Encryption

Status
Not open for further replies.

bearcatrp

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Apr 11, 2005
Messages
2,497
Location
Land of 10,000 taxes
With Uniden introducing the new scanner, and our state going totally encrypted, makes you wonder if they know something we don’t. We thought scanners were dead when P25 came out. Took a little bit but scanners with P25 came out. Could it be an add on software like DMR that Uniden sells as an add on? The SD200 looks sweet, price a bit high, but still tempting. I’m on the fence whether to get a new scanner or receiver, or just stick with my 436 to see how things play out in the scanner world. What are you folks considering?
 

stmills

Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
1,108
Location
Twin Cites Area MN
The whole state is not going Encrypted- Twin Cities Metro Counties are- Along with some Aircare, and some specific non dispatch EMS channels, Fire is not making a move to encryption at this time. For Uniden to make a scanner capable of decryption they would have to address how the keys are only available to authorized parties.
 

johnmoe1

Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2012
Messages
369
Location
Dakota County, MN
Even on the most encrypted days, ~93% of metro ARMER* is not encrypted. I am sure some of that 7% would be very interesting to listen to**, but there is still tons of unencrypted audio.
encryption_39_months.png

* This comes from approximately the last 39 months of metro-ish ARMER as recorded by me. The darker line is a 7 day moving average. This is count of transmissions not seconds of audio. Patched audio is counted once for each patch. There are probably other errors, but I think the numbers are close enough.

** I miss talkgroup 170. That one was better than most tv shows.
 

rs989

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jul 15, 2017
Messages
21
Location
Fridley. MN
Thanks for posting this, I was going to give another scanner whirl with hopes it would be better for Anoka Simucast, it was fun while it lasted. I remember buying the first RS digital scanner when it came out, what a learning experience that was!

So rather than a new scanner I blew some $ on a RSPduo, should arrive this week, the $50 off pushed me over:) Just what I need is some other radio stuff!

make's sense to me, i work with the Anoka county radio shop doing the DF'ing and when i heard about the 800 coming i was sad, but then there was so much confusion that i new it would come one day. and your right dispatch left open i think would do more good than enc'd. i ve herd about times where cop's yell for help and someone hearing it came to help both police and medical. i think thatif theres a key to the enc in time some will show up. just my opion .
73's
sit

I purchased a RS PRO-96 and a PRO-2096 when they first cane out. They performed so bad on the Anoka County system it was so fruasting. The only system it did a decent was the Minneapolis / St. Paul City Center simulcast since both sites were a distnce apart. I was so bummed about the medicore performance and it suffered the sane fate on the other tower sites. I live just a few air miles from the Ivnhoe tower but was gettng hannered by a Blaine tower due to the approx. same signal strength. I was not the only person to recieve simulcast distortation from those junk scanners. I have sold the PRO-96 and in the process of selling the 2096. I have invested in Unidens that seem to better and hsd the radio shop progranm all my Astro radios which do a fantasted job. I have no intention of purchasing anymore Astro radios since encryption is starting to happen. The new Unidens that do I/Q decoding look nice and may just get one for the DMR traffic here in the Twin Cities. The Radio digital scanners just sucked and I never paid full price when RS had a coupon. I have enough Astro radios to last me through when more and more LE goes enc. It was strange to bring my 96 on the roof and get a good decode rate with no antenna installed. Both scanners did a good job on the Bloomining analog EDACS. With my Unidens and my XTS2500's, XTS3000, Astro Specra+, and my XTL5000 do a great job as they should.
 

citiot

ʇoᴉʇᴉɔ
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Feb 8, 2007
Messages
134
Worth it to upgrade from BC 396XT with the move to encryption? To SDS 100?

Also, anyone picking up Mystic Lake? Worth it to pay NXDN and the other modes on SDS 100?
 

bearcatrp

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Apr 11, 2005
Messages
2,497
Location
Land of 10,000 taxes
How much of the metro is encrypted? Was in Burnsville Saturday and mystic lake Sunday. Brought my Icom R30, which picks up P25 phase 1 great in St. Cloud area, but not getting much in these two areas. Can see there is chat going on but no sound. Could be interference from the hotels though.
 

stmills

Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
1,108
Location
Twin Cites Area MN
Currently dispatch other than North Aircare are not encrypted but plans are in place for Law Enforcement dispatch at most metro counties to move to encryption. Most investigation Talkgroups are encrypted, many department car to car channels have moved to encryption with more switching each month. City common channels are getting more use for police to fire Communications as Police c2c channels move to encryption.
 

citiot

ʇoᴉʇᴉɔ
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Feb 8, 2007
Messages
134
Time to write some letters to the various officials. Also, letters to local news papers might help a bit. I wrote a couple of polite emails already.

Dispatch and non-confidential, non-private information should be open.
 

stmills

Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
1,108
Location
Twin Cites Area MN
Hennepin Dispatch has now patched the current Law Mains to the New Encrypted Mains, field units are on both current and encrypted Mains. The days of Hennepin dispatch in the clear appear to be close to the end.
 

citiot

ʇoᴉʇᴉɔ
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Feb 8, 2007
Messages
134
Darn. Still might be some hope for non Hennepin areas. I wrote my local officials (city council, etc). Just took a moment of my time (one council person was not for it). Can't hurt of others do the same.

Interesting paragraph in the ARMER Doc

"..Operations The SECB has identified that the best practice is to not encrypt all law “main” traffic. It is recognized that there are circumstances which may dictate the use of encryption to provide for covert and /or tactical necessity. Local agencies maintain the ability to control their own talkgroups, but excessive use of encryption may create undue burdens for neighboring agencies or state units who have a need to know. The best practice is to develop local policy and share it with any other agencies that may be involved..."
 

AAFC

Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2012
Messages
136
Any word if/when Bloomington PD main Dispatch will go encrypted? It seems like my scanner that monitors Bloomington has been much quieter the last few days. I'm not sure if it's because encryption is blocking radio traffic, of if it's just really that slow around here lately?
 

citiot

ʇoᴉʇᴉɔ
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Feb 8, 2007
Messages
134
Any word if/when Bloomington PD main Dispatch will go encrypted? It seems like my scanner that monitors Bloomington has been much quieter the last few days. I'm not sure if it's because encryption is blocking radio traffic, of if it's just really that slow around here lately?
Awfully quiet. What towers you trying? I'm listening to City Center, N-S and Carver

EDIT: Just picked up a property damage call. The Bloomintonites are behaving well maybe?
 
Last edited:

citiot

ʇoᴉʇᴉɔ
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Feb 8, 2007
Messages
134
Getting stuff on Carver Simulcast. Talk group 10808. Never really understood how best to pick site. I put some sites in, turn on logging and see which ones are used for the talk groups.

Maybe Bloomington is using a different site?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top