R30 performance with simulcast?

[wa8pyr]

I basically Wanted To only Monitor one Or Two Talkgroups on A P25 system.

You won't be able to monitor only one or two talkgroups of a P25 trunked system; since the R30 isn't capable of tracking the system, you're stuck with scanning all the voice channels and listening to everything that comes your way.

But if it's a small system with only a few channels (and what you want to listen to is generally the busiest stuff), you might be able to get by with it.

 

[palmerjrusa]

You won't be able to monitor only one or two talkgroups of a P25 trunked system; since the R30 isn't capable of tracking the system, you're stuck with scanning all the voice channels and listening to everything that comes your way.

But if it's a small system with only a few channels (and what you want to listen to is generally the busiest stuff), you might be able to get by with it.

Agree, I was listening to the P25 WV SIRN on my ic-r30 yesterday and it's no problem following everything, in fact as far as reception goes it outperforms my SDS100.

 

[Barnstormer7]

Comparing my R30 to my sds100 on p25 and NXDN and there's no contest. The R30 is faster, clearer and doesn't miss any of the conversation or entire transmission like the SDS. I just dropped in a handful of freq's and away it goes. The SDS won't even pick up the NXDN except for a pop and crackle every now and then, (yes I have the upgrade,waste of money). No doubt the Icom is a much better quality receiver and the features are for novice and advanced radio operators alike. Just discovering it's "extended capabilities" in the 1700 and 1800 mhz range, nice unit.

 

[palmerjrusa]

Comparing my R30 to my sds100 on p25 and NXDN and there's no contest. The R30 is faster, clearer and doesn't miss any of the conversation or entire transmission like the SDS. I just dropped in a handful of freq's and away it goes. The SDS won't even pick up the NXDN except for a pop and crackle every now and then, (yes I have the upgrade,waste of money). No doubt the Icom is a much better quality receiver and the features are for novice and advanced radio operators alike. Just discovering it's "extended capabilities" in the 1700 and 1800 mhz range, nice unit.

The ic-r30 is one great wide band receiver!

 

[bearcatrp]

What’s the best method to monitor a p25 phase 1 system with the R30, program the frequencies used and scan those?

Thats what I do, including the control channels. I hear both sides of the conversation without issue. Just set your timings long enough so it won't start scanning. If Icom would get their heads out of there 4th point of contact and include DMR, would be the best receiver on the market.

 

[N4DJC]

Thats what I do, including the control channels. I hear both sides of the conversation without issue. Just set your timings long enough so it won't start scanning. If Icom would get their heads out of there 4th point of contact and include DMR, would be the best receiver on the market.

I hear both sides of the conversation, pause set on hold, resume set to 3 or 4 seconds. It just doesn’t pick up every transmission compared to my 436.

 

[Hit_Factor]

...and include DMR, would be the best receiver on the market.

Agreed, is there anything that says they will?

 

[EMTBob]

You won't be able to monitor only one or two talkgroups of a P25 trunked system; since the R30 isn't capable of tracking the system, you're stuck with scanning all the voice channels and listening to everything that comes your way.

But if it's a small system with only a few channels (and what you want to listen to is generally the busiest stuff), you might be able to get by with it.

Ok Thanks Hum. I Still Want This Radio Bit IDK Why.

 

[Hit_Factor]

Ok Thanks Hum. I Still Want This Radio Bit IDK Why.

Because deep down inside you know you want to hear what the cops and firefighters are doing, not just the medics.

 

[EMTBob]

Because deep down inside you know you want to hear what the cops and firefighters are doing, not just the medics.

LOL

 

[wa8pyr]

If Icom would get their heads out of there 4th point of contact and include DMR, would be the best receiver on the market.

Completely agree, but with Icom (and Kenwood) selling NXDN/Nexedge in direct competition with DMR products, I don't see DMR happening in any Icom products. It would be great, but I just don't see it.

I've barely scratched the surface on the features of my R30 (just got it a couple weeks ago) and already I'm hooked, but what I'd really like to see is P25 trunking capability in the R30. That would be a home run in my book.

As to the topic at hand, I've scanned both simulcast and stand-alone sites with the R30 and it works great, although it's better with fewer channels to scan.

 

[EMTBob]

Completely agree, but with Icom (and Kenwood) selling NXDN/Nexedge in direct competition with DMR products, I don't see DMR happening in any Icom products. It would be great, but I just don't see it.

