CG Digital and Encryption

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radioguru6613

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I've started to hear a lot of digital CG comms on their nets and also started to hear a lot of encrypted traffic sometimes half clear and half scrambled. If all of their channels are simplex where do they otar don't you need repeaters for that? Curious...
 

kb2vxa

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No also about it, when you hear digital it is digital encryption. They're using it more and more so I expect sooner or later all internal communications will be so. If they needed repeaters their radio systems would be useless, where are you going to put repeaters in the ocean? Actually they do use "repeaters", occasionally I hear boats relaying traffic to those out of range, otherwise long haul is done on HF.
 

ecps92

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OTAR = Over the Air Reprogramming. Why would they need to Reprogram at Sea? Hell if the Encry/Key goes bad, don't use it. Hear it all the time in Sector Boston, until they get back into Port to Re-Key. And all P25

PS what Channels / NAC and Stations are you hearing... Add them to the CG WIKI

I've started to hear a lot of digital CG comms on their nets and also started to hear a lot of encrypted traffic sometimes half clear and half scrambled. If all of their channels are simplex where do they otar don't you need repeaters for that? Curious...
 

radioguru6613

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OTAR = Over the Air Reprogramming. Why would they need to Reprogram at Sea? Hell if the Encry/Key goes bad, don't use it. Hear it all the time in Sector Boston, until they get back into Port to Re-Key. And all P25

PS what Channels / NAC and Stations are you hearing... Add them to the CG WIKI

The one I've been hearing a lot is 121 (163.3125) some clear and some encrypted but what I was trying to figure out is since all their channels are not repeated how then do they do their re-keys? You need repeaters for that.
 

INDY72

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They may have onboard low power repeaters. USN has full TRS's on some of thier vessels. Since USCG is licensed thru NTIA, not the FCC, we dont have full access to what type of radio system is in use where. For all we know on the big cutters, there may be portable repeaters/extenders etc...
 

hill

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The CG does use repeaters for OPS in many parts of the USA. We all know that repeaters don't work in middle of the ocean. Repeaters do work and are used by CG law enforcement or marine inspections in the ports in this Nation.

Yes cutters and aircraft use HF, but when was the last you saw a 25' safeboat with HF.
 

sflmonitor

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I've started to hear a lot of digital CG comms on their nets and also started to hear a lot of encrypted traffic sometimes half clear and half scrambled. If all of their channels are simplex where do they otar don't you need repeaters for that? Curious...
Technically speaking, you don't need a repeater to OTAR, however I don't know of any system that uses simplex for OTAR.

Last I heard, CG was not rekeying thru OTAR. They were physically rekeying radios with KVLs. This info is prior to the CG Rescue 21 implementation so it may have changed since then.
 

Mbk127k

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Technically speaking, you don't need a repeater to OTAR, however I don't know of any system that uses simplex for OTAR.

Last I heard, CG was not rekeying thru OTAR. They were physically rekeying radios with KVLs. This info is prior to the CG Rescue 21 implementation so it may have changed since then.


I actually seen something when i was doing a google search and came upon that the Coast Guard will be using U.S. Custom's radio system for OTAR it said it in a few websites. When i have time i'll post the links i seen them at. From one site quotes "Customs was the first agency outside of DOD to extensively deploy OTAR technology."
 
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