GMRS and MDC

[WQOK964]

So I'm sure many of us use Motorola radios.  How many of you are using MDC?  How are you determining what to use as an ID?

 

Well I like to use it when possible, and I like to use the last 3 numbers of my call sign as the ID number. 

[coryb27]

I use the last 3 numbers of my call sign. Yes MDC is popular and I hear most Kenwoods will also do MDC.

[WQOK964]

There are some kenwood models that will do MDC, depending on firmware, or option board.  I find that on most GMRS systems MDC is not a problem, but transmit an MDC on a ham repeater and you'll find out who hates the commercial stuff real quick!

[linboogy]

 I find that on most GMRS systems MDC is not a problem, but transmit an MDC on a ham repeater and you'll find out who hates the commercial stuff real quick!

Just use a "CB echo mic" and that will take the attention away from the MDC   

[n4gix]

Don't forget the "Roger beep!"

[coryb27]

Oh and a noise toy!

[WQOK964]

Lol, not sure if you folks ever heard of MODAT, it's Motorola's first form of ANI, that makes for some cranky hams too!

 

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[edburke738]

Lol, not sure if you folks ever heard of MODAT, it's Motorola's first form of ANI, that makes for some cranky hams too!

 

Sent from my SM-G928V using Tapatalk

 

 

I miss my MX-350....

[zap]

Me and some friends had a MDC party in Lubbock about a year ago on the 700 repeater. Another friend has probably 5 radios running MDC on the 600 repeater (though he mostly runs simplex) just outside of Lubbock. 

 

K5TLF and I (unfortunately he's not a GMRS op) even have MDC running on 146.600 (just for fun)...then again, TLF is the reason I have mixed mode receive on 146.520 enabled.

[WQOK964]

I miss my MX-350....

I have an Astro saber and XTS3000 with modat lol

 

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[ASRM]

We run MDC on all our units, each unit has it's own ID, the lone Vertex 210A is without MDC (I need to see if Vertex or someone makes a module we can install. We do post-ptt on our units.

 

Zap turned me on to the Alias setup so each radio has all the aliases in them, example, my wife's mobile has a 4 digit ID of 1956 which shows as David 56.

 

Oddly my Astro Saber's seem to not have the chirp sound on unkey of my other radios.

 

We run Astro Saber's and PM400's on the system.

 

We are also using 2 tone QC on the radios.

[Guest]

MDC isn't bad at all - I am trying to use it for RAT and ID on a repeater I am building because the average bear around here is smart enough to use a CloseCall scanner or the sorts to get your PL or DPL tones and hijack a repeater if possible.

 

To be nice though, I am trying to enable the repeater to do MDC RAT and ID for all users, with a "user" on the 141.3 tone. If I need to shut out "travelers" I can use a programmed MDC code to do that and re-enable afterwards. But I am still in the process of building and figuring this all out so I am being hopeful.

[gortex2]

I use MDC on all my repeaters and gear. Being I also have VHF public safety repeaters for Search and Rescue I used the same ID structure for all. Anyone on my team that also gets GMRS uses there ID also. Mine are all 4 digit now as we are migrating to P25 also so wanted to stay the same.

[zikada]

I've seen MDC ID numbers come aross on GMRS quite a few times.

[ASRM]

MDC isn't bad at all - I am trying to use it for RAT and ID on a repeater I am building because the average bear around here is smart enough to use a CloseCall scanner or the sorts to get your PL or DPL tones and hijack a repeater if possible.

 

To be nice though, I am trying to enable the repeater to do MDC RAT and ID for all users, with a "user" on the 141.3 tone. If I need to shut out "travelers" I can use a programmed MDC code to do that and re-enable afterwards. But I am still in the process of building and figuring this all out so I am being hopeful.

Could I ask what RAT stands for?

[SteveC7010]

Could I ask what RAT stands for?

A quick google search shows it to be repeater access tone.

[6040]

how do you get a name to display? I thought that the parameters on MDC were like A-E and 0-9, with only 4 data entries, would love to know how to set that up.

 

Our radios have the two tone QC also but never knew how to use it, would care to help a brother out?

[rpurchases10]

If you ARE using MDC or GE-Star, check out this guy's software.

 

www.responderapps.com

 

He's written an incredibly powerful/easy to use / stable / CHEAP - LOL   application that is well suited to fireground or MCI status monitoring or control.

