Great Smokies N.P. encryption

[AlphaFive]

I encountered the first instance of encryption for any National Park Service in the W.N.C. area at 12:38 A.M. DST. 04/21/18, on 172.5000 NAC 4C5. Great Smokies National Park Mount Sterling site out of Haywood North Carolina. The signal strength was quite adequate, this was a case of intentional manipulation of the voice modulation (encryption). The transmission lasted 22 seconds. Also, prior to the voice modulation there was the sound of a control channel, or some kind of data transmission.

 

[INDY72]

OTAR blast data to set up the net for encryption. And I would get used to never hearing the Rangers ever again. From what I am told, ALL NPS LE is to go full time AES 256 Encryption.
GSM would make I believe the third to go if this is true. Natchez Trace was first. I would expect it on BRP soon too.

 

[AlphaFive]

otar

Thanks for that information regarding OTAR. I had never heard of that. Searched a little and found some information. Interesting.....

 

[INDY72]

No problem. I remember the first time I heard it used on the Natchez Trace, then nothing but encryption buzzing from the Rangers ever again. At least during most of the day.

 

[AlphaFive]

GSM

When I sat down this morning, I moved my search up to the next Fed band on my list. After you posted about OTAR, I decided to park both my TRX 2 and my 536, on 172.5000. That was around ten. So in the last twenty minutes, there have probably been 15 transmissions received. Every one was nothing but a buzz that resembles a data transmission. Hopefully someone farther west than Asheville might be able to get a clearer shot at it than me..

 

[AlphaFive]

GSM

Nothing but buzzing. I am pulling the plug on this one, T.O.D. 10:32 A.M.

 

[DHAS12]

Wow the NPS is going encrypted also??? I wonder when I can expect Lake Mead and Grand Canyon NP to go encrypted as I listen to them often. Though lake Mead is not fully switched over to p25 yet a new vhf p25 trunking system has popped up near Lake Mead in the federal vhf band.

 

[AlphaFive]

GSM

As far as Great Smokies N.P. They have several frequencies. I am so far east of them, 172.5000 is the closest site to me. I would have to say, It's going to take several days of hitting 172.5000 to see if this is a permanent deal. I receive Pisgah National Forest, it surrounds me, along with the Blue Ridge Parkway, they are still behaving normally. So, lets hope this is an anomaly... Take care way out there in Arizona

 

[INDY72]

GSMNP is mostly a linked park wide repeater system with a couple of stand alone repeaters, and simplex freqs. So if your getting encryption on one of the linked ones, that means its on all of them park wide. You will need to run them as OFT if your scanner can do this to see if all users (Maintenance as well as Fire and Rangrs) are running encryption. Blue Ridge Parkway wont be too far behind as they are in the same districts of the NPS. USFS rarely has any encryption, although the Rangers have been noted to use it occasionally. *I have personally verified use on analog conventional in MS and that was many years before P25 was even a dream in APCO minds.*

 

[AlphaFive]

GSM

That is a good idea, I will set it up today OFT and run it. I will likely not be a good test rat though. In six years of searching this band, I have only logged 169.5500, and 172.5000 for GSM. I'm too far away. But I will give it a shot....

 

[AlphaFive]

GSM

Here is how I decided to set this up, if someone has a better idea, I'm all ears. I used my BCD 536..
I opened a new separate Favorites list
System 3 in the list was set up as a conventional FM system for the 12 freq's listed as FM
System 2 in the list was set up as a conventional NFM system for the 12 freq's listed as NFM
System 1 in the list was set up as a P 25 one frequency system for the 12 freq's listed as NFM
I will certainly post something if and when I pick up more information...

 

[INDY72]

Here is how I decided to set this up, if someone has a better idea, I'm all ears. I used my BCD 536..
I opened a new separate Favorites list
System 3 in the list was set up as a conventional FM system for the 12 freq's listed as FM
System 2 in the list was set up as a conventional NFM system for the 12 freq's listed as NFM
System 1 in the list was set up as a P 25 one frequency system for the 12 freq's listed as NFM
I will certainly post something if and when I pick up more information...

If you run ProSCAN, use it to log it all for a while and then look over the logs for whats going on.

 

[AlphaFive]

GSM

I have the ARC 536 running on my 536, recording set up.
And just because... I went ahead and set up as similar a system as is possible on my TRX 2. I am running the "control demo" on that, recording set up. We'll see

 

[Experiment626]

I just heard some voice traffic on 169.550 and 172.500, it's all in the clear right now.

I listen to the GSM NPS system quite a bit, more specifically, 172.500 and 169.550.

They have been using encryption on and off for several years now. It seems to be pretty random though.

 

[INDY72]

Then a sub needs put in to state partial encryption is in use park wide by Rangers so it can be noted in the DB. Then it would not be a shock if it is heard/observed in use.

 

[Experiment626]

Then a sub needs put in to state partial encryption is in use park wide by Rangers so it can be noted in the DB. Then it would not be a shock if it is heard/observed in use.

Sound good, I'll go ahead and submit that info.

 

[INDY72]

TN Listings fixed. NC fed listing is not my area.

 

[Experiment626]

Good deal. I also submitted this info to the NC database.

 

[AlphaFive]

GSM

It has been a very short time, but the results are so far consistent. On the TRX 2, 172.5000 is very busy, all of the transmissions are encrypted voice modulation. The are combinations of the buzz, and voice. I would add, I had forgotten about the relationship of the 536 with encryption. I am glad I hooked up the TRX 2... No other frequency for me than 172.5000. I will give this the rest of the day now.

 

[Experiment626]

It has been a very short time, but the results are so far consistent. On the TRX 2, 172.5000 is very busy, all of the transmissions are encrypted voice modulation. The are combinations of the buzz, and voice. I would add, I had forgotten about the relationship of the 536 with encryption. I am glad I hooked up the TRX 2... No other frequency for me than 172.5000. I will give this the rest of the day now.

That's interesting, I'm hearing them just fine. I am also hearing those data bursts you mentioned. Are you sure it's not just a weak signal issue?