Unitrunker question

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moonbounce

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In my Unitrunker site window there is two control channels, there is the control channel and there is the alternate control channel which is situated on line one.

The alternate control channel kind of screws up the order in which my signals come in, it moves them out of order by one space. So when my scanner radio is showing the frequency that is broadcasting, Unitrunker will show the next frequency in the order.

I have unchecked the box for making it a control channel but that has no effect, it will just replace the x in the box marked for the control channel, so I am unable to change it from an alternate control channel to a regular channel.

I probably should mention I am using one dongle with two VCO's.

MB
 

AK4FD

Catawba County, NC — FF/EMT, COML, AUXC, Skywarn
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In my Unitrunker site window there is two control channels, there is the control channel and there is the alternate control channel which is situated on line one.

The alternate control channel kind of screws up the order in which my signals come in, it moves them out of order by one space. So when my scanner radio is showing the frequency that is broadcasting, Unitrunker will show the next frequency in the order.

I have unchecked the box for making it a control channel but that has no effect, it will just replace the x in the box marked for the control channel, so I am unable to change it from an alternate control channel to a regular channel.

I probably should mention I am using one dongle with two VCO's.

MB

Well the last I checked a dongle can only handle 1 VCO frequency at a time. It can't monitor 2 frequencies at once, kinda like a 1-channel scanner, you have to choose which one you want to listen to. Unless the 2 VCO's are the same frequency just 1 is for Signal and 1 is for Voice? It would help more if you could attach a picture of the screen you are looking at.

••David
 

rivardj

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Well the last I checked a dongle can only handle 1 VCO frequency at a time. It can't monitor 2 frequencies at once, kinda like a 1-channel scanner, you have to choose which one you want to listen to. Unless the 2 VCO's are the same frequency just 1 is for Signal and 1 is for Voice? It would help more if you could attach a picture of the screen you are looking at.

••David

This is not correct, dongles can handle multiple VCOs via Unitrunker.
 

AK4FD

Catawba County, NC — FF/EMT, COML, AUXC, Skywarn
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This is not correct, dongles can handle multiple VCOs via Unitrunker.

So you are saying 1 dongle can successfully monitor 2 different control channels at the same time AND decode them properly without issue? because everytime I have tried to do that it gives me an error on the 2nd control channel frequency saying it's out of range...
 

rivardj

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So you are saying 1 dongle can successfully monitor 2 different control channels at the same time AND decode them properly without issue? because everytime I have tried to do that it gives me an error on the 2nd control channel frequency saying it's out of range...

I have done it using an SDR-RTL.com dongle. The frequencies must be within the bandwidth of the receiver. I monitor the Michigan MPSCS in Livingston County. I am fortunate that the control and voice frequencies of the site I monitor are all within about a two megahertz range. I set my receiver up to a data rate of 2.4 MHz on the Info tab, which allow for around 2 MHz of bandwidth.

If the site to be monitored has frequencies out side of the capabilities of the dongle then you are out of luck. If you use/own an Airspy or other high end receiver with wider bandwidth you will have better frequency coverage.
 

AK4FD

Catawba County, NC — FF/EMT, COML, AUXC, Skywarn
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I have done it using an SDR-RTL.com dongle. The frequencies must be within the bandwidth of the receiver. I monitor the Michigan MPSCS in Livingston County. I am fortunate that the control and voice frequencies of the site I monitor are all within about a two megahertz range. I set my receiver up to a data rate of 2.4 MHz on the Info tab, which allow for around 2 MHz of bandwidth.

If the site to be monitored has frequencies out side of the capabilities of the dongle then you are out of luck. If you use/own an Airspy or other high end receiver with wider bandwidth you will have better frequency coverage.


I have an RTL-SDR dongle I've been using for a few years now along with UniTrunker. I have never been able to decode 2 separate Control Channels at the same time with only 1 dongle. I can do 1 VCO for Control Channel data (Signal) and 1 for the Voice portion, but I have not been able to do 2 different control channels with the same dongle at once. I have tried making 1 VCO for my city Fire Dept system and 1 VCO for my city Police system, and when I try it the 2nd control channel VCO says "Out of Range" and only allows me 1 data channel per SDR Dongle...

••David
 

moonbounce

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There is only one control channel active on the system I am monitoring, I have no idea why it say " alternate control channel ". Also I see I should have mentioned that all frequencies monitored are less than one MHZ of the control channel.
 
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rivardj

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I have an RTL-SDR dongle I've been using for a few years now along with UniTrunker. I have never been able to decode 2 separate Control Channels at the same time with only 1 dongle. I can do 1 VCO for Control Channel data (Signal) and 1 for the Voice portion, but I have not been able to do 2 different control channels with the same dongle at once. I have tried making 1 VCO for my city Fire Dept system and 1 VCO for my city Police system, and when I try it the 2nd control channel VCO says "Out of Range" and only allows me 1 data channel per SDR Dongle...

••David

Sorry for the confusion, I did not get the part about two Control channels simultaneously. I have put two control channels on one receiver for different sites for extended coverage without manual intervention. This worked fine while traveling from one sites coverage area to the next, one decoding at a time.

Again sorry for the confusion.
 

AK4FD

Catawba County, NC — FF/EMT, COML, AUXC, Skywarn
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Because all trunking sites have alternate control channels.

Not only that, but it's common for the main Control channel to change on a moments notice. An Alternate CC today might be the Main CC tomorrow or vice-versa.
 
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