R30 How to decode P25 mode on ICOM - R30

Status
Not open for further replies.

harbinger910

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Apr 24, 2014
Messages
9
Location
St. George, UT
I've been using my R30 for a while now, but can't figure out how to decode the P25 frequencies used my area. I live in Southern Utah and my trunking scanners pick them just fine, but when I create a P-Scan edge range w/ the base freq of 851.250 - 859.000 using 25Khz spacing using the P25 mode and scan the range the radio stops on certain frequencies and there's a signal there, but there's nothing decoded and no audio then it continues scanning. I don't understand this unless they're phase-2 signals. If I manually plug some of the 800mhz freq into the receiver say 851.837 using FM mode I can hear some of the channels fine. So, I guess my question is, why doesn't the P25 decoding work? is it because my area is not using the P25 encoding or maybe it's phase-2, or maybe there's something wrong w/ the receiver, don't know.

If I look at the RR settings here Utah Communications Authority Trunking System, Various, Multi-State - Scanner Frequencies for my area it says the base freq is 851.250 w/ a connect tone of 138.46. I'm not sure how the connect tone works with the R30 since you can't use tones in P25, at least I don't think you can.

Anyway, can anyone shed light on this topic since I haven't found any videos of anyone setting up the P25 mode on the R20 or R30 just videos of others showing how great it is =)
 

harbinger910

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Apr 24, 2014
Messages
9
Location
St. George, UT
Ok, that makes sense. So basically it would say System type = Project 25 Phase I / II or something if P25 was supported, is that correct? I thought our system trunk here had moved over to the p25 system, but I guess not since it does say Motorola Type II which I didn't notice =) Thanks replying
 

kj6psg

Member
Joined
Sep 1, 2012
Messages
220
Location
Ventura, CA, USA
I don't see a P25 trunked system listed for your area. Maybe I'm missing something, maybe the database is missing something.

Type II trunking usually uses wideband analog voice, while Motorola ASTRO digital voice (almost always ASTRO IMBE, which is P25 CAI compatible; ASTRO VSELP is functionally extinct and scanners can't decode it) is an available voice option on some systems. Type II isn't P25 compliant and isn't P25 trunking. There's also Widepulse modulation for ASTRO voice, which may or may not decode on your receiver, but that's also pretty stinkin' rare and only useful on simulcasts.

In the context of Uniden scanners, TrunkTracker III scanners can follow rebanded Type II systems with analog voice, but you'd need TrunkTracker V for the tiny pool of ASTRO IMBE voice channels on that system. It sounds like you've already have that part taken care of on your other receivers. The R30 can't follow trunked systems, Type II or P25, so it isn't of much utility on an analog or mostly-analog Type II system since traffic sources or talkgroup IDs can't be displayed. You'll also want to use a 12.5 kHz step on 800 MHz.
 

ka3jjz

Wiki Admin Emeritus
Joined
Jul 22, 2002
Messages
25,640
Location
Bowie, Md.
According to the database you do have a few P25 systems in Utah - but as mentioned, this radio can't trunktrack so it's a moot point. Interestingly you have a few MPT-1327 systems, too - while there are utilities that can read this system, no scanner can.


Mike
 

devicelab

Whacker Extraordinaire
Joined
Jul 18, 2016
Messages
1,661
Location
Nowhere in WA
Interestingly you have a few MPT-1327 systems, too - while there are utilities that can read this system, no scanner can.

No scanner can track it but you can certainly listen to analog voice comms from it. In most cases you don't need to track anything.
 

ka3jjz

Wiki Admin Emeritus
Joined
Jul 22, 2002
Messages
25,640
Location
Bowie, Md.
True but if you want to dig into the system, there are utilities available to do it. Happily, because the control channel for a MPT system is so slow, no discriminator tap is needed.....Mike
 

k4ays

Member
Joined
May 26, 2018
Messages
7
Location
Apopka, Fl
I've been using my R30 for a while now, but can't figure out how to decode the P25 frequencies used my area. I live in Southern Utah and my trunking scanners pick them just fine, but when I create a P-Scan edge range w/ the base freq of 851.250 - 859.000 using 25Khz spacing using the P25 mode and scan the range the radio stops on certain frequencies and there's a signal there, but there's nothing decoded and no audio then it continues scanning. I don't understand this unless they're phase-2 signals. If I manually plug some of the 800mhz freq into the receiver say 851.837 using FM mode I can hear some of the channels fine. So, I guess my question is, why doesn't the P25 decoding work? is it because my area is not using the P25 encoding or maybe it's phase-2, or maybe there's something wrong w/ the receiver, don't know.

If I look at the RR settings here Utah Communications Authority Trunking System, Various, Multi-State - Scanner Frequencies for my area it says the base freq is 851.250 w/ a connect tone of 138.46. I'm not sure how the connect tone works with the R30 since you can't use tones in P25, at least I don't think you can.

Anyway, can anyone shed light on this topic since I haven't found any videos of anyone setting up the P25 mode on the R20 or R30 just videos of others showing how great it is =)
Shouldn't P25 be narrowband 12.5Khz spacing?
 

k4ays

Member
Joined
May 26, 2018
Messages
7
Location
Apopka, Fl
Cool, I seen that harbinger910 said that he had P25 at 25Khz. I'll tell you what, I like the IC-R30 a whole lot and think it's a great radio. But the absence of P25 Phase II is a real turn off for me. I was actually ready to order one from HRO but when I seen that it was an instant no go. It doesn't have DMR which would not have stopped me from purchasing the radio, but no P25 Phase II definitely did.
 

jaspence

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Mar 21, 2008
Messages
3,041
Location
Michigan
While it doesn't track, it will pick up the radio traffic very well. If it is not a real busy system, the scan rate of 200 channels a second won't miss much. I use it on a simulcast system and have excellent voice quality.
 

k4ays

Member
Joined
May 26, 2018
Messages
7
Location
Apopka, Fl
While it doesn't track, it will pick up the radio traffic very well. If it is not a real busy system, the scan rate of 200 channels a second won't miss much. I use it on a simulcast system and have excellent voice quality.
You mean on P25 Phase I right because it doesn't receive Phase II? I do know for a trunking system you can put all the frequencies in memory and just scan those frequencies and it will pick up all the trunked frequencies
 

bearcatrp

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Apr 11, 2005
Messages
3,025
Location
Land of 10,000 taxes
Have noticed that too. I went ahead and entered all frequencies, primary and secondary into a memory channel. I scan that without issues. Plus it picks up both conversations. I grouped a few different areas and link them to scan the linked memory channels. Did mine by hand so it too a little bit, but was worth it. Picks up better than my 436.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top