Unitrunker and soundcard issues?

[obijohn]

Hi all. I recently tried unitrunker at work to monitor a P25 CC and it worked great.

I did a discriminator tap on my Icom R7000 and it works great. Then I tried to get it to work on several computers at home. Maybe I am missing something, but it appears that the audio codec or A/D input port on my computers is not compatible with unitrunker.

I can hear the line input audio from the speakers on my computer, but using Uniscope in oscilloscope mode I cannot see any deflection.

Does this mean that my computer is incompatible with Unitrunker? Or is there a way to change ports?

I have an Intel motherboard with built in AC97 audio onboard. I have looked for updated drivers, but am unable to find any.

I looked at posts from the last year on this forum, and no one else seems to be having issues with computers. So my concern is-am I missing something obvious?

I know to turn on the decode in the "O" menu, I also know about the mixer levels.

I have always used the line in port, and as I said, I can hear the discriminator audio, it's just that the computer doesn't let unitrunker "see" it.

I guess I should mention that I am using the latest release as of 7/2007. And I am using Windows XP, SP2.

Maybe I am missing the obvious, and need to add a coupling capacitor to the line in?
HELP!

 

[SCPD]

Hi all. I recently tried unitrunker at work to monitor a P25 CC and it worked great.

Hurray!

I did a discriminator tap on my Icom R7000 and it works great. Then I tried to get it to work on several computers at home. Maybe I am missing something, but it appears that the audio codec or A/D input port on my computers is not compatible with unitrunker.

I'll assume the same radio was used both at work and home. It is either a configuration problem or the input impedance on your home computers is too low.

I can hear the line input audio from the speakers on my computer, but using Uniscope in oscilloscope mode I cannot see any deflection.

You're on the right track by diagnosing the problem with Uniscope.

Does this mean that my computer is incompatible with Unitrunker?

No, not at all.

Or is there a way to change ports?

You need to point UniScope to the right sound input.

The top option on Uniscope is the signal source. That's where you choose your sound input. The default source is to use the Windows default - which basically means "let Windows decide" as to which input to use. Click on the drop-down button and you'll see at least two choices. If you see only two choices - "Windows default" plus something else, you really only have one choice since both choices will map to the same thing. Try the other choices. Click "Run". Watch the waveform. If it is flat - try removing and re-inserting the audio cable. If you see a momentary jump or spike - you've found the right input selection. You'll need to adjust the recording level from within Windows.

Remember that the signal you're looking at is an analog signal. More correctly - it is an analog representation of digital information. It should be relatively smooth with rounded corners. If you see sharp corners and perfectly flat peaks and valleys - the recording level is too high. The true waveform is being clipped - which translates into a loss of information - particularly for P25 waveforms.

Once you get a solid looking waveform that is not clipped or anemically flat - you can move on to examining the waveform as an eye pattern. For P25 - use a symbol rate of 4800 (not 9600) and a symbol type of CQPSK (or C4FM). There are examples of "fair" and "good" quality eye patterns on the Unitrunker.com website.

If the eye pattern looks like snow or multi-colored spaghetti - you've got too much noise (perhaps the signal is too far).

As a last resort - if the program decodes - but poorly - you may want to build a small audio buffer. This will provide an impedance match for the sound input without overloading the radio's discriminator output. This often makes a difference between night and day.

-rick

 

[obijohn]

I'll assume the same radio was used both at work and home. It is either a configuration problem or the input impedance on your home computers is too low.
You're on the right track by diagnosing the problem with Uniscope.

You need to point UniScope to the right sound input.

The top option on Uniscope is the signal source. That's where you choose your sound input. The default source is to use the Windows default - which basically means "let Windows decide" as to which input to use. Click on the drop-down button and you'll see at least two choices. If you see only two choices - "Windows default" plus something else, you really only have one choice since both choices will map to the same thing. Try the other choices. Click "Run". Watch the waveform. If it is flat - try removing and re-inserting the audio cable. If you see a momentary jump or spike - you've found the right input selection. You'll need to adjust the recording level from within Windows.

As a last resort - if the program decodes - but poorly - you may want to build a small audio buffer. This will provide an impedance match for the sound input without overloading the radio's discriminator output. This often makes a difference between night and day.

Hi Rick, I guess I should have specified that I am using the same receiver when I was at the shop at work, and here at home.

CC signal level is not the problem.

I know about the sound input selections-no difference when I change them.

I also just assumed that input impedence wouldn't be an issue because I can always hear the control channel in the computer speakers.

I thought if I had what I consider good sound out of the speakers that there should be some deflection on the o'scope in uniscope. I rechecked all of my settings, and they are the same as work.

This may surprise you, but I actually read the help files before I started this project!

I scrounged around last night, and all I could come up with was a couple of LM324's.
Maybe setting the gain for 10 db will solve the problem.

