Question on ASTRO Conventional Talkgroups

Son of Trido · Post by **Son of Trido** » Mon Nov 05, 2001 6:29 am

Is there presently any way to decode talkgroups on ASTRO Conventional systems (i.e. non-trunked), such as using a data slicer circuit and software similar to the TRUNKER program???

Elroy Jetson · Post by **Elroy Jetson** » Mon Nov 05, 2001 8:25 am

No. Any ASTRO mode talkgroup is digital. IMBE or VSELP, depending on the radio. You have to have the IMBE or VSELP decoder. If it's IMBE, set an IMBE Astro radio to digital carrier squelch. If it's VSELP, it's not so easy. There is no equivalent to DCSQ for VSELP in Astro products.

Elroy

CHEFA2001 · Post by **CHEFA2001** » Mon Nov 05, 2001 2:35 pm

Likely to be another newbie question here but I have the following questions:

1) What is the difference between IMBE and VSELP in astro mode? As in, if there are two agencies both using the radios in the astro modes, what would the one agency have in advantages over the other?, How about dis-advantages?

2) If I was to have a IMBE radio and also be in vicinity of a working IMBE Astro system, Would all I have to do to listen to the astro system be to program the correct channel(s) into the radio and set the rx mode to Astro or mixed mode? (assuming that it was a conventional Astro system and not a trunked Astro system)

3) Does the operation of a radio in Astro mode require any type of a system key or code or the such to be able to monitor transmissions in the system?

CHEFA2001 · Post by **CHEFA2001** » Mon Nov 05, 2001 2:38 pm

If it's IMBE, set an IMBE Astro radio to digital carrier squelch. If it's VSELP, it's not so easy. There is no equivalent to DCSQ for VSELP in Astro products.

The above quote is from a reply written by Elroy. Elroy, I was wondering why you said "It's not so easy" when mentioning the VSELP mode. What did you mean and why is it now so easy?