My posting here concerns whether I’m observing the use of encryption in Miami County or experiencing another issue. And more broadly, I’m curious as to how encryption is observed on Uniden scanners.
Miami County law enforcement/fire/EMS agencies use the MARCS-IP Project 25 Phase 1 system for virtually all of their communications. Although at times simulcast digital distortion radio detection issues are present here, I do not believe this was a factor in the situations I describe below.
I’m using both BCD536HPs and BCD996P2s. All have been updated to the latest firmware. Typically, I prefer the screen modes on each that provide UIDs. Given the current arrangement of my scanner bank and where I typically am in my home, it is not convenient for me to view the scanner screens a majority of the time. As with many of you, I’ve been doing this long enough that I typically recognize various agency voices and radio practices, so viewing the screen is normally not critical. This serves to complicate me answering, for myself, the questions I’m posing here.
Recently an incident occurred within the county in Tipp City that I was following very closely. All PD units were eventually directed, in the clear, to switch from the county’s primary dispatch channel (DEC 34026) to the Tipp City PD Command Channel (DEC 34017). This command channel is not shown in the RR database as an encrypted channel.
I immediately noticed that the 536HPs were finding nothing on the command channel while scanning, but the 996P2s would “trip” for a moment on the command channel and then resume scanning. I eventually placed the 996P2s on hold on the command channel, and I then observed multiple UIDs, as though a conversation was in progress between at least two city units, although I was hearing no audio. These UIDs came and went intermittently over the next several minutes on the 996P2s. I never locked the HP536s onto the command channel.
Very recently, by chance, I noticed my 996P2s tripping on the county’s backup law enforcement channel. I quickly locked on the channel and briefly observed three UIDs in an alternating pattern - what appeared to be dispatch and two county units.
In reviewing the factory manuals, the simplified manuals at marksscanners.com, and various RR forum postings, it appears that both models of scanners will show an “ENC” icon when voice encryption is detected, and depending upon the system in use and the scanner model, the audio may or may not be muted. It is unclear to me from what I’ve been able to find if the “ENC” icon will show on all screen modes on both models of scanners. I do not recall observing the “ENC” icon in either instance I described above, quite frankly because I did not realize (or had forgotten) that the scanners would display this icon. Suffice to say, if and when I find similar situations in the future, I’ll be watching for it.
So, am I seeing evidence of encryption in use, given what I’ve described? Further, for those of you reading this that are familiar with Miami County communications, are you finding encrypted communications in the county, and are they on channels other than those specified as encrypted in the RR database? For those using 536HPs and/or 996Ps to monitor Miami County or other MARCS-IP agencies throughout the state, do you typically see an “ENC” icon on one or all of the 536HP and 996P2 screens during known encrypted communications, and is there any type of audio at all?
If what I’ve described does not seem to indicate encryption, does anyone care to guess as to why my 996P2s are tripping, and when locked, why various UIDs show for temporary periods of indeterminant length?
Miami County law enforcement/fire/EMS agencies use the MARCS-IP Project 25 Phase 1 system for virtually all of their communications. Although at times simulcast digital distortion radio detection issues are present here, I do not believe this was a factor in the situations I describe below.
I’m using both BCD536HPs and BCD996P2s. All have been updated to the latest firmware. Typically, I prefer the screen modes on each that provide UIDs. Given the current arrangement of my scanner bank and where I typically am in my home, it is not convenient for me to view the scanner screens a majority of the time. As with many of you, I’ve been doing this long enough that I typically recognize various agency voices and radio practices, so viewing the screen is normally not critical. This serves to complicate me answering, for myself, the questions I’m posing here.
Recently an incident occurred within the county in Tipp City that I was following very closely. All PD units were eventually directed, in the clear, to switch from the county’s primary dispatch channel (DEC 34026) to the Tipp City PD Command Channel (DEC 34017). This command channel is not shown in the RR database as an encrypted channel.
I immediately noticed that the 536HPs were finding nothing on the command channel while scanning, but the 996P2s would “trip” for a moment on the command channel and then resume scanning. I eventually placed the 996P2s on hold on the command channel, and I then observed multiple UIDs, as though a conversation was in progress between at least two city units, although I was hearing no audio. These UIDs came and went intermittently over the next several minutes on the 996P2s. I never locked the HP536s onto the command channel.
Very recently, by chance, I noticed my 996P2s tripping on the county’s backup law enforcement channel. I quickly locked on the channel and briefly observed three UIDs in an alternating pattern - what appeared to be dispatch and two county units.
In reviewing the factory manuals, the simplified manuals at marksscanners.com, and various RR forum postings, it appears that both models of scanners will show an “ENC” icon when voice encryption is detected, and depending upon the system in use and the scanner model, the audio may or may not be muted. It is unclear to me from what I’ve been able to find if the “ENC” icon will show on all screen modes on both models of scanners. I do not recall observing the “ENC” icon in either instance I described above, quite frankly because I did not realize (or had forgotten) that the scanners would display this icon. Suffice to say, if and when I find similar situations in the future, I’ll be watching for it.
So, am I seeing evidence of encryption in use, given what I’ve described? Further, for those of you reading this that are familiar with Miami County communications, are you finding encrypted communications in the county, and are they on channels other than those specified as encrypted in the RR database? For those using 536HPs and/or 996Ps to monitor Miami County or other MARCS-IP agencies throughout the state, do you typically see an “ENC” icon on one or all of the 536HP and 996P2 screens during known encrypted communications, and is there any type of audio at all?
If what I’ve described does not seem to indicate encryption, does anyone care to guess as to why my 996P2s are tripping, and when locked, why various UIDs show for temporary periods of indeterminant length?
