diff --git a/User-Manual.md b/User-Manual.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..38ed63e --- /dev/null +++ b/User-Manual.md @@ -0,0 +1,85 @@ +# sdrtrunk User Manual +The sdrtrunk user's manual is documented across several wiki pages that are accessible from the +sidebar menu displayed alongside each wiki page. This user's manual overview wiki page details +high-level concepts and themes and then directs the reader to the appropriate wiki page that +details how to use the sdrtrunk application feature. + +## Getting Started +The [Getting Started](Getting-Started) wiki details the steps that you need to complete to initially setup the software +and related SDR and tuner hardware devices. + +## Concepts + +### Where To Find Radio Signals +The radio frequency spectrum is very wide and diverse and it can be challenging for new users to figure out where in the +radio frequency spectrum they can find signals to decode and listen to audio. Software Defined Radios (SDR) can tune +into most of these frequency bands across the spectrum. However, the sdrtrunk application is designed to work with +a small subset of these radio bands, primarily the AM and FM bands and the commercial and trunked radio bands. + +* **[Radio Reference](www.radioreference.com)** - the radio reference website provides crowd-sourced observations and +government-published details about radio systems and users around the world. sdrtrunk's [Playlist Editor](Playlist-Editor) +includes a plugin to browse and select radio channels and automatically setup channel configurations to to tune and +decode the channels so that you can listen to audio. You need a [Premium Subscription](https://www.radioreference.com/premium/) +to access the radio reference database from sdrtrunk's playlist editor. + +* **[RTL-SDR.com](https://www.rtl-sdr.com/)** - this website is geared to the SDR hobby but also includes blog entries +* and a Signal ID wiki to help you visually identify signals you may see in the radio spectrum. +* **Other Websites/Social Media** - there are many social media and local and regional websites that contain details on +radio systems and signals that you may encounter when using sdrtrunk and other SDR applications. +* **Just Start Exploring** - sdrtrunk allows you to manual tune and view the radio spectrum around you and then you can +select radio channel frequencies to decode. + +### Tuners & Software Defined Radios (SDR) +sdrtrunk uses SDRs/Tuners to select individual radio channels for decoding. SDRs can tune/receive a wide chunk of radio +spectrum that contains many individual radio channels. Unlike a traditional radio scanner, sdrtrunk can tune and decode +all radio channels that are present in this wide tuner spectrum provided by the SDR, at the same time. + +sdrtrunk can also record the wide frequency spectrum from SDRs and then mount the wide radio band +recording as an offline tuner for decoding individual channels from the recording. + +See the [Tuners](Tuners) wiki page for details on + +### Channels +sdrtrunk uses channel configurations to pull together all of the elements that are needed to decode a radio channel, +including radio frequency, protocol decoder, logging and audio recording and streaming. The +[Playlist Editor](Playlist-Editor) wiki details playlists and channels and how to configure channels +to start decoding. + +### Decoders +sdrtrunk includes a number of different radio protocol decoders. You can select from several primary radio protocol +and additional secondary radio protocol decoders in each Channel configuration. A primary protocol decoder is one that +decodes teh primary signaling on a digital radio protocol channel. Secondary decoders work with analog (FM) radio +channels that employ short digital bursts for Automatic Number Identificaton (ANI) and GPS position reporting and +other auxiliary radio reporting tasks. + +Radio protocol decoders are specified for each Channel configuration. The [Playlist Editor](Playlist-Editor) wiki +details playlists and channel configurations and how to select decoders for your channel(s). + +### Aliases +Modern radio protocols use radio and talkgroup identifiers, IP addresses and other numeric values to +identify the many entities involved in radio communication. sdrtrunk provides a rich mechanism for attaching +labels to these identifiers so that you don't have to memorize all of these number values. + +However, aliases are much more than simple label substitutions that help you to easily identify radio entities. Aliases +also control everything that you want to do with the activities and call audio that is associated with each of +these aliases. Aliases are a foundational aspect of the way that sdrtrunk manages the decoded +activies and audio from radio channels and it's important for you understand Aliases and how to use them so +that you can realize the maximum value from the software. + +See the [Playlist Editor](Playlist-Editor) wiki for information on using and configuring aliases. + +### Audio Playback +The [User Preferences](User-Preferences) wiki describes how to setup your computer for audio playback +and listening to audio produced by each of the decoding channels. + +Playback and muting of audio produced by each decoding channel is controlled by Aliases. See the +[Playlist Editor](Playlist-Editor) wiki for details on how to configure Aliases to control the playback and +muting of radio audio. + +### Audio Recording +Recording of audio produced by each decoding channel is controlled by Aliases. See the +[Playlist Editor](Playlist-Editor) wiki for details on how to configure Aliases to control recording of call audio. + +### Audio Streaming +Streaming of audio produced by each decoding channel is controlled by Aliases. See the [Playlist Editor](Playlist-Editor) +wiki for details on how to configure Aliases to control streaming of call audio. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/_Sidebar.md b/_Sidebar.md index ae7afbd..52d81f7 100644 --- a/_Sidebar.md +++ b/_Sidebar.md @@ -1,4 +1,5 @@ # Getting Started +* [Wiki Home Page](Home) * [README](https://github.com/DSheirer/sdrtrunk#readme) * [Getting Started](Getting-Started) * [Download Application Bundle](https://github.com/DSheirer/sdrtrunk/releases) @@ -7,7 +8,7 @@ * Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) # User Manual -* [Overview](Home) +* [User Manual](User-Manual) * [Getting Started](Getting-Started) * [Tuners & SDRs](Tuners) * [Primary Application Window](Primary-Application)