know my limitations. So I paid an expert to set my radio up to NAS the city I’m in. Forget the county, as they’re encrypted. In the 4 years I’ve been listening, never a single affiliation as the radio is still working. And people act like a system key is a guarded secret, when actually it can be Googled up in a minute. So anybody who is here to ask about NAS, give it up as it seems you won’t get any help here. Seek out an expert who knows what they’re doing.

 

[ElroyJetson]

Ace, this is NOT debatable. To set up any Motorola radio to scan trunking without authorized system key access requires UNAUTHORIZED system key access which is technically illegal. There is no LEGAL way to do it.

Not via lab, not via depot, not via FTR hacks, not even with a hand crafted hex edited system key. All illegal.
You could argue that point but hand crafted system keys will be a losing point for the defendant in a court case.

My history with this topic spans back well into the late 80s. I've had those "learning experiences" but fortunately, never had a problem,
primarily because I did my early experimentation with a system that was at the ragged edge of reception range. It might have heard a mobile radio that was trying to affiliate, but not a 3 watt portable. (About 75 miles distance.)

Get a BK radio that allows TRUE RX only operation in trunking. Nice of BK to provide that capability. Or get a Harris radio,
which also allows true RX only trunking operation, but there's still an obstacle or two to overcome. Nonetheless, true RX
only operation IS supported by Harris.

 

[chrismol1]

Do you know how i can get it to not try to transmit? i have a switch set to disable it

Good to have the switch set to disable it. Understand that these radios need to affiliate to hear audio so that is a normal function not to hear audio with tx inhibit enabled. What is NOT normal is using that function to attempt to use it as a scanner because that way of doing it is all wrong. The reason to sit on a conventional channel with a trunked scanlist is to bypass that requirement of affiliation, affiliation or transmitting unauthorized which is not good. There is nothing about non affiliation scan that means sitting on a trunked talkgroup to attempt it that way. Out of Range or NO COMMS should not be seen and is NOT the correct way.

Its very bad to do that with an unauthorized radio. Theres too many ways to screw up the system from a legitimate authorized user way before anyone attempts to track someone down for legalities, its best not to get that far

 

[Ace9133uwu]

Ace, this is NOT debatable. To set up any Motorola radio to scan trunking without authorized system key access requires UNAUTHORIZED system key access which is technically illegal. There is no LEGAL way to do it.

Not via lab, not via depot, not via FTR hacks, not even with a hand crafted hex edited system key. All illegal.
You could argue that point but hand crafted system keys will be a losing point for the defendant in a court case.

My history with this topic spans back well into the late 80s. I've had those "learning experiences" but fortunately, never had a problem,
primarily because I did my early experimentation with a system that was at the ragged edge of reception range. It might have heard a mobile radio that was trying to affiliate, but not a 3 watt portable. (About 75 miles distance.)

Get a BK radio that allows TRUE RX only operation in trunking. Nice of BK to provide that capability. Or get a Harris radio,
which also allows true RX only trunking operation, but there's still an obstacle or two to overcome. Nonetheless, true RX
only operation IS supported by Harris.

Apologies on my front, I’ll backpedal a second. Let me quote “…Setting that up to scan safely can not be done…”; that’s the part I meant to be debatable. I know and understand that the sys key has to be legally obtained- period. Which I did for my XTS. I also safely set mine up to scan, which as you know is a tedious process that has to be done very carefully. Definitely not a process for someone who has no experience at all.
Speaking of experience, I have none with BK or Harris, but I’ve heard that they’re very reliable.
Edit: typo.

 

[KevinC]

Ace, this is NOT debatable. To set up any Motorola radio to scan trunking without authorized system key access requires UNAUTHORIZED system key access which is technically illegal. There is no LEGAL way to do it.

Not true. As long as you use an APX and the system only has FDMA TG's only all you need is CPS (which anyone can legally obtain from MSI).

 

[ElroyJetson]

The OP is referring to an XTS5000 and my comments are specific to that. APX is a different kettle of fish, one that I will admit that I'm not fully up to speed on in many respects.

 

[KevinC]

The OP is referring to an XTS5000 and my comments are specific to that. APX is a different kettle of fish, one that I will admit that I'm not fully up to speed on in many respects.

Ok, I was going by this statement of yours...

To set up any Motorola radio to scan trunking without authorized system key access requires UNAUTHORIZED system key access which is technically illegal.

 

[Outerdog]

Ok, I was going by this statement of yours...

"Any", apparently, is a matter of degree.