Looking into setting up an SDR to windows PC exclusively for monitoring Sac's new P25 system (instead of spending nearly $700 for a new P25 scanner), anyone else in the area done this already?
Sac P25 monitoring with SDR?
- Thread starter DANE_KI6OAA
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I'm definitely going for SDR dedicated PC setup, just not sure what SDR to go with...
ScanningHertz
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You'll be fine with one from Amazon Buy RTL-SDR Dongles (RTL2832U)
Get the kit with SDR, all you need, aside from a location that has decent reception.
Get the kit with SDR, all you need, aside from a location that has decent reception.
Thanks man, are you by chance running a sdr to scan p25?
ScanningHertz
Member
In the past I used SDR for data AND voice. But now I only run it for the data using Unitrunker. (not the 2.0 version)
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4 it is then
I have been using SDRTrunk now for quite a while. I live in Roseville and I used Unitrunker prior to Roseville going to P25. When they made the move, I went through the process of trying to use Unitrunker for P25 and found it to be rather complicated and limited. I then migrated to SDRTrunk and have been actively using it for monitoring both the Placer County P25 system on VHF and Roseville on their 800 MHz system.
Up until March, I spent my time at work in West Sacramento and was monitoring the Sacramento Regional Radio Communication System's development using SDRTrunk while at work. During this time, the system was getting busier and busier. It was interesting to watch but I generally kept most of the talkgroups mute except fire and police in West Sac. When Site 14 started, I was able to use one SDR tuner (Airspy Mini) to listen to BOTH Site 12 and Site 14 simultaneously.
In March, my location of reporting to work changed from West Sacramento to Davis. Unfortunately, I am no longer able to receive Site 12 from this new location but I have a great signal for Site 14. Unfortunately, there isn't anything I care to listen to on Site 14... transit busses or maintenance at UC Davis.
As I mentioned, I've been using an Airspy Mini, which is capable of watching 6 MHz of bandwidth simultaneously. The SRRCS Site 12 uses just over 3 MHz of bandwidth so if using a cheap RTL-SDR, it will take 2 tuners to properly cover the needed bandwidth. Thankfully, SDRTrunk will automatically just use tuners to cover what you are trying to monitor. If you are only using one of the cheaper tuners, you may be getting notices of "No Tuner Available" when attempting to tune a voice channel more than 2.4 MHz from the control channel frequency.
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