Setting up DSD+ for Cap+ sites

[PDE401]

Hey everyone,

Just got a RTL-SDR dongle and I'm trying to set it up so I can listen to some downtown sites, most of which are MOTOTRBO Cap+. (U of T, Eaton Centre, etc.) I Googled around and can't figure out if DSD+ can handle Cap+ or if I need Unitrunker (Which generally requires two dongles?) Would appreciate guidance, I've been editing the DSD+ frequencies and network files to no success.

 

[slicerwizard]

Multi channel Cap+ sites require newer versions of DSD+, i.e. the fast lane copies, and two dongles. IIRC, Unitrunker doesn't decode DMR systems.

With DSD+ 1.101, you could create an FMP scanlist and just scan the system channels with one dongle, but you'd likely miss some calls.

 

[PDE401]

Multi channel Cap+ sites require newer versions of DSD+, i.e. the fast lane copies, and two dongles. IIRC, Unitrunker doesn't decode DMR systems.

With DSD+ 1.101, you could create an FMP scanlist and just scan the system channels with one dongle, but you'd likely miss some calls.

I guess another dongle and a DSD+ upgrade is in my future. I found an article somewhere about how to use Unitrunker and DSD+, it boiled down to using Unitrunker to handle the control channel and voice channel stuff, and DSD+ to decode the voice stuff. It could even be done with one dongle if both channels were within a few Mhz. Further research showed that Cap+ doesn't have a set control channel, so I suppose that's not an option anyways.

 

[Forts]

Unitrunker doesn't support any form of DMR trunking, so it's a non issue (this setup can be used for P25 trunking however). Capacity Plus uses a rest channel very similar to LTR trunking that will hop from frequency to frequency at certain invervals. As slicerwizard mentioned the only effective way to monitor it is with 2 dongles & DSD+ or a DMR scanner/radio.

 

[PDE401]

Unitrunker doesn't support any form of DMR trunking, so it's a non issue (this setup can be used for P25 trunking however). Capacity Plus uses a rest channel very similar to LTR trunking that will hop from frequency to frequency at certain invervals. As slicerwizard mentioned the only effective way to monitor it is with 2 dongles & DSD+ or a DMR scanner/radio.

Well I didn't like the interface of Unitrunker anyways.

I now have two dongles and DSD+ Fast Lane. Following the instructions on Notes.txt on Cap+ monitoring, stuck on step E: "e) tune CC FMPA/FMP24 to an active system channel (note: TCP link required)"

When running CC FMPA or CC FMP24, is it required to also have CC DSD+ (cc.bat, I assume) running? It seems they both require frequency data files, and the only ones out there are from the FCC which aren't of any use up here. Can I make a file myself? (With Something isn't clicking in my brain...

 

[slicerwizard]

The frequency data files that FMP uses aren't required for Cap+ or any other monitoring.

To monitor Cap+:

Right click on the DSDPlus.networks file and open it with Notepad. Add a line for the system. You'll have to make up a network ID. I tend to use the RR DB page number (radioreference.com/apps/db/?sid=8633)

Cap+, 8633, "UofT"

Edit the DSDPlus.frequencies file with Notepad and add the system frequencies. Use the same NID. Site number should match the site number that DSD+ displays. Channel numbers have to match what DSD+ tells you when you're parked on a rest channel.

; UofT

Cap+, 8633, 1, 1, 452.9750, 0.0, 0
Cap+, 8633, 1, 3, 451.3500, 0.0, 0


The above was what I used for the Scarberia campus. Don't know if whatever site you're monitoring is the same.

After saving your edits, run the four batch files (FMP24-CC, FMP24-VC, CC, VC)

Click on the FMP24-CC spectrum window and enter one of the system frequencies. If a carrier is present, the CC copy of DSD+ should detect that it's a Cap+ system and that it's the UofT system that you entered data for.

The CC side should start following the rest channel and the VC side should start following voice calls.


Add additional Cap+ systems in exactly the same way. If you make any changes/corrections to the frequency data, DSD+ should automatically pick it up. Worst case, tune off the rest channel and then tune back to it (easily done with the left/right cursor keys)


For other system types (NEXEDGE, Con+, TIII, P25), you can just tune CC FMP24 to the control channel and it'll start displaying all system activity. For P25 systems, it'll also track voice calls. For the other types, you need to add frequency records to the DSDPlus.frequencies file before it'll follow voice calls.

And it helps if you have site and group names added, especially for the bigger systems, but it's a fair bit of work to add all that. I have decent .networks, .sites, .groups and .frequencies files for Toronto/GTA, so if anyone wants copies, I could post the data here.

 

[PDE401]

And it helps if you have site and group names added, especially for the bigger systems, but it's a fair bit of work to add all that. I have decent .networks, .sites, .groups and .frequencies files for Toronto/GTA, so if anyone wants copies, I could post the data here.

Would greatly appreciate a copy.

I think I have my setup 90% functional, I'm using the same settings for U of T as you (The RR database has 464.8375 listed as well which I am going to add into my .frequencies file as OTAchannelNumber 2, and 451.350 is listed twice) and DSD+ CC will sometimes bounce back and forth between losing and finding the rest channel. It's found a few group calls (In the event long they read as "Group call; TG=20 Ch=X Ys" where X is either 1 or 2 and Y is the length) and FMP24 VC has tuned to them, but DSD+ VC either hasn't decoded the transmission or something, because I haven't heard anything yet. (And FMP24 VC and DSD+ VC are both using the same TCP port, so they should be connected)