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[loumaag]

Rick & obijohn:

I am just gonna throw this out, and Rick I am sorry to say I haven't run UniTrunker in over a year (you know why) but doesn't UniTrunker use the Record side of the sound card? I mean, you can hear anything you want coming out of the speakers, but that is from the Playback side of the card; the Record side may not be selected for the input you are using. Now if I am mis-remembering how UniTrunker works or if you (obijohn) have already looked at this I will just slink back into lurk mode.

 

[obijohn]

Rick & obijohn:

I am just gonna throw this out, and Rick I am sorry to say I haven't run UniTrunker in over a year (you know why) but doesn't UniTrunker use the Record side of the sound card? I mean, you can hear anything you want coming out of the speakers, but that is from the Playback side of the card; the Record side may not be selected for the input you are using. Now if I am mis-remembering how UniTrunker works or if you (obijohn) have already looked at this I will just slink back into lurk mode.

Hi Lou. I didn't check if the microphone would work. I guess I'll have to click on the properties tab of the mixer and set that side up. I have been using the "line in" input on my different soundcards.

In desperation today, I hooked up a Moto. maxtrac which has a huge discriminator audio output, and it doesn't work either.

The only soundcard that seems to work here at home is an original Soundblaster. Both the Icom R7000 and the Maxtrac work with the soundblaster card=so I guess the desired result was had. I just wish that I could use Unitrunker with the computer with the AC97 codec.

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[SCPD]

Hi Lou. I didn't check if the microphone would work. I guess I'll have to click on the properties tab of the mixer and set that side up. I have been using the "line in" input on my different soundcards.

All sound devices behave differently. Some allow recording from one input at a time. Example - you can record from line input or microphone input - but not both. Some expose both in the system's enumeration of wave input devices. Others hide the selections under one blanket input device. The truly annoying thing is that some mixer devices will automatically switch from line input to microphone input as soon as you plug anything into the microphone input. In other words - it will change configuration without warning you ... leaving you to wonder why something that worked yesterday stopped working today.

I think it is still a config issue ... just a matter of becoming more familiar with the mixer controls for your specific system.

-rick

 

[AWiley]

Mine won't work either

I have a GRE PSR-500 scanner that I am trying to use with Unitrunker. I have used the UniScope with success according to another post in here. However, when I take those settings and apply them to UniTrunker, I get "no signal" still. I am using a regular audio cable with the two rings around each end. I have it plugged into my earphone jack on my scanner. I need some help! I have already searched the forums and tried new ways of doing things, but nothing.

 

[jlanfn]

Psr-500

One of the major features that attracted me to the PSR-500 is that control channel data can be exported without using a discriminator tap (I definately am not comfortable with opening up the scanner and tinkering around!)

See this page for setting up UniTrunker with a PSR-500. You will connect the scanner to the computer through the scanner's PC/IF port (not headphone jack) using the programing cable that came with the scanner. Plug the cable into any USB port on your computer. You will have to know the COM port # of that USB port so that you can put that number in under the "Receivers" section of UniTrunker.

I believe that EDACS support has been added as long as you have the latest scanner firmware update and latest version of UniTrunker.

Hope that helps...

 

[SkipSanders]

Check to make sure any options in the computer's sound control panel for 'noise reduction' on the microphone (yes, even if you're not using that input, it's really for the 'record' input) is turned OFF. 'Noise reduction' will thoroughly foul up the digital signal you want.

 

[AWiley]

UniTrunker not working

I know that the com port is port 12. However, when I try to input the number into the settings under "Recievers" it won't let me. It will only go to "none" or COM 3. I also checked on the noise reduction setting to see if there was one. I didn't see anything. Now what?

By the way, thank you very much for the quick reply back!

 

[jlanfn]

COM Port

In my experience, if the cable is plugged into a USB port and the scanner is sending a signal to the computer, then UniTrunker should recognize that the computer is receiving a signal from that com port and give you the option of entering that com port #.

If you have more than one USB port on your computer, try plugging the cable into each one in turn to see if any of them come up in UniTrunker.

I'm afraid I can't give much more advice than that.

 

[AWiley]

Still not working

I went back and took another look at the settings. I still can't get it to work. Primarily because, the com port for the scanner is on 12 and it won't give me the option to go to com port 12. It just says "COM3", "None". If there is a way of changing which ports are for what, I don't know how to do it. I'm a computer guru and this is getting me frustrated.

Any suggestions?

 

[SCPD]

The program is ignoring port numbers above 9 (eg. two digit port numbers). Dive into Device Manager from the Control Panel and see if you can move the port number to a smaller single digit number. You may have to unplug and re-connect the device for the change to take effect.

 

[DaveNF2G]

It would be nice if ports were numbered in hex. At least then we could use up to 15 without running into any multiple digit problems.

Too late now, of course. That decision would have to have been made about 30 years ago.