Last Updated 3rd February 2006
Now Available In Australia an MPT 1327/1343 Trunking Decoder Package that is affordable to the hobbyist listener, and now a professional package for the MPT 1327/1343 System Engineer.
PTrunk the professional MPT 1327/1343 data analysis package is now available for immediate shipping from Australia for details CLICK HERE
For a long time now, Scanner hobbyists have been under the impression that a "Trunking System" meant the end of their listening pleasure. Many commercial companies, individuals and government departments have now migrated onto these Radio Trunking Networks to facilitate a greater communication capacity.
These trunking systems are typically made up of a "pool" of different radio channels all of which are assigned on a random basis to make the most efficient use of the available channels. By utilising this method monitoring on a scanner can be a tedious problem and quite often you miss parts of the conversation because you don't know what frequency to look on next. This decoder will solve that problem and tell you what Channel the conversation has gone on to.
MPT 1327 and MPT 1343 are two of the common use protocols in Australia and around the world, and there is now available a Trunking Decoder device that is available to help you work out exactly what these networks are doing.
This decoder DOES NOT decode the Motorola Proprietary Smartnet system.
The Victorian Government set up their own State Wide Radio Network in Late 1994 and today is operated on a commercial basis by "Telstra Corporation". This network uses the MPT 1327/1343 protocol for its operation and a lot of time has been put into customising the software for this very network. Information such as some of the Site ID's display automatically which Base you are locked in on, many of the User groups are already defined together with Mobile radio number identification. The decoder will tell you which Channel the radios are currently transmitting on and display the frequency to tune to allowing you to keep a track of an entire conversation.
Who Uses The MPT 1327/1343 Trunking In Victoria, Australia?
Here is just a small sample of some of the users:-
Victoria Police (specialised departments only)
State Electricity Commission
Chubb Security - regional Victoria
Department Of Defence
Road Traffic Authority
Department Conservation & Natural Resources
Environment Protection Authority
Country Fire Authority Fire Command
Courier Companies
Transport Companies
Ambulance Transport Companies
Victorian Road Transport Authority - Vicroads
Telstra
Breakthrough Communications
And that is just a very small sample of the hundreds of different companies utilising this network across Victoria.
For Australia there is now inbuilt Channel Plan support for the Telstra Fleetscom Systems and the Victorian Communications 400 Mhz trunking system. More systems will be added by the author as information relating to Australian MPT 1327/1343 trunking systems becomes available.
The Telstra Fleetscom 400 Mhz Trunking system is also an extensive coverage system with many thousands of individual users. Telstra VisionStream (the people setting up Foxtel Cable TV) are extensive users of this system, as are Radio Rentals, Taxi Companies, Courier Companies just to name a few.
The BISCOM VHF Trunking network running in Victoria, Across New South Wales and Queensland is now also supported.
There is now also support for the Victorian Public Transport Corporation system operating in the 400 mhz band also as well as the Radio Technologies system which is marketed under the banner of Biscom which is the VHF High band.
If you want to listen to a MPT 1327/1343 Data Channel in Melbourne, Australia then program up you favourite receiver to one of these channels
StateNet - Telstra
164.8750 mhz 101 Collins Street
165.0000 mhz Kinglake
165.0125 mhz Ferny Creek
165.1750 mhz Mt Macedon
Biscom - Radio Technologies
166.7500 mhz 600 Bourke Street
Public Transport Corporation
414.5000 mhz Site ID 266
414.7000 mhz Site ID 286
Fleetscom - Telstra
416.2000 mhz 101 Collins Street
416.1125 mhz Kinglake
416.3375 mhz Ferny Creek
Victoria Communications
416.3125 mhz Mt Gisbourne Site ID 97
417.4375 mhz Kinglake Site ID 33
417.8000 mhz 500 Bourke Street Site ID 65
What Is Needed To Monitor This ?
The package consists of a Windows based piece of software, a decoder box which plugs into the Audio output of your scanner and the relevant cabling and power supply. You simply tune your scanner to locate the Audio of one of the control channels and away you go. To monitor the audio from the channels a 2nd scanner receiver is required. On your PC you need to be running either Microsoft Windows 95,98,ME,2000 or XP and have Com Ports 1,2,3 or 4 available for the serial data output from the decoder box.
The decoder is NOT a simple audio circuit decoder. It is has a dedicated Microprocessor controlling the modem functions and translating it into RS232 language.
The decoder takes the audio from your scanner receivers audio output and it stays locked onto the Control Channel. This uses your Headphone output and not the discriminator output.
A 2nd scanner is required if you wish to tune in at the same time to listen to the conversations taking place on the channel that the software tells you to change to.
Exciting Features - tracking conversations
NOW Available - support for WinRadio receivers
The FTrunk software now supports Trunk Unit Tacking on the following scanners ..
| AOR | Icom | OptoElectronics | Uniden | WinRadio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3000 | PCR100 | Optocom | BC780XLT | WinRadio |
| 3000A | PCR1000 | |||
| 5000 | R10 | |||
| 8200 | R7000 | |||
| 8600 | R7100 | |||
| R8500 | ||||
| R9000 |
The software has configuration options to allow you to stop on a particular call before continuing on to allow you not to miss those important bits of information.
If you have one of the tracking scanners supported by FTrunk and have a soundcard in your PC then FTrunk has the ability to record trunked conversations on your hard drive as wav files for later listening. It can be be configured to allow the user to record all conversations or just those from selected radios. This is a great way of identifying unknown radio users on a trunked system.
If you wish to monitor the Victorian SMR Network you will need to use receivers that are capable of 12.5khz spacing in the VHF High band. Not all scanners will be capable of doing this, so check first.
If you wish to monitor another Network rather than the supported ones then software can cope with that with the click on the approriate window and you can then monitor the raw control channel data from there. Under this system the Software will display Only the Go To Channel Number and NOT the frequency to go to.
As more information becomes available about other MPT 1327/1343 Networks that are running across Australia, the author will make the necessary changes to the software to accomodate the new information. This software will be available via FTP on the Internet. This software and hardware has been developed in the U.K by Ian Wraith. The modem hardware unit is being assembled in Australia.
MPT 1327/1343 as with many other trunking systems is capable of making and receiving Telephone calls via the network. Under the Radio Communications Act it is illegal to monitor any such transmissions made to or from the Telephone Network in Australia. You will need to check your own Countries rules & regulations regarding this for other parts of the World. It may also be an offence to use this package for commercial purposes, again you will need to check your own rules & regulations before using this package for commercial purposes.
What Does It All Cost ?
The complete package consists of the windows based software, the decoder box, the audio cable to go to your scanner, the data cable to go to your PC and the power supply cable (requires a 12vdc power source not included).
Australian Residents Price
$425.70 Australian Dollars inclusive of GST plus $22.00 postage and handling inclusive of GST
International Orders (Outside Of Australia)
Because exports from Australia are free of the Australian government 10% GST your price is slightly reduced.
$387.00 Australian Dollars plus $45.00 postage and full insurance. All orders are sent via Australia Post Airmail and Fully Insured.
Available In Australia Now. Place your order now - there is currently a lead time of 7 working days on Ftrunk & Ptrunk packages.
Payment can be made by Australian Cheque or Visa/Mastercard
Send To:-
Talkback Systems Australia
PO Box 8054
Northland Centre
Victoria 3072
Allow up to 14 days for delivery as demand is high for this package.
Dealer Enquiries Are Also Welcome For This Impressive Package.
MPT1327 Enquiry Line