BCD325P2 NXDN abilities

[MordyT]

Hey all,
Hoping someone with a BCD325P2 and NXDN license can answer a question (before I spend money and test it myself).

Can the scanner be programmed with the encryption key or is it only able to scan unencrypted channels? I am not asking if it can break encryption - I'm asking if someone has the key could they program it into the scanner and have it be used by the system.

The alternative is to just buy a radio and program it, but that seems like such a waste as I have the scanner from an old defunct project and would only need to buy the upgrade license.

Thanks in advance!

 

[mikewazowski]

No scanner can be loaded with an encryption key.

 

[mciupa]

It does a marvelous job on the unencrypted channels, nevertheless. I like monitoring railroads with that feature.

 

[MordyT]

No scanner can be loaded with an encryption key.

That's unfortunate, is the only way forward to buy an actual radio? I.e. are there any scanners that allow loading of an encryption key?

It does a marvelous job on the unencrypted channels, nevertheless. I like monitoring railroads with that feature.

Thanks for this information.

 

[jtwalker]

are there any scanners that allow loading of an encryption key?

Spelled out for you already here:

No scanner can be loaded with an encryption key.

 

[KevinC]

If the key is known and it’s the NXDN “scrambler” version the Icom R-30 will accept the key and decode it.

 

[JethrowJohnson]

Hey all,
Hoping someone with a BCD325P2 and NXDN license can answer a question (before I spend money and test it myself).

Can the scanner be programmed with the encryption key or is it only able to scan unencrypted channels? I am not asking if it can break encryption - I'm asking if someone has the key could they program it into the scanner and have it be used by the system.

The alternative is to just buy a radio and program it, but that seems like such a waste as I have the scanner from an old defunct project and would only need to buy the upgrade license.

Thanks in advance!

Are you sure they're using encryption or do you mean the NXDN upgrade for the scanner? Because, if the channel you want to monitor is really encrypted, then it's illegal to have the encryption key they're using unless you're specifically authorized to use that system.

 

[MordyT]

Spelled out for you already here:

Sorry, I misread that "no scanner" as "not this specific scanner", thank you for the clarification.

If the key is known and it’s the NXDN “scrambler” version the Icom R-30 will accept the key and decode it.

This is good information - for the sake of discussion can the Uniden I already have handle scrambled NXDN if I have the scramble code and the NXDN upgrade? Won't help me for this project, but I can keep it in mind for the future.

Are you sure they're using encryption or do you mean the NXDN upgrade for the scanner? Because, if the channel you want to monitor is really encrypted, then it's illegal to have the encryption key they're using unless you're specifically authorized to use that system.

Fully understood which is why I was very clear to state I'm not asking how to get a key but that I already have it. How else would I have a key if I was not authorized? .

 

[KevinC]

This is good information - for the sake of discussion can the Uniden I already have handle scrambled NXDN if I have the scramble code and the NXDN upgrade? Won't help me for this project, but I can keep it in mind for the .

No.

 

[FrensicPic]

It does a marvelous job on the unencrypted channels, nevertheless. I like monitoring railroads with that feature.

With the exception of a few BNSF yard and misc channels in the LA and Barstow, the only NXDN I'm aware of and monitor is the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and those channels are unencrypted. My BCD996P2 and a 325P2 work well for that.

 

[donc13]

Sorry, I misread that "no scanner" as "not this specific scanner", thank you for the clarification.

This is good information - for the sake of discussion can the Uniden I already have handle scrambled NXDN if I have the scramble code and the NXDN upgrade? Won't help me for this project, but I can keep it in mind for the future.

Fully understood which is why I was very clear to state I'm not asking how to get a key but that I already have it. How else would I have a key if I was not authorized? .

Depends on how you got the key. If you got it from a friend or from the system's radio engineer who got approval from the head of the system.

 

[FrensicPic]

Adding to my previous post about railroad and NXDN with the 325/996P2...
I am also able to copy 2 or 3 sites of the KABC-TV NXDN NEXEDGE 4800 system (So. Calif.) with these radios.

 

[MordyT]

Depends on how you got the key. If you got it from a friend or from the system's radio engineer who got approval from the head of the system.

Fair enough, I didn't account for people leaking encryption keys, although I have to wonder how many people have access to them. At least in TRBO systems I thought that once the key is saved to the radio it can't be retrieved from the radio, so really only people programming the radios would be able to leak them. And how many people programming radios would want to leak the keys already?

 

[JethrowJohnson]

Sorry, I misread that "no scanner" as "not this specific scanner", thank you for the clarification.

This is good information - for the sake of discussion can the Uniden I already have handle scrambled NXDN if I have the scramble code and the NXDN upgrade? Won't help me for this project, but I can keep it in mind for the future.

Fully understood which is why I was very clear to state I'm not asking how to get a key but that I already have it. How else would I have a key if I was not authorized? .

Okay. I was just making sure. There's people that have asked questions on here and they were confused about what encryption was and what the laws about it were.

 

[JethrowJohnson]

I actually didn't know that encryption keys wouldn't work with scanners. I guess the only way for it to work is to get a professional radio.