I've barely scratched the surface on the features of my R30 (just got it a couple weeks ago) and already I'm hooked, but what I'd really like to see is P25 trunking capability in the R30. That would be a home run in my book.

I'm really thinking of Pulling The Trigger And Getting One For myself for Christmas.

 

[sibbley]

I'm really thinking of Pulling The Trigger And Getting One For myself for Christmas.

Do it. You won't be disappointed.

 

[Barnstormer7]

Completely agree, but with Icom (and Kenwood) selling NXDN/Nexedge in direct competition with DMR products, I don't see DMR happening in any Icom products. It would be great, but I just don't see it.

I've barely scratched the surface on the features of my R30 (just got it a couple weeks ago) and already I'm hooked, but what I'd really like to see is P25 trunking capability in the R30. That would be a home run in my book.

As to the topic at hand, I've scanned both simulcast and stand-alone sites with the R30 and it works great, although it's better with fewer channels to scan.

Same here. It has become my "go to" radio, don't leave home without it. Have been scanning P25 and NXDN simultaneously thanks to dual band mode and it works great! Besides fishing in the 1.7 to 2 gigahertz range, P25 and NXDN is what I listen to the most. Perfect receiver for that.

 

[wa8pyr]

Do it. You won't be disappointed.

Ditto. I've got several trunking scanners, two AR8000s which are probably going to be heading to eBay pretty soon, and an AR8200. While I wrestled with the purchase due to the cost, I'm very glad I did it; the R30 beats them all hands-down. It's got everything I need or want in a handheld receiver including excellent sensitivity, decent selectivity, an incredibly detailed and well-written set of manuals, and all the digital modes I need or want. It also uses a standard USB cable for interfacing instead of a funky custom thing. The only things missing are P25 trunking and DMR, and frankly I can live without DMR (four of my other scanners already cover it and I don't listen to it that often anyway). P25 trunking would be the icing on the Colorado-legal magic brownie.

 

[N4DJC]

The more I get into railband scanning, the more I like the R30. The dual VFO scan allows me to monitor and record the local short line and the connecting railroads at the same time without missing transmissions.

 

[Citywide173]

Agreed, is there anything that says they will?

No, but there is something that says they won't. People need to understand that they have firmly hitched their horse to NXDN. News Release - Icom America

 

[palmerjrusa]

This is weird.
My ic-r30 handles weaker signals originating from a P25 trunked system (WV SIRN around 450MHz) in a neighboring state better than my SDS100, it catches everything even without an antenna designed for around these frequencies.
Yet with the P25 trunked system for Frederick (around 850 MHz) where the signals are so strong you don't even have to have an antenna attached to the radio it catches only about 20% of the traffic.
Now if you happen to have the radio on the the frequency being used it receives and decodes the group just fine.
I know about having the NAC settings correctly programmed etc.
I think it's something to do with the scan speed, although for the WV SIRN network it works fine!

 

[palmerjrusa]

I tried the following yesterday:

Loaded the frequencies for three P25 trunked systems into my ic-r30; WV SIRN (~450MHz), JNCR (~375MHz) and Frederick P25 (~850MHz) with the correct NAC squelch codes programmed.

The Frederick P25 system is by far the strongest signal and the WV SIRN the weakest.

My ic-r30 receives both the SIRN (better than my SDS100 or BCD436) and JNCR traffic 100%.
When scanning the Frederick P25 system the ic-r30 picks up about 20% of what my SDS100 receives.

Also noticed, with the RX popup set to "Hold" sometimes it's held after the signal ends and sometimes it's not.

 

[N4DJC]

I tried the following yesterday:

Loaded the frequencies for three P25 trunked systems into my ic-r30; WV SIRN (~450MHz), JNCR (~375MHz) and Frederick P25 (~850MHz) with the correct NAC squelch codes programmed.

The Frederick P25 system is by far the strongest signal and the WV SIRN the weakest.

My ic-r30 receives both the SIRN (better than my SDS100 or BCD436) and JNCR traffic 100%.
When scanning the Frederick P25 system the ic-r30 picks up about 20% of what my SDS100 receives.

Also noticed, with the RX popup set to "Hold" sometimes it's held after the signal ends and sometimes it's not.

Check the resume time, it’s in essence a delay. I set mine at 4 seconds.