trunk-recorder configuration and PSRN

F

freddie_hg

Newbie
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
3
Location
Burlington, Ontario
Is anyone successfully using trunk-recorder to monitor the PSRN?
I am tuned to Hamilton, at 142.8MHz, and I am decoding the CC, but when it receives a call, the log shows a frequency of 000.0000 MHz:
Code: 
[2024-04-11 15:17:53.937343] (error)   [LMRN]   4C      TG:       2056 (                    MTO)        Freq:   0.000000 MHz    Not Recording: no source covering Freq

config.json is:
Code: 
{
    "ver": 2,
    "sources": [{
        "center": 142395000,
        "rate": 2148000,
        "ppm": 0,
        "agc": true,
        "gain": 38,
        "debugRecorders": 0,
        "digitalRecorders": 4,
        "driver": "osmosdr",
        "device": "rtl=0"
    }],
    "systems": [{
        "control_channels": [142800000],
        "type": "p25",
        "shortName": "LMRN",
        "squelch": -60,
        "talkgroupDisplayFormat": "id_tag",
        "hideEncrypted": false,
        "modulation": "qpsk",
        "digitalLevels": 0,
        "compressWav": false,
        "audioArchive": false,
        "callLog": true,
        "analogLevels": 15
    }],
    "defaultMode": "digital",
    "logFile": true,
    "logLevel": "debug",
    "captureDir": "/home/steve/PSRN/RECORDINGS/",
    "controlWarnRate": 10,
    "frequencyFormat": "mhz"
}
 
rneals

rneals

Rosco P. Coltrane
Feed Provider
Joined
Jan 11, 2004
Messages
129
Location
Kawartha Lakes, ON
freddie_hg said:
Is anyone successfully using trunk-recorder to monitor the PSRN?
I am tuned to Hamilton, at 142.8MHz, and I am decoding the CC, but when it receives a call, the log shows a frequency of 000.0000 MHz:
Code: 
[2024-04-11 15:17:53.937343] (error)   [LMRN]   4C      TG:       2056 (                    MTO)        Freq:   0.000000 MHz    Not Recording: no source covering Freq

config.json is:
Code: 
{
    "ver": 2,
    "sources": [{
        "center": 142395000,
        "rate": 2148000,
        "ppm": 0,
        "agc": true,
        "gain": 38,
        "debugRecorders": 0,
        "digitalRecorders": 4,
        "driver": "osmosdr",
        "device": "rtl=0"
    }],
    "systems": [{
        "control_channels": [142800000],
        "type": "p25",
        "shortName": "LMRN",
        "squelch": -60,
        "talkgroupDisplayFormat": "id_tag",
        "hideEncrypted": false,
        "modulation": "qpsk",
        "digitalLevels": 0,
        "compressWav": false,
        "audioArchive": false,
        "callLog": true,
        "analogLevels": 15
    }],
    "defaultMode": "digital",
    "logFile": true,
    "logLevel": "debug",
    "captureDir": "/home/steve/PSRN/RECORDINGS/",
    "controlWarnRate": 10,
    "frequencyFormat": "mhz"
}
Click to expand...

Yep. And it's uploading to Broadcastify Calls. (Kawartha Lakes County / Pontypool Site)

1712865247451.png
 
rneals

rneals

Rosco P. Coltrane
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Messages
129
Location
Kawartha Lakes, ON
IdleMonitor said:
I was checking these out earlier. Why does the audio sometimes sound crackly and staticky at times. I realize it is digital but still atleast to me didn't sound clear at times.
Click to expand...
Yes, I noticed that as well and don't have a direct answer/conclusion.
In the Trunk Recorder config I had "digitalLevels": 8, and have dropped that to "digitalLevels": 0, to see if that reduces the distortion.

Edit: "0" didn't work at all, no audio. As of 4:53pm it's at "digitalLevels": 4, to see how that sounds.
 
