STARS

FWIW.
It appears that if we are hearing anything besides SSP on STARS by the end of summer, I will be very surprised!
MDT, Phase 2 and encryption is killing our hobby.

I totally support encryption for Tactical communications. I don't support encrypted dispatches of basically anything.

I will have to find something else to put on my scanner feed. Any suggestions?



https://www.broadcastify.com/listen/feed/592

Csx?

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You never know Ken, I may try that out..

Everything encrypted.....really. Other than Pennsylvania I don't know of any other state PD which is totally encrypted Not that I doubt you since it seems VA is becoming more of a police state every day , but where did you hear this. This, if true, is very disturbing.....

Eugene KG4AVE

That issue just happened in Virginia Beach. Spoke with my council representative and wrote a letter to all council members. 5 million and 250K per year maintenance. Pretty steep price when just tactical and warrant services could have been corrected. Will be turned on next year

Yep....well BA Beach has good reason to keep it's shenanigans secret.......I moved here in 1980 and the first newspaper article I read was where the cops beat a a guy half to death for not having a bicycle license....and I don't think that have changed much....except probably for the worse. This is a shame since even with letter writing and speaking out.....the taxpayers get the middle finger and now have to pay for this "system".......guess the Restaurant tax there will go up to 30% or more. I feel sorry for the taxpayers there.

Eugene. KG4AVE

KC4ASF said:

FWIW.
It appears that if we are hearing anything besides SSP on STARS by the end of summer, I will be very surprised!
MDT, Phase 2 and encryption is killing our hobby.

I totally support encryption for Tactical communications. I don't support encrypted dispatches of basically anything.

I will have to find something else to put on my scanner feed. Any suggestions?



https://www.broadcastify.com/listen/feed/592

Click to expand...

So do you have information that VSP is going to full-time encryption?

I know that VSP has always had selectable encryption on their radios since they started using STARS. However they have a documented SOP for using it.

Well hopefully just because they have it doesn't mean they will use it, especially full time on all channels. Keep fingers crossed.

Eugene KG4VAE

No, I am not. Encryption will be secondary to cells and MDT..

I have been monitoring VSP since the early 70's. It blows my mind how much more VSP communications are now done non-voice aka not over the air. Dispatchers telling troopers to check their cell or terminal is most frequent.

SSP has taken over the air with voice communications, just listen. With the SSP voice communications, you can be aware what is going on though..

Like most here, I am all for encrypting SWAT and other sensitive information traffic, but I believe most general communication should remain clear. I was interested when on May 8th, one of our local news radio stations (WSVA550) posted the question on Facebook: "Do you think the public has a right to listen to all emergency communications?". I would like to post a link for those interested, but apparently you will need to scroll through Facebook's WSVA550's page, if you are interested.

Lots of answers depend on how the question is written and I think this question could have been phrased better. But I was still really surprised at the some of the responses. Without going back and re-reading all of the comments, I would say that most favored encryption (although it was obvious some people did not know what a scanner or encryption was). Even a couple of guys that are or have been involved in fire & rescue said encrypt. One's response was if you want to know what's going on that badly, to go and volunteer. I think he is forgetting that only a few volunteers in his county have been issued a radio (Harris P7100... because of the cost.

And I do not think broadcasting law enforcement traffic on a scanner app is doing our hobby any good. We are becoming our own worst enemies. I was on the fence at one time, but now I firmly believe we are giving the localities a reason to encrypt their traffic, that (in my opinion we should be able to hear (with the exception of what I stated :wink: ).

tglendye said:

And I do not think broadcasting law enforcement traffic on a scanner app is doing our hobby any good. We are becoming our own worst enemies. I was on the fence at one time, but now I firmly believe we are giving the localities a reason to encrypt their traffic, that (in my opinion we should be able to hear (with the exception of what I stated :wink: ).

Click to expand...

And I would add this: This is a fascinating hobby even if you don't hear a single police call. But we're creating more of a consumer entertainment experience where we just pick from a menu of existing knowledge and don't look for anything new.

