Danville's NXDN System Encrypted?

[mymman]

Before I shell out big bucks for a new scanner, does Danville PD encrypt all or most of their transmissions? Almost all other city services are now NXDN - Fire and Rescue just switched, thus joining the Police. Even before the NXDN move, the PD could selectively scramble a few calls. That was rare. I have been listening the police since I got surplus receivers (not scanners) from WWII tanks back in the '50s.

I just got out of the hospital and want to resume my hobby. But $$$ stand in the way, especially if I cannot hear most of the local traffic. I have asked city government officials and members of the department. I don't think they understood the question.

I know if they are not encrypted today, that could change. I'm willing to take my chances on that.

Thank you,
A life-long Danville resident and supporter of law enforcement.

 

[ramblin82]

I'm can't say for sure if Danville Encrypts or not as I don't live there. However I can say I do not recommend the Whistler TRX scanner series as they don't follow the NXDN control channels. I recommend either the BCD536HP, BCD436HP, or the new SDS100 as they will actually trunk NXDN.

I regret selling my 536 so I could get the TRX-2, the TRX misses quite a few NXDN calls, even my discriminator tapped BC898T with DSDPlus does better than the TRX for NXDN. Good luck!

EDIT:
A cheap alternative to try before buying a scanner would be to get a SDR USB dongle & use it with DSDPlus. Both Nooelec & rtl-sdr branded ones work well & are cheap. You would need a desktop or laptop PC to run the software though.

 

[mymman]

Thinking Alike

The radio I have narrowed it down to is one you suggested: SDS100. As I understand it, NXDN is an added feature/cost. Thanks for the prompt reply. I still have my finger on the trigger hoping Danvlle is not one of the growing list of locales that encrypt.

Still holding my old PRO-106 and table-top big brother.

 

[BigLebowski]

I have not heard any encryption in use on the system although I would not be surprised if the capability is there for some or all talkgroups. Right now it all appears to be in the clear.

 

[W4UVV]

Keep on hoping

Before I shell out big bucks for a new scanner, does Danville PD encrypt all or most of their transmissions? Almost all other city services are now NXDN - Fire and Rescue just switched, thus joining the Police. Even before the NXDN move, the PD could selectively scramble a few calls. That was rare. I have been listening the police since I got surplus receivers (not scanners) from WWII tanks back in the '50s.

I just got out of the hospital and want to resume my hobby. But $$$ stand in the way, especially if I cannot hear most of the local traffic. I have asked city government officials and members of the department. I don't think they understood the question.

I know if they are not encrypted today, that could change. I'm willing to take my chances on that.

Thank you,
A life-long Danville resident and supporter of law enforcement.

----------------------
Keep on hoping. Danville was an early user of encryption. Its' various systems installer and maintainer was known for protecting his user's privacy wherever, whenever, and however possible.

John
W4UVV

 

[BigLebowski]

----------------------
Keep on hoping. Danville was an early user of encryption. Its' various systems installer and maintainer was known for protecting his user's privacy wherever, whenever, and however possible.

John
W4UVV

I didn’t know you could hear Danville and whether or not they are encrypted all the way up there....

 

[W4UVV]

You made a false assumption

I didn’t know you could hear Danville and whether or not they are encrypted all the way up there....

----------------
You made a false assumption. Read my post again. I never posted that I could monitor Danville. My sources are private. The reader either can accept or reject its' validity.

John
W4UVV

 

[BigLebowski]

----------------
You made a false assumption. Read my post again. I never posted that I could monitor Danville. My sources are private. The reader either can accept or reject its' validity.

John
W4UVV

No assumptions were made but your post makes it appear the system is encrypted, which it currently is not.

No better source than someone that actually monitors it.

 

[mymman]

When did ot begin?

----------------------
Keep on hoping. Danville was an early user of encryption. Its' various systems installer and maintainer was known for protecting his user's privacy wherever, whenever, and however possible.

John
W4UVV

You say Danville was "an early user of encryption". Do you mean since its recent switch to NXDN? Before that, very few PD transmissions were encrypted. Very few. In the last several years before the change there was none. I have monitored Danville PD since 1961.

In the last 60 days Fire, Rescue, Public Works and Utilities have also moved to NXDN. Do your sources say these groups are also encrypted? They were installed and are maintained by the same folks who handled PD's.

 

[mymman]

City Changes Story

The Danville City administration now tells me the PD calls ARE encrypted. Could those who have heard our local PD clearly maybe have been listening to the county?

 

[oneadam12-va]

Danville NXDN...

As of today February 7th, 2019. City PD so far is in the clear...there may be some encryption...

 

[djewel6]

That's gonna make things interesting for sure since Pittsylvania County is Standard Phase I/II trunking on 700mhz network.. More so an issue if Sq 20 (aka DLSC) gets sent into the county.. The good ole days they didn't need two radios as both County and City were VHF.. I know they've had to have dual radios for awhile since PittCo went to trunking (although there was a rumor that there was a patch channel they were going to use for DLSC so they didn't need expensive trunking radios for Mutual Aid). Now with NXDN in the city theyre stuck I guess.. DLSC doesn't run as much into the county as they used to (outside of the County Island covered by FS40 Riverbend) except occasionally as ALS backup if need be for the RS along the Hwy 58 Corridor (more so West side then East side of the county city line).. Of course Danville Fire is still the go to for a Regional Hazmat response so they will have to have some interop capability for DFD to respond into the county as well.. (I used to run in Pittsylvania Co 2 decades back and remember the big rollover to E-911 was interesting along with a unified county dispatch finally in late 96 into 97 timeframe..)

 

[oneadam12-va]

That's gonna make things interesting for sure since Pittsylvania County is Standard Phase I/II trunking on 700mhz network.. More so an issue if Sq 20 (aka DLSC) gets sent into the county.. The good ole days they didn't need two radios as both County and City were VHF.. I know they've had to have dual radios for awhile since PittCo went to trunking (although there was a rumor that there was a patch channel they were going to use for DLSC so they didn't need expensive trunking radios for Mutual Aid). Now with NXDN in the city theyre stuck I guess.. DLSC doesn't run as much into the county as they used to (outside of the County Island covered by FS40 Riverbend) except occasionally as ALS backup if need be for the RS along the Hwy 58 Corridor (more so West side then East side of the county city line).. Of course Danville Fire is still the go to for a Regional Hazmat response so they will have to have some interop capability for DFD to respond into the county as well.. (I used to run in Pittsylvania Co 2 decades back and remember the big rollover to E-911 was interesting along with a unified county dispatch finally in late 96 into 97 timeframe..)

Squad 20 is DMR...City is a mix of two different NXDN services....Squad 61 (Regional One) is no more in the city...but does cover part of the county since Altavista Squad 50 went out of business...Pittsylvania...well let's just say the radio system has not lived up to the expectations promised, resulting in the county bringing back the vhf paging frequency...there is a patch between Squad 20 and the County...and as far as the interop with the Regional HazMat Team...I believe some of that is handled by the State...

Back in the 90's, i was running with Station 14 Cheriton VFD in Northampton County when we went through the E-911 change...problem was with us there were no "real" road names for a lot of the little local roads. they had local names but not what appeared on maps...the E-911 commission went and renamed most if not all of the roads with little to no input from the VFD's in both eastern shore counties...thus there was confusion in responding to incidents...