UniTrunker first public beta

[SCPD]

Is there a reason that 1073741824 (1024^3) is added to the affiliated talkgroup ID in the file as it is saved?

That bit is used for internal bookkeeping - it shouldn't be written out to the data files (bits 30 and 31 are used for ID bookkeeping in the program).

-rick

 

[SCPD]

I was wondering if you wouldn't mind sharing the algorithm that links the groups to the subscribers?

I'm not sure what you mean by algorithm. If you're asking how the data in the text file is laid out ... here 'tis.

Could you please supply a list of the field_names for all the records in the various files used by UniTrunker. Would make it easier to work out what the program is doing (or NOT doing, as the case may be).

Just beware that the file structure may change in future releases (someone has already fussed at me for not including a version number as part of the file structure). The text files contain CSV (also known as CDF) data - very easily imported into a spreadsheet program like Excel. Each line of text is a record. For the following file types, the records are laid out like so:

RID file ...

radio-id #, listen (1 or 0), lockout (1 or 0), RGB color, text-label, first-seen-timestamp, last-seen-timestamp, talkgroup, text-notes

GID file ...

talkgroup #, listen (1 or 0), lockout (1 or 0), RGB color, text-label, first-seen-timestamp, last-seen-timestamp, text-notes

HZ file ...

site #, LCN #, control (1 or 0), listen (1 or 0), lockout (1 or 0), frequency (hertz), CTCSS tone, DCS, text-label, first-seen-timestamp, last-seen-timestamp, text-notes

SIT file ...

site #, listen (1 or 0), lockout (1 or 0), RGB-color, text-label, first-seen-timestamp, last-seen-timestamp, text-notes

SYS file ...

system-id, type (Motorola, EDACS48, etc.), listen (1 or 0), lockout (1 or 0), trunked (1 or 0), RGB-color, text-label, first-seen-timestamp, last-seen-timestamp, delegate-system-id, text-notes

I won't bother documenting the FLT and PLN files - these may change (the fleetmap feature is broken so this file is most likely to change).

Also, someone has previously complained about the program not saving the priority for a talkgroup. Looking at this, I think I know why! I'll need to insert a column for "priority" - most likely just before the "text-notes" column.

-rick

 

[SCPD]

As Unitrunker started to list more channels on the site I was monitoring, the growing list started to list over the top of the seperation line, and into the subscribers listing I had in view below it. Hitting escape and going back to the main menu fixed it straight up.

As a work-around, pressing F1 (refresh) will also clear this up.

Other then that Rick, if you want to suggest a few things you might want people to test out that would be great.

Everyone is different so they will tend to use the program in different ways - which is good. That's what we want to make sure we're getting good coverage - exercising the different areas of the program.

If I get time today, I might have a crack at MPT1327 monitoring. I know this is only in the early development stages, but its would be good to see what bugs there are here so that can be fixed in the next beta.

There is a "known defects" document I can include with each beta release. It needs to be updated - I think it just doubled in size this week.

-rick

 

[SCPD]

Re: unitrunker with a Icom PCR1000

can anyone give me some hints for the set up for a Icom PCR1000?

I cannot tell if this radio is already equipped with a discriminator tap. If not, it looks as though an existing internal connector (where the optional DSP module would go) could be used for this purpose. The PDF refers to an optional "9600 baud data receive" capability. Not sure what that means.

-rick

 

[SCPD]

Re: AUTO SAVE

Is there a way to confirm if the Autosave feature is on or off ??

Use Windows explorer (or type "Dir" from a separate command window) to look for new data files (or existing data files where the modify date has changed). If the program isn't currently decoding an active system, you won't see this (because there isn't anything to save).

-rick

 

[SCPD]

Re: Motorola radio ID

I noticed that the public beta still misreport the radio ID which the radio setup a I-call. for example, the radio 091A call to 0312, Unitrunker display the 091A as 0910, always a 0 fill the last number.... even I changed the display mode to DEC, it still misreport the ID.

Hi Wang! How's the weather in Beijing? I'll send you a PM request with an idea on how to solve this.

Would like to see a new talk groups or subscriber seek feature ( like trunker has ).

Can you elaborate on how this would work? In T4Win, folks could sort on the "first seen" column to look for talkgroups that were recently added. I could do something similar in Uni-Trunker. Another option is to specify a default color and priority for new talkgroups - this could also be done.

 

[KC1UA]

The PCR1000 does indeed have a discriminator tap built in. It's the 9600 baud 1/8" jack. Should work like a champ for this.

 

[EricCottrell]

Is it possible to tie the band plan information to the system Id instead? I think this would make more sense. It wouldn't matter really if it was a Motorola Smartzone, or a single site, EDACS or MPT. The system ID should really tie the bandplan together, instead of the site number.

