Make of FBI radios? Customs? DEA?

Status
Not open for further replies.

Gilligan

Member
Database Admin
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
2,136
Location
Hagerstown, MD
I didn't want to hijack the thread about the Secret Service radios, so I figured I'd ask in a new thread. What model radios do the other major federal agencies use in your areas for handhelds and mobiles? I'm especially curious about FBI installs in areas that are not yet P25 or completely encrypted.
 

mancow

Member
Database Admin
Joined
Feb 19, 2003
Messages
6,879
Location
N.E. Kansas
I've seen ancient Syntors A3's and analog sabers recently along with Thales25s and XTS5000s. It's a mixed bag and can be about anything. Some BKs have been seen not too long ago running DES.
 

Squad10

Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2007
Messages
922
In the Chicagoland area the vast majority of ATF mobile radios came equipped with the Motorola Handheld Control Head. The Handheld Control Head cable connector was usually located under the driver's seat so the Special Agent could stow the control head under the seat for undercover ops and theft prevention. The high power transceiver was mounted in the vehicle's trunk. Most often on non-SUV vehicles a Sti-Co trunk lid grip cellular look alike antenna was used. A low pro antenna was used on a SUV.

Until P25 arrived, ATF CVSD modulation encryption rekey was via the Customs OTAR frequency.
 

SOFA_KING

Member
Joined
Apr 25, 2004
Messages
1,581
Location
SE Florida
With the big hitters it has always been Motorola. As long as they produce the standards that only they can produce, it will continue to be a sole-sourced situation. No MACOM crap here! :D And as a tax payer I'm glad it is Motorola. They may not be the great company they once were, but they are still the best engineered radios around IYAM.

Phil :cool:
 

Squad10

Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2007
Messages
922
Maybe Sofa King meant to say that Motorola produces innovations that are first out of the gate. An example is Motorola's Securenet offering in the 80's. It was the first (high level, sounds like open squelch) voice privacy product that was integrated into a portable and mobile radio and because of the nature of modulation, it required a Securenet supported infrastructure. GE, the other main government supplier (at the time) did not have a product ready to compete with Securenet. Thus the market positioned itself around Motorola and Securenet became the defacto voice privacy standard.

In reference to Motorola engineering, Securenet did not work well in its infancy. 2000 Securenet coded- mode only mobiles were installed in Postal Inspection vehicles. When the Inspectors could not reliably communicate, Motorola had to supply (at their cost) a clear/code board for each radio. It was a PIA system to use at first, but Motorola got it working and locked up the federal law enforcement market.

Motorola makes great high tier products, but they come with a high price. When you have the ability to tax and print paper money, you can afford to buy a great product from a great US based corporation.
 

FFPM571

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Mar 11, 2003
Messages
1,706
Location
Nashvillle
In the Chicagoland area the vast majority of ATF mobile radios came equipped with the Motorola Handheld Control Head. The Handheld Control Head cable connector was usually located under the driver's seat so the Special Agent could stow the control head under the seat for undercover ops and theft prevention. The high power transceiver was mounted in the vehicle's trunk. Most often on non-SUV vehicles a Sti-Co trunk lid grip cellular look alike antenna was used. A low pro antenna was used on a SUV.

Until P25 arrived, ATF CVSD modulation encryption rekey was via the Customs OTAR frequency.

I know what shop had the contract to do the installs... Ughh... Not pretty..
 

Squad10

Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2007
Messages
922
Yeah, not pretty is true, plus the possibility of the equipment installer finding loaded hand gun(s) under the vehicle's seat.
 

FFPM571

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Mar 11, 2003
Messages
1,706
Location
Nashvillle
I know all too well... handguns and more in the trunk..radios, sensitive information and reports
 

Squad10

Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2007
Messages
922
Guns everywhere. At the District office in the 80's, a SA carried (in the open) a Reising converted automatic long gun from the second floor ATF suite, in the elevator and through the public lobby on the way to his car. A public citizen who saw the display complained to the SAC.

After the complaint, no more SA "carry in the open" including a holstered hand gun in the building. A SA had to remove his hand gun from its holster, leave it in the ATF suite just to go to the public coffee room or rest room in the office plaza.
 

