Uniden UBCD396T - and trunking

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yorky
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Re: Uniden UBCD396T - and trunking

Post by yorky »

Cheers, listening to Stirling Security it seems several vehicles are able to hear each others conversations. Would this show up in the system under that Group Call?

I do see the prefix which so far has come up as (002) for all conversations. However often different Originator and Targets.

Is there also a way to tell TrunkViewer to only go to channels that we want to listen to, if we are able to identify approved Originators/Targets? Just to filter out the people we don't want to hear (which of course being a trunk has many other companies that are boring to listen to that we want to skip).

Thanks!
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Comint
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Re: Uniden UBCD396T - and trunking

Post by Comint »

yorky wrote:listening to Stirling Security it seems several vehicles are able to hear each others conversations. Would this show up in the system under that Group Call?
Yes.

Based on the very limited number of Idents you have posted, I would guess that the 6111 Ident is a Group Ident, and Idents in the 13xx area are Individual Idents.

Is there also a way to tell TrunkViewer to only go to channels that we want to listen
to, if we are able to identify approved Originators/Targets?
The direct answer to your question, is No, because any Company on that Site can end up on any Channel. That is how Trunked Radio works.

However, you can Exclude, or Include, a Range of Prefix/Idents -
see Tools -> Profile Editor -> Tracking.

Recommend you read the TrunkView website re naming conventions for Profiles. The Biscom WA network has about 9 Sites.

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Re: Uniden UBCD396T - and trunking

Post by yorky »

Comint you may be able to point me in the right direction with this one as I'm not yet approved on the Yahoo group for TrunkViewer.

I've basically got a USB sound card (X-Fi) and while Trunkviewer works a treat listening to the control channel and changing the radio via data cable etc it won't mute/unmute :(

It always comes up with the error that it can't mute, selecting either Line In/Mic/Master in the settings doesn't work. So I always get control channel data noise when its waiting on that control channel.

Now I'm guessing its got to do with it being a USB sound card, and/or that Windows calls it something like "X-Fi Line in/Mic" instead of the standard "Line in". I've tested with an old PC with it just called "Line in" and witnessed its correct operation of muting while on the control channel. Is there something in some .ini file that needs to be changed?

Any ideas?

And also for those playing at home with the Biscom trunk, ID's ~5000 to 6000 are a taxi/people mover company (5312 is always their dispatcher), and ID 6111 is the Stirling Security group with vehicles having ID's of ~1300-1340 that I've tracked so far. There are several other companies that don't talk much so I don't know who they are.

And I put the Stirling Security ID range in the include list, and ticked the box, and it only changes channel for them now, awesome!
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Re: Uniden UBCD396T - and trunking

Post by Always RX »

Hope the new radio is treating you well Yorky, sorry I didn't get around to posting the pics of the cable but it sounds like you don't need them now. I've never looked at Trunkview before but reading the last few posts has got me interested, so I'm gonna give it a go too.
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Re: Uniden UBCD396T - and trunking

Post by yorky »

No worries, yeah no need I can see how they work now.

It actually surprises me how trunk tracker radios can't do MPT, once you get your head around how it works its a rather easy process that it takes (well, from looking at the front end of course).

This > < close to being able to track hopefully once I can mute/unmute!

Next I'll also work out how to select conventional channels easier, scrolling through a few hundred channels ain't quick!
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richard omeara

Re: Uniden UBCD396T - and trunking

Post by richard omeara »

Good to hear you have it working.Can you tell what section to edit freq to get stirling sec only.Also i can only record it are you ment to hear the conversations as they speak?
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Re: Uniden UBCD396T - and trunking

Post by yorky »

A short term solution I may have found (tested with Mic on a PC with Mic output disabled, so should work with the USB sound card), is to use Audacity "playthough" (passthrough) option. While it records the input, it plays it back at the same time (delayed by a second or so due to software decoding, no biggie).

