Cary NC Public Safety radio going Digital, Encrypted?

[K4AAQ]

I was talking to a Cary police officer recently who told me the town radio system will be changing to digital in 2014. He also thought that much of it would be encrypted full-time. He said it would remain an independent system, not part of VIPER.

I can't verify any of it, but I thought I'd toss it out in case anyone can confirm, deny, etc.

73,
Gary KN4AQ

 

[KE4ZNR]

I was talking to a Cary police officer recently who told me the town radio system will be changing to digital in 2014. He also thought that much of it would be encrypted full-time. He said it would remain an independent system, not part of VIPER.

I can't verify any of it, but I thought I'd toss it out in case anyone can confirm, deny, etc.

73,
Gary KN4AQ

1) From what I understand Cary has always planned on keeping their separate municipal owned radio system.
2) Like Durham, They are in the middle of upgrading their system infrastructure to not only keep product/technical support for their system active but to give themselves more capacity and growing room for the future.
3) It is probably best if I not speak about any rumors that I have heard about other
local radio systems. I will only maintain that even if a city/area decides to encrypt their
day to day communications the odds are good that they would still need to maintain some "clear" channels/talkgroups for Mutual Aid purposes.

That is all I can say at this time.
Marshall KE4ZNR

 

[DougWare]

Just my two cents, but I was "questioned" at a mall in Durham by a Deputy working security as to why I had a scanner on me. I told him I was an old EMT and HAM operator, that I enjoyed monitoring the public safety bands.

He was floored when he found out that I could listen to the sheriff's department, claiming it was encrypted. I tried to explain it was digitally encoded, but not encrypted. He told me I wasn't supposed to have that information and that there was no need for me to have it. I knew where this was going, so I politely told him that as long as it's not encrypted, it's perfectly legal to listen to, wished him a good day and walked away.

The moral of my story is that the ones using the radio equipment may not understand the difference between digital and encryption.

Doug
K1DUG