Encryption

Status
Not open for further replies.

SCPD

QRT
Joined
Feb 24, 2001
Messages
0
Location
Virginia
part of the fun listening to OSP was the aircraft and chatter on the ground with troopers. But now that all TAC is encrypted I wonder is there a way around it? I know what it does I just don't know how it is done and I've been told illegal to un encrypt. Is that even a word??
Anyway if DSD can be done on ProVoice, can OSP be monitored on a TAC channel by playing with some things or is the cat & Mouse game over in this respect.
Just how does encryption work so nothing is understandable, just a basic lesson will work. Thanks
 

WB4CS

Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2005
Messages
900
Location
Northern Alabama
I wonder is there a way around it?

Short answer: No.

As far as I know, the only way to decrypt an encrypted signal would be if your radio is part of that radio system's network and can receive the OTA Encryption Key. Short of that, it's not possible.

Check out the Wiki here under "Encryption" topic for more information about how encryption works.
 

mikewazowski

Forums Manager/Global DB Admin
Staff member
Forums Manager
Joined
Jun 26, 2001
Messages
13,459
Location
Oot and Aboot
If encryption can be defeated easily, do you think OSP would have bothered buying and using it?
 

bigbud42010

Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2010
Messages
317
Location
Springfield, Ohio
If you are close to a OSP unit that is on thier TAC channel you can listen to them on 774.2875 its their repeater freq i have heard a unit on tac and was within a mile of the unit and heard the transmission in the clear and my pro-96 didnt pick it up cause it was encrypted
 

SCPD

QRT
Joined
Feb 24, 2001
Messages
0
Location
Virginia
Encypted

You mentioned awhile back that you picked up a unit of a tac channel because you got it before it went into the system, would this work on the posts main radio, will I hear Post 12 straight signal on a tc and will I be able to hear a plane working airspeed zone on tac input??? Since they run I 70 out here by me and the post is two miles as the crow flies, is it possible and then do you just enter the freq as a conventional channel to listen?? Thanks kind of like the old fire days when they killed the repeater!!
 

kf8yk

Member
Joined
May 3, 2003
Messages
713
would this work on the posts main radio, will I hear Post 12 straight signal on a tc

Probably not, the 'repeater' on 774.2875 would be the in vehicle mobile extender. Posts & aircraft are not equipped with these.

You might get lucky & hear the mobile extender running from one of the vehicles parked in the post parking lot, but it will be real hit & miss as patrol vehicles come and go. These extenders also run very low power so they don't have much range. Program the extender frequencies as conventional analog in your scanner. Ohio MARCS Conventional Systems Scanner Frequencies

Currently any encryption is decoded by the vehicles trunked mobile radio prior to retransmission by the vehicular extender in analog FM. Both Futurecom and Pyramid make extenders that support encrypted extender links so the patrol could close this loophole if they want to spend the money for new extenders.
 

jackj

Member
Joined
Jul 19, 2007
Messages
1,548
Location
NW Ohio
If you heard an encrypted conversation on the repeater input frequency then you heard it because the operator forgot to turn on encryption. The encryption takes place in the mobile or portable, not in the repeater or mobile extender. If the traffic wasn't encrypted until the extender or repeater got a hold of it then that would defeat the purpose of encryption.
 

kf8yk

Member
Joined
May 3, 2003
Messages
713
If you heard an encrypted conversation on the repeater input frequency then you heard it because the operator forgot to turn on encryption. The encryption takes place in the mobile or portable, not in the repeater or mobile extender. If the traffic wasn't encrypted until the extender or repeater got a hold of it then that would defeat the purpose of encryption.

While using the mobile extenders encryption/decryption takes place in the vehicle mounted mobile radio, traffic between the mobile extender and a portable radio is analog FM in the clear. It is possible to hear traffic that's encrypted on the trunking system by monitoring the extender frequencies.
 

SCPD

QRT
Joined
Feb 24, 2001
Messages
0
Location
Virginia
Osp mobile

Thanks for the update, I may give it a try as the cover Route 40 and I 70 less than a mile away heavily.And Springfield Post 12 is about two miles away with the tower.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top