AVON (CLMRN)

[n1chu]

I've noticed the same thing with my local PD (Winsted). Still on the open air in plain old analog, but the same radio traffic is encrypted on CLRMN. Essentially what I end up with is the audio on my analog scanner coupled with the OTA aliases on CLRMN that reveal not only badge numbers but names of the officers (so much for keeping everything under wraps with encryption) which is the best of both worlds for me

“the OTA aliases on CLRMN that reveal not only badge numbers but names of the officers (so much for keeping everything under wraps with encryption)”

At the risk of stating what you already know, the intent of encryption isn’t necessarily designed to hide the unit ID or users name and rank (although it may be possible?). It’s the information being conveyed, the sensitive and proprietary content that is being protected.

 

[EasternMassScanFan]

Has Avon PD or FD switched over to the new system? Are they still on their UHF frequencies?

 

[W1KNE]

Avon Fire has switched and are no longer on the UHF.

 

[nhfdcadet]

Avon Fire has switched and are no longer on the UHF.

UHF is still active via console patch

 

[n1chu]

I am still listening to Avon in their old UHF System. Police is encrypted on CLMRN but still in the clear on UHF.

Soon Avon will be giving up their 911 dispatch duties, transferring all to Farmington’s dispatch center at the Farmington Police HQ.

 

[n1chu]

I am still listening to Avon in their old UHF System. Police is encrypted on CLMRN but still in the clear on UHF.

Soon Avon will be giving up their 911 dispatch duties, transferring all to Farmington’s dispatch center at the Farmington Police HQ.

An observation;
Further on if Avon will continue with the patches for both their fire and police;

It is unknown by this writer if Avon will drop their encryption on the police dispatch talkgroup once their other TG’s are up and running. It may be they will decide to dispatch in the clear, as they currently do with their UHF system, and only encrypt their detective TG and/or other specialized unit TG’s on CLMRN, or even if they intend to maintain the patches at all going forward. Possibly they will do away with UHF entirely once Farmington takes over the 911 dispatch duties and Avon Fire gets new pagers? As I’ve said, I’m just spitballing here. I’ve heard Avon’s FD will purchase Unication pagers, which would allow for a complete divorcing from the UHF system entirely, one less system the 911 Farmington dispatch operation will need to bother with.

One last observation… When Farmington assumes total 911 responsibilities for Avon, they will be dealing with the CLMRN Avon is now using. Going out on a limb a bit here but it’s my opinion when Farmington decides to upgrade their fire and police comms they will at very least be giving CLMRN a long hard look. Maybe moving to CLMRN also. It’s just a guess, and I don’t know when that might happen, probably years away.

I’m a retired firefighter who still believe that FD’s should remain independent of other public safety agencies in their municipalities. As such, that includes their comms systems. Trunking alternatives are great from a town’s financial view, and they usually win out when push comes to shove, but FD’s are the last line of defense, when all else fails, and it’s usually where the police look to when some catastrophic disaster knocks out their grid… not to mention a failed VHF (154.xxx MHz) repeater system is a lot easier to circumvent with 50 watt transceivers in all the apparatus using simplex than an 800 MHz simplex connection. Because the higher in frequency you go the more “Line-of-sight” comes into play. With a 154 MHz frequency 50 watts will go a lot further than a 800 MHz frequency at 50 watts. With that I will get off my soap box!

 

[W1KNE]

UHF is still active via console patch

Hmm, that's different than the submission I got. So I'll undo the changes with a note. To anyone here, if you submit that a system is offline, please be absolutely 100% sure that it is. Just because you don't hear operations, doesn't mean it's offline, like this.

Thanks.

 

[nhfdcadet]

Hmm, that's different than the submission I got. So I'll undo the changes with a note. To anyone here, if you submit that a system is offline, please be absolutely 100% sure that it is. Just because you don't hear operations, doesn't mean it's offline, like this.

Thanks.

I even keyed it from my mobile to make sure, its definitely on.

 

[cg]

There was a thread with a link to the Avon Council meeting where the possible Farmington merger was discussed. If I recall, it was mentioned that the intention was to keep encryption on the PD talkgroups. Not 100% sure but not worth listening to it again.

 

[n1chu]

There was a thread with a link to the Avon Council meeting where the possible Farmington merger was discussed. If I recall, it was mentioned that the intention was to keep encryption on the PD talkgroups. Not 100% sure but not worth listening to it again.

