feds using walkie talkie app

"Allen Hunter, an agent with a Federal Police Department, found a solution. He happened upon a new application by Zello that worked with his iPhone and allowed instant voice messaging. To optimize the app, Officer Hunter chose a wireless Bluetooth headset with built-in PTT button by Pryme for enhanced audio and quick access" (1850 to 1910 mhz)
Federal Agency Adds Wireless PTT Over Cellular to its Communications Suite

A system like this was in use @ the DNC in Philly. Many people had the "App" on their tough book's.

Old news; locals and Feds have been using Zello for at least 2 years. One agency in Seattle has their Zello talkgroup patched into a tertiary radio channel and it works wonderfully.

we (federal fire) have been discussing the idea of trying it for non-critical things locally. biggest problem is the lack of data coverage out there. However, rebroadcasting radio traffic to the app may be something that we would consider.

Yeah, the Chinese love to listen to comms on Zello. Especially federal comms.


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Zello can be set up as private channels.

It's not hard too set up talkgroups and/or private calls on Zello; another scanning website had a talkgroup for incident notification on there for awhile but member apathy killed it.

The agencies I know of that use Zello are using the paid service which is encrypted.

Is voice secure / encrypted in Zello Enterprise Server? – Zello Inc

Can't get into the talkgroup without knowing the TGID name and password, and I know I can't break 1024-bit encryption...but I'm sure there's a member here who knows a guy who is online buddies with a Russian hacker who can break it using Win 3.1 emulated on a 7-year-old MacBook.

Harris also has a smartphone PTT app that can interface with their trunking products.

You're looking at the future. The Zello app is just one of the first attempts at providing talkgroup functionality over broadband.

It will not be the last.

Anybody who doesn't think that most radio based voice communications are heading in the IP/broadband direction has his head in the sand.

The 4.9 GHz band is already exclusively allocated for wireless broadband for public safety. Expect it to start carrying talkgroup based VOIP traffic on a routine basis in the coming years.

A company called Sytech Corp. from Alexandria, VA. came out with a product that could be used with almost any smart phone a number of years back. It provided Interoperability among smart phone users as well as into a gateway to connect into radios or other gateways. You could do PTT to who ever you chose to connect with or into a radio system via the Interop gateway. You could set up the gateway connections right from your phone.

The same product could be used to track the location of the user. It would also allow the transmission of live video. Neat package that a number of users found very useful. Some of the SWAT groups found the live video to be a real good tool.

elroy, why?