can I monitor the Ft Meade 380s on a BC296D?

[Dank]

I'm relatively new to scanning truned systems. I understand the basics but the more advanced items are still confusing. I.m just off I95 and would like to pick up what I can on the new system . I know the encrypted stuff is out of reach. Is it possible to enter the 380 freqs for Ft. Meade system into my BC296. I can't seem to get the information in to enter it as a trunk system. Are these VHF channels or UHF? I can enter the freqs in as conventional, however my radio stops on 380.55 when it opicks up the data on the control channel.

Thanks.

 

[TinEar]

No, you can't. No scanner currently on the market will properly track these 380 systems.

 

[Dank]

At least I'm not doing something wrong i not being able to scan them, but then again if I was you coulod have set me straight. How are you and the others finding the different patterns of numbers related to the new 380 freqs? Is there a special decoder? I don't understand all the data for the systems. How have you heard some encrypted voice on these freqs?
Thanks.

 

[TinEar]

There is a program that works with the Radio Shack PRO-96 (and most likely the 2096) that reads the system parameters being transmitted on the control channel. That gives the system ID and other technical details of the system. But it doesn't help to track the system. Yes, all the traffic I've heard on the identified freqs for the Ft. Meade and NSA systems has been encrypted with the exception of just a couple of brief transmissions that were in the clear. I haven't paid much attention to it since helping to recover some of the frequencies used within the system for the obvious reasons - mainly the inability to copy anything from it. It's just a matter of time until all the military 400 mHz systems disappear as they switch to the new ones.

 

[Dank]

Do you know if either the Uniden software or ARC250 have the same capability to provide the system informatio as the RS software?
I plan on getting ARC in the near future, right now I'm doing basic programming with the Uniden software. Since I can't do anything with the encrypted freqs, I could just as easily forget about the sys id info, but reading all the posts helps me learn something.

 

[ka3jjz]

If you're referring to the utility Tinear was mentioning in his last message, the answer is no - at least not yet.

This is one area that the PRO96/2096 has over the Unidens.

73s Mike