Rdio-Scanner & SDRTrunk Setup Issues

[N8RXX]

I've enjoyed SDRTrunk for a few months and would like to listen to it on my phone and work computer. Rdio-Scanner seems like a good way to do this but the setup has me feeling defeated. I had it partially working but only 2 of my talkgroups were playing on Rdio-Scanner. I spent hours trying to figure out why but finally decided to delete everything and start with a fresh copy of Rdio-Scanner. After setting it up again, nothing plays on Rdio-Scanner. So far the only things I can find that seem wrong are the following:

1) In Rdio-Scanner - Config - ApiKey, I click on the system I'm trying to set up - Michigan's Public Safety Communications System (MPSCS) - and then click on "Choose Systems". At the top, the "Everything" box is checked as well as all the default groups and tags. At the bottom, under "Systems", there is a box labeled "Michigan's Public Safety Communications System (MPSCS)". I check this box, click "Ok" and then click "Save". When I go back to confirm it is saved, the box is no longer checked. So, it appears that it isn't saving.

2) The setting for "Disable the API key" always says "Disabled" no matter which way the toggle is set.

I've been working on this on and off for a week now. When I have downtime at work, I read and reread all the posts I can find on this subject. I read that many people struggle to set up Rdio-Scanner but love it once they get it to work. I found several written and YouTube guides for setting up SDRTrunk but sadly they don't seem to exist for Rdio-Scanner. I'd be grateful for any help getting this to work.

 

[N8RXX]

Additional Information - The following message keeps coming up on the server window:

api: Incomplete call data: no talkgroup

 

[N8RXX]

Another day spending hours on this, much to my wife's displeasure, but I believe the problem(s) is solved. I'll relay my findings in case anyone else struggles with this.

1) The setting for "Disable the API key" needs to be toggled OFF. I thought ON would mean the API key is active and OFF would mean that it is not. Apparently, ON means that the API key is OFF. And it still says "Disabled" when the API key is ON. It seems counterintuitive to me, but I'm not a programmer.

2) I thought that toggling ON the Auto Populate setting would create the talkgroups for me since it says, "Allows the automatic creation of unconfigured talkgroups." However, I had to download a CSV file of my local talkgroups from RadioReference and import them into Rdio-Scanner. This seems to have corrected the "api: Incomplete call data: no talkgroup" error.

I'm now able to listen to SDRTrunk while on the go using Rdio-Scanner. This is a great program that I will support if it continues to work properly. However, it needs better documentation. Perhaps if you're smart enough to create a program like this, you assume everyone is smart enough to figure it out on their own.

 

[SNH100]

Thanks for the info!
I’m also new to rdio scanner, I successfully connected my phone (app says connected and authenticated). I see my talk groups on my phone, I added the talk groups in the options in sdrtrunk -> streaming -> rdio scanner and successfully added them to rdio via the csv.
However I hear calls come through sdrtrunk and nothing on Rdio on my phone. I also tried disabling the audio file compression in Rdio admin dashboard in case that was creating issues. Any ideas?

 

[N8RXX]

@SNH100 - Are some calls you hear on sdrtrunk heard on Rdio, or none at all?

 

[SNH100]

Currently none of the calls I hear on sdrtrunk come through on rdio (calls are on tg’s I programmed in Rdio).

 

[N8RXX]

@SNH100 - I am definitely no expert, but if no calls (rather than some calls) are making it from SDRTrunk to rdio, it seems like it's an incorrect setting in SDRTrunk. I've attached a pic of my SDRTrunk settings. Maybe you'll see something helpful. SDRTrunk should indicate that rdio is connected in the stream status box.

 

[mtindor]

@SNH100 - I am definitely no expert, but if no calls (rather than some calls) are making it from SDRTrunk to rdio, it seems like it's an incorrect setting in SDRTrunk. I've attached a pic of my SDRTrunk settings. Maybe you'll see something helpful. SDRTrunk should indicate that rdio is connected in the stream status box.

That screenshot may be completely unreadable to everyone -- it is to me

 

[N8RXX]

Crap. I tried posting higher resolution but it was rejected as being too large. I'll see what I can do when I get home. 🫤

 

[N8RXX]

@SNH100 - I forgot that SDRTrunk has a built-in screenshot feature (duh). I hope this helps.

 

[SNH100]

Thanks!
I see you have something entered in systemID, I had it blank. Do you just pick a random number?

 

[N8RXX]

@SNH100 - I don't recall exactly where I got the system ID and I'm not currently at home. I think I chose it myself but the main thing is making sure that it matches between SDRTrunk and rdio. Here's a link I just found: Getting incorrect system IDs via SDRTrunk · chuot rdio-scanner · Discussion #347
Let me know if you don't figure it out and I can check again when I get home.

 

[SNH100]

Thanks!
I got it working now, really appreciate the help.
Do you run dirwatch or the api? I got both working (I think), been doing the api but it’s been chopping 1 transmission into 2… possibly due to weak signal though. I’m working on upgrading my antenna

 

[N8RXX]

@SNH100 - That's good to hear! Was the system ID the problem?

I use the api. No problem with transmissions being chopped but I live a mile from the tower.

 

[SNH100]

@N8RXX yes I think it was!
Fixed my antenna setup and now it’s no longer choppy.
Thanks again!

 

[N8RXX]

Awesome! 😎

 

[newberryb]

Another day spending hours on this, much to my wife's displeasure, but I believe the problem(s) is solved. I'll relay my findings in case anyone else struggles with this.

1) The setting for "Disable the API key" needs to be toggled OFF. I thought ON would mean the API key is active and OFF would mean that it is not. Apparently, ON means that the API key is OFF. And it still says "Disabled" when the API key is ON. It seems counterintuitive to me, but I'm not a programmer.

2) I thought that toggling ON the Auto Populate setting would create the talkgroups for me since it says, "Allows the automatic creation of unconfigured talkgroups." However, I had to download a CSV file of my local talkgroups from RadioReference and import them into Rdio-Scanner. This seems to have corrected the "api: Incomplete call data: no talkgroup" error.

I'm now able to listen to SDRTrunk while on the go using Rdio-Scanner. This is a great program that I will support if it continues to work properly. However, it needs better documentation. Perhaps if you're smart enough to create a program like this, you assume everyone is smart enough to figure it out on their own.

How did you download the csv file with the talkgroups? I downed the list from radio reference and get all kind of information but it will not import into rdio scanner.

 

[kd4e]

How did you download the csv file with the talkgroups? I downed the list from radio reference and get all kind of information but it will not import into rdio scanner.

Same observation here - I have a .csv that was working with an existing system. I put it in ~/trunk-build but when I tried to import it into rdio-scanner in admin mode it failed. Not sure why.
NOTE: The .csv fields are "Decimal,Mode,Alpha Tag,Description,Tag,Category,Priority" e.g. "16919,D,21-16919-A,21-16919-A,Local Gov,Macintosh,-1"

 

[rjdj2000]

How did you download the csv file with the talkgroups? I downed the list from radio reference and get all kind of information but it will not import into rdio scanner.

If you go to the system in the RR database, there is a blue multi-dropdown area, click that then click download.


You then are taken to the download area and you download the All Talkgroups file in CSV format


After you download it, you need to use the import in rdio-scanner admin and make sure you select the Radio Reference button