stirring the pot - rumors of an ESK scanner...

[mr_hankey]

check this out:

http://sanantoniofire.org/safd/safire_edacs.htm#10

near the bottom of the page.

[crayon]

ooooooooo. sweet.

Although it says that there are scanners out there that can monitor EDACS, they fail to mention the ProVoice thingy.

The only way to listen is to use two scanners and a dedicated computer to decode the control channel.

[mlevin]

Funny you'd think they'd want to keep that info from the public, not spoon feed it.

[scannerfreak]

I doubt they would R&D an ESK capable scanner without including pro-voice. Wonder where this info came from? I did an extinsive search of the fcc and could not find anything on this. Considering the source I wouldn't doubt it's authenticity though. Looks pretty credible. I see Lindsay is on there as a contributor. Maybee he knows something?

Also, I see they list it as EDACS "system key". It's actully EDACS "security key".


PS- In searching I did find the users manual for the 898T 8) I also just relized that the info won't be there until it is granted.

[waynesewell]

Originally Posted by mlevin

Funny you'd think they'd want to keep that info from the public, not spoon feed it.

With a link to uniden yet.

[N_Jay]

Originally Posted by scanner_freak

I doubt they would R&D an ESK capable scanner without including pro-voice. Wonder where this info came from? I did an extinsive search of the fcc and could not find anything on this. Considering the source I wouldn't doubt it's authenticity though. Looks pretty credible. I see Lindsay is on there as a contributor. Maybee he knows something?

Also, I see they list it as EDACS "system key". It's actully EDACS "security key".


PS- In searching I did find the users manual for the 898T 8) I also just relized that the info won't be there until it is granted.

"Uniden / Bearcat has applied to the FCC for a license to build a scanner that will track the ESK."

You mean applied for Type Acceptance?

[Voyager]

Originally Posted by N_Jay

"Uniden / Bearcat has applied to the FCC for a license to build a scanner that will track the ESK."

You mean applied for Type Acceptance?

Or they applied to M/A-COM for a license to add ESK to their scanners. It's M/A-COM who holds the rights to it, not the FCC, and it's M/A-COM who will grant or deny them a license to use the proprietary format. The FCC has no say over what formats scanners can or cannot incoprporate. It's not part of type acceptance.

However, I would hardly call a one-line statement with no supporting data credible evidence. Yes, there is a link to Uniden's MAIN web page (www.uniden.com). So what? That doesn't add any credibility. I can make a statement and add a link to the FCC page. That doesn't mean that the FCC (or in this case, Uniden) supports any statement made by any third party. If it were a link to a Uniden page that confirms the statement, that would be different, but that is not the case here.

Joe M.

[scannerfreak]

I wasn't considering the link, I was considering the source. Looking at the site, these seem to be people "in the know" and just not your everyday scanner website. Who knows, it could be BS.

[UPMan]

Not sure where they got it, but it is bad information.

[scannerfreak]

Even if they do make an ESK capable scanner, wouldn't you still need to get the "security key" from S/A? Something tells me they're not going to up and give it to you!

[mr_hankey]

Originally Posted by scanner_freak

Even if they do make an ESK capable scanner, wouldn't you still need to get the "security key" from S/A? Something tells me they're not going to up and give it to you!

you would most likely select the key value from 0 to 255 - perhaps using a menu and scroll bar - to allow decoding of the ESK EDACS control channel.

[scannerfreak]

Originally Posted by mr_hankey

you would most likely select the key value from 0 to 255 - perhaps using a menu and scroll bar - to allow decoding of the ESK EDACS control channel.

Aha, I see. Only 255 posibilities? Interesting, That doesn't seem so secure does it? I thought it might be like encryption with millions of codes.

[AZScanner]

Originally Posted by mr_hankey

you would most likely select the key value from 0 to 255 - perhaps using a menu and scroll bar - to allow decoding of the ESK EDACS control channel.

Why even do that? It's only 256 possible values, so the scanner could do it for you.

I imagine that they could implement a function that works just like the PL/DPL search mode: You'd simply park the scanner on the control channel and then select "ESK Search" or something like that from the menu. It would then try all the possible values, checking for valid EDACS data on the control channel with each one. When it finds one that works, you'd hear the familiar 2 beeps and you'd press Enter to lock it in. Voila, all done.

How hard would that be to implement? I'm guessing that it would be pretty easy.

-AZ

[crayon]

How hard would that be to implement? I'm guessing that it would be pretty easy.

agreed. That is what I was thinking .. that would be trivial.

[milf]

Yeah the ESK part might be easy... its getting the PRO Voice part thats not so easy lol.. Though if Tyco/Ma-Com is allowing the ESK to be done, then why not let PV happen?

[Voyager]

Originally Posted by milf

Yeah the ESK part might be easy... its getting the PRO Voice part thats not so easy lol.. Though if Tyco/Ma-Com is allowing the ESK to be done, then why not let PV happen?

Because ESK doesn't get you much. As I understand it, it's not a security measure - but more of an LTR area code to keep systems using the same control frequencies separate. ESK has already been 'cracked' and getting the code is no more difficult than getting the system ID for a motorola system. In fact, that may be a better analogy. It would be nice if scanners would actually use the Motorola System ID to separate systems, but that would probably require a license to prevent pattent infringement.

Withholding PV means they can still market those systems as unscannable.

Joe M.

[mr_hankey]

ESK has already been 'cracked' and getting the code is no more difficult than getting the system ID for a motorola system. In fact, that may be a better analogy. It would be nice if scanners would actually use the.

a flash-programmable download for ESK in current Uniden scanners would be nice...the feature can still be used on mixed-mode systems (ProVoice/Analog).

[MikeOxlong]

Has the link been changed? I checked the website and found no information that Uniden has any plans to build an ESK/Provoice scanner.

There's the relevant quote that I found:

Uniden/Bearcat is not currently making or planning a Provoice or ESK-capable scanner (to-date, only Provoice systems have incorporated ESK).

With a quote like this lifted direct from the website, I don't know how some people have come up with the idea that Uniden is planning/building such a scanner?

Why search the FCC website for such a scanner when it doesn't exist?

Are some people reading to much into this website or has something changed on it? Did it ever say Uniden was planning such a scanner?

[scannerfreak]

Well, seems The info has indeed been changed :?

[Voyager]

Originally Posted by Mike_Oxlong

Has the link been changed? I checked the website and found no information that Uniden has any plans to build an ESK/Provoice scanner.

There's the relevant quote that I found:

With a quote like this lifted direct from the website, I don't know how some people have come up with the idea that Uniden is planning/building such a scanner?

It USED to say something much different. Note the date of 'current': "June 2004". Just read the quote posted by NJay above. That's what it USED to say. I like how it now closely reflects the comments posted on this thread.

Joe M.