The third Presidential debate - UNLV, October 19th 2016

[br0adband]

Getting this in a bit early but, one would think this town is going to be seriously hopping with chatter (at least chatter that can actually be monitored) a few days before and on the day of this event unless something happens between now and the 19th when it's scheduled - who knows, maybe Trump will finally blow a gasket as expected and call it off, who really knows. I haven't been able to find any exact debate starting time, perhaps that's still to be worked out but I'd suspect it'll be somewhere around the 6PM point considering that we're 3 hours behind the East Coast folk.

So, while I already know the answer to this question, how many of you locals like myself are going to try and find something of particular interest happening on the radio waves when this fool fest comes rolling into Sin City?

This will definitely be an instance where what happens in Las Vegas most certainly doesn't stay in Las Vegas, not with the sheer media bedlam this is going to create. I can only imagine the hundreds of TV news trucks parked around the Thomas & Mack Center turning it into a parking lot of another kind, with security and LVMPD going insane in the process themselves.

I wouldn't go within 2 miles of the place to be honest but I suppose to get into the airwaves action one will probably need to get somewhere closer than I am here in downtown. Will see what I can get a hit on when things start happening I suppose but I don't suspect I'll get too much from this distance.

Anyway, if you're going to do some monitoring, report in when you're able.

 

[teufler]

debate

I imagine talk will be on something that can't be monitored. Possibly encryption , of some sort. We have the 2nd debate coming up[ soon in st louis. The city and county have gone to all encrypted comms now. About the only thing that would be heard is the airplane inbound to your airport. Possibly some hotel traffic or convention hall traffic.

 

[br0adband]

The Secret Service will obviously be encrypted, and while typical LVMPD dispatch traffic isn't they'll most likely devote a few talkgroups for this particular situation certainly and yes they'll be encrypted as well. Even so, it's worth trying to at least catch a snippet of things I suppose.

I just noted an article a few days ago stating the FAA had or will be approving text-based messaging for routine traffic and perhaps some dispatch duties soon with the "classic" AM transmissions for the more relevant stuff. That should prove interesting with respect to air comms monitoring for sure and will probably cut out a lot of traffic that's been traditionally sent straight out AM style.

 

[br0adband]

If it's ok with the rest of you, discussion of the actual politics of the debate and the Presidential race (and the two rather sorry candidates) would best be served in the Politics or even the Rants subforum, thanks.

Let's try and keep this thread focused on actual comms that matter to us as RR members.

 

[jaymatt1978]

It's all encrypted anyway

 

[NC1]

You could try searching for the frequency that Hillary's earpiece is using.
That way you can hear what they are telling her to say since she obviously can't think of anything herself

Maybe the moderator(s) earpiece can be heard, you never know.

The wireless mic frequencies could turn up something as well, but any freq could be used. I would just set it on search for a couple days prior and give it a listen.

 

[mikewazowski]

As the OP requested, please keep the political comments restricted to one of the threads in the Politics forum.

 

[737mech]

Thank you !!

Thank you Mike! Moderator at work. Keep the politics in the politics forum.

 

[com501]

The WHCA will more than likely be supplying any devices the candidates will be using, with the blessing of the USSS. Like their survelliance gear, anything around the candidates will be secure.

Even the military has scheduled a code roll the day before the advance teams arrive (and likely another OTAR) the day of.

 

[Hooligan]

The WHCA will more than likely be supplying any devices the candidates will be using, with the blessing of the USSS. Like their survelliance gear, anything around the candidates will be secure.

Even the military has scheduled a code roll the day before the advance teams arrive (and likely another OTAR) the day of.

OK, you like pretending that you know what you're talking about, so how about stating which military unit you're claiming will be rolling crypto codes for this event?


There's an independent debate commission that supplies the A/V gear.

Commission on Presidential Debates

WHCA's not involved. The professional wireless mic stuff these days is in the 500 & 600Mhz spectrum, usually digital, and encryption, including AES256, is standard or an option on some for the RF links. The "earwig" devices pick-up a signal via induction, but the transmitter being received & re-sent via induction usually use 216/217MHz.

People are talking out of their asses when they pontificate about SS comms encryption, & the same "It's all encrypted!" BS has been floating around for decades.

YES, having both POTUS candidates in one room, especially so close to the election, is a pretty big deal security-wise, but since neither candidate is an incumbent, WHCA isn't involved, and nor is the military unless the DHS declares the debate to be a National Security Special Event, in which case US NORTHCOM is the lead military agency.

POTUS candidate Trump & VPOTUS nominee Pence (callword "Daredevil") were both in town last week. For anyone who ignored the nut-jobs coming out of the woodwork proclaiming "All USSS comms are encrypted!" & had the right frequencies in their scanners while in the general area of the SS protectees, non-secure SS protective details would have been heard -- as is often the case.

But yeah, big Ten-Four Good Buddy, if you don't have the right freqs in at the right time & are not close-enough to hear stuff, it's easy to believe your personal failings are just due to the comms being encrypted & LPI/LPD...

 

[Hooligan]

In about the past week, we've been lucky enough to have most of the main candidates visit us here in the LV area.

"Mogul" (Trump, 5 OCT) -- I wasn't in the right place at the right time to hear much USSS protective ops traffic, but what I did catch (about 3 min airtime) was non-secure.

"Daredevil" (Tim Kaine, 6 Oct) -- USSS protective ops operational radio traffic was non-secure.

"Evergreen" (hilary, 12 OCT) -- USSS protective ops operational radio traffic was mostly non-secure. 1 unit transmitting in secure mode.

"Celtic" (VP Biden, 13 OCT) -- USSS protective ops operational radio traffic on main & secondary channels was mostly non-secure.

It's ironic that the close-in protection comms by SS was completely or mostly non-secure on well-known channels they've used for 50+ years, but the LVMPD HSST escorts were using their AES-encrypted talk groups on the 700MHz system (plus some non-encrypted talk groups).

 

[bryan_herbert]

USSS Charlie and NV-Core 66 are active

My BCD396XT is also hitting on SNACC P25 TG 63 -- not sure what this is or if its even related to the topic at hand

 

[Hooligan]

USSS Charlie and NV-Core 66 are active

My BCD396XT is also hitting on SNACC P25 TG 63 -- not sure what this is or if its even related to the topic at hand

I don't think SNACC 63 was related, though Hilary did go to the community that most of the radio IDs heard on 63 seem to be part of.

Several of the old LVMPD VHF channels were also in use, albeit for casual traffic. One was used occasionally during the afternoon & evening by "REBEL 1" communicating with "REBEL Ground." I never heard REBEL GROUND, but REBEL 1 seemed likely to be an aircraft, and mentioned going back to "North Las Vegas" -- possibly one of the local UH-72 Lakotas.

I was about half a mile away from the debate site with a clear visual line of sight, & heard four SS channels in use. Charlie was used by the Uniformed Division officers & probably agents on the perimeter, and three other channels were used for individual protective details. Most SS comms were encrypted.

 

[737mech]

I also heard encrypted ss on oscar saturday 29 OCT. And I was at work as usual but did happen to see N757AF departing on Sunday 30 Oct.