This has traditionally been a hobby that involves some attention span and detective work--and sometimes a little discretion. As with the 'cordless phone' craze in the 1990's and all the negative publicity that came with it, we're learning that we've placed way too much emphasis on publicizing our knowledge base instead of growing it.

73/Allen (N4JRI)

Dammmm guys, I am feeling guilty and I have the Tactical channels locked out!



https://www.broadcastify.com/listen/feed/592

KC4ASF said:

Dammmm guys, I am feeling guilty and I have the Tactical channels locked out!



https://www.broadcastify.com/listen/feed/592

Click to expand...

Don't get too despondent, Ben, but remember that it was you who made the initial complaint.

I'm on vacation right now having a BLAST in Norfolk with my scanner and camera. Have assembled a boatload of info on the port, including shipboard walkie talkies. Plenty of air and rail action here, too.

Some I'll share here in hopes of comparing notes with someone. Some I'll just enjoy and share only in private circumstances. To my thinking, that's the best way to keep favorite stuff from disappearing

73/Allen (N4JRI)


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n4jri said:

Don't get too despondent, Ben, but remember that it was you who made the initial complaint.

I'm on vacation right now having a BLAST in Norfolk with my scanner and camera. Have assembled a boatload of info on the port, including shipboard walkie talkies. Plenty of air and rail action here, too.

Some I'll share here in hopes of comparing notes with someone. Some I'll just enjoy and share only in private circumstances. To my thinking, that's the best way to keep favorite stuff from disappearing

73/Allen (N4JRI)


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Click to expand...

Allen, I should have put a smiley face with my comments! LOL... I do stand with my comment about basically losing VSP communications in the near future though. LOL.. So SSP will have to provide us with what is going on on the roads. Followed up with the RD/RS dispatches,etc.

I am looking at other systems to monitor though... I have too many scanners to play with... Some retail stores and businesses are interesting.

I did the ships also and that was interesting at times. I am finding rails kinda of boring though with 160.41 and 161.55 being the hot ones here so far..

73

I don’t think the Phase 2 upgrade has anything to do with encryption. They can already go Encrypted if they choose by the push of a button. Probably either for interopablility or to allow more users. They have been slowing phasing in APX series radios. We might see more encrypted units, but that’s selectable. I don’t think Dispatchers will. But that’s just my two cents

LeSueurC said:

I don’t think the Phase 2 upgrade has anything to do with encryption. They can already go Encrypted if they choose by the push of a button. Probably either for interopablility or to allow more users. They have been slowing phasing in APX series radios. We might see more encrypted units, but that’s selectable. I don’t think Dispatchers will. But that’s just my two cents

Click to expand...

I agree they are separate things. The dispatches will go via the terminals. Simple and practical.

Because honestly, a tag for a traffic stop doesn’t really need to be read over the radio, half the time they can get the info themselves from VCIN and NCIC, only if they need to double check infonwill they go over the radio. Maybe special info like a Signal 4 or other hit will hint some radio traffic

The new 1.21 firmware and changing the threshold settings to automatic has greatly improved the audio on my 536 for everything except Spotsylvania P25.


https://www.broadcastify.com/listen/feed/592

LeSueurC said:

I don’t think the Phase 2 upgrade has anything to do with encryption. They can already go Encrypted if they choose by the push of a button. Probably either for interopablility or to allow more users. They have been slowing phasing in APX series radios. We might see more encrypted units, but that’s selectable. I don’t think Dispatchers will. But that’s just my two cents

Click to expand...

Does anyone know exactly which model of Moto APX series radios they are migrating to?


The APX-8000 series is multi-band (vhf-uhf-700/800), which would allow the users to have one common portable radio which would work directly on the STARS network, and though the DVRS mobile repeaters, and any of the three Mobile Command Post 4-channel sites as required. PLUS, the ability to interop directly on most local city/county radio systems (minus DMR and NXDN systems).


Comments/Thoughts ?