Last edited:
rneals

rneals

Rosco P. Coltrane
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Messages
129
Location
Kawartha Lakes, ON
freddie_hg said:
Can you please share your config.json file, specifically the systems section so I can see what I am doing wrong?
Click to expand...

Here's your config, adjusted.
Lowered gain to 20. I've found that turning up the gain too much just lowers the noise floor.
Removed squelch, that's only needed on analog.
Raised digital levels to 3 from 0, 0 turns off audio
Removed analog levels, no analog.

{
"ver": 2,
"sources": [{
"center": 142395000,
"rate": 2148000,
"ppm": 0,
"agc": true,
"gain": 20,
"debugRecorders": 0,
"digitalRecorders": 4,
"driver": "osmosdr",
"device": "rtl=0"
}],
"systems": [{
"control_channels": [142800000],
"type": "p25",
"shortName": "LMRN",
"talkgroupDisplayFormat": "id_tag",
"hideEncrypted": false,
"modulation": "qpsk",
"digitalLevels": 3,
"compressWav": false,
"audioArchive": false,
"callLog": true,
}],
"defaultMode": "digital",
"logFile": true,
"logLevel": "debug",
"captureDir": "/home/steve/PSRN/RECORDINGS/",
"controlWarnRate": 10,
"frequencyFormat": "mhz"
}
 
T

tadsmith

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jan 19, 2018
Messages
29
rneals said:
Here's your config, adjusted.
Lowered gain to 20. I've found that turning up the gain too much just lowers the noise floor.
Removed squelch, that's only needed on analog.
Raised digital levels to 3 from 0, 0 turns off audio
Removed analog levels, no analog.

{
"ver": 2,
"sources": [{
"center": 142395000,
"rate": 2148000,
"ppm": 0,
"agc": true,
"gain": 20,
"debugRecorders": 0,
"digitalRecorders": 4,
"driver": "osmosdr",
"device": "rtl=0"
}],
"systems": [{
"control_channels": [142800000],
"type": "p25",
"shortName": "LMRN",
"talkgroupDisplayFormat": "id_tag",
"hideEncrypted": false,
"modulation": "qpsk",
"digitalLevels": 3,
"compressWav": false,
"audioArchive": false,
"callLog": true,
}],
"defaultMode": "digital",
"logFile": true,
"logLevel": "debug",
"captureDir": "/home/steve/PSRN/RECORDINGS/",
"controlWarnRate": 10,
"frequencyFormat": "mhz"
}
Click to expand...
You're not actively monitoring the Hamilton site with trunk-recorder, right? Just basing this config off of what you used to monitor Pontypool?
 
rneals

rneals

Rosco P. Coltrane
Feed Provider
Joined
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Messages
129
Location
Kawartha Lakes, ON
tadsmith said:
You're not actively monitoring the Hamilton site with trunk-recorder, right? Just basing this config off of what you used to monitor Pontypool?
Click to expand...
Correct, I cant hear Hamilton from where I am.
But since they are part of the same network, and work exactly the same, the variables are the control channel frequency and gain setting.
Do you believe there is something unique about Hamilton or your setup where this would not work?
 
T

tadsmith

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Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jan 19, 2018
Messages
29
I believe I'm helping the same OP troubleshoot the issue on the trunk-recorder GitHub page, and I'm just trying to verify whether or not anyone is actually receiving anything from the Hamilton site. There's another post that leads me to believe the answer might be no. PSRN General Discussion
 
EJB

EJB

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Joined
Oct 29, 2002
Messages
3,750
Location
Downtown Hamilton
tadsmith said:
I believe I'm helping the same OP troubleshoot the issue on the trunk-recorder GitHub page, and I'm just trying to verify whether or not anyone is actually receiving anything from the Hamilton site. There's another post that leads me to believe the answer might be no. PSRN General Discussion
Click to expand...

I have 4 radios on PSRN the Hamilton site Nd I haven't heard anything in awhile.

