Unitrunker or Equivalent BCD436HP

[TBD2347]

Does anyone know what program that can be used to analyze a system like the unitrunker program? I've heard that program will not work with the 436HP. With all the changes going on with Palmetto P25 I'm picking up all kind of TG's but they only transmit for a few seconds and then silence (like all the frequencies arent there). I'm using the Sumter site frequencies from the RR database.


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[rescue161]

Personally, I'd just get a cheap analog scanner and put a discriminator tap on it and run UniTrunker. I'm using an old Pro-92 for UniTrunker when i travel and use an old Pro-2006 as my base UniTrunker setup. Both have taps and they work great for all types of systems.

 

[TBD2347]

But does that work for digital systems such as APCO 25 phases 1&2?


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[phask]

I've used an HP1 with Unitrunker (must use an older version) and a 325/992 with Pro96comm. similar but different software. No tap on those scanners either.

Pro96 lets me see everything I need, and for me simpler to use.

P25 system are all I use it on.

 

[ChrisABQ]

I don't believe DSD+ decodes Phase 2 P25, Phase 1 only.

 

[rescue161]

But does that work for digital systems such as APCO 25 phases 1&2?


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Yes, as far as seeing the data. UniTrunker decodes the data, not the scanner, so any old scanner will work as long as it will tune to the control channel and as long as you install a discriminator tap (easy).

If you are trying to hear, then you'd need a second scanner that is capable of decoding the digital mode that you're trying to hear and is in the list of scanners that can be controlled by UniTrunker. So in my case, I also have a second scanner (BCD996T) set to listen to what ever the Pro-2006 and UniTrunker tells it to. Works much better for priority scanning as there are a lot more priority levels. You can set it to immediately jump to a TG that becomes active. I'm not sure about newer scanners, but older scanners usually sampled the TG for activity and then if there was, it would go there. So, it would sound choppy when in priority scan. UniTrunker doesn't sound like that.

I don't really use that method as I just use UniTrunker to collect/analyze the data and then use the data to program a scanner. Works great for unknown systems as you get the correct programming info and then you can use the scanner to search, listen and identify the unknown talkgroups.

 

[TBD2347]

So basically with the 436HP alone it won't work.


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[GTR8000]

Why would you want to waste a $500 scanner just to decode a control channel for Unitrunker?

Buy a $20 RTL dongle and call it a day. That way you'll have the dongle for Unitrunker, logging the system activity, and the scanner for actually listening to it.

 

[TBD2347]

Didn't know all of that info GTR8000, hence the post in the first place.

When you say use the dongle, does it just plug into the USB of the PC? How will it tune to the control channel if all I have is the 436HP?


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[rescue161]

I did it because that is what I had. It was excess to my needs, so why not. Plus it was in the list of control scanners and it worked.

Yeah, if the dongle works, then by all means use that as it is much cheaper.

 

[GTR8000]

The RTL dongle is a radio receiver. It plugs into a USB port, you install a driver for it, connect it to an antenna, start up Unitrunker, create a receiver that controls the RTL dongle, and you start decoding. It's a pretty straightforward process.

I recommend this package, which comes with a very good quality dongle as well as some antennas that can get you up and running right away.

http://a.co/5jY3xDh

 

[GTR8000]

UniTrunker | Realtek RTL2832U

 

[TBD2347]

Will unitrunker using the RTL dongle give you the channel name or just the tgid?


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[GTR8000]

If you're referring to talkgroups that are not yet identified, then you will only see the TGID.

For identified talkgroups that are already in the RRDB, you can download the system to fill the names in, or you can manually enter the names into Unitrunker.