TRBO Listening - How to get Color Code and Slot Info

[tropiradio]

I am trying to find out the color code setting of a conventional DMR TRBO repeater. I can hear the voice transmissions while receiving on SDR-Sharp with the SimpleDMR plug-in. Now wanted to program that same repeater frequency into my XPR7550e but so far have not been able to hit the right color code (so far tried the usual default 1, and also 2) so still can't receive anything even though radio is programmed on the correct frequency and slot.

Is there any way to determine the color code and perhaps less importantly the slot information on a received signal? or perhaps put in another way, is there a setting to bypass the color code decode function in the radio so as to be able to listen to any color code? Sort like disabling the PL decoder in an analog radio. Short of trying each 0-15 color code manually one by one, which can get to be a very slow and frustrating process when having to use V2 CPS, and a radio that is already taking several minutes (feels like forever) to be written each time.

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

Is there any way to determine the color code and perhaps less importantly the slot information on a received signal?

Not familiar with said simple DMR plugin but this info can be obtained easily using DSDPlus. Video guide on how to get it up and running is below

 

[RaleighGuy]

DSD Plus gives it to you, using a scanner should give it to you. I'm guessing you checked the RR database?

Hopefully this is a frequency you are authorized to transmit on @tropiradio.

 

[tweiss3]

Also, a if RAS (Restricted Access to System) is enabled, even if you get everything right, the radio won't decode audio without the correct RAS key.

 

[tropiradio]

DSD Plus gives it to you, using a scanner should give it to you. I'm guessing you checked the RR database?

Not sure what RR database means, but as you can see I am not in the US, so probably not relevant.

Hopefully this is a frequency you are authorized to transmit on @tropiradio.

Just monitoring, want to program into 7550e just for portability RX only.

 

[tropiradio]

Also, a if RAS (Restricted Access to System) is enabled, even if you get everything right, the radio won't decode audio without the correct RAS key.

No RAS, no Encryption.

 

[RaleighGuy]

Not sure what RR database means, but as you can see I am not in the US, so probably not relevant.

The Radio Reference database also has listings from other countries, not just USA. If it is a common freq for your area it may have been submitted already.

 

[tropiradio]

The Radio Reference database also has listings from other countries, not just USA. If it is a common freq for your area it may have been submitted already.

View attachment 131953

I'll check it out, thank you for the tip.

 

[Reconrider]

How many frequencies?
There are 15 color codes, enter a frequency 15 times, with 15 different names(i suggest using "CC:#" as the name so it's easier) then load them up with a few contacts(where talkgroups are defined). Put them all in a scan list and let it fly until you see what it is

 

[K2NEC]

How many frequencies?
There are 15 color codes, enter a frequency 15 times, with 15 different names(i suggest using "CC:#" as the name so it's easier) then load them up with a few contacts(where talkgroups are defined). Put them all in a scan list and let it fly until you see what it is

There are 16 color codes (0-15) and 2 time slots so you would need 32 different channels and the right talkgroup in order to find it.

 

[Reconrider]

There are 16 color codes (0-15) and 2 time slots so you would need 32 different channels and the right talkgroup in order to find it.

According to mototrbo cps 2.0, they have 15 colors. 0-14

Screenshot

Captured with Lightshot

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[dave3825]

Not familiar with said simple DMR plugin

It's just as the name states. Simple. Just decodes. There is also a p25 plugin. It would be nice if they decoded cc and nac's. They work pretty good in areas where only one entity is using the freq and a color code or nac are not needed.

 

[tropiradio]

There are 15 color codes, enter a frequency 15 times, with 15 different names(i suggest using "CC:#" as the name so it's easier) then load them up with a few contacts(where talkgroups are defined). Put them all in a scan list and let it fly until you see what it is

Yes sounds easy, is it not? At least with CPS V16 it might. And its not just 16 new contacts (for TG 1-16) but also 16 new channels (32 channels if I also wanted to specify the slot). In V16 it might still be quite a chore to do for a one time thing, but definitively still doable if I really had to as one can easily and quickly create one new contact after the other without leaving the Contacts section and jump around unencumbered. Same for the channels by simply doing Copy-Paste and minimal edits. Probaly can be done in about 30 minutes, no big deal. Unfortunately my radio needs V2.

In V2 CPS its an entirely different scenario, specially for a one time (disposable) scan configuration like this. Just creating a new contact in V2, which has to be done one at a time takes what seems an eternity. I am sure by now eveyone here knows all too well what a torture V2 can be with all those mandatory 10-15 second "build-in" pauses all over the place while the program is not responding and all one can do while waiting is stare at the screen like an idiot is really very frustrating and disruptive to the workflow, specially if there is a lot of stuff that one needs to get done one time like in this case. Yes /\/\, I'm looking at you.

Between waiting for the program to start responding to create the contact, and then having to get back to the Contacts main section and yet again wait for what feels forever for the thing to actually do something, and repeat this 16 times is too much and if an an alternative absolutely something I want to avoid. And this annoyance does not even include how long it would take to create the 16/32 channels with all the delays before the program actually starts responding in between creating each channel and then after each having to go back to the Zones main section, then select the zone and then wait yet again before the whole channel list to actually display, and then go again through the addiding another channel routine is simply put a torture I would like to avoid.

I'd figure that there must be an easier way I could find out the information about this TRBO system, hence my initial question. I will now look at DSD plus as suggested, but I do not have a stand alone scanner. I use a RTL-SDR stick and SDR-Sharp. Not sure that would work with DSD Plus installed on the same computer.

 

[dave3825]

I'd figure that there must be an easier way I could find out the information about this TRBO system, hence my initial question. I will now look at DSD plus as suggested, but I do not have a stand alone scanner. I use a RTL-SDR stick and SDR-Sharp. Not sure that would work with DSD Plus installed on the same computer.

To just sit on a freq to obtain a cc, all you need is 1 RTL-SDR stick and DSDPlus.

 

[n2nov]

To just sit on a freq to obtain a cc, all you need is 1 RTL-SDR stick and DSDPlus.

...or my TRX-1 and the Whistler ControlDemo program dumping the data into a CSV spreadsheet.

 

[Echo4Thirty]

If you have access to an Anytone 568, and the system is VHF or UHF, the radio will tell you in promiscuous mode the slot, color code and even the TGID if you do not have it preprogrammed in the system. I use mine as a tool more than a radio.

 

[K2NEC]

According to mototrbo cps 2.0, they have 15 colors. 0-14

Screenshot

Captured with Lightshot

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Your screenshot shows 0-15

 

[Reconrider]

Your screenshot shows 0-15

Ahh crap I was forgetting to count the 0 as a possible color code lol