TRX-2: Whistler TRX-2E Programming

[rocky28965]

I am slowly getting familiar with programming my new TRX-2E
I am in Otago NZ.
I have installed my local conventional scanlist using the programming software.
All good there.

Couple of questions:
As there is no Library import function, how would I install the TRX-2E NZ 20223.zip.

Why doesn't my radio have DMR & MotoTRBO in the Trunk Radio Systems list.

I'll probably have more questions but that will do for now

 

[RaleighGuy]

As there is no Library import function, how would I install the TRX-2E NZ 20223.zip.

I believe with the 2E you download the zip file and need to manually extract the files and copy them into your database folder where the TRX files are stored.

Why doesn't my radio have DMR & MotoTRBO in the Trunk Radio Systems list.

It should have it as shown below

 

[SirSkinny]

First thing to do is "Save your current Config" using the File menu
and selecting save current config to archive.

Then in the File menu, use the Restore Configuration from Archive,
and Select the TRX-2E NZ 20223.zip were ever you have saved it
and it will load it up for you, it will wipe your current config,
but you should have it already saved your original.

These options are the last 2 items in the list under File menu.
Now you will be able to go through the scan lists on the main screen.

 

[rocky28965]

Ah, that did the trick.
Now I can see how the trunking systems are set out.
None of the ones in my area are in there, I'll have to manually install those.

 

[rocky28965]

I believe with the 2E you download the zip file and need to manually extract the files and copy them into your database folder where the TRX files are stored.



It should have it as shown below
View attachment 167593

You are correct, that is also what my list shows.
However, in the specifications on page 72 of the user manual, it includes MotoTRBO in the receiving modes.

From the help section of the programming software:
Note: The Whistler TRX-2e Digital Trunking Scanner is not capable of decoding all types of digital voice channels. Only P25 voice channels are supported at this time.

I sent a email to Whistler re this.
I'm curious to see what they reply.

 

[Ubbe]

I'm curious to see what they reply.

It's a copy from their WS-1065 program that they forgot to edit. It's the same specification as a WS-1065

What kind of trunked radio systems are supported by my Whistler TRX-2e Digital Trunking Scanner?
Your scanner is capable of monitoring and tracking the following trunked radio systems:

• Motorola 3600 bps trunked radio systems (Analog and Digital Voice)
• Project 25 (P25) trunked radio systems (Digital Voice)
• EDACS Standard (Wide) trunked radio systems (Analog Voice)
• EDACS Narrow trunked radio systems (analog Voice)
• LTR trunked radio systems

/Ubbe

 

[rocky28965]

Good news.
Ive got the radio to decode DMR.
Thanks for the help guys

 

[rocky28965]

I've programed this TRX-2e with the same DMR control channels as my SDS200e.
I'm comparing them side by side using the same external antenna.
The TRX does a better job decoding. I can almost recognize the voice.
However, it won't decode the private calls whereas the Uniden will.
I believe this is a known issue?

 

[Ubbe]

However, it won't decode the private calls whereas the Uniden will.
I believe this is a known issue?

I haven't heard of it. The DMR control channel announce the private call at the start of setting up the voice channel and then no more on the control channel. As a TRX scanner scans the voice channels it will always catch those private calls but a Uniden scanner might be monitoring other system when that announcement are done and will hear nothing of it when it do reach the control channel and will miss it.

You will need to have all those user ID's programmed or have a wild card programmed in Radio ID Details folder of the system.

/Ubbe

 

[SirSkinny]

Under your trunked radio systems, (ill assume your listening to Orion network or similar as example)
you have, System, TalkGroup Details & Radio ID Details
Add a Wild Card to the (Radio ID Details) you can do the same for the (TalkGroup Details)
Its the 3rd option down on the right hand side, also check the REC option so it will record the
Radio/Talkgroup Id's found and you can check them in the audio menu and add them respectively

 

[SirSkinny]

And the Ubbe beat me by 30 seconds

 

[Ubbe]

And the Ubbe beat me by 30 seconds

Then it'a probably just that wild card that are missing. I had the impression that EZ-Scan always sets a wildcard for TG and userID when you create a new system, but maybe not then. I always have recording enabled to wildcards to log what are unknown. Too bad that Uniden scanners do not have that feature of a configurable wild card, to set delay, alerts&lights and recording parameters for it. Maybe it's a patent thing. Whistler has some features that are superior to what Uniden are allowed to use.

