TRX-1: TRX-1, TRX-2, 1080, etc. How to Receive Analog Only on a Single Frequency

[rgchristy]

Here's my situation:
I'm trying to figure out either the CTCSS or DCS tone for a single frequency. Using EZ Scan, I have the frequency plugged in and the following parameters selected:
Mode: FM or NFM
Squelch: Search, CT Srch or DC Srch
DMode: Analog

I have the frequency set to record.



99% of the time, all I receive is the DMR noise. If I switch the mode to DMR, I hear it clearly, but I only want to hear and/or record analog signals so that I can figure out the tone.

My first question is, can it be done? Or secondly, am I programming the frequency incorrectly and if so, how should it be programmed? If it matters, the frequencies that I'm trying to figure out the tones for are UHF 451-464 MHz.

edit: Sorry, but I forgot to mention that I searched the forums, Wiki, Mark's Scanner Guides and Google, without any luck.

Thanks in advance for anyone's help.

 

[RaleighGuy]

99% of the time, all I receive is the DMR noise. If I switch the mode to DMR, I hear it clearly, but I only want to hear and/or record analog signals so that I can figure out the tone.

My first question is, can it be done? Or secondly, am I programming the frequency incorrectly and if so, how should it be programmed? If it matters, the frequencies that I'm trying to figure out the tones for are UHF 451-464 MHz.

Are you sure there is analog traffic on the frequency? If whoever it is switched to DMR you may never hear them if it is programmed as a analog frequency.

Secondly, I believe those would be NFM frequencies. But otherwise you should be able to hear analog if there is analog. You are hearing the DMR noise because you do not have a PL tone set, without that you hear everything on the frequency.

Finally, not sure what you are trying to listen to, but I did not see those frequencies listed in the RR database. I was going to check the FCC license and see if it specified an emission designation for them. Checking RR FCC Data, 461.7375 is licensed to the DMR system OneVoice Network in Delaware county, there shouldn't be any analog traffic on it. There are no licenses in Delaware Co for 453.0125, though it is used by OneVoice in other areas.

 

[rgchristy]

There is definitely analog traffic on the frequencies. The FCC license shows analog and other frequencies belonging to that license use either CTCSS or DCS.

I hear the DMR noise whether it is set to NFM or FM. It sounds like that it is a catch-22. If I know the tone, then I don't hear the DMR noise, but if I'm trying to discover the tone, I have to wade through the DMR noise. I was hoping to capture analog only traffic and eliminate the DMR noise. I know that it works in reverse. If you select DMR, you will only hear DMR transmissions.

This is the FCC license that I'm trying to figure out:

ULS License - Industrial/Business Pool, Conventional License - WQHK714 - Upper Darby School District

Most of the frequencies that I'm listening to, I believe are analog simplex.

 

[tvengr]

I hear the DMR noise whether it is set to NFM or FM.

Set DMode to Digital.

 

[rgchristy]

Set DMode to Digital.

I just wanted to make sure that I'm understanding you correctly. If I set the DMode to "Digital", that will eliminate the DMR noise and only capture analog transmissions? I set it to "Analog", thinking that it would only allow analog transmissions through.

Thanks. I'll try it.

 

[tvengr]

DMR is digital. If DMode is set to analog, you will hear only digital noise on a DMR signal.

 

[rgchristy]

DMR is digital. If DMode is set to analog, you will hear only digital noise on a DMR signal.

Does it matter that I only want to hear analog signals?

 

[RaleighGuy]

This is the FCC license that I'm trying to figure out:

ULS License - Industrial/Business Pool, Conventional License - WQHK714 - Upper Darby School District

Most of the frequencies that I'm listening to, I believe are analog simplex.

Doubt there is voice on there as it is licensed for 90.35A2 - Transmit data to paging receivers located in building where transmitter is located. The transmitter complies with the technical requirements of 90.257b2. (Wireless Clock System)

 

[rgchristy]

I just did another search for DMode, since you suggested it. Here's what I found:

Is that true, that if I set MODE to Auto, then I will only hear analog transmissions. If that's correct, then that solves my problem.