BUT...  it's also a great windows based (low resources req'd) application that has a display showing each transmission with full detail - AND - logs it all to either a db or txt file

and records the audio to mp3 audio files stored on the local machine..

 

It permits the entry of user name and other details for each mdc id and displays all of it as the user transmits.  (pre-ptt / post-ptt / indiv. call / "mayday" / etc..)

It also decodes "Emergency/Mayday" transmissions and will flash the screen red / play a pre-defined .wav audio "alert" file, and can even activate an external relay.

 

I believe that that particular feature is located in the "Fireground Mode" portion of the application.

 

It allows 2 channel  ("input source") monitoring/recording/display of ID / etc..   via a stereo audio input on the pc (Left channel - 1 / Right channel - 2) + if the machine has internet

access, you can add additional sources of audio to monitor/record via the broadcastify site.  (broadcastify.com is related to radio reference site).

 

I rarely recommend or like most of the software out there.  This is an amazing piece of coding craft -- and allows you to take an older laptop/netbook/pc  (even runs under XP)

and place it back in service for something useful. Even if just use it to record/log your repeater audio/usage, it's well worth the VERY EXPENSIVE PRICING of... wait for it....

 

$20 bucks for the single user version !!   Definitely worth it.  !!   

(give the trial version a shot... I guarantee you'll buy the lic. key by the end of the first day of the trial)

 

This must sound like  a highly paid advertisement, but I actually bought it myself to record a few of my own repeaters and will recommend it.  

[uniden278]

Very interesting program! I'll have to give it a try tomorrow when I'm home. I have a desktop PC I can dedicate to the cause running XP.

[wqxj263]

We use it no problem

[jwilkers]

There are some kenwood models that will do MDC, depending on firmware, or option board. I find that on most GMRS systems MDC is not a problem, but transmit an MDC on a ham repeater and you'll find out who hates the commercial stuff real quick!

Yeah...on the ham repeaters, I call it "whacker tone", cuz those emcomm guys who are wannabe cops. Of course, GMRS is a different animal and is commonly accepted.

 

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[zap]

Yeah...on the ham repeaters, I call it "whacker tone", cuz those emcomm guys who are wannabe cops. Of course, GMRS is a different animal and is commonly accepted.

 

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I use it to keep the Baofengs off…and keep people using radios actually designed for channelized use.

 

 

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[rmetc925]

I love MDC. All of my radios do it. I wont buy a radio and use it on GMRS unless it does MDC. I've also got a Kenwood TK-3312 which does both MDC1200 and Fleetsync.

 

MDC can do alot of other things besides PTT ID. I have seen a list that consists of Stun, Kill, Revive, Radio Check. Anybody know what all of that means? I only use it for the PTT ID cause i like the sound.

 

 

Also since this topic is here, Does anyone know of a UHF mobile radio that is capable of 50 watts of output AND has MDC?  The closest i have found are 45 watts. 

[gatekeep]

I love MDC. All of my radios do it. I wont buy a radio and use it on GMRS unless it does MDC. I've also got a Kenwood TK-3312 which does both MDC1200 and Fleetsync.

 

MDC can do alot of other things besides PTT ID. I have seen a list that consists of Stun, Kill, Revive, Radio Check. Anybody know what all of that means? I only use it for the PTT ID cause i like the sound.

 

 

Also since this topic is here, Does anyone know of a UHF mobile radio that is capable of 50 watts of output AND has MDC?  The closest i have found are 45 watts. 

 

Stun/Kill is used to 'inhibit' a radio, what effectively happens is when a radio capable of MDC receives this command, the radio appears to 'die', the radio isn't actually dead however, it is just sitting in a state of limbo quietly receiving on the frequency that stunned it waiting for a revive command. Yes MDC is capable of performing radio inhibit, typically once inhibited the only way to revive the radio is to either transmit the revive command or other methods involving the factory (or tools if your that kind of person).

 

Revive does the reverse of Stun/Kill which assuming the 'stunned' radio is still turned on, will let the radio resume normal operation.

 

Radio Check is typically sent from another radio to 'ping' (kinda like you would ping an IP on a PC).

 

There are a dozen other commands MDC supports as well such as paging, calling, etc etc. I only described the 3 you asked about.

[n4gix]

Trust me, 5 measly watts isn't going to make any practical difference in performance. If 45 watts won't work well, neither will 50 watts.