I've asked someone here to load in the Toronfo and Mississauga towers to see if there is any activity.
 
F

freddie_hg

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Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
3
Location
Burlington, Ontario
I got my BCD396XT back from a friend, and loaded this system on to it.
It will occasionally show TG's in use, but also does not appear to tune to it (the Frequency display does not show the voice channel).
I cannot receive the CC from any other local sites (Overall the CC's are much weaker than the old FleetNet system).

tadsmith said:
I believe I'm helping the same OP troubleshoot the issue on the trunk-recorder GitHub page, and I'm just trying to verify whether or not anyone is actually receiving anything from the Hamilton site. There's another post that leads me to believe the answer might be no. PSRN General Discussion
Click to expand...
Yes, that's me from the GitHub page.
There are very few users on this system right now. this is the upgrade/replacement to the current wide area radio network, and only the highway department has transitioned over to it.
 
Muxlow

Muxlow

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Messages
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Location
Middlesex County
I've noticed same down Sarnia/Chatham-Kent/Essex County. I set up SDRTrunk on my pi and have trunk recorder going on my desktop feeding from my SDS200 and of course 2 days ago when I set it up.. there has been about 4 transmissions in total off any of the sites
Lots of affiliations but no transmissions. Since winter road reports are done its just going to be the dispatcher doing call outs for for the road crews or the guys takling directly to each other. Bad timing for our part trying to set these programs up and they all shut up. lol
 
mciupa

mciupa

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I'm here a lot
freddie_hg said:
I got my BCD396XT back from a friend, and loaded this system on to it.
Click to expand...
The BCD 396XT only demodulates P25 Phase 1. The PSRN system is P25 Phase 2. All the MTO I've seen and heard are two slot TDMA P25 Phase 2.
 
rneals

rneals

Rosco P. Coltrane
Feed Provider
Joined
Jan 11, 2004
Messages
129
Location
Kawartha Lakes, ON
Muxlow said:
I've noticed same down Sarnia/Chatham-Kent/Essex County. I set up SDRTrunk on my pi and have trunk recorder going on my desktop feeding from my SDS200 and of course 2 days ago when I set it up.. there has been about 4 transmissions in total off any of the sites
Lots of affiliations but no transmissions. Since winter road reports are done its just going to be the dispatcher doing call outs for for the road crews or the guys takling directly to each other. Bad timing for our part trying to set these programs up and they all shut up. lol
Click to expand...

freddie_hg said:
I got my BCD396XT back from a friend, and loaded this system on to it.
It will occasionally show TG's in use, but also does not appear to tune to it (the Frequency display does not show the voice channel).
I cannot receive the CC from any other local sites (Overall the CCs are much weaker than the old FleetNet system).


Yes, that's me from the GitHub page.
There are very few users on this system right now. this is the upgrade/replacement to the current wide area radio network, and only the highway department has transitioned over to it.
Click to expand...

I'm in Niagara-on-the-Lake today. I'm unable to differentiate between Smartnet and P25 control channels with my ear, but here are the the frequencies with active controls channels in the FleetNet/PSRN spectrum
I can hear controls channels active on the Hamilton frequencies.

From Niagara-on-the-Lake:
Frequency / Likely Location / Signal Strength
141.420 - Mississauga (Full Scale)
142.095 - Niagara Falls (Full Scale)
142.170 - Pontypool (S9+10dB)
142.320 - Fonthill (Full Scale))
142.350 - Hamilton (S9+10dB)
142.515 - Fonthill (Full Scale)
142.545 - Niagara (Full Scale)
142.590 - Pontypool (S9)
142.665 - Mississauga (S9+10dB)
142.800 - Hamilton (S9)
142.905 - Toronto (S3)

I purposefully looked for King City and Whitby, but cant hear either here.
Odd to me that I can hear Pontypool, but it is on the Oak Ridges Moraine high above Lake Ontario,
 
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