Central Alberta Ham Capacity Plus Multi-site DMR System

[AlbertaHam]

I'd like to share our Motorola Capacity Plus Multi-site ham radio system with the community in central Alberta. It's fully encrypted and we encourage others with compatible radios to participate.

Site list:

Red Deer County
Site 1 (Timeslots 1/2)
TX: 444.4625
RX: 449.4625
Color Code: 1

Olds
Site 3 (Timeslots 1/2)
TX: 444.5125
RX: 449.5125
Color Code: 3

Red Deer County
Site 5
TX: 145.690
RX: 147.465
Color Code: 5

Olds
Site 6
TX: 145.790
RX: 147.405
Color Code: 6

Stettler County
Site 7
TX: 145.730
RX: 147.555
Color Code: 7


Talkgroups:

51: Red Deer 1 EDP (Key ID 122)
52: Red Deer 2 AES (Key ID 152)
53: Red Deer 3 AES (Key ID 152)
61: Olds 1 EDP (Key ID 123)
62: Olds 2 AES (Key ID 153)
63: Olds 3 AES (Key ID 153)
71: Stettler 1 EDP (Key ID 125)
72: Stettler 2 AES (Key ID 155)
73: Stettler 3 AES (Key ID 155)
171: Wide-area EDP 1 (Key ID 121)
172: Wide-area EDP 2 (Key ID 121)
173: Wide-area EDP 3 (Key ID 121)
174: Wide-area EDP 4 (Key ID 121)
180: System-Wide Calling (Key ID 121)
181: Wide-area AES 1 (Key ID 151)
182: Wide-area AES 2 (Key ID 151)
183: Wide-area AES 3 (Key ID 151)
184: Wide-area AES 4 (Key ID 151)
185: North TAC 1 EDP (Key ID 122)
186: North TAC 2 AES (Key ID 152)
187: North TAC 3 AES (Key ID 152)
188: West TAC 1 EDP (Key ID 123)
189: West TAC 2 AES (Key ID 153)
190: West TAC 3 AES (Key ID 153)
191: South TAC 1 EDP (Key ID 124)
192: South TAC 2 AES (Key ID 154)
193: South TAC 3 AES (Key ID 154)
194: East TAC 1 EDP (Key ID 125)
195: East TAC 2 AES (Key ID 155)
196: East TAC 3 AES (Key ID 155)
197: External Patch 1 EDP (Key ID 126) [AFRRCS fire department dispatch scan patched to all sites]
198: External PATCH 2 AES (Key ID 156)
199: ALL CALL (Key ID 121)

Access/Encryption Keys:

Restricted Access to System (RAS) Key: 1F3C498254D30A1A8F5A104A

Voice/Data Encryption Keys:

(Key, Key ID, Desc.)

2D4763020E455933D5E5CE3FA2B0388BC1FE805D82E02ADE5553B7EF4F20FC10 150 "Data AES"
C1C25B756BDA9B517D8D43AD3C2F32ACD0CB6FF716D3E176896DF0FA9E737B64 151 "System Wide AES"
80E701B1E7C6EAF57780C71DCD84A89189BE7F7D1B3A88AB15269AAD0EC4DB81 152 "North TAC AES"
4A62679ACFDA812DB2990E71E06B0F89AFBD565AE19A1F45BA0743CB7C9582F3 153 "West TAC AES"
323A17EFC597BFEED4F02B4C13CA21E11F9AB09509150ACE77DD3BC30F415FF3 154 "South TAC AES"
02B42AD3D300611A4A3428FF564444530D097B0E90B99FC7D4701BD53F6307DB 155 "East TAC AES"
2B33846E094D0B23090175F29337D5A1FEAC9AF4ED57E8C52087391A417B4181 156 "External Patch AES"

71AEEC2D0A 120 "Data EDP"
9D99D1E07E 121 "System Wide EDP"
F02B09B1AA 122 "North TAC EDP"
0E3DFE7F12 123 "West TAC EDP"
EC1709ED51 124 "South TAC EDP"
E766FEB767 125 "East TAC EDP"
7F9D6530D9 126 "External Patch EDP"

Radio IDs:

Please use a Radio ID in the range of 61000-61999.



The system is open to all. We look forward to other hams participating. Please use talkgroup 180 to make your CQ, then QSY to one of the Wide-area Talkgroups to have QSO. The other talkgroups are used for local conversation and future region/area clusters. There are a mix of Motorola XPR4550, XPR5550 and XPR7550 radios on our network, which is why we have separate EDP and AES talkgroups.

Trunking, digital and encryption are the future of ham radio. We look forward to finding more like minded people to join our network!

 

[BC_Scan]

Why reinventing the wheel here? Restricting access with codes published, why in God's name ? esp Ham Radio ?
Perhaps if this is a good ol' boys white club ? Dunno just saying, after all yer in Alberta eh ?
Curious as to the rationale of ENC. Is the future of HAM ?

 

[DeoVindice]

Curious as to the rationale of ENC. Is the future of HAM ?

