SDRTrunk - How to Import MCSO

[kingshootr]

I'm new to SDR but getting the hang of it. I was able to set up SDRTrunk and am successfully following Fire and PD. I cannot seem to figure out how to get Maricopa County Sheriff's Office onto it though.

The program is connected to RR. The Fire and PD systems showed up ok, so I could download and set them up. I do not see a similar description for MCSO in the System or the Talkgroups tab. MCSO is in the RR database, I just don't know how to get it into SDRTrunk.

Any help is most appreciated.

 

[qc]

Hi, are you trying to Monitor Maricopa County MCSO and Regional Wireless Cooperative (RWC) simultaneously on SDRTrunk?

 

[kingshootr]

Not if I can help it lol. In the Systems tab where it displays all the data downloaded from RR, there was a "PD" group, a "Fire" group, and a bunch of others. There is a "Maricopa County" group, but I think it is just showing towers?



It's nothing like what the RR database shows:

 

[qc]

Did you click on the talkgroup view?

 

[kingshootr]

Bump/Update:

I found and imported the database yesterday night. The current/new issue is I'm getting zero conversations. The scan is showing it's checking the Control frequency, and the 3 Alternate Control frequencies. There's lots of apparent action on the waterfall but nada on hits.



There are no solid "bars" on the waterfall, like on the other trunks I can hear. The RR database shows a last update date as 04/20/2020, so three years ago. Is it possible the control channels have changed in that time frame?



Is there a another way to check if they have been changed? Or am I still programming something incorrectly?

As always, any help is greatly appreciated.

(MODS: This issue is kind of specific to the Arizona/Phoenix area which is why I put this query in the Arizona forum. Can it be moved back there if being under this group doesn't work out? Thank you!)

 

[qc]

just to confirm you using RTL-SDR RTL2832U DVB-T Tuner Dongle?

what kind of antenna are you using?

have you tried other Sites?

 

[qc]

Can you send a screenshot of the Channels Tab in SDRTrunk

 

[kingshootr]

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Yes, as noted above all others work.

 

[qc]

Can you send a screenshot of the Channels Tab in SDRTrunk

 

[kingshootr]

The ones with the cop cars are the dispatch channels. I cross referenced it with the RR database using the DEC numbers.



And the Channels tab:

 

[qc]

have you tried White Tanks ? since it's Simulcast I might have to use Yagi Directional Antenna

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[kingshootr]

No, White Tanks is pretty far away though, 40 miles. Also, I don't want to use directional antennas or create an antenna farm on the roof. This is just casual hobby listening.

I don't believe that is the issue, since the PD and Fire Simulcasts in the mero area work fine. Looking at the waterfall, with no solid lines indicating control channels, I still think my list of control channels is inaccurate.

EDIT: I am noticing the White Tanks control channels are different from the Simulcast. Should I try White Tanks anyways in case those are the frequencies I want? Or try the other Systems listed - as each system seems to have different control channel frequencies. It'd be a pain in the a$$ but if it makes sense, then maybe?

 

[kingshootr]

Adding a White Tanks channel is no joy either. The waterfall/status line shows it's scanning the control frequencies but there are no solid bars and no hits.

 

[qc]

Just for Clarification, I don't see any Police or Fire dept list on the MCSO is this the system you like to set up? police or Fire on a different system, the Regional Wireless Cooperative (RWC)

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[kingshootr]

Yes, police and fire were pulled off the RWC. I have them segregated in separate channels.

How about this: RR shows the System Type as "Project 25 Phase 2". And on SDRTrunk - the Radio Reference tab in the Playlist Editor, it also shows Phase 2. But on the "Channels" tab, it is showing Phase 1.

BUT... so do the Fire and PD channels - and they work fine.

 

[qc]

If you're trying to monitor both systems simultaneously, you will need more than one RTL-SDR V.3 I use two RTL-SDR V.3 just to monitor my local system East Bay Regional Communications System (EBRCS) if you look at if you look at Now Playing it should show Decoder P25 phase 1 or Phase 2 when there are calls

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[kingshootr]

Yes I have 2 dongles properly set up. Again, everything works - I just cannot get this specific entity to work. There is something in the software setup I'm missing.

But the hardware works for all the other talk groups.

 

[dave3825]

If you look at the pic you posted in the 5th post, your gain settings are way to high and the channel says idle, which means its not locked on any control channel..

Could you open your tuners tab, click on your dongle, and take and post a screenshot?


Also, raise the freq rotation duration to like 1000

 

[dave3825]

The RR database shows a last update date as 04/20/2020, so three years ago. Is it possible the control channels have changed in that time frame?

Is there a another way to check if they have been changed? Or am I still programming something incorrectly?

If your monitoring the Phoenix site, you have the correct control channels entered in sdrtrunk

772.50625

772.75625

772.96875

774.63125

How about this: RR shows the System Type as "Project 25 Phase 2". And on SDRTrunk - the Radio Reference tab in the Playlist Editor, it also shows Phase 2. But on the "Channels" tab, it is showing Phase 1.

Phase 2 generally gets entered as phase1. Read the note here, Playlist Editor.



.

 

[kingshootr]

Some media:

This is a video of it running the MCSO Talk group.

This one is of PD and Fire both running.

Here are pics of the dongles info:




Rotation Duration Increased.

Great news it sounds like, reading that Phase 1/Phase 2 article - apparently doesn't affect my situation.

Thanks again for a taking look - I appreciate it.