SDR starting help

[F35GUY]

Hi everyone!

Total noob here.

I want to get into scanning and I have read I can do it with one of these rtl sdr dongle bundles. I have been curious about my city’s local fire channels as broadcastify only has dispatch.

I kind of need a full breakdown of what I need hardware and software wise.

I’m in Toronto which is on (from my research) an APCO P25 phase 2 system. I would want to be running dispatch channel and follow calls onto no more then 1 tac channel. And occasionally tap into ems. Unfortunately police is encrypted.

Any help would be welcome!

 

[BM82557]

GitHub - DSheirer/sdrtrunk: A cross-platform java application for decoding, monitoring, recording and streaming trunked mobile and related radio protocols using Software Defined Radios (SDR). Website:

A cross-platform java application for decoding, monitoring, recording and streaming trunked mobile and related radio protocols using Software Defined Radios (SDR). Website: - DSheirer/sdrtrunk

github.com

plus Trunking Recorder - Recording audio from trunked radio systems monitored by Unitrunker, SDRTrunk, ProScan, and DSDPlus

and/or

DSDPlus Fastlane

 

[F35GUY]

So how do these work? Will one single do?

 

[Enforcer52]

Looking at the database, to cover all four Simulcast Towers would take at least two RTL-SDRs.

I recommend SDRTrunk for listening.

Also depending on your location you might need an outside antenna to pickup all four systems towers.

 

[F35GUY]

Thank you! How does the Dec and hex codes work for specific channels?

 

[jtwalker]

Thank you! How does the Dec and hex codes work for specific channels?

No offense intended but with you asking questions like this one, you are not ready to tackle SDR setup.

Suggest you read just about everything in the wiki about trunked systems.

Trunking Basics - The RadioReference Wiki

wiki.radioreference.com

Talkgroup - The RadioReference Wiki

wiki.radioreference.com

These require a high degree of understanding on the part of the user and are not “point, click & go” or even close to this level of ease.

 

[F35GUY]

Will do

 

[Enforcer52]

Also watch this video it explains setting up a sdr system with SDRTrunk.

 

[F35GUY]

Ok. I read through probably everything I could about trunked systems and watched the video. Because I'm starting could I run one dongle for just west simulcast for the tac channels and dispatch? I would get a second one later if I want to listen to the rest of the city but currently I'm only interested in what's happening in my area.

 

[JimmyJet727]

Ok. I read through probably everything I could about trunked systems and watched the video. Because I'm starting could I run one dongle for just west simulcast for the tac channels and dispatch? I would get a second one later if I want to listen to the rest of the city but currently I'm only interested in what's happening in my area.

Yes you can start with a single dongle. Here is a very good tool to calculate how many dongles are required. The instructions on the page are very simple.

SDR center frequency calculator

Hang in there. It can be a journey. I was clueless when I started in June and now I'm monitoring many different systems.

 

[Enforcer52]

With only 1 dongle you will miss any traffic on the 5 top frequencies on the west simulcast. You never know what channel will be assigned to any one transmission. So you need two dongles.

• 773.3312
• 773.7687
• 774.0438
• 774.2938
• 774.5313

 

[F35GUY]

Sounds good ill get a splitter for the antenna and two dongles. I appreciate everyone's help!