In DSD+ Fast Lane, is it possible to scan P25 systems?

[saioke]

I'm sorry if this is a dumb question, I'm new to SDR's and DSD+ both. I bought Fast Lane and for the most part, I believe I have it configured properly. I wanted to create a scanlist though, which I did. I added a few conventional DMR frequencies, and one P25 system, and it seems to do the job. That is, until I add a P25 CC. When I do, it scans fine, but then after someone speaks on P25, DSD+ will just return and sit at the CC, and the scan will stop. Pressing S will start it once again. If someone speaks on DMR, the scan continues on as it should.

Does anyone know if this can be remedied? Or is it just not possible?

 

[RaleighGuy]

I'm sorry if this is a dumb question, I'm new to SDR's and DSD+ both. I bought Fast Lane and for the most part, I believe I have it configured properly. I wanted to create a scanlist though, which I did. I added a few conventional DMR frequencies, and one P25 system, and it seems to do the job. That is, until I add a P25 CC. When I do, it scans fine, but then after someone speaks on P25, DSD+ will just return and sit at the CC, and the scan will stop. Pressing S will start it once again. If someone speaks on DMR, the scan continues on as it should.

Does anyone know if this can be remedied? Or is it just not possible?

You can scan OR listen to a P25 trunked system, you can't do both. If your DSD+ FL is scanning and stops on a control channel it will sit there because there is a continuous signal, which stops the scan. Sounds like you want it to do two things at once, and it will not.

 

[saioke]

You can scan OR listen to a P25 trunked system, you can't do both. If your DSD+ FL is scanning and stops on a control channel it will sit there because there is a continuous signal, which stops the scan. Sounds like you want it to do two things at once, and it will not.

Oddly enough, the scan doesn't really stop on a control channel until it switches to a VC, then back to the CC. I've been thinking, what would happen if I added the VC Frequencies from a site to the scanlist instead?

 

[RaleighGuy]

Oddly enough, the scan doesn't really stop on a control channel until it switches to a VC, then back to the CC. I've been thinking, what would happen if I added the VC Frequencies from a site to the scanlist instead?

You might have the same issue, but worth a try. The control channel sends the command on where to go, whether it is on the voice channel I'm not sure.

 

[saioke]

You might have the same issue, but worth a try. The control channel sends the command on where to go, whether it is on the voice channel I'm not sure.

I'll try tomorrow and report back with the outcome. I can't really test it now, it's a quiet night with maybe one/two dispatches per 4 hours or so lol. Thanks.

 

[mtindor]

I'll try tomorrow and report back with the outcome. I can't really test it now, it's a quiet night with maybe one/two dispatches per 4 hours or so lol. Thanks.

That is NOT how things in DSDPlus work / not how they are supposed to work.

For Trunked systems: scan them as trunked systems. CTRL -> Combined CC/VC Monitor. Park on the CC and let it role.

Forget about scanning a P25 system conventionally. If that is your goal, you shouldn't expect any support from anyone on the forum because you are doing something DSDplus was never intended to do. You "scan" conventional frequencies, whether they are digital or analog. You trunktrack trunked systems.

 

[DaveNF2G]

DSDPlus was designed to be used with at least two dongles for trunking. Then the CC receiver never has to leave the CC and can continue decoding and displaying system events, including other conversations that are taking place simultaneously. The talkgroup priority system serves no purpose for a single dongle setup.

 

[cg]

The talkgroup priority system serves no purpose for a single dongle setup.

Not true
Some P25 trunked systems carry other talkgroup/channel info on the voice channels. Otherwise scanning for the system users would not work

 

[saioke]

That is NOT how things in DSDPlus work / not how they are supposed to work.

For Trunked systems: scan them as trunked systems. CTRL -> Combined CC/VC Monitor. Park on the CC and let it role.

Forget about scanning a P25 system conventionally. If that is your goal, you shouldn't expect any support from anyone on the forum because you are doing something DSDplus was never intended to do. You "scan" conventional frequencies, whether they are digital or analog. You trunktrack trunked systems.

What about two/three dongles? Could you use one to Trunktrack and one to scan conventional frequencies?

I'm guessing it's okay to add conventional analog frequencies with non-trunked DMR into the scanlist then?

DSDPlus was designed to be used with at least two dongles for trunking. Then the CC receiver never has to leave the CC and can continue decoding and displaying system events, including other conversations that are taking place simultaneously. The talkgroup priority system serves no purpose for a single dongle setup.

I plan on picking an extra dongle up eventually, but first I'd like to figure out how to run one antenna for two dongles. I imagine just adding a splitter is a no-go. I was told to find a multicoupler but the ones I've seen have limited frequency range which, isn't ideal in my eyes when I don't necessarily want to commit a SDR to listening to Public Safety all the time. I enjoy occasionally listening to radio. 40m band is also fun to listen to around here. There's a lot of trash-talking lol.

As far as using 1 dongle, it works really well this way in my area, even trunking. I live in a rural area so the P25 system honestly isn't busting with activity unless there's a major fire or manhunt. I'm guessing this is WHY it works so well with one dongle, because there's only a few voice channels active at once, if ever. So I'm not really worried about TG priority.

Funny thing is, one dongle already works better than my Whistler 1065. I pick up a lot more conversations and less errors/garbled voices. Let's just say that I'm more impressed with the indoor Dipole that you can get with the RTLSDR than I am with my 20ft outdoor Discone that I have my scanner hooked up to. I'm tempted to run the dipole outdoors if I can weatherproof it.

 

[DaveNF2G]

Not true
Some P25 trunked systems carry other talkgroup/channel info on the voice channels. Otherwise scanning for the system users would not work

Does DSDPlus decode and utilize that data?

 

[AB9NN]

I'm sorry if this is a dumb question, I'm new to SDR's and DSD+ both. I bought Fast Lane and for the most part, I believe I have it configured properly. I wanted to create a scanlist though, which I did. I added a few conventional DMR frequencies, and one P25 system, and it seems to do the job. That is, until I add a P25 CC. When I do, it scans fine, but then after someone speaks on P25, DSD+ will just return and sit at the CC, and the scan will stop. Pressing S will start it once again. If someone speaks on DMR, the scan continues on as it should.

Does anyone know if this can be remedied? Or is it just not possible?

Does DSDPlus decode and utilize that data?

I run three RTLSDRs. Each with it's own instance of DSD+ FastLane running from it's own folder. One monitors only P25. Two run seperate scan lists!

 

[cg]

Does DSDPlus decode and utilize that data?

It does, try making a busy group a higher priority (lower number) than others, set the threshold where it is active and it should be obvious that the other groups get interrupted.
I usually set my threshold at 75 and my favorites are set from 20 to 50. Others I want to hear but not a priority are 50 to 75 and ones I don't want to hear are 76+

 

[saioke]

I run three RTLSDRs. Each with it's own instance of DSD+ FastLane running from it's own folder. One monitors only P25. Two run seperate scan lists!

I'm curious, why do you run two separate scanlists? I presume because you scan a lot of frequencies so you split them for faster scanning? I have about 5 DMR and 10 analog conventional frequencies in my scanlist. Seems to do okay. Being in such a rural area, there's really not much happening anyways lol. I haven't heard a word even from the nearest PD all day.