scanners we use for pdw

[melbourneradio]

Guys

this is my New PDW set up ... top unit is .. a 72xlt with a old or stuffed HP p4 laptop that works apart form the screen so perfect for this .. this is for MAS /orange the bottom unit is a P3 tower and a old road runner 880

decided this needed its own spot

So ..................................................................

after a bit of hunting around i found a server rack that would be good for the job and what was needed ..

preferred a complete , with doors and power rails although wasn't really necessary but just a bonus ...also shelving although again this wasn't a must just a bonus

so with that in mind i scoured flea bay looking for what i needed and a few days and a bit of cursing and swearing it was here

i managed to get the rack you see in really good nick with both power rails doors back and sides and fans for $60.00 , it's even got circuit breakers still working


all i had to do was install a few shelves and put the gear in there ...

so today i set off to the big boys toy shop (bunnings) with what i needed in mind

came back home with a few lengths of pine and malimine shelving

cut them to length screwed them in place and away we go

total cost

Server Rack - $60.00
Pine shelving - $40.00
other bits - $10.00

total $110.00 - (not bad considering these brand new are between $1000-$2000 if your lucky )

[Stretch]

Brilliant set up

[wombat tow]

ive tried to use both a uniden bearcat twin turbo 100 ch and a realistic patrolman pro 2025 both no good just getting tone only written on the screen was thinking about either getting a cable from splitterguy or putting a discriminator tap in uniden just finding some one to put it in for me does any one know of anyone in melb who i could take scanner to that could install one for me???

[dudies69]

I have many scanners with discriminators including the UBC9000XLT, UBC3500XLT, BC72XLT and BC200XLT.It is quite surprising the difference between each scanner and their idiosyncrasies. I am about to try my hand fitting a discriminator to a commercial Motorola radio. This will probably be my greatest challenge yet!

[dudies69]

I recently fitted a discriminator mod to a Motorola JT1000 (which would be the same for any Motorola Jedi Series Radio) and it works very well. The advantage of using this radio is the added sensitivity and selectivity compared to standard scanners. I have produced a step by step modification procedure (with photos) and it has been passed to http://www.discriminator.nl/nieuws/index-en.html for addition to the website soon. Be warned it is a little tricky due to the lack of space.

[fire_rescue]

my setup got it running on netbook finally ,

[Scannersplitterguy]

What scanner is connected to the netbook?
Setup looks neat and tidy.

[fire_rescue]

scanner hooked up is a Uniden Bearcat UBC120XLT

[jco233]

I have an Icom IC-R5 hooked up with no disc tap hooked into the sound card. It works perfectly for about 60% of the messages, but then it can't decode the other 40%. Is this normal? I have spent hours working on the volumes and think I have it perfect but then it won't decode without changing a thing.

[Comint]

I have an Icom IC-R5 hooked up with no disc tap hooked into the sound card. It works perfectly for about 60% of the messages, but then it can't decode the other 40%. Is this normal? I have spent hours working on the volumes and think I have it perfect but then it won't decode without changing a thing.

Depends on what protocol (POCSAG, FLEX, etc) you are decoding.

If decoding POCSAG, bear in mind it is possible for there to be three different baudrates - 512, 1200, and, rarely, 2400 - transmitted on the same channel, so is your 60% decode only showing a single baudrate, or more than one.

--
Comint

[jco233]

Yer mate, its decoding POCSAG in 2 different baudrates - 512 and 1200. I have 2400 unchecked in the options. But the decoded messages are in both baudrates not just one.

[Scannersplitterguy]

I have never seen 2400 appear, so don't be concerned about that rate. Do you have the squelch turned off?

[jco233]

yep squelch is off, its strange, as some of the messages will come through perfectly and then others will only be half decoded without changing a thing. Could this be reception problems?

[Spectre]

That's how my decoding experiences went until I put a discriminator tap into my old desktop, simply using an audio line out works well but is never 100% successful

[scrawn80]

i run 3 x 780s and 1 x 760
using level 4 rs232 leads
i swap and change between data and pocsag
760 works perfectly better then 780s
but soon to be converting to radios

[CrazyCessna]

Uniden UBC73XLT works brilliantly with a 3.5 mm jack, no need for disc tap. I get QFRS, QAS and Redcliffe hospital clear as, after about 1/2 hour of tweaking audio and squelch settings

[bodyguard]

Redcliffe hospital ?

what freq are they on ?

[klorent]

I'm using a Motorola GM-328 with a 4 level FSK interface connected up to the radio.
As I not have a transmitter nearby (Mt. Stuart, Townswille, around 80km) I'm using a 7 element antenna to get a good signal.
The computer I'm using for this is a HP thin client t5000.

This setup was just plug&go, except you have to program the radio and adjust the direction of the antenna.

There is a transmitter at the local fire station, but that is only used for pager msg. for them.

[spectreman]

Hi. I am using an Icom R-10 scanner, with just the headphone output into a netbook with PDW.
Use an external power supply for the radio. Just using a small whip ant on the radio itself, indoors.
Monitor the Vic EAS mostly. I decode 512 & 1200 baud fine.

[Paratez84]

ive been using a Uniden 780XLT for Pocsag Decoding, originally i had it running off a XP laptop which i use to program all my radios, since then ive setup a dedicated PC running WIN7 and PDW - it took quite a bit of tinkering to get the settings right. alot of disabling windows sound settings (eg mike boost) but for the first time in 12 months i now receive between 90 and 100% signal quality. i installed a disc tap in the scanner myself and i have it running through my sound card. i have purchased quite a few interfaces and things and have never been able to get them to work effectively.