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- Thread starter johnyvico
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elk2370bruce
Member
Well, at least we have a general area of the country to search.
902
Member
johnyvico said:
You're listening to PECO's Delaware County EDACS site. 856.3375 is logical channel 1.
The system is described here:
http://www.radioreference.com/modules.php?name=RR&sid=2018
Your scanner did not zero in on the proper frequency. 6.25 kHz offsets are not authorized in 800 MHz (yet).
ctrabs74
Member
902 said:
It will soon be a moot point in a matter of months, as PECO is in the process of switching over to a P25 encrypted system.
902
Member
Interesting. I can see migrating to P25, but I wonder why they feel the need to encrypt their transmissions?
SCANdal
Silent Key
902,
Utility companies, and other service firms (towing contractors, taxicab and car services, etc.), can argue a need to encrypt channels/talkgroups used for customer service. Say, for example, a crew goes out to shut off a delinquent customer, and the customer is present and opts to pay any owed amounts via credit card. Credit card numbers being put over the air can create a problem for the company should some unintended party copy the numbers, begin making fradulent purchases, and it can be connected back that the source of the info was a utility (or towing, or whatever) company's radio traffic. This is, of course, aside from the the potentially embarrassing traffic that so-and-so can't pay his bills in an timely fashion in the first place.
Now, as to whether or not operational traffic needs to be encrypted is a whole other matter. I am familiar with volunteer fire departments that have as part of their standard radio channel plan the local utility frequencies (rx only) in order to monitor the traffic of crew(s) responding to or operating at the scene of gas leaks, wires down, etc., etc. Any move to encrypt such traffic would obviously negate such monitoring ability. But, in light of the recent experiences Con Edison had in New York (the Long Island City area power failures during the summer and the days-long outages in Westchester during the last tropical storm), I could understand why any utility might consider systemwide encrpytion...to hide from public ears any troubles they are having getting power restored during difficult times. As one may already be aware, Con Edison is using an unmonitorable iDen network systemwide....hmm...would have been interesting to hear the real story behind what happened a few weeks ago...
SCANdal
Utility companies, and other service firms (towing contractors, taxicab and car services, etc.), can argue a need to encrypt channels/talkgroups used for customer service. Say, for example, a crew goes out to shut off a delinquent customer, and the customer is present and opts to pay any owed amounts via credit card. Credit card numbers being put over the air can create a problem for the company should some unintended party copy the numbers, begin making fradulent purchases, and it can be connected back that the source of the info was a utility (or towing, or whatever) company's radio traffic. This is, of course, aside from the the potentially embarrassing traffic that so-and-so can't pay his bills in an timely fashion in the first place.
Now, as to whether or not operational traffic needs to be encrypted is a whole other matter. I am familiar with volunteer fire departments that have as part of their standard radio channel plan the local utility frequencies (rx only) in order to monitor the traffic of crew(s) responding to or operating at the scene of gas leaks, wires down, etc., etc. Any move to encrypt such traffic would obviously negate such monitoring ability. But, in light of the recent experiences Con Edison had in New York (the Long Island City area power failures during the summer and the days-long outages in Westchester during the last tropical storm), I could understand why any utility might consider systemwide encrpytion...to hide from public ears any troubles they are having getting power restored during difficult times. As one may already be aware, Con Edison is using an unmonitorable iDen network systemwide....hmm...would have been interesting to hear the real story behind what happened a few weeks ago...
SCANdal
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