Nashville Update????

[KD4YGG]

Anything new in regards to the "new system"???

When is it supposed to switch over???

[nashscan]

I think they are still waiting on everyone getting the new radios. I am still using one of the old Motorola radios, and no word on when we (dispatch) are getting the new ones. But the main dispatch channels including all the sectors and countywide will NOT be encrypted.

[ButchGone]

What about NFD/EMS? I thought I saw somewhere in these forums they would encrypt...which I still have no idea why they would need that.
BG..

[motoapco25]

Originally Posted by ButchGone

What about NFD/EMS? I thought I saw somewhere in these forums they would encrypt...which I still have no idea why they would need that.
BG..

HIPPA is one reason

[ButchGone]

What does HIPPA have to do with engine companies working a structure fire? As a former member of the media I know citing HIPPA has been a much abused and improperly stated excuse that when challenged has nothing to do with the law as it is written.
BG..

[doctree2]

Nothing to do with house fires. Can be inferred to be applicable to EMS calls as cross referencing the address one can infer who the patient is. And since fire and EMS in Nashville dispatch from same TG there you go. Frankly IMO the medic to hospital TGs should be encrypted. Not convinced the dispatch needs to be. If they have PHI they can send it on the MDT.

[nashscan]

We do not violate HIPPA laws dispatching medical calls. For instance, you will sometimes hear the dispatcher advise the medics the patient is code "60b" that means he has a blood borne illness & for the medics to use caution with that. We would not say, "hey yall, dude has AIDS, so you know, watch yourself." We are very careful in what is aired & what is not aired.

[ButchGone]

Exactly, listening to fire/EMS calls has nothing to do with the "HIPPA" law. HIPPA is too often used by government and public hospitals to evade public scrutiny when the law provides no such shield whatsoever. I can understand if fire/EMS would like an encrypted Tac or side channel for special occasions when conveying sensitive information quickly might be needed, but that what cellphones are used for now anyways. Encrypting fire talk groups serves no purpose whatsoever other than to sell fire departments an expensive extra feature on radios. The public does indeed have a right to know what their government is doing.
BG..

[SDavis90]

The new system is active. Discovered this about 4 days ago I guess...

I live in Smyrna, and can barely pick it up (hardly ever listen to Metro anyway), but I was just able to confirm the South Patrol sector using two different scanners. The new P25 is using 857.48750 as control channel as of posting this now. The older system is using 857.03750. Heard South over both scanners simultaneously (when I could get a signal). One holding on the old, the other holding on the new.

Seems like previous reports of Dispatch channels (only) running in the clear are true.

The only way I figured it out initially was the fact that dispatch consoles are using same UID's on both systems.

I was a little reluctant to post this, but anyone near the new system and able to receive the control channel should have the same luck as I.

[KD4YGG]

Anyone have talkgroups for "in the clear" dispatches????

[CORN]

The signal on 857.4875 is pretty shoddy and it should come in good at my location in Berry Hill. All radios seem to have a issue keeping the CC locked especially in the late afternoon thru evening and night. It seems to do ok during the day.

[cowand]

The talkgroups that will be worth listening to via scanner have been posted.

As per HIPPA, listening via scanner is a incidental/accidental disclosure, as is the case if you're in Dunkin' Doughnuts standing beside Roscoe listening to his portable. It's not against HIPPA. You don't see 340, 205, Lifeflight Dispatch (UHF) encrypted. You also don't see every person with a portable with an ear piece in, while in public.

I agree that the hospital talkgroups should be encrypted, and even more police traffic, but encrypting fire tactical channels are a little dumb.

"What if" Captain John Doe assigned to engine 69, while involved in searching for Jane Doe and her baby inside a house fire, is involved in a floor collapse. He survives the fall, but his radio somehow went into Key Fail? Are the radios programmed to revert to a monitored, unencrypted talkgroup? Or, will he be out of communication? Something Local 140 should look at before they disperse these things out for fire department use.

Have any of the radios sustained a Key Fail yet? I'm very familiar with ADP in the ASTRO 25 series, and recently have had the experience to correct a radio with a key fail. No comms, whatsoever. Can the radios be shifted by dispatch to an unencrypted channel?

I'm all for encrypting police tactical OPS. Shoot, send that voice through the RC40, DES-OFB, then AES, but fire is a touchy issue. Those guys should be trained for what to do in that possible key fail moment.

I hope that anyone that has access to receiving UID should keep their thoughts or finds to themselves. Obviously the radio shop is monitoring this forum, and the more they gather you are finding out, the more will become unavailable to scanner listeners. I know its a free country and your freedom of speech, but some things are best left to your own personal use. That or PM your buddies about the cool stuff you have figured out about the system.

P25 signal quality: I'm not sure if all the towers have been outfitted, but I'm pretty sure that all the towers were getting a new antenna array for the new system. I think that they are green, or dark in color. I worked a side job basically under one the other day, and received the system well, but the quality degraded quite a bit as I gained more distance. To the folks that have problems receiving, try moving the scanner a few inches, or to another area of the room. Move to an area that is in or near a window. Move away from a canopy of trees. Get an outside antenna. I've received the system from long distances while mobile, and using a scanner.

[CORN]

My thoughts exactly, Cowand. That's why I never posted any of the new stuff I come across. People are blind and naive (they'll call me paranoid but mines more to the truth) if they think this site plus it's willingness to provide those "live feeds", which are delayed by 30 sec or more, hasnt given several municipalities the reason to encrypt. That's the excuse the smaller venues are using anyways. Back in the day you didn't have this type of info readily available (all you had mostly was Police Call and cops didn't care because most of it was outdated) and there was fewer encrypted (ie Voice Inversion) frequencies and I think scanners were more prevelent too. Nowadays I think scanners are fewer and far between because folks don't fool with the new trunked stuff. But the info is more readily available now. Technology can help or ruin a good thing and I lean on it moreso ruining (or atleast limiting) the scanning, receive only hobby. Especially the action bands. I could care less about school buses, animal control, etc. We shall see.

[doctree2]

As I recall it is a federal crime to use such info in the commission of a crime. Wonder how often that is used. And I have questioned the rebroadcast via the internet. Think that is a slippery slope.

[CORN]

Here today gone tomorrow K-9 TGiD just went encrypted. Sucks! I loved listening to those guys. Now their BS can be done in private and that's all it was folks, BS. Nothing was ever said on that TGID that would jeopardize "officer safety". It was all casual, sometimes comical, talk and occasionally "where we gonna get coffee tonight?". They must have got their new radios today as they were in the clear as of yesterday. Oh well RIP. I sure hope it comes back to bite all Metro agencies in the donkey! And they have so much trouble with it in the long run. Good by CHECKS AND BALANCES!!

[doctree2]

Anyone know if Lavergne will move to P25 also?

[motoapco25]

Originally Posted by doctree2

Anyone know if Lavergne will move to P25 also?

Magic 8 Ball says All signs point to YES

[motoapco25]

Bet those B bank PD channels got real quiet didnt they ?????