SOFA_KING

Member
Joined
Apr 25, 2004
Messages
1,581
Location
SE Florida
Maybe Sofa King meant to say that Motorola produces innovations that are first out of the gate. An example is Motorola's Securenet offering in the 80's. It was the first (high level, sounds like open squelch) voice privacy product that was integrated into a portable and mobile radio and because of the nature of modulation, it required a Securenet supported infrastructure. GE, the other main government supplier (at the time) did not have a product ready to compete with Securenet. Thus the market positioned itself around Motorola and Securenet became the defacto voice privacy standard.

In reference to Motorola engineering, Securenet did not work well in its infancy. 2000 Securenet coded- mode only mobiles were installed in Postal Inspection vehicles. When the Inspectors could not reliably communicate, Motorola had to supply (at their cost) a clear/code board for each radio. It was a PIA system to use at first, but Motorola got it working and locked up the federal law enforcement market.

Motorola makes great high tier products, but they come with a high price. When you have the ability to tax and print paper money, you can afford to buy a great product from a great US based corporation.

Thanks, Squad10. That is what I meant. Motorola developed P25, OTAR, and much more. I used to think I would be in hog heaven working for them. It was not a nice company to work for! Not in the 90's anyway, so I'm not a fan like I used to be, but I admire some of the better products they made.

Phil :cool:
 

ka8ypy

Member
Joined
Apr 4, 2006
Messages
80
Thanks, Squad10. That is what I meant. Motorola developed P25, OTAR, and much more. (Snip)

Phil :cool:

Cite please for Motorola developing P25???

Motorola was an adviser to APCO for P25 (along with GE, Thales, and a whole host of others), but I don't think the developed it.
 
N

N_Jay

Guest
Cite please for Motorola developing P25???

Motorola was an adviser to APCO for P25 (along with GE, Thales, and a whole host of others), but I don't think the developed it.

There is lots of history on this.

Motorola all alone, nope.

I significant amount of Motorola developments, yep.
 

ka8ypy

Member
Joined
Apr 4, 2006
Messages
80
Look, ka8ypy,

If your looking for an argument, look somewhere else. I'm not interested.

:cool:

Not looking for an argument at all, just looking for the information, as everything I have ready from APCO stated Motorola was on the advisory board.

If someone asking for a clarification is going to get your panties in a bunch, perhaps you need another cup of coffee?
 

b7spectra

EMS Dispatcher
Joined
Jul 8, 2002
Messages
3,143
Location
Cobb County, GA
In Atlanta, when I had them come out to investigate me (long story, but I did no wrong!), I saw a HHCH A3 Motorola microphone sitting on the seat of their car. I asked them about it and they were like "um, we can't talk about that".
 

zz0468

QRT
Banned
Joined
Feb 6, 2007
Messages
6,034
No MACOM crap here! :D And as a tax payer I'm glad it is Motorola. They may not be the great company they once were, but they are still the best engineered radios around IYAM.

Have you ever worked on, or lived with any M/A-Com systems or equipment? Is everything you ever knew about EDACS something you read on a thread at some hobbyist oriented website - like this one? Are you aware that there is a M/A-Com EDACS system on nearly every ship in the U.S. Navy, and has been for many years?

As a taxpayer, and a taxpayer funded employee in the public safety radio business, I'm damn glad there's a choice. I've engineered and built systems from both manufacturers, and can honestly say both have their good and bad points, but I consider them equally up to the task.
 

immelmen

Member
Joined
Jun 13, 2007
Messages
383
In Atlanta, when I had them come out to investigate me (long story, but I did no wrong!), I saw a HHCH A3 Motorola microphone sitting on the seat of their car. I asked them about it and they were like "um, we can't talk about that".

FWIW, the DEA uses the A3 HHCH in some cars in the DC area as they have both VHF and UHF astro spectras installed and the A3 is the only HHCH that has a switch on the head to toggle between the two.
 

SOFA_KING

Member
Joined
Apr 25, 2004
Messages
1,581
Location
SE Florida
I'm not going to get drawn into an argument. I have my view and opinions. Others have their's. That is fine with me. I will not challenge other people out of respect. No alpha male crap here! :roll: The forums run much smoother without that.

:cool:
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top