32.265 MHz. P25

[Haley]

Great day for low band monitoring today. Best I have had in a decade. All I am using is a 396XT with a telescoping antenna. I am in Central Iowa. I got a hit several times on 32.265 MHz. ( I was searching in 5 kHz. steps). It came up as P25 and ENC. (Encrypted), the NAC symbol flashed several times but just not enough to get a number. As the signal would end the LNK (link) symbol would come up also. It was encrypted for sure, garbled sounding. I posted this with some logs in the Low Band forum , so if it's considered a double post I apologize. Kind of excited though, -----I know they exist , but never thought I would see or hear one!

 

[CqDx]

that indeed is a nice catch!

 

[prcguy]

I don't think that would be a military catch, I have never heard of them using P25 in low band and they would be using 25KHz increments on military radios like 32.225, 32.250, 32.275, etc. Looking at a very old frequency chart it shows the US Dept of Agriculture was a possible user of 32.270.

 

[Haley]

Thanks for the reply, I thought 25 steps also, but even when I went down to32.250- 32.260, and up to 32.270-32.280 there was nothing. I mean it sounded exactly like any other P25 encrypted signals I have heard. The only thing I could think of, and it's a stretch, maybe a National Guard unit using SINCGARS? I was really shocked when it came in (total of 6 times). Like I said skip wise Low Band was really booming in here today. It reminded me of the early 2000's.

 

[prcguy]

SINCGARS is frequency hopping covering lots of frequencies and you would not get a carrier that decodes that as P25 with a NAC, it sounds like you snagged a P25 signal and I don't think its military.

Thanks for the reply, I thought 25 steps also, but even when I went down to32.250- 32.260, and up to 32.270-32.280 there was nothing. I mean it sounded exactly like any other P25 encrypted signals I have heard. The only thing I could think of, and it's a stretch, maybe a National Guard unit using SINCGARS? I was really shocked when it came in (total of 6 times). Like I said skip wise Low Band was really booming in here today. It reminded me of the early 2000's.

 

[Haley]

Thanks for the reply------I caught them again tonight. Still encrypted , except one time, they were in the clear. This time the NAC came up at least a dozen times with it. The display of the 396xt was NAC:6A-------no 3rd digit or number, I have not seen this before. I will post in the Low Band (skip forum also).

 

[ChrisP]

Thanks for the reply------I caught them again tonight. Still encrypted , except one time, they were in the clear. This time the NAC came up at least a dozen times with it. The display of the 396xt was NAC:6A-------no 3rd digit or number, I have not seen this before. I will post in the Low Band (skip forum also).

Uniden scanners drop the leading zeros in the NAC display, so it's probably NAC 06A.

- Chris

 

[BigLebowski]

If you are getting NAC 6A it's probably an image from the SARA system, especially if you are seeing LNK after the transmissions.

Also, modern military gear will do P25 and tune to any frequency step, not just 25khz steps like the old days of the PRC-77.

 

[Haley]

Uniden scanners drop the leading zeros in the NAC display, so it's probably NAC 06A.

- Chris

Thanks Chris-------somehow I never noticed that on the 396xt!

 

[Haley]

If you are getting NAC 6A it's probably an image from the SARA system, especially if you are seeing LNK after the transmissions.

Also, modern military gear will do P25 and tune to any frequency step, not just 25khz steps like the old days of the PRC-77.

That actually crossed my mind also. I am very familiar with RACOM/SARA been listening to them for 25 years. I won't post what was said, but the one in the clear transmission did not sound like any of the local PD I have ever heard. It actually sounded like UHF MIL-AIR to ground type transmission. Is it maybe possible the actually signal could be P25 without a NAC, and the 396xt is picking up the local tower for SARA also? If I get some time I will set up a couple of scanners on the local towers and see if it's happening at the same time. Thank you for the reply!

 

[ecps92]

Just throwing this out, could it be an image from VHF High or UHF ??

One my BC898T I get in the 45 Mhz, images from 470 T-Band

Great day for low band monitoring today. Best I have had in a decade. All I am using is a 396XT with a telescoping antenna. I am in Central Iowa. I got a hit several times on 32.265 MHz. ( I was searching in 5 kHz. steps). It came up as P25 and ENC. (Encrypted), the NAC symbol flashed several times but just not enough to get a number. As the signal would end the LNK (link) symbol would come up also. It was encrypted for sure, garbled sounding. I posted this with some logs in the Low Band forum , so if it's considered a double post I apologize. Kind of excited though, -----I know they exist , but never thought I would see or hear one!

 

[spacellamaman]

as much as i hope its lowband p25, i will relate i have recieved VIPER trunked system on low band with a 436hp once or twice when i was too close to a tower. the NAC was correct for that system and it sounded just fine as if i had recieved it properly. but if the content of what you heard was military in nature.....

oh yeah and so as you don't miss seeing the NAC

put that sucker on RECORD!!!!

