i think i know the answer but i ask anyway

[swstow]

i have been tasked to write a scanner program for a local citys admin / my question is this, some of the channels are encripted, they will be using the new 996xts, if the gave me the encripted info can it be installed in the scanner and make those channels listenable, they are on a rebaned 800 digital system
they have radio tech on staff so getting the info will be easy, just wondering if it was possible


btw thanks upman your idea worked great for my other problem

 

[dracer777]

Wirelessly posted (MOT-QA30/00.72 UP.Browser/7.2.7.5.610 (GUI) MMP/2.0)

I strongly believe it is not possible. In no way were these scanners designed to decrypt anything.

 

[N8IAA]

i have been tasked to write a scanner program for a local citys admin / my question is this, some of the channels are encripted, they will be using the new 996xts, if the gave me the encripted info can it be installed in the scanner and make those channels listenable, they are on a rebaned 800 digital system
they have radio tech on staff so getting the info will be easy, just wondering if it was possible


btw thanks upman your idea worked great for my other problem

The answer is no. There isn't a scanner made to decrypt the signal.
Larry

 

[swstow]

this make me wonder if the scanner companys could team with the radio manufactors and write a program for that purpose like mine where a city is buying scanners and want to listen to every thing on their citys / county system/ o well thanks for the replies i will enter what works and leave out the encripted

 

[JoeyC]

this make me wonder if the scanner companys could team with the radio manufactors and write a program for that purpose like mine where a city is buying scanners and want to listen to every thing on their citys / county system/ o well thanks for the replies i will enter what works and leave out the encripted

NEVER gonna happen. ILLEGAL!

 

[rdale]

NEVER gonna happen. ILLEGAL!

You didn't understand his question... He's asking if scanner companies can ever develop a scanner that allows users to enter their authorized decryption key. There is nothing illegal about it, but the market is so incredibly small that it's not worthwhile.

 

[scannerboy65301]

why dont they just throw in a extra radio for the city employees? And here in my area they are very careful who gets the encrypted traffic and who doesn't. I think the only non LEO officials in my county that hear encrypted traffic are the mayor and the 3 county commissioners. Some officers and deputies don't even have listening capabilities. Also if you are on a ride along with the county or city you have to sign a waiver especially for encrypted radio traffic saying you won't twitter what is being said to all your friends or w/e the case may be. Now I have heard that some news networks in major cities are leased a radio or two and some of them have encryption which is scary. Anyways I think you should just have them get radios for those individuals that need them. More cost but hey problem solved!!

 

[swstow]

i think their reason behind the scanners is that the cost,about a third of buying extra units, most are going to ride on a desk a few are being installed.I know that the list for programming was to match the radio system, i just have to leave some talkgroups out.

i agree rdale it would be a small demand for such a scanner but i cant see a simple firmware/software change costing much and could open up scanners more to public safety market, the company i work with sell and install more scanners to the public safety professionals ( new vehicals builds ) than to the general public

 

[SkipSanders]

You aren't talking a 'simple firmware change', you're talking additional electronics (the decoding chips), and licensing the desired system (which the companies who own the various encryption modes will not do for a scanner maker anyway).

The costs to add P25 are not insignificant, there are licensing fees there, as well.

The encryption owning companies will just tell you to buy proper commercial radios, and they would cost you a lot less than the immense fees to have custom made modified scanners made.

 

[jrholm]

What kind of radios are they using already? Most modern radios used (at least within law enforcement) are capable of scanning also so it would just be a matter of programing those radios correctly.

 

[N4DES]

An added in secure board is around $600 for one that does DES XL/OFB in a radio (as an example), so that combined with the cost of a digital scanner would put it up over $1,000. This won't happen for such a small market.

Also there would be a need to actually key-load it. An agency isn't just going to write the key on a piece of paper and hand it to someone to put it into a scanner program.

Either way it is never going to happen. The OP will need to have the agency issue a real radio with secure and keyloaded properly.

 

[SCPD]

i have been tasked to write a scanner program for a local citys admin / my question is this, some of the channels are encripted, they will be using the new 996xts, if the gave me the encyipted info can it be installed in the scanner and make those channels listenable, they are on a rebaned 800 digital system
they have radio tech on staff so getting the info will be easy, just wondering if it was possible


btw thanks upman your idea worked great for my other problem

With all the scanner programs out there already, why reinvent the wheel? Surely it is going to cost your city more for you to write one program then it would be to buy legal copies of something already being marketed.

As for decryption, it takes more than just scanner makers adding a feature to enter your key. It would take radio manufacturers to release the technology to scanner manufacturers and that is something that they just aren't willing to do. Call it asset protection.

As I respond to this message, I can't help but think it's a troll attempt, just my two-cents worth.

 

[DaveNF2G]

Another possibility is that the "city officials" in question have had the wool pulled over their eyes about "secure" communications by the vendor reps and the system is not actually encrypted in the first place.

A local police chief was convinced (by the vendor and the already-fooled city government) that his agency had an unmonitorable digital system. It was EDACS trunked, with no digital groups enabled.

 

[rdale]

A local agency I deal with was told by a state agency that installed a state system that APCO P25 was technically encrypted, so they should leave their system and come to the state's because nobody could ever hear them. Oops.

 

[N_Jay]

this make me wonder if the scanner companies could team with the radio manufacturers and write a program for that purpose like mine where a city is buying scanners and want to listen to every thing on their city's / county system/ o well thanks for the replies i will enter what works and leave out the encrypted

Nope, because they would have ti add enough processing power, and then they would not want to because they would have no way of controlling a receiver only.
Beside the market would be so small it would end up being as expensive as a radio.

 

[swstow]

ok what in the hell did i start i was hoping for a yes or no answer, i have been writing scanner programs for years but never gave that question much thought, thanks for all the replies, i was just wanted to give my clients the most for their money

 

[wlmr]

ok what in the hell did i start i was hoping for a yes or no answer, i have been writing scanner programs for years but never gave that question much thought, thanks for all the replies, i was just wanted to give my clients the most for their money

You've already been given the correct answer about scanners, radios, and encryption.

Here's something to think on. If the powers that be want to make this radio traffic scannable, why can't they just not encrypt it? Either the voice traffic isn't sensitive and doesn't need encryption or it is sensitive and shouldn't be shared.