Need Help New TRX-1

[rockbucket]

I just bought a TRX-1 because I want to listen to my local police and fire departments. I'm still learning the device but the only problem I'm having is the city police and county sheriff's transmission are very garbled. It's not understandable. It's not a signal problem it's something else. I have a discone antenna mounted 5 feet above my roof. The scanner picks up other police departments 60 plus miles away perfectly. Also my local fire and EMS comes in great. It's just the police and sheriff's department in my town only that you can't understand. The frequencies are Hot Spring County Arkansas 154.785 and 154.935. ZIP CODE is 72104 They are using DMR and it's not encrypted. Please help me. I'm new at all this but at this point I've spent $500 bucks for nothing.
Thanks

 

[tvengr]

Malvern PD shows encrypted in the database:

154.785

WNLQ246

RM

CC 1 TG 99 SL 1

MPD-DIGITAL

Police Digital (Encrypted)

DMRE

Law Dispatch

It is possible that the sheriff is also encrypted but it has not been submitted to the database. You can also check for the Sheriff on the AWIN statewide trunked system. If you attach your TRX-1 programming file, I will take a look at it and check for problems.

 

[rockbucket]

Shouldn't the TRX-1 show an E on the display if the transmission is encrypted?

 

[rockbucket]

Here is a pic of the display. The audio is garbled similar to a whisper.

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

Here is a pic of the display. The audio is garbled similar to a whisper.

Welcome to the forums. Picture doesn't tell anything except it appears in the clear. Can you provide an audio sample?

Shouldn't the TRX-1 show an E on the display if the transmission is encrypted?

Yes

 

[dem1]

Shouldn't the TRX-1 show an E on the display if the transmission is encrypted?

The "E" only appears with P25 encryption, not DMR systems. DMR encryption sounds whispery on the TRX-1, as you describe.

 

[hiegtx]

The "E" only appears with P25 encryption, not DMR systems. DMR encryption sounds whispery on the TRX-1, as you describe.

For the TRX-1, you have three choices as to what you might hear on an encrypted transmission. Choose between an audio tone like a busy signal, or simply be silent (no audio). Your third option is to pass the noise as is.

 

[dem1]

For the TRX-1, you have three choices as to what you might hear on an encrypted transmission. Choose between an audio tone like a busy signal, or simply be silent (no audio). Your third option is to pass the noise as is.

This setting as well only impacts P25 encryption, not DMR.

 

[hiegtx]

This setting as well only impacts P25 encryption, not DMR.

Nope. I get that on a couple of encrypted DMR frequencies as well. (I use the busy signal.)

 

[dem1]

Nope. I get that on a couple of encrypted DMR frequencies as well. (I use the busy signal.)

Interesting... do you get the "E" on the display as well as the busy signal? Encrypted DMR has never given me either of them, just the whispery sounding audio.

 

[hiegtx]

Interesting... do you get the "E" on the display as well as the busy signal? Encrypted DMR has never given me either of them, just the whispery sounding audio.

To be honest, I don't recall seeing the dreaded "E". But I primarily use the TRX-1 to monitor systems that I am trying to document & find new talkgroups by recording activity. Playing back the audio from the audio files created is where I've encountered the 'busy' tone, which is what I selected on that scanner. Since I'm rarely actually viewing the scanner while it's looking for new TGIDs, I could not advise whether it displays the E in addition to the busy signal.

 

[natedawg1604]

I would suggest getting a RTL SDR dongle and DSD+ Fastlane, you can monitor and log the frequencies of interest and see exactly what's going on and what type of ENC is being used on which TGs or radios, if any.

 

[Ubbe]

I think it's supposed to be a flag in a DMR datastream that the system sets when it is an encrypted transmission. I have DMR systems that are encrypted and Uniden scanner skips those transmissions and TRX scanners gives a busy tone. But there are two other DMR systems that are treated as unencrypted that Uniden scanners monitor and TRX scanners doesn't give a busy on, but they are still encrypted.

The audio sounds very different depending of encryption type or perhaps who the manufacturer are, Motorola, Hytera or others. Some are like a hissing whisper and others have a more normal loud digital audio.

And I agree about getting a $30 RTL-SDR dongle as it is easy to setup, using SDR#, DSD and virtual audio cable and will show all relevant info about any system.

/Ubbe

 

[radionx]

The audio sounds very different depending of encryption type or perhaps who the manufacturer are, Motorola, Hytera or others. Some are like a hissing whisper and others have a more normal loud digital audio.

I think there are mostly Hytera systems around where I live. E on them sounds like normal audio, no hiss. Just garbled voice like old days time domain analogue encryption (Vericrypt 1100) without the pilot tone. My TRX-1 never displays an icon for encrypted TGs on these DMR systems.

I use my TRX-1 and DSD+ on a PC via IF output. Works like a charm.

 

[colbrz1319]

Take your DSP up to MAX!!