SDS100/SDS200: Unable to find TGs for DMR

hjvan

Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
189
So I recently purchased an SDS 100 and bought the DMR upgrade. I can find plenty of DMR frequencies through custom search. However when I enter these through either a new favorite mototrbo trunk or OTF DMR - and I turn on the I’d search - I’m receiving no traffic and no TGs are showing up.

Any suggestions?
 

dave3825

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Feb 17, 2003
Messages
8,262
Location
Suffolk County NY
I can find plenty of DMR frequencies through custom search.

However when I enter these through either a new favorite mototrbo trunk or OTF DMR - and I turn on the I’d search - I’m receiving no traffic and no TGs are showing up.
These freqs you find, are they active systems or just active control channels? Try programming something known to be working from the database.
 

hjvan

Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
189
I’m not sure if they are control channels or not. Is there a way to tell if it’s a control channel?
 

Ubbe

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Sep 8, 2006
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9,562
Location
Stockholm, Sweden
Any suggestions?
Enter them as conventional and the audio set to All. It will then start in analog mode and if it is a valid DMR signal it will switch to digital. If no TG's are shown then it is a control channel in idle state waiting for a call to be set up.

/Ubbe
 

Whiskey3JMC

DXpeditioner, RRDB & Google-fu ninja 4 hire
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Jul 16, 2006
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Philly burbs 🇺🇸
Perhaps said frequeny(ies) and/or system(s) isn't (aren't) terribly busy? Knowing who the licensees are, if traffic is encrypted, hours of operation, etc will prove to be beneficial to you. There have been times I've dwelt on frequencies trying to pinpoint a licensee for hours, maybe a day before activity was heard. Your RR premium subscription allows you to do a query search of the database. Search each frequency you come upon to see if it has been ID'ed in the RRDB. If not, assuming you're located in the USA you can also do an FCC data search to try and narrow licenses down and reveal additional frequencies on the license you can plug in & check for similar activity. If you remain on frequency (channel hold) after a period of time the repeater may ID its callsign & this is when it pays to know some morse code (at least know the numbers). If you can pick up the trailing digits (usually 3) this can help you nail down the license. Note: you won't hear callsign IDs if you have the frequency(ies) programmed as OFT nor MotoTRBO trunked system, you'll need to be held on the frequency via custom or quick search (press CHANNEL, plug frequency in, press CHANNEL again) although not every repeater IDs itself
 
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Ubbe

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Joined
Sep 8, 2006
Messages
9,562
Location
Stockholm, Sweden
If you remain on frequency (channel hold) after a period of time the repeater may ID its callsign & this is when it pays to know some morse code (at least know the numbers).
There's lots of morse decoder apps for mobile phones that works surprisingly well. Even on shortwave with a noisy signal.

/Ubbe
 
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