The only downside is the extra system resources it needs to be constantly recording, but at least you could save the recording for later (although TrunkView already does this).

Richard: Ok here is what I have tested to work. I'll start from the beginning in case you missed a step.

Under Sites Database, Add one call "Biscom" (or whatever you like), ID 0049, Control channel 415.925, base frequency 415.5625, step 12.5.

Under settings, have your sound card selected, and have mute selected on whatever input you used (this is where I've had the drama that it won't mute, so if it doesn't for you either you may be stuck with data noise as it won't be muted).

Under the RS232 make sure you have the correct COM port selected if you have the radio connected to this, and the correct baud rate (must match both the radio's own setting, and windows device manager setting). For mine I've also selected Uniden and ticked Dynamic Memory.

Now with all that set, and your scanner audio output plugged into your PC's input (you may need to select Sites > Biscom or whatever you called it to trigger your scanner to change to the control channel), it should be muted and have details on screen about the trunk, and when people start talking it should come up with Go To channels and ID's and such. By default your scanner should also change to the voice channel being used, and when the conversation is finished it will return to the control channel (I set the timeout in the options from 0 to something like 300, in case it gets stuck on a voice channel and doesn't return to the control channel by itself).

Now for your question. To filter out other ID's and only tell the program/scanner to track certain ID's do the following. Options > Profile editor. Create a New profile, and save as THE SAME NAME AS YOUR SITE (Biscom). That way this profile will load when you load the site.

Now you can alpha tag ID's. Prefix is always 002, ident is the caller/ID and label is whatever you put and add record. Now when you go to the main screen instead of ID's coming up your names will. As I said before add "002 6111 Stirling Group" and you'll see it clearly on the main screen.

Go to tracking, and under Include ranges, put prefix 002 from 1300 to 1399 & 002 from 6111 to 6111 AND TICK RANGES ACTIVE. I also put in exclude 002 from 5000 to 6000 to make sure the taxi's don't come up. Save the profile.

Be aware that even with the tracking ranges set, ALL ID's and commands will still come up on the home screen, however you'll notice it will only command the radio to change to a channel when an ID matches 6111 and 1300-1399 (our Stirling Security guys). If you want to listen to other ID's just go back and untick ranges active.

Any questions let me know!
"VKI, NJ050 will you be attending the job?"
"Negative VKI, my desk is bolted to the floor".
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Re: Uniden UBCD396T - and trunking

Post by yorky »

yorky wrote:A short term solution I may have found (tested with Mic on a PC with Mic output disabled, so should work with the USB sound card), is to use Audacity "playthough" (passthrough) option. While it records the input, it plays it back at the same time (delayed by a second or so due to software decoding, no biggie).
Oh dear I forgot something regarding this mute issue. I was actually referring to Audacity because my laptop onboard audio did not have a mic output option so you couldn't hear the input from the scanner, only record. However I just realised that the onboard audio had the same issue of not muting the control channel either, which puts me back at square one #-o
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Re: Uniden UBCD396T - and trunking

Post by Comint »

yorky wrote:Now I'm guessing its got to do with it being a USB sound card, and/or that Windows calls it something like "X-Fi Line in/Mic" instead of the standard "Line in". I've tested with an old PC with it just called "Line in" and witnessed its correct operation of muting while on the control channel. Is there something in some .ini file that needs to be changed?

Any ideas?
From the TrunkView website:-

If you have a problem muting the selected sound card you may have to specify the mixer to mute.
To do so add the following to the [Advanced] section of trunkview.ini:

[Advanced]
MixerId=0

(or a higher number)



And also for those playing at home with the Biscom trunk, ID's ~5000 to 6000 are a taxi/people mover company (5312 is always their dispatcher), and ID 6111 is the Stirling Security group with vehicles having ID's of ~1300-1340 that I've tracked so far. There are several other companies that don't talk much so I don't know who they are.

