Unitrunker NewB

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MNRotrMedic

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Forgive my asking what is undoubtedly a common question.

I want to start using Unitrunker to start monitoring some of the trunked systems in my area with the software. I have PRO96Com running on the (MN) state ARMER system but there's a local UHF Motorola Type II system that i also want to monitor w/ software.
I have a tapped PRO-95 locked onto the local control channel and a feed from the scanner to the mic input on my laptop. Unitrunker isn't doing anything at all.

I'm not sure if i need to select a source inside of the program or what? Is there a way to determine if the tap is operating as it's supposed to?

Any help would be appreciated.:confused:
 

MNRotrMedic

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it appears that i need a slicer to support the Unitrunker program, so i will assume that's ,y problem. Are there any programs that will operate solely with the discriminator output?
 

SCPD

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Hi Matt;

If you are using the 2nd public beta on Windows 9X or ME, you'll have to wait for the next release.

Otherwise, look for the following paragraph in the documentation:

The Options menu (and Configure submenu) present settings that need to match your hardware for correct operation. To setup UniTrunker; select the Options menu and read these next two sections.

Start reading from there. Post any questions either here or on the trunker mailing list.

-rick
 

MNRotrMedic

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Hi Rick
I'm actually running Win XP on my laptop and desktop both less than a year old. With my tapped PRO-95 will i need a data slicer as well or do i just need to configure the program to get it to start decoding?

I read something that led me to believe that i would need a slicer but your post confuses me some.

Thanks for your help.

Matt
 

SCPD

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Here are the relevant sections of the documentation. The "Read this First" section is new - it will appear in the forthcoming 3rd public beta.

Read this First

You've installed Unitrunker on your computer. You've tapped a radio and connected the audio to your computer's sound input. Stop right there! There's a small chance you'll get lucky with things like signal levels and matched impedances. Odds are however that the signal level will be wrong - or that the apparent electical load caused by diverting discriminator audio to your computer causes the audio to be distorted. Maybe squelch stops working or speaker audio now sounds weaker than before. Before jumping in with both feet - save yourself some frustration by following this procedure. Download a software oscilloscope and run it. Tune your radio to a control channel and look at the signal on the 'scope. Do NOT use a real oscilloscope. You need to see the signal as your computer sees it. Adjust the signal level so that the signal is distinct but not clipped or chopped. If the resulting waveform looks distorted, you may need to place a buffer amplifier between your radio and computer. I highly recommend this. If you're having problems with microphone input, try the line input (or vice-versa). Once you've got a recognizable signal procede with the Unitrunker setup.

Getting Started

A program group will be added to the Start menu. To run the program, click on the taskbar, select "Start" -> "All Programs" -> "Universal Trunker" -> "UniTrunker". The program should start promptly. You will be greeted by a brief (1 to 3 seconds long) copyright notice followed by the main screen. The program will NOT start decoding right away. You will need to specify the "signal source". This could be a sound input (such as microphone or line input) or Hamcomm style data-slicer connected to a serial port. For first time users, I suggest using the Windows default WAVE audio input (usually the microphone input) for signal input (this can be changed). See the Options -> Configure menu below for details.

A little further down are details on setting up your hardware configuration. I've placed key details in bold.

Configuration

This form contains eight options. You can use the tab or left/right arrow keys to navigate within the form from one option to the next. The currently active/editable option is indicated by a pair of square brackets.

Screen shot of configuration form goes here

At this time, only the first two options work. The first option is the location of the signal input. Use the space bar or the up/down arrows to cycle through the list of options. Only one option is displayed at a time so you may need to press the space bar or up/down arrow multiple times before the desired option appears. "Default Input" refers to the MS Windows configured wave mapper input device - usually a microphone or line input. Use this choice to let Microsoft Windows choose for you. Use the tab key to move on to the next option. In the case of a slicer input, be sure to choose the correct pin as well as the correct port number. If the WDM driver for slicer input is not running on your machine, the program will omit all serial ports as possible choices for signal input.

The second option is the sample rate. Most hardware supports a rate of 44,100 samples per second. This is CD audio quality. Most newer hardware can be pushed to 48,000 or even 96,000 samples per second. If the higher sample rates appear, try them. These higher rates increase signal resolution and may improve decoding. Some sound inputs don't work at these speeds; you can revert to the standard 44,100 rate if these faster rates don't perform.

I'll think about re-writing the above so it is easier to read. Slicer input is supported on Windows 2K/XP but is NOT reccommended. I suggest starting out with "Default Input" and a sample rate of 44,100.

-rick
 

SCPD

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Here's the screen shot from the documentation.

This examples shows "Default sound input" with a sample rate of 96000 and the voice radio set to "none". I suggest (again) using "Default sound input" with a sample rate of 44100 and leave the voice radio set to "none".

-rick
 

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MNRotrMedic

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Not to beat a dead horse . . .
I'm finally getting a chance to play with this program again. I want to use it on a UHF 3600 Baud Mot Type II system.

The program doesn't 'do' anything. I've run the Uniscope program that is zipped in with the Unitruker program and that makes all sort of fun wiggly lines. That makes me think that my scanner is working as it's supposed to (correct me if i'm wrong)

Is there something that i'm supposed to do to trigger the program to begin decoding? I'm sorry if this is an assinine question but i would really like to make this work!

Thanks again,
Matt
 

SCPD

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Matt_45 said:
i figured out how to make it run but all i get now is "no sgnal" at the top. any ideas?
Try inverting the signal. From the main menu ... select [O]ptions, press tab until the brackets appear next to "Signal is" ... change from "Normal" to "Inverted" (or vice-versa).

-rick
 

MNRotrMedic

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Rick~
Quick thank you Rick, i've got the program more or less running. I've gotten short bursts of decoding. I believe that this is a hardware now. I bought my PRO95 with the tap installed so i'm not at all sure of the workmanship.

In any case, thank you for taking the time to repeatedly answer questions related to the program. I know you're answering several people's questions on the boards here and probably untold more via PM's. Thanks for your time and patience.

Matt
 
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