 

[rgchristy]

Doubt there is voice on there as it is licensed for 90.35A2 - Transmit data to paging receivers located in building where transmitter is located. The transmitter complies with the technical requirements of 90.257b2. (Wireless Clock System)

The 72 MHz frequencies are for time clock management. The others are not.

 

[RaleighGuy]

The 72 MHz frequencies are for time clock management. The others are not.

According to the first page of the FCC license that's what they say it's for, but good luck to you.

 

[tvengr]

If set to Auto, you will hear both analog and digital transmissions. If you know a transmission is analog or digital, DMode should be set as such. If set to Auto, the scanner needs to decide if it is analog or digital and may clip the beginning of a transmission in the process. If set to analog or digital, the scanner will begin decoding immediately.

 

[rgchristy]

According to the first page of the FCC license that's what they say it's for, but good luck to you.

We already have voice with tones documented on 8 of the frequencies at the various locations so far.

I'm not trying to argue with you. Do you have any suggestions on how to capture analog only transmissions?

 

[rgchristy]

If set to Auto, you will hear both analog and digital transmissions. If you know a transmission is analog or digital, DMode should be set as such. If set to Auto, the scanner needs to decide if it is analog or digital and may clip the beginning of a transmission in the process. If set to analog or digital, the scanner will begin decoding immediately.

So far, setting DMode to "Analog" allows DMR noise to come through. I'm going to try "Auto" for DMode and also "Auto" for "Mode" to see what happens.

Thanks for your help.

 

[RaleighGuy]

We already have voice with tones documented on 8 of the frequencies at the various locations so far.

I'm not trying to argue with you. Do you have any suggestions on how to capture analog only transmissions?

My comments in post #2 is all I got.

 

[rgchristy]

My comments in post #2 is all I got.

Sorry I was getting a little testy with you. Thanks for your help.

So far, figuring out the license hasn't been too bad, but the DMR noise is really annoying, especially when you're going through hundreds of recordings daily. It's like getting a bad song stuck in your head.

 

[pro106import]

Sorry I was getting a little testy with you. Thanks for your help.

So far, figuring out the license hasn't been too bad, but the DMR noise is really annoying, especially when you're going through hundreds of recordings daily. It's like getting a bad song stuck in your head.

No there is no workaround. If you have the radio in analog tone search mode, the radio is open to anything that is on the frequency, including the DMR data pulses. This goes for any scanner or commercial radio. You have to put up with it until you finally get your analog transmission where you can capture the CTCSS / DCS code to enter. The other potential problem is the ControlDemo logging program doesn't always capture the code consistently if you are doing unattended logging.

 

[Ubbe]

If you can leave the scanner to do it's thing for a while and you don't use it yourself, then make a hold on that channel, or enter it in tune mode, and set to record and work in auto to record both analog and digital. Then read the files in EZ-Scan or even better if you import them in Universal Scanner Audio Player and look at the result to see if you have any CTCSS/DCS tone in one of the recordings.

/Ubbe

 

[rgchristy]

No there is no workaround. If you have the radio in analog tone search mode, the radio is open to anything that is on the frequency, including the DMR data pulses. This goes for any scanner or commercial radio. You have to put up with it until you finally get your analog transmission where you can capture the CTCSS / DCS code to enter. The other potential problem is the ControlDemo logging program doesn't always capture the code consistently if you are doing unattended logging.

Thanks for the info.

 

[rgchristy]

If you can leave the scanner to do it's thing for a while and you don't use it yourself, then make a hold on that channel, or enter it in tune mode, and set to record and work in auto to record both analog and digital. Then read the files in EZ-Scan or even better if you import them in Universal Scanner Audio Player and look at the result to see if you have any CTCSS/DCS tone in one of the recordings.

/Ubbe

I have 3 Whistlers that are dedicated to recording 24/7, so I'll give that a shot. I have Universal Scanner Audio Player, but haven't tinkered with it yet. I've been using EZ Scan to read and listen to the recordings. Thanks for your suggestions.