 

[Haley]

Just throwing this out, could it be an image from VHF High or UHF ??

One my BC898T I get in the 45 Mhz, images from 470 T-Band

I don't really have any UHF P25 , but there are a few nearby counties on VHF High with P25. I can hear them all the time, but they have specific NAC codes. Going to give it another shot tonight and see if it pops up again. Thanks for the reply!

 

[Haley]

I would-----but I am using the 396xt , it is much more sensitive in my area (I use a 396t also). I have the 436, and for 700/800 it does fine. I have always been a HUGE fan of the 396T/XT radios. I will post more info if a hear any. Thanks again!

 

[Haley]

as much as i hope its lowband p25, i will relate i have recieved VIPER trunked system on low band with a 436hp once or twice when i was too close to a tower. the NAC was correct for that system and it sounded just fine as if i had recieved it properly. but if the content of what you heard was military in nature.....

oh yeah and so as you don't miss seeing the NAC

put that sucker on RECORD!!!!

Meant to include your post!!

 

[ecps92]

And can't find my notes on the other one, but had a 460 DPW heard around 39 Mhz

Anyone do a NAC Search in the RRDB ??

Just throwing this out, could it be an image from VHF High or UHF ??

One my BC898T I get in the 45 Mhz, images from 470 T-Band

 

[CqDx]

Just to keep in mind that don't discount that it was a indeed a low band.

See the earlier post on MT Fed Files by Chris on this. Harris (and may be other manufactuers) make all band, all emissions radio such as the RF-7800

US Miltary P25 Low Band Report

I have reported several sources indicating that they have heard some P-25 digital modes in to 30 - 88 MHz VHF low band that were assumed to ...

mt-fedfiles.blogspot.com

More VHF Lo Band P25?

Last year I wrote about some VHF low-band (30-50 MHz) frequencies that were heard in the P-25 digital mode. The frequencies monitored were 3...

mt-fedfiles.blogspot.com

 

[prcguy]

I don't believe the Harris RF-7800 does P25 and even if it did the military would only use 25KHz channel spacing on VHF lo and would not end up on 32.265. Why would the US military use P25 when to my knowledge they don't have an inventory of P25 VHF lo band radios and instead have a huge inventory of SINCGARS and conventional FM radios?

Just to keep in mind that don't discount that it was a indeed a low band.

See the earlier post on MT Fed Files by Chris on this. Harris (and may be other manufactuers) make all band, all emissions radio such as the RF-7800

US Miltary P25 Low Band Report

I have reported several sources indicating that they have heard some P-25 digital modes in to 30 - 88 MHz VHF low band that were assumed to ...

mt-fedfiles.blogspot.com

More VHF Lo Band P25?

Last year I wrote about some VHF low-band (30-50 MHz) frequencies that were heard in the P-25 digital mode. The frequencies monitored were 3...

mt-fedfiles.blogspot.com

 

[ChrisP]

Prcguy, the RF-7800 does not do P-25, but the AN/PRC-117G and AN/PRC163 radio do offer APCO P-25 as options.

My initial thoughts were these reports of P-25 in the low band were contractors or vendors doing testing, but I have heard reports from Wisconsin of active National Guard use of P-25 in the 30 - 88 MHz band...

- Chris

 

[prcguy]

The P25 option is usually for interop with fed or public service systems on VHF hi, UHF and 800 including trunking and from what I've see very few Harris military radios have it. These radios cost more than a new car and I can't imagine buying and using one or a few for some odd VHF lo band P25 channel that does not conform to military frequency standards. Any frequency used by the US military goes through coordinators to choose and approve the frequency and it doesn't make sense they would choose 32.265MHz and P25 when they have hundreds of other freqs within that band and other standard waveforms.

If it were encrypted P25 that goes even further into the weird zone because now the crypto key(s) have to be issued and managed by someone and the infrastructure to manage these radios could go beyond the number of users. It makes more sense it might be a US federal user with commercial grade Motorola or Harris or ?? radios and I mentioned the US Dept of Agriculture was once authorized to use 32.270. In fact the entire range of 32Mhz was once set aside for US Govt use, Fed and military. The US military could be anywhere in that range in 25KHz increments and the Fed users had a band plan with 20KHz channel spacing.

Prcguy, the RF-7800 does not do P-25, but the AN/PRC-117G and AN/PRC163 radio do offer APCO P-25 as options.

My initial thoughts were these reports of P-25 in the low band were contractors or vendors doing testing, but I have heard reports from Wisconsin of active National Guard use of P-25 in the 30 - 88 MHz band...

- Chris