UniTrunker seeing things SDS100 is not

[IndyScan]

As the title says, I'm playing with UniTrunker and realizing it's seeing 5x more group traffic than my SDS is when monitoring the same single tower/Control Chan (non Simulcast). - Pendleton Site Details (Indiana Project Hoosier SAFE-T)

I've already checked to make sure service Types are all on & I have a solid signal on the tower with both receivers (60db on SDS100 & 99% on Unitrunker). The Talk Groups in UniTrunker are Service Type 4 (Non Encryption).

I get SOME traffic on the SDS100 like State Police & DNR but I'm seeing County, Fire & Jail groups constantly coming up on UniTrunker but the SDS100 is quiet.

On my local system (Simulcast) Hamilton County Simulcast (System 3) Site Details (Indianapolis Department Of Public Safety) Everything in UniTrunker matches the SDS100.

I'm at a loss. I created a fresh FL in Sentinel to rule out any programming errors and it does the same thing...

Thoughts?

 

[werinshades]

Is the SDS100 in ID Scan mode?

 

[IndyScan]

Great question! It's in ID Search. The TG's I'm seeing in UniTrunker are in the scanner but it's not stopping on them.

 

[jonwienke]

Are both devices connected to the same antenna?

 

[werinshades]

Great question! It's in ID Search. The TG's I'm seeing in UniTrunker are in the scanner but it's not stopping on them.

Make sure all Avoids are cleared.

 

[AB5ID]

Any strong neighboring signals?

 

[IndyScan]

jonwienke:
Separate antennas (system is only 15 miles away & comes in loud and clear. I'm seeing the same thing on the other state Police tower ro the south of me.

werinshades:
I thought it was Avoids at first but the only thing that I'm avoiding are other sites so it will stay locked on that one & not search the other other sites within GPS range.

In the meantime I'm going to wipe everything and just load the one system on the radio & see if that does anything.

I appreciate the ideas, keep em coming!

 

[IndyScan]

I actually drove to the tower site yesterday & was still only picking up the same stuff. I was right across the street from the prison & no traffic.

Taking things in the road today & visiting a few sites with the UniTrunker laptop and SDS100 to see if I can figure this out.

The other 2 systems I monitor (Hamilton County & Indianapolis) match up 1:1 with the scanner & UniTrunker so it’s not a hardware issue. It’s either something with how the statewide system works (most likely) or a programming issue (likely as well).

 

[werinshades]

I don't know if you posted this question in the Indiana forum, but I know "milf" is very knowledgeable on Indiana so he might be able to shed some light on what's happening.

This sounds isolated to your site programming. If you use NAC, set it to Ignore NAC. If you imported it from the database, it's possible the NAC changed or wasn't correct on submission.

 

[nd5y]

If you are using Unitrunker to log control channel activity then remember that it is receiving all the time and shows all activity.
A scanner will stop on the first active talkgroup it finds and miss everything else that is going on.

 

[IndyScan]

Understood. Scanner is not showing any activity on that tower when UniTrunker is showing activity.

 

[werinshades]

Understood. Scanner is not showing any activity on that tower when UniTrunker is showing activity.

Maybe put a video together?

 

[IndyScan]

I have Nac ignored by default because of a chance of bad info.

I’m hitting the road today to check some other towers & see if it’s happening on those as well.

 

[werinshades]

I have Nac ignored by default because of a chance of bad info.

I’m hitting the road today to check some other towers & see if it’s happening on those as well.

Are these talk groups being seen "active" with transmissions, or are you just seeing them because UniTrunker is logging them? I don't use that program, but I'm aware it will log all talkgroups data affiliating with a site whether a transmission is present or not.

 

[IndyScan]

Yes I posted in the Indiana group but figured I’d cast a wider net.

That’s what I’m going to check today. I’m going to place myself between the sites and tune UniTrunker to one and the SDS100 to the other and see if the activity shows up on both.

I’ll report my findings and post a video showing what I see.

Appreciate all the feedback & Ideas!

 

[jonwienke]

Is unitrunker playing call traffic the scanner is missing, or just logging "activity" not seen by the scanner? There's multiple types of non-voice traffic that will be ignored by the scanner (OTAR, GPS position updates, affiliation requests, and other data packets) by design.

 

[IndyScan]

I’m thinking that might be what it is. I need to take my other SDR being used for PiAware & set it up for voice traffic to be sure.

 

[GTR8000]

Is unitrunker playing call traffic the scanner is missing, or just logging "activity" not seen by the scanner? There's multiple types of non-voice traffic that will be ignored by the scanner (OTAR, GPS position updates, affiliation requests, and other data packets) by design.

The "4" in the service column of his screenshots indicates a regular old clear voice transmission, not data or anything else, and not secure transmissions. Data calls are logged by Unitrunker with "Dat" in the service column, and secure calls are prefaced with a "P" in front of the priority, normally "P4".

@IndyScan try creating a fresh new system in the SDS100 by entering only the parameters required to decode the site. In other words, create a new system, create a new site, enter only the active control channel, and put that system into ID Search mode. Do not enter anything else such as talkgroups or other parameters that might introduce programming errors into the equation. Let the scanner decode whatever comes across the control channel as-is. You may want to set the filter for that site to Invert, which generally seems to work best on 700/800 P25 systems.

 

[IndyScan]

Figured it out. I had my range set to 0 and my GPS location set to my home. It was filtering out sites outside of my range. That’s why I was only hearing some transmissions and not others on that system

Took the setup on the road and was in the next county over. I could see all the traffic on UniTrunker but nothing on the SDS100.

Decided to do a Zipcode scan and boom, it all started coming in.

Thanks is for helping me think this through & have an AhHa moment.

 

[jonwienke]

Internal GPS would solve that...