Listening to MOTOTRBO

[ryanmont661]

I apologize in advance if this has been answered elsewhere. I did search, but did not find the answer I am looking for.

I have an XPR 6550 portable, and am fairly well-versed in CPS programming, however, this is my first MOTOTRBO unit. I am trying to scan our local fire dept. who has switched over from analog to MOTOTRBO recently, and am having some difficulty.

Is it possible to enter the freq into the CPS and basically use the 6550 as a scanner? What steps would need to be taken? I installed DSD on my Linux box and was able to look at the packet information, but the audio was garbled which leads me to believe that they're using at least basic privacy. Theoretically, I should be able to go through each of the 255 possible keys to listen, correct? I understand that if they are using enhanced encryption the odds are pretty much impossible, but I doubt they are using it. Anyway, if someone could give me some guidelines, that would be great.

Any help would be appreciated, thanks.

 

[tbiggums]

I think you need to know the timeslot, color code, and talkgroup. Does DSD provide this information? If not, Ian Wraith's DMR decoder does:

http://forums.radioreference.com/digital-voice-decoding-software/191957-java-program-decode-dmr.html
http://github.com/IanWraith/DMRDecode

I don't have a TRBO radio myself yet, but hope to get one at some point, so let me know how it works out for you.

 

[RES51CUE]

what radio dose trbo frequ.

 

[W2NJS]

TRBO frequencies...

TRBO frequencies are standard UHF and VHF. TRBO mode on those frequencies is different from FM.

Does that answer your question?

 

[SCPD]

I apologize in advance if this has been answered elsewhere. I did search, but did not find the answer I am looking for.

I have an XPR 6550 portable, and am fairly well-versed in CPS programming, however, this is my first MOTOTRBO unit. I am trying to scan our local fire dept. who has switched over from analog to MOTOTRBO recently, and am having some difficulty.

Is it possible to enter the freq into the CPS and basically use the 6550 as a scanner? What steps would need to be taken? I installed DSD on my Linux box and was able to look at the packet information, but the audio was garbled which leads me to believe that they're using at least basic privacy. Theoretically, I should be able to go through each of the 255 possible keys to listen, correct? I understand that if they are using enhanced encryption the odds are pretty much impossible, but I doubt they are using it. Anyway, if someone could give me some guidelines, that would be great.

Any help would be appreciated, thanks.

Im very unfamiliar with TRBO, but fairly well versed in P25...so can you listen to TRBO on a digital scanner?

 

[ff-medic]

...so can you listen to TRBO on a digital scanner?

No, you cannot. P25 and MotoTrbo digital is two entirely different signals.

P25 digital you can monitor with a P25 / APCO capabable digital scanner, so long as it is not an encrypted signal. TRBO, you cannot monitor.


FF-Medic !!!

 

[com501]

The advanced encryption key is transmitted in the clear as part of the packet.

This is why it isn't very good security.

 

[rdale]

Im very unfamiliar with TRBO, but fairly well versed in P25...so can you listen to TRBO on a digital scanner?

No, but you can if you hook your scanner up to your computer.

 

[Forts]

The advanced encryption key is transmitted in the clear as part of the packet.

This is why it isn't very good security.

Where did you hear this? Why would the key need to be transmitted when it's programmed in all radios?

 

[com501]

Where did you hear this? Why would the key need to be transmitted when it's programmed in all radios?

What I meant to say is its transmitted in the clear when you READ the radio. Unlike UCMs.

Its like a CDM password, embedded in the codeplug, but not encrypted.

 

[RES51CUE]

how or where do i go to get the password for it

 

[RES51CUE]

ok if i hook my scanner to my computer how can i download the trbo on to my digatl scanner

 

[rdale]

Head to the Wiki here and the DSD software is explained.

 

[Forts]

ok if i hook my scanner to my computer how can i download the trbo on to my digatl scanner

You don't. No scanner can decode MotoTRBO. But what you can do is use a scanner with a discriminator tap to feed the raw audio into a computer running DSD and let it do the decoding.

 

[screenersam]

the airline I work with switched to XPR-6550s. am trying to catch their freq now.
I take it TRBO is like Provoice? ugh.
no need for them to be that secure.

 

[Forts]

Well... TRBO is like ProVoice in the fact that they are both digital. All similarities end there though. TRBO has the ability to take one frequency and basically break it into two channels (called time slots). So you can have 2 simultaneous conversations taking place on one freqency. When your company upgraded there is several different things that could have happened. They may just be re-using their existing frequency(s) in digital mode, or they may be on totally new frequencies. They could also be using some sort of MotoTRBO trunking (likely Capacity Plus). You would need to get a scanner and start searching. Start with previous known analog frequencies and see if you hear digital data there at all. From there... well... it gets tricky. You can try to use DSD to listen in, but they may also be using Privacy. Things get tricky when agencies switch to digital, no matter what format it is.

 

[screenersam]

thx
I can hear a signal but it's like a hammering sound, sort of like the aliens from Independence Day.
does that mean it's just digital, which I might be able to find a scanner for? or no way of knowing?

 

[Forts]

Unfortunately there are no scanners that will do MotoTRBO. Your only option is using a PC based setup with DSD or with a real TRBO radio (and that's a whole 'nuther can of worms that you don't want to get into on here).

 

[screenersam]

so the hammering sound means its definitely this MotoBro stuff? bummer. :-(

I saw a five-digit number code on one transmission

all they use it for is bags of ice and leftover bags. no need for that much security.
oh well. thx for the info, saves me from buying a $canner I don't need.

 

[JRayfield]

It seems that many who frequency these forums assume that people move to MOTOTRBO for the 'security' that it offers (not being able to receive it on scanners). Often, such 'security' has little or nothing to do with the reasons why many switch to MOTOTRBO. There are MANY advantages of MOTOTRBO over analog FM that have nothing to do with 'security' of any kind.

John Rayfield, Jr. CETma

so the hammering sound means its definitely this MotoBro stuff? bummer. :-(

I saw a five-digit number code on one transmission

all they use it for is bags of ice and leftover bags. no need for that much security.
oh well. thx for the info, saves me from buying a $canner I don't need.