Mobile Data Computer question

[smw87110]

I have a question for you experts. I know that MDC (the mobile computers in police and some fire/ems vehicles) data is transmitted over the radio. How do you find out what frequencies are used for this transmission, and is there any programs out there that can decode the information sent? I would assume this is legal if the data is not encrypted, just transmitted digitally. Thanks in advance.

 

[SAR923]

Most MDC's use data transmitted in either the 800 MHz band or the 1900 MHz band. In the early days of MDT's the data stream was sent digitally and unencryted and there were programs you could buy to decode the transmission. With the advent of real computers and digital encryption, the chances of finding an old MDT system are nil. There's no way to decode these data transmissions without a data key and the right hardware and software. It is, of course, also illegal even to try.

 

[DonS]

Most MDC's use data transmitted in either the 800 MHz band or the 1900 MHz band. In the early days of MDT's the data stream was sent digitally and unencryted and there were programs you could buy to decode the transmission. With the advent of real computers and digital encryption, the chances of finding an old MDT system are nil. There's no way to decode these data transmissions without a data key and the right hardware and software. It is, of course, also illegal even to try.

It's illegal to succeed at decrypting encrypted comms, it's not illegal to try^H^H^Hmake the futile attempt.

 

[SAR923]

True, Don. That might keep even someone like you busy for a few years.

 

[jfranklin]

The MDTs at our agency allow officers to access NCIC therefore making it illegal for our system to be hacked. Let me know if you make it in though!

 

[N4DES]

Your going to find that a majority of the agencies are using aircards provided by the larger wireless carriers. They provide a much higher throughput than those 25khz. channels that we are used to and very large RF footprints.

Yes there are still some that still use the narrow band channels but those are utilizing more text based applications and not the higher resolution AFIS and mugshot applications that are available via NCIC.

Due to NCIC regulations all MDT traffic must be encrypted, period and end of story.

 

[chrismol1]

Yeh, with the aircards I havent seen a little 900MHz antenna on the patrol cars, but usually when they dont they have the MDT antenna on there