Using software like WinMDCD for unit IDing

[RedPenguin]

I know that WinMDCD can actually find the four-digit number of radios but is there anyway to "pipe" it in to something else to something that makes more sense?

Some agencies I've tried it with come up with completely random numbers like 5978 and 1122 that have no connection at all to the vehicle or user.

So I was thinking to have it tell you which user once it sees the 4 digit id.

 

[RKG]

I know that WinMDCD can actually find the four-digit number of radios but is there anyway to "pipe" it in to something else to something that makes more sense?

Some agencies I've tried it with come up with completely random numbers like 5978 and 1122 that have no connection at all to the vehicle or user.

So I was thinking to have it tell you which user once it sees the 4 digit id.

It isn't clear how familiar you are with the MDC1200 system, so in case you might find it helpful, herewith a couple of points:

MDC1200 uses as four-digit hexadecimal number as the ID. (Hexadecimal numbers have 16 possible values per digit -- 0 through 9 and A through F -- versus ten possible values per digit in a decimal system.)

The value "0000" is not permitted.

The value "F" is not permitted in any digit (wildcard) and the value "E" is not permitted in the first digit (signals a 3-digit group code to follow).

This leaves a total of 47,249 possible values. (A "pure" 4-digit hexadecimal system would permit 65,535 possible combinations.)

There are a couple of possible explanations for what might appear to be "random" number assignments.

#1: Agency assigns IDs in decimal form and then converts them to hex for MDC1200 purposes. For instance, one agency I'm aware of adds 40000 to a trooper's RTC (badge) number as his personal ID. So Trooper Jones, whose RTC# is 1258, has a personal radio ID of "41258" (decimal), which translates into "A12A" (hex). This same agency assigns a cruiser radio ID of 50000 plus the cruiser's fender number, so cruiser 993 has a decimal radio ID of 50993, which translates into "C731" (hex).

#2: Agency uses a aliasing-type ID reader, so that there doesn't need to be a connection between the verbal call sign employed by a radio user and the MDC ID of his radio. For instance, one mutual aid system I'm familiar with assigns blocks of MDC IDs to each member department. Department X's IDs start with C300. Engine 1's officer's portable is 10th down the list of department portables, so that portable radio's ID is "C30A." However, when the working officer of Engine 1 keys his portable, the dispatch console reads out "Eng 1 Off Port."

Sometimes an MDC1200 ID scheme is local to a small department and pretty arbitrary. Other times, however, MDC IDs are coorrdinated on a wide scale regional basis, and such schemes are carefully engineered and quite logical, though the logic may not be apparent if your aren't privy to the overall plan.

 

[RedPenguin]

Why would this be?

I noticed monitoring various systems for MDC in my area, that my local transit company seems to only do MDC IDs on buses.

I've ran WinMDCD and basically every time pick up bus IDs, but when Dispatch or Supervisors talk, you never get an ID.

I can somewhat see Dispatch not having an ID, because they may have everything that tells them who's who, so I doubt they need to know when they themselves are talking.

Though seems like a good idea to know which supervisor is talking though, especially if you fail to hear their "Call ID" in an emergency.

Seems like every portable radio they use never gives an ID.

 

[RKG]

"Dispatch" will not usually have an ID, as most often they will be transmitting through the station transmitter directly via a console. The station transmitter (usually a Quantar or MTR2000) has no ability to generate an MDC ID, and most consoles do not have that capacity, either. Some desktop remotes (such as C200) can generate an ID locally, but often these are not programmed to do so.

It may be that your bus company has implemented MDC only to be able to give the bus driver the ability to send a silent emergency (usually through a hidden switch), in which case it would be programmed only in the bus-installed mobiles.