Raspberry Pi and SDS200

[Volfirefighter]

I have asked this question before but it has been awhile. Is the any option out there to run on a Raspberry Pi 2 or 3 that can take audio from the SDS200 via the LAN and also send alpha tags?

 

[boatbod]

I have asked this question before but it has been awhile. Is the any option out there to run on a Raspberry Pi 2 or 3 that can take audio from the SDS200 via the LAN and also send alpha tags?

If you're going to run a RPi3 (or 4) the better option is to buy a $25 RTL dongle and run an sdr radio and streaming software all on the pi. Will cost you about $35 total and be good for any P25 system.

 

[dcr_inc]

Yes.. Check the Want to be a broadcaster tab on broadcastify.. There is a Pi sketch and set up instructions there..

 

[Volfirefighter]

If you're going to run a RPi3 (or 4) the better option is to buy a $25 RTL dongle and run an sdr radio and streaming software all on the pi. Will cost you about $35 total and be good for any P25 system.

Not a simulcast system

 

[wgbecks]

Not a simulcast system

Not sure what you meant by "Not a simulcast system", but op25 runs circle around most scanners when it comes to decoding simulcast.

 

[R0am3r]

My Pi 4 & RTL combo running OP25 decodes P25 simulcast systems perfectly.

 

[dcr_inc]

OP25 works great on a LSM system..

 

[Volfirefighter]

I want to use OP25 to stream an Ohio MARCS simulcast system and free-up one of my SDS scanners. I have a few questions:

1. Is the decode of the simulcast comparable to a Uniden SDS scanner?

2. I have a Raspberry Pi 2B. Will this be sufficient?

3. Do I need two SDR sticks?

4. Can I set up a scan list and stream alpha tags as well?

5. Is there a comprehensive guide to setting these up?

 

[mtindor]

I want to use OP25 to stream an Ohio MARCS simulcast system and free-up one of my SDS scanners. I have a few questions:

1. Is the decode of the simulcast comparable to a Uniden SDS scanner?

At least as good as an SDS. At a point in the past, it was the only thing short of a commercial radio that would handle LSM. It does it without a hiccup.

2. I have a Raspberry Pi 2B. Will this be sufficient?

It should be since you are only running OP25. If you were wanting to run Trunk Recorder, forget about it.

3. Do I need two SDR sticks?

No.

4. Can I set up a scan list and stream alpha tags as well?

Scanlist, yes. Alpha tags? No idea.

5. Is there a comprehensive guide to setting these up?

There are instructions for installing OP25 in various threads on RR. But I dont' know about a comprehensive guide to do everything you want, from A-Z, beginning to end.

I predict you'll either give up or not even try. But I'm hoping you do try. It is rewarding to get it working. I'm sure there will be stumbling along the way, but ask questions.

Here are instructions for @boatbod fork: op25 raspberry pi3 install help

Here are some instructions for max branch: RPi 3 & RTL-SDR/OP25? -- various instructions from KA1RBI on the first page. You should read through the first page or two a couple of times before starting.

Mike

 

[wgbecks]

I want to use OP25 to stream an Ohio MARCS simulcast system and free-up one of my SDS scanners. I have a few questions:

1. Is the decode of the simulcast comparable to a Uniden SDS scanner?
Probably better but then I don't own a Uniden SDS Scanner. Op25 is excellent on Simulcast (LSM) and TDMA systems.
2. I have a Raspberry Pi 2B. Will this be sufficient?
I would strongly recommend a RPi3B or better.
3. Do I need two SDR sticks?
No, op25 tunes a single SDR back and forth between the CC and Voice Trunk Channel.
4. Can I set up a scan list and stream alpha tags as well?
Yes. Boatbod's op25 fork has the capability to read a tag file and then send meta data upstream.
You would use Liquidsoap in addition to op25 on the same Pi to stream you audio and meta tags.
5. Is there a comprehensive guide to setting these up?
There should be plenty of information posted here. See also the README-RPi-3 once you download op25.

 

[boatbod]

op25 setup is getting simpler all the time. It used to be that installation was challenging, but these days that is pretty straight forward once you run the install.sh script. That left tuning as the big challenge, but now that Max (and I) have the "-X" frequency tracking option even that got pretty simple. Probably the toughest thing now is streaming and integration with liquidsoap. If all you want is local audio the toughest challenge is figuring out Pulse Audio/ALSA glitches when they occur.

 

[Volfirefighter]

I am up and running streaming to Broadcastify with alpha tags thanks to a great deal of help from user

https://forums.radioreference.com/members/wgbecks.46057/

The audio sounds just as good as it did with my SDS200 and Radiofeed.