Federal/ATF/Secret Servcice

[ecps92]

Might those "TACs" actually be the labeled name for the Zones ?

Met with my buddy on the USSS today and he got his new car last week. He was in the area so I met up with him. He showed me the set up. Mot. 8550 with handheld mic with controls for lights and siren. In trunk was radio "gear" that had a 100w VHF, rest were regular mounts. In glove compartment was LTE radio with mic drilled out the back sitting on seat. No name. Mic had screen and buttons. 3 TACS. 1} new england wide secured (yes screen was green) 2} "greater" new england not secured (red background on mic screen) and 3} nationwide (unsecured). He is NOT on a protection detail except when "anyone" is in "town". On bank unit. They use LTE cause VHF not reliable in NH and Maine. Says only 10-15 guys have the radios and they only use really to talk to base in Boston. The Mot 8550 has the new triband antenna which is awesum. Compact and nice design.
He said the protection units have Sat. comms in comm. vehicles and their is a bank of motorola portables in suburban to hand out if needed.
One question which he didn't know answer to was the reason for 2 VHF antennas on Presidential and VP Limos. Knows one is for mot. radio on passenger side up front. In limo, tail suburbans (almost every vehicle in motorcade) but why the other one????? He did say it goes back as far as JFK's limo.
Any ideas??

 

[Firefox10]

Good question. He referred to them as TACs. Sounded like a basic system to me to talk between agent to base or agent to agent he said. Was def LTE, no antenna.
Motorola Triband, wired direct into 8500

 

[P25andstuff]

So basically it sounds like he has an APX8500 with an 03 Control head and an undercover antenna, very common practice for 3 letter agencies. But this "LTE" thing you're talking about is intriguing me, Are you sure its not an 03 head and he showed you different zones?

 

[INDY72]

So basically it sounds like he has an APX8500 with an 03 Control head and an undercover antenna, very common practice for 3 letter agencies. But this "LTE" thing you're talking about is intriguing me, Are you sure its not an 03 head and he showed you different zones?
View attachment 109392

FirstNet LTE linked to the LMR network. Why not? We have it directly linked to our TRS cores. Yes, FirstNet is directly part of the SAFE-T TRS, and has been for many months now. IPSC is constantly doing training on the LMR - LTE integration. With the integrated system, that agent can talk to who he needs to without having to be in the usual "LOS" of a repeater etc... His comms can be sent over the Cellular LTE network etc. Not to mention SMS etc can be done on the radio or his phone. Yes, rely on the LMR first always, but it is cool to have layers of backups. We mainly will be using LTE for data for the statewide Incident Management and Reporting System, and so on,... But if needed, we can use voice on it too.

 

[Wilrobnson]

Right? My work radio (we moved to Harris portables) has an LTE board, and we *finally* got the SIM cards installed for the exact same thing. Of course, the issued work phone also runs Firstnet PTTOC that's integrated into 2 TGIDs on the backend, but I nearly never use it.

I use Zello more than any of the above, TBH.

 

[BigLebowski]

Zello is used heavily by most I think.

I too am intrigued by this hard-mounted LTE device. Doesn't sound like anything I've seen.

 

[INDY72]

Zello is used heavily by most I think.

I too am intrigued by this hard-mounted LTE device. Doesn't sound like anything I've seen.

APX radios are LTE and LMR. All it takes is setting them up. APX NEXT even more so.

 

[BigLebowski]

APX radios are LTE and LMR. All it takes is setting them up. APX NEXT even more so.

I'm aware.. what he is describing is not that.

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

Zello is used heavily by most I think.

I too am intrigued by this hard-mounted LTE device. Doesn't sound like anything I've seen.

Could be a First Net trial?

 

[PrivatelyJeff]

Zello is used heavily by most I think.

I too am intrigued by this hard-mounted LTE device. Doesn't sound like anything I've seen.

They are LTE android “radios” out there you can buy on Amazon so I imagine the government has something similar (but higher quality) available to them.

 

[Ravenfalls]

This picture was taken outside the New Executive Office Building on 17th Street during my DC trip last week. Notice the thick base on the whip antenna in the rear. I saw no other antennas on the vehicle.View attachment 109290

Browning BR137 Antenna. Very good quality with a spring.

 

[Ravenfalls]

Tango Tango vs FirstNet & Zello

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

Tango Tango vs FirstNet & Zello

Appeals to BaoFeng departments..

 

[n3obl]

Browning BR137 Antenna. Very good quality with a spring.

Feds are sure NOT putting browning on their vehicles.

 

[Ravenfalls]

Feds are sure NOT putting browning on their vehicles.

Link

3 of the 7 antenna on my vehicle are Browning. That is a Tram Browning on that vehicle.

 

[Firefox10]

As you can see on the USSS marked SUV above, that is the antenna thats on this agents trunk. Yes that the hand held MIC I was referring to. The siren & light package in the trunk is controlled by the Q3. His horn button also can be switched from horn to manual siren or change tones when siren is on wail.
This other radio is a LTE radio. Small, in glove compartment with a mic that has buttons and a small display. Has a double beep noise when PTT is pressed.

 

[Cameron314]

Motorola AN000131A01

 

[Firefox10]

Thats the antenna on his trunk for 8500

 

[P25andstuff]

As you can see on the USSS marked SUV above, that is the antenna thats on this agents trunk. Yes that the hand held MIC I was referring to. The siren & light package in the trunk is controlled by the Q3. His horn button also can be switched from horn to manual siren or change tones when siren is on wail.
This other radio is a LTE radio. Small, in glove compartment with a mic that has buttons and a small display. Has a double beep noise when PTT is pressed.

Im intrigued, though its something I'll most likely never find the answer too. Did it have a brand on it?

 

[Firefox10]

Whereas everything was Motorola (except for LTE radio), I presume it was Motorola. Why would the feds save a couple bucks to use a generic one? I saws to day the same exact antenna on new MBTA patrol SUV in Boston. They used to have highband (subways/trains) UHF (contact Boston Police & Fire) and 800 cause they have a talk group on the State 800 system. On new SUVs, only one antenna and thats it.