Yes, the Avon Police Chief (who my son is friends with) is working towards moving the 911 dispatch duties into the Farmington 911 center. This has been verified by my contacts within the Town of Farmington’s Fire Chiefs. But I will see if my Son can get us an update from Paul, the Avon Police Chief. The last I heard was there was a question on if they intended to drop encryption on the police dispatch the CLMRN once their other TG’s were added with encryption. I believe it’s a process whereby the agency is getting feedback from the Avon townspeople, either by word of mouth or more formally, at their town meetings where the question could be raised. Time will tell. My expectation is that, to date, there is no intention to unencrypt the dispatch TG. I will get back with whatever my Son can learn ASAP.

 

[Cheeseburgers]

The Chef's wife was my dental hygienist, he's a real nice guy..

I wonder if I could just ask him about dispatch.. he did all my pistol permit stuff when I lived in Farmington... he's pretty down to earth and normal.

 

[nhfdcadet]

I've never heard of a department around here unencrypting their previously encrypted talkgroup. Not to say it's impossible, but I can't see any reason they would.

 

[Cheeseburgers]

I'll be like, heyyyy Paul how's about not doing that any more for ollllle Cheeseburgers. And hell be like sure.. reach over and flick off the encryption switch, bingo bango fellas we're back in business

 

[Bearded_Schnauzer]

An observation;
Further on if Avon will continue with the patches for both their fire and police;

It is unknown by this writer if Avon will drop their encryption on the police dispatch talkgroup once their other TG’s are up and running. It may be they will decide to dispatch in the clear, as they currently do with their UHF system, and only encrypt their detective TG and/or other specialized unit TG’s on CLMRN, or even if they intend to maintain the patches at all going forward. Possibly they will do away with UHF entirely once Farmington takes over the 911 dispatch duties and Avon Fire gets new pagers? As I’ve said, I’m just spitballing here. I’ve heard Avon’s FD will purchase Unication pagers, which would allow for a complete divorcing from the UHF system entirely, one less system the 911 Farmington dispatch operation will need to bother with.

One last observation… When Farmington assumes total 911 responsibilities for Avon, they will be dealing with the CLMRN Avon is now using. Going out on a limb a bit here but it’s my opinion when Farmington decides to upgrade their fire and police comms they will at very least be giving CLMRN a long hard look. Maybe moving to CLMRN also. It’s just a guess, and I don’t know when that might happen, probably years away.

I’m a retired firefighter who still believe that FD’s should remain independent of other public safety agencies in their municipalities. As such, that includes their comms systems. Trunking alternatives are great from a town’s financial view, and they usually win out when push comes to shove, but FD’s are the last line of defense, when all else fails, and it’s usually where the police look to when some catastrophic disaster knocks out their grid… not to mention a failed VHF (154.xxx MHz) repeater system is a lot easier to circumvent with 50 watt transceivers in all the apparatus using simplex than an 800 MHz simplex connection. Because the higher in frequency you go the more “Line-of-sight” comes into play. With a 154 MHz frequency 50 watts will go a lot further than a 800 MHz frequency at 50 watts. With that I will get off my soap box!

This is some old school thinking.

I'm curious how many trunked systems around here have completely failed all of the redundant systems in place which resulted in a situation like this?

 

[adamfancher]

I've never heard of a department around here unencrypting their previously encrypted talkgroup. Not to say it's impossible, but I can't see any reason they would.

It would be nice if Winsted did, but I agree there doesn't seem to be any reason they would.

 

[W1KNE]

In my 14 years as a DB Admin here, covering 5 states, I have only ever seen one department go back unencrypted after encrypting.
The odds of having a department do that are near zero. Going through my notes, I've added/modified listings for 47 towns to encrypted.
So that is 1 in 48.

 

[Cheeseburgers]

So you're saying there's a chance

 

[Ct052]

So you're saying there's a chance

The two that went encrypted then unencrypted that I know personally is Southbury Police and Stamford fire (on their trunked system). I also saw in comments that Wolcott and Middlebury Police also went from encrypted to unencrypted. I can’t confirm this myself from being too far away.

 

[Cheeseburgers]

I dunno.. I might as well ask that guy Paul is pretty down to earth.. maybe a means to understand his / their reasoning. I mean, I get why they would want it, but.. I also look at CSP which pretty dang transparent with everything. Not a complaint just an observation. Avon PD I've met are all nice folks.. and we've got family here in CT in law enforcement so I stress I'm not complaining.

 

[PD47JD]

I dunno.. I might as well ask that guy Paul is pretty down to earth.. maybe a means to understand his / their reasoning. I mean, I get why they would want it, but.. I also look at CSP which pretty dang transparent with everything. Not a complaint just an observation. Avon PD I've met are all nice folks.. and we've got family here in CT in law enforcement so I stress I'm not complaining.

The CSP Fan Belt Patrol may be unencrypted, but you may rest assured that anything and everything else relating to CSP police matters is in fact encrypted.