I'm anxious to hear other folks thoughts on this. My understanding is that different sites can have different band plans. This is only an issue for networked systems - Motorola SmartZone systems and APCO P25 systems with multiple subsystem ids (or "towers" as they're called in pro96com).

This could be done as one bandplan per system instead of one bandplan per site - I just want to make sure there aren't any real-world systems out there where this wouldn't work.

-rick

On Motorola smartzone systems the zones can be on different bands. The Washington DC PS Smartzone system has the Police on UHF and Fire on 800. There is another system in Virginia where there is a zone on 406 MHz Federal and another on non-Federal frequencies.

One approach is to have the bandplan for the systemID and that gets put into the site information when it is created. The program uses the site bandplan on Networked systems.

I briefly ran the program on the Massachusetts Smartzone Zone 5 and it did not seem to pick up the site ID at all. I noticed the Non-Network IDs displayed on the Details along with the Neighbor/Alternate Control Channel info but I did not see any Cell ID. I will check again this weekend.

73 Eric

 

[SCPD]

scannsw wrote:
Would like to see a new talk groups or subscriber seek feature ( like trunker has ).


Can you elaborate on how this would work? In T4Win, folks could sort on the "first seen" column to look for talkgroups that were recently added. I could do something similar in Uni-Trunker. Another option is to specify a default color and priority for new talkgroups - this could also be done.

Trunker has a feature you can enable, where a talk group ( and in the latest trunker, a Radio ID ) that is not in the current listing of talk groups is automatically given the highest priority, so when tracking with a second scanner, this talk groups becomes the one you hear so you can identify it ASAP. Also I think it flashes as well on the screen.
The feature was enabled by selecting the correct menu and hitting N for New seek. This would then enable the newseek feature.
It was great for grabbing that odd talk group that is rarely used by users on trunking systems.

Dave

 

[click23]

Thanks for all the hard work you put into this Rick. I am having the same small problems other people are having, but other than that it works just fine. I do have you suggestion, in the gid file could you change the color number to a single digit like the mtrunkers grp files have. This would make editing the files simpler.

Thanks
Robert

 

[SCPD]

I do have you suggestion, in the gid file could you change the color number to a single digit like the mtrunkers grp files have. This would make editing the files simpler.

I purposely chose RGB (red-green-blue) values because most platforms (and web browsers) understand RGB.

-rick

 

[SCPD]

Can you advise me how to set up Uni-Trunker to work with USB sound blaster live 24-bit External

http://www.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=1&subcategory=206&product=10702

I still can not get Uni-Trunker to work on my jetbook laptop after the sound card was damaged.

Make sure the USB accessory is plugged in and recognized by Windows before you run UniTrunker. The program gets a list of sound input devices from Windows - any devices added after the program starts are missed.

-rick

 

[SCPD]

Rick.
Could it be possible to maybe make certain Tgs also either flash, or beep or even better, play a .WAV or other audio file format.
I know this can't done at the moment, so consider it a suggestion for a future verison.
A huge grass fire near my location today would have been great if the fire operations channel they used was beep alerted or something as soon as it shows up, as they don't use it that often.

Dave

 

[SCPD]

Could it be possible to maybe make certain Tgs also either flash, or beep or even better, play a .WAV or other audio file format.

"Annunciation" is (already) on the TO-DO list.

-rick

 

[Wayne]

Rick,
I know Uni-trunker was designed to decode CC data. Does it currently have the capability of decoding conventional P25 NAC's? Maybe this functionality will require a separate program :?:

Wayne

 

[loumaag]

Bug Report

Rick,

Still cannot hit <Return> to Save if the cursor is in the Listen or Lockout fields on the Subscriber or Talkgroup edit (Find) screens.

Once you get the combined bug reports list, please provide it. BTW, I have not yet experienced the loss of data problem with this version between sessions that was a previous problem and appears to still exist for at least one reporting user here.

 

[W4KRR]

How is the color of the alpha tag encoded in the .GID file, or is it?

 

[BANDIT]

Its in RGB format in the .gid file. The fourth comumn over from the left.

 

[BANDIT]

Got a key offf didnt I hi hi... thats column...

 

[BANDIT]

Forsyth County, Georgia
9600 system

LCN
HEX DEC FREQ
96F 2415 866.1000
9C7 2503 866.6500
A69 2665 867.6625
A89 2697 867.8625
ACB 2763 868.2750
AFF 2815 868.6000
B3D 2877 868.9875

What would the band plan be for UniTrunker? It auto fills the plan for my 3600 moto systems, but not for this 9600. That would be my BEEOO15D.PLN file.