And I put the Stirling Security ID range in the include list, and ticked the box, and it only changes channel for them now, awesome!
I would recommend that you always include the Prefix when posting Idents. Can save a lot of confusion.

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Re: Uniden UBCD396T - and trunking

Post by Comint »

yorky wrote:It actually surprises me how trunk tracker radios can't do MPT, once you get your head around how it works its a rather easy process that it takes (well, from looking at the front end of course).
You have to remember that scanners are mainly designed for the American market, and while MPT1327 has been around since the early 90's, it is only now starting to take off in America.

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Re: Uniden UBCD396T - and trunking

Post by Comint »

richard omeara wrote: . . are you ment to hear the conversations as they speak?
Certainly are.

When the scanner is changed to a Traffic (Voice) Channel frequency on receipt of a GTC (Goto Traffic Channel), TrunkView will also un-mute the speakers on the PC, so you can hear the conversation, assuming everything is set up correctly.

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Re: Uniden UBCD396T - and trunking

Post by Comint »

yorky wrote:Under Sites Database, Add one call "Biscom" (or whatever you like), ID 0049, Control channel 415.925, base frequency 415.5625, step 12.5.
I realise your current interest is solely in the Biscom QV1 Site, however I recommend that you name the Biscom Sites along the lines of Biscom - QV1, Biscom - Scarborough, etc. This allows you to use one Profile (just named Biscom) for all Biscom Sites, should you ever have an interest in the other Biscom Sites. Of course, you can have a different Profile for each Site, if desired.


I set the timeout in the options from 0 to something like 300, in case it gets stuck on a voice channel and doesn't return to the control channel by itself.
300 seconds is 5 minutes. The MPT1327 Protocol has a maximum timeout of 255 seconds (4 mins 15 seconds), so anything longer than that is a waste of time. Telstra Fleetcoms seems to have their timer set to 180 seconds, and the Biscom systems are usually less than that, so I find 190 seconds is a safe compromise.

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Re: Uniden UBCD396T - and trunking

Post by yorky »

Comint wrote:300 seconds is 5 minutes. The MPT1327 Protocol has a maximum timeout of 255 seconds (4 mins 15 seconds), so anything longer than that is a waste of time. Telstra Fleetcoms seems to have their timer set to 180 seconds, and the Biscom systems are usually less than that, so I find 190 seconds is a safe compromise.
Much appreciate that, I noticed (because I'm just using a rubber ducky antenna until a SMA-BNC adaptor arrives) that during testing inside I would accidentally loose reception on the channel and the return to control channel got issued and it missed it and got stuck, so I'll set it down to 190 seconds cheers.
Comint wrote: If you have a problem muting the selected sound card you may have to specify the mixer to mute.
To do so add the following to the [Advanced] section of trunkview.ini:

[Advanced]
MixerId=0


#-o I knew I saw that somewhere but couldn't find it again and it was right down the bottom all along... I'll give it a crack. Do you know if the MixerId=0 is referring to the actual sound card or the sub lines in/mic etc?

And so far the prefix has always been 002 but yes good to also note, and good to note the actual site name good advise.
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Re: Uniden UBCD396T - and trunking

Post by Comint »

yorky wrote:Do you know if the MixerId=0 is referring to the actual sound card or the sub lines in/mic etc?
No idea, but I would say that as "MixerId=0" would be the same as not having a MixerID entry, it would be the default Sound Card.

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Re: Uniden UBCD396T - and trunking

Post by yorky »

Cheers Comint, problem solvered!

I set MixerId=0, had it on Line In and it didn't work. After mucking about I figured out it should be set in TrunkViewer to Microphone, and presto it worked.

I noticed without the MixerId entry, the setting was saying Id=2 I think so it wasn't right anyway.

All works awesomely now, can't thank you enough. I also tried enabling recording, the records came up 'sped up', but after the mute issue was fixed it then recorded/played back normally so not sure what caused that.
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"Negative VKI, my desk is bolted to the floor".
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