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UniTrunker

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Revision as of 10:13, 12 November 2021 by Ka3jjz (talk | contribs) (→‎Overview)
Unitrunker Screenshot monitoring a Motorola system

Overview

UniTrunker supports control channel monitoring for the following trunking types:

UniTrunker also supports downloading system information from the RadioReference.com Web Service.

UniTrunker does not currently support Passport or MultiNet. LTR support is limited to operation with a PSR-310, PSR-410, PSR-500, PSR-600, PSR-700, PSR-800, BC346XT, BCT15X, BCD396XT or BCD996XT.

It is also compatible with some SDRs such as the RTL-SDR as well as the Blue Tail Technologies P25RX-II

UniTrunker cannot monitor or decode conventional P25 data or audio.

Support can be found on the Voice Control Channel Decoding Software Forum

What Can UniTrunker Display?

  • Basic system information - system type, system id, talkgroups, and radio ids.
  • Basic site information - site or cell number, and list of channels.
  • Site call activity - who's talking, on what channel, and to whom.
  • Neighboring Site information - list adjacent cell or sites with control channels.
  • User roaming - what radios are registed to a particular site.
  • User affiliation - what talkgroup a user has requested.
  • Patches - a dispatcher initiated action that joins two or more talkgroups together.

This program replaces a previous generation of UniTrunker (Retro).

License

License

Downloads

Download

Consult the main page for the latest official release.

What are the Call Types available?

Column "T" = "Type" which would be [G]roup or [I]individual (iCall)

Column "Svc" = "Call Type" - See below

For EDACS systems:

Fon - Telephone Call

Tst - LCN Tester

Dat - Data Call

Ana - Analog Voice Call

Emg - Emergency Analog Voice Call

Dig - Digital (ProVoice or Aegis) Voice Call

EmD - Emergency Digital Voice Call


For Motorola systems:

(Note that these follow the TG+n values in order.)


(none) - Analog Voice Call

All - All Talkgroup (analog)

Em - Emergency (analog)

XP - Crosspatch (analog)

EXP - Emergency Cross Patch (analog)

EMS - Emergency Multi-Select (analog)

? - Reserved

MS - Multi-Select (analog)

Dig - Digital Voice Call

DAT - Digital All Talkgroup

DEm - Digital Emergency

DXP - Digital Crosspatch

DEX - Digital Emergency Crosspatch

DEM - Digital Emergency Multi-Select

? - Reserved

DMS - Digital Multi-Select


For P25 systems:

1-7 - The call's priority. "4" is the default normal priority.

E - Emergency call (followed by the call's priority 1-7)

P - Encrypted call (followed by the call's priority 1-7) (also referred to as "Secure" or "Protected")


Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I need a radio with discriminator tap?

A: The short answer - Yes. The long answer - You may be able to decode 3600 baud Motorola control channels with a 50-70% decode rate without a discriminator tap. This is totally dependent upon the scanner/receiver and sound card you are using. You will not be able to decode EDACS, or APCO Project 25 without a discriminator tap. MPT1327 is the exception. It generally decodes equally well with speaker audio or discriminator audio.

Q: Do I need a slicer?

A: No. A time slicer is supported but the vintage data slicer is not. You'll see better results with discriminator audio through an audio input.

Q: Will the GRE, Uniden, and RadioShack radios with data port work with UniTrunker?

A: Yes! With an inline receivers, you do not need a discriminator tap. Inline models include ...

PSR-310 PSR-410 PSR-500 PSR-600 PSR-700 PSR-800 Pro-106 Pro-107 Pro-197 BCD396XT BCD996XT Home Patrol

The GRE PSR-800 can be used via the PC/IF interface or by enabling discriminator audio via the headphone jack. Enable discriminator audio through the EZ-Scan Digital software or via the radio front panel menu. Some models also support voice following. Not all models support P25.

Q: How do I get the Uniden XT models to work on UniTrunker?

A: The trunked system needs to be programmed into a System. Enable the Control Channel Output in the Settings (Extended is not needed). Press HOLD on the system, the control channel should be displayed along with the SysID on the radio. Run UniTrunker. Set the receiver type to "inline", role to "signal", and set the model to your model. Set the com port to the correct one, as well as the port attributes (115200 baud rate, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, and no parity). Set the radio to "running". A site window should appear displaying call activity if your settings are correct and the control channel is active.

You can verify if your inline radio is sending the data using a terminal program such as Windows Hyperterm or Termite to see if your radio output is set correctly.

Q: Will this work on Windows? If so, what version?

A: Yes - XP SP3, Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8, 8.1 (all flavors). The program won't run on Windows 95, Windows 98, ME, NT or 2K. It won't run on versions of Windows XP that are missing the Microsoft WinUSB DLL (even if you don't use USB).

Q: What types of trunked radio systems can I monitor?

A: APCO Project 25, EDACS, LTR (with supported radio), Motorola, and MPT1327.

Q: How can I use this to listen to calls on a trunked radio system?

A: You need a second radio that accepts computer control to tune to voice calls as they occur.

Q: Does the program permit downloading talkgroup information from the RadioReference.com Web Service?

A: Yes - you can download Motorola and APCO P25 systems by trunking system ID. You can download EDACS by looking up the RR DB SID (that's the ID # assigned by the database to each trunked system). You must be a paid member with a valid user id for this feature.

Q: Can I import my trunker data files?

A: Yes - read the Hints section of the documentation that describes how to do this.

Q: How much does it cost?

A: Nothing. As long as you follow the license and copyright notice - the program is free. No registration either.

Q: Can I use an RTL2832U based USB receiver?

A: Yes - if it has the R820T tuner, it should work.

See also