In the US, 47 CFR Part 97 establishes the following as some of the fundamental purposes of the amateur service:

(b) Continuation and extension of the amateur's proven ability to contribute to the advancement of the radio art.

(d) Expansion of the existing reservoir within the amateur radio service of trained operators, technicians, and electronics experts.

The "radio art" has advanced to largely include digital and encrypted systems, which are often trunked for better spectral efficiency. Hams who build and operate similar systems have the opportunity to develop skills and applications that are actually relevant outside of the hobby. As it stands, much of amateur radio is technically obsolete/irrelevant, especially on VHF/UHF. There's no excuse for passing traffic messages verbally when error-corrected data modes and native CAI IP data exist. Interference is partially mitigated by a system that will roll control channels when an illegal carrier is detected. LLA and RAS can control unauthorized access. The list goes on.

 

[awstott]

Last I looked Alberta wasn't anywhere close to being under FCC jurisdiction so why are you quoting FCC rules?

 

[kayn1n32008]

In the US, 47 CFR Part 97 establishes the following as some of the fundamental purposes of the amateur service:

(b) Continuation and extension of the amateur's proven ability to contribute to the advancement of the radio art.

(d) Expansion of the existing reservoir within the amateur radio service of trained operators, technicians, and electronics experts.

The "radio art" has advanced to largely include digital and encrypted systems, which are often trunked for better spectral efficiency. Hams who build and operate similar systems have the opportunity to develop skills and applications that are actually relevant outside of the hobby. As it stands, much of amateur radio is technically obsolete/irrelevant, especially on VHF/UHF. There's no excuse for passing traffic messages verbally when error-corrected data modes and native CAI IP data exist. Interference is partially mitigated by a system that will roll control channels when an illegal carrier is detected. LLA and RAS can control unauthorized access. The list goes on.

Title 47 and Part 97 do not have any relevance where this network is.

 

[DeoVindice]

Last I looked Alberta wasn't anywhere close to being under FCC jurisdiction so why are you quoting FCC rules?

That's why I specified "in the US". It's an establishment of the intent of the amateur service and is only coincidentally part of Part 97. Concepts like that can cross borders.

 

[va6xj]

They could cross borders, but is it in a ISED RSS document?

 

[AlbertaHam]

Curious as to the rational of ENC, is the future of HAM ?

Hams should be willing to learn and embrace modern technology. All modern radio systems are digital and/or using encryption. There is a profound lack of qualified personnel who service commercial and public-safety radio systems. A good place to find persons who have an interest in radio/electronics, would be suitable persons from within the amateur radio community. A very small percentage...

We have nothing to hide. If the encryption keys suddenly change and are not published, then yes, there definitely be something improper going on.

 

[beeperboy]

There is a lot wrong with this. Encryption is not allowed on Canadian amateur radio.

 

[va6xj]

I am curious about this. I thought that if the keys are made public, then encryption is allowed.

I've been hunting RSS documents and haven't found anything about linking other services for RX purposes, beyond public broadcast. Which might make AEA across ham repeaters illegal as well.

But then again, who is enforcing the rules if they are applicable. ISED? They don't have enough resources to effectively enforce interference issues on paid spectrum, not yet dealing with ham radio issues.

 

[AlbertaHam]

There is a lot wrong with this. Encryption is not allowed on Canadian amateur radio.

Encryption IS allowed on the Amateur Radio Service. You need to quote relevant Acts or Regulations before misinforming the masses.

https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/PDF/SOR-96-484.pdf

47 A person who operates radio apparatus in the amateur radio service may only:

b) use a code or cipher that is not secret;

If the Act had intended to prohibit encryption it would have stated you may not use a code or cipher. They made an exception in their wording by stating "that is not secret". It is no longer a secret (code or cipher) when the code or cipher is shared with others who are authorized to participate in the amateur radio service, or conduct spectrum management operations (i.e. a radio inspector).

Also to be noted, is the fact it does not state there is any requirement to publish the code or cipher on the internet, or elsewhere. The code or cipher becomes "not secret", as soon as it is divulged to authorized/qualified persons. An authorized/qualified person is not a scanner user, as a scanner user is not authorized to operate amateur radio apparatus. So tough luck if your scanner can't eavesdrop on people.

However, since ISED seems to be satisfied with collecting massive licensing revenues from wireless service providers, and doing ZERO spectrum enforcement (even when those service providers have paid BILLIONS OF DOLLARS for the rights to use exclusive spectrum are being interfered with by Wireless Internet Service Provider pirates), you can't expect them to get off their arses to go play kilocycle cop for the local ham crybabies who feel entitled to free radio spectrum and attempt to justify their use of said radio spectrum by pretending to associate themselves with emergency or disaster relief agencies.

Hams need to do something meaningful and progressive, besides put up analog carrier squelch garbage with talking repeater controllers, which usually have profound ground loop audio buzzing/problems.

Anything progressive and interesting always seems to attract thumbs down and troll comments from scanner dweebs and OF ham monsters.

 

[mciupa]

Since this is a scanner focused forum and the post author has made his biases known, I think I'll stick a fork in it and say we're done.