/Ubbe

 

[SirSkinny]

dam sweeds ---} points at you Ubbe

 

[rocky28965]

Thanks guys.
This network is called Vital and it uses DMR Tier 3

I don't have all the user ID's to enter so have added wildcards to both of those tabs.
Also checked the record options.

I have the radio running remotely and are using the scanner control software, so will catch any transmissions that come through.
It is the weekend here, so I don't expect very much traffic until next week.

 

[rocky28965]

What a difference the wildcard makes.
The TRX-2 is now comparable to the SDS200, if not slightly better.
I'm still experimenting with different programs.

How many times can you rewrite a SD card?

 

[Ubbe]

How many times can you rewrite a SD card?

Many hundred thousands, if not millions, of times.

In one programming you probably use one or two mega bytes of data. In your next programming you do not owerwrite data, you go to the next free block in the SD card. If you have a 32GB SD card it will take 10,000 programmings of 2MB to fill the SD card, and that are one write to each memory cell and SD cards are specified to handle 100,000 writes or more to each cell. It's impossible to wear out a SD card in a scanner only due to too many writes. Even if you record every conversation to the SD card it will take at least 10-20 years until you start to reach the limit of writes.

/Ubbe

 

[rocky28965]

Thats handy to know.
I lost track of the number of times I rewrote the card while getting the DMR set up the on this radio.

I notice in the software program, the DMR channels show up at the bottom of the conventional frequencies list.
Also, on the DMR scanlist tab, the entrees are duplicated with the wildcard entrees as TGRP & PRVT

Does this sound correct?

 

[Ubbe]

I haven't got any SD card go bad due to too many writes. The two dashcams in my car records constantly and fills the memory in no time and constantly deletes its oldest recordings. I've had my HP-1 for probably 15-20 years, from when it came out, and still have its original SD card in it and I have that scanning every day and set to record in the replay feature. The only times I see issues are when the operative system of a device trash the file structure, or can be a power glitch or programming cable was pulled in the middle of a write, and have to correct the files that are corrupt or do a reformat.

The conventional frequency list are probably showing in what order you have programmed your frequencies as default, but you can click on any column and it will sort in that order, I.E. click on Frequency and it will sort in frequency order.

You can make duplicates of wildcards, one for each system, or you can set the scan list for one wildcard to be used in many scanlist, the last column for TG's and then only need to configure one wildcard for all systems with alerts&lights and file record and delay time.

When the scanner starts to scan it first compiles the list, that's the long delay, and if it detects that you have programmed the same frequency multiple times it will combine them and only scan that frequency once but check your different programmings if any of them match CTCCS or TG's for conventional frequencies. So it is a very effective scanning not wasting time scanning the same frequency multiple times in one scan cycle, as Uniden scanners do. Uniden scanners does exactly what you have programmed, sometimes a good thing, but Whistler tries to improve on your programming, making it more effective if you haven't managed to do that yourself. That's why it can't show on its display what it is scanning live at that exact moment, as it does it in frequency order, jumping between different systems, with trunked systems at the end to improve scanning speed.

/Ubbe

 

[rocky28965]

Progressing further on this.
I've been looking at how the default NZ plan has been set out.
It covers the whole country but is all on one folder, with the various areas grouped into scanlists.
I guess I've gotten used to Proscan and how the areas and departments can be separated into more easily accessible groups.
So I've created another NZ program using a separate V-Scanner folder for each area.
Then each area can be split up into the apropiate groups using scanlists.
It took a bit of time, but it helped being able to copy and paste from a Proscan program for a USDS100.

It would be helpful if you could open more than one copy of ezscan at the same time.

Just a question here.
If I make a change in the general or advanced tabs, do I just need to copy the CDAT folder to the radio or does that change have to be made to every folder?

 

[Ubbe]

Just a question here.
If I make a change in the general or advanced tabs, do I just need to copy the CDAT folder to the radio or does that change have to be made to every folder?

V-scanner folders are totally independent of each other, it's like another scanner for each folder, a virtual scanner. So everything that can be programmed are stored to just that single V-scanner folder.

/Ubbe