Scandata faq q7
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Q7: How can I decode CTCSS, DPL, and DTMF from the airwaves?
That is strictly up to specialized hardware and/or
software that kind of goes beyond the scope of this FAQ.
Lots of software is out and about that will do it, and
there are even possibilities for "roll your own"
hardware decoders.
But the first thing you'll need is the "baseband audio"
output that is described in Questions/Answers #1-3
above. The Data Decoder Interface described in Q/A #4 is
good ONLY for trunking and pager types of data; not
CTCSS, DPL, and DTMF, unfortunately.
In fact, it takes specialized hardware and/or software
to decode each of CTCSS, DPL, and DTMF; and each is as
different as night and day.
Some scanners come equipped for CTCSS decoding, but most
do not. And none come equipped for DPL or DTMF that I
know of.
For more information about retrofitting CTCSS and DPL
decoders to your scanner, contact:
Communications , Inc.
426 West Taft Avenue
Orange, CA 92865-4296
(800) 854-0547 Fax (800) 850-0547
(714) 998-3021 Fax (714) 974-3420
WEB: http://www.com-spec.com/
For a low-cost "roll-your-own" DTMF Decoder (hardware)
there is a nice project done up in great detail in one
of the back issues of the monthly WORLD SCANNER REPORT
newsletter, V3N10. Backissues are always available at a
nominal cost. See:
ftp://ftp.cts.com/pub/bcheek/products/prodinfo.zip
There are other hardware and software solutions for
decoding DTMF that I may include here later as I get the
information verified and added.
The WiNRADiO Digital Suite is awesomely capable of
decoding CTCSS and DTMF. See: http://www.winradio.com
For scanners in general, though, it all starts with a
tap to the "baseband audio" point, so read over Q&A 1-3
above for the details.
The WinRadio program Bill mentions can be found below.
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