Moscad

[tkjr4160]

Does anyone have anyway to decode MOSCAD?

Thanks,
Terry

 

[loumaag]

I certainly don't although I don't know for sure that there isn't. My question is why would you want to? Are you interested in having someone else control your lights or turn on an appliance? Or are you just interested in reading the telemetry stream from the water level gauge somewhere?

 

[WayneH]

MOSCAD systems are tailored to their applications so unless you know the details about how the system is setup you won't know what to do with the data.

-Wayne

 

[DaveH]

Some of the uses certainly sound like pretty dry listening, but around here, MOSCAD or something like it was used (up to very recently) for fire dispatching...which would have been interesting.

Dave

 

[topcop1833]

is ther a way to decode it now, i actualy would like to have a buzzer or two to go off at my house.

 

[CCHLLM]

MOSCAD can certainly be used to encode fire dispatching and decode it on the other end, but that would be like using a super computer to figure change from a dollar. If the local public utilities already utilize MOSCAD SCADA for monitoring and controlling, then adding it to an existing system is a great way to send dispatch info down to individual or group terminals. My question is, outside of the dispatch stuff (which would be displayed like an alphanumeric pager would display it), why anyone outside the utility would want to know what the level in a sewage wetwell might be or how much water is in a particular tank or how much stormwater runoff is passing a given point at a given time or what an electrical substation is doing. Maybe there's weather station reporting going on there also, that could be useful. But without the Wonderware software (megabucks) that the system utilizes, what the hell would you do with the FSK hexadecimal data bursts or the or the Modbus data you could hear? And is it a digital system or an analog system?

 

[topcop1833]

well, im in a county that to a digital radio sys., and now they no longer use tones to set off the vhf radio pagers. this moscad feature activates the required stations when an assignment is made. my goal was to figure out a way to have something that alerted me to my squads callls. the system is digital, yet mosad data is tx analog. any sugestions or should i just give up. i was thinking there had to be a device or something out there that would be able to hear and decode the mosad info and activate or something like it once it is programed.

 

[N_Jay]

well, im in a county that to a digital radio sys., and now they no longer use tones to set off the vhf radio pagers. this moscad feature activates the required stations when an assignment is made. my goal was to figure out a way to have something that alerted me to my squads callls. the system is digital, yet mosad data is tx analog. any sugestions or should i just give up. i was thinking there had to be a device or something out there that would be able to hear and decode the mosad info and activate or something like it once it is programed.

Well you could buy a Moscad unit! :lol:

Not sure I understand what you mean about the Moacad data being TX in Analog, unless you mean it is modem tones rather than FSK. If that is the case you could try running the tones into an Audio FSK modem to capturetha data, then let a PC crunch on the data.

 

[topcop1833]

the entire region is on a digital system, but the moscad info is tx in analog mode on the same set freq everytime. i just gotta find a rx'er, and something to decode with.

 

[redhelmet13]

Fort Worth FD uses it to alert Fire Stations - It sends a message to station or stations which includes commands to activate relays and sends a text message to printer in the station (rip and run) as well as opening the station speakers and turning on lights. The signal sounds like packet data. My guess our data is 4800 baud. The Moscad is on a dedicated UHF frequency and the CAD system passes data to it when an assignment is being dispatched. Once the Moscad sends an ack nessage back to the CAD - the FD Dispatcher voices the dispatch on the 800Mhz trunked system. Additionally, The CAD sends the info to the assigned unit;s MDC in the trucks.

Would be interesting to see what a dispatch looks like.

Ed

 

[CCHLLM]

If it's a 5kHz FM analog UHF channel, the baud rate could be as low as 1200 or as high as 9600. If it's a simple datalogging system with alarms, then it would be printing data and turning on and off relays and timers, like for lights and sirens and doors, etc. In that case, it would be using a TNC software and wouldn't require SCADA software and all the paraphenalia that would entail. It could also be configured to relay acknowledgements and status reports back to the central CAD system. That can be monitored and decoded with the TNC and computer hooked to a scanner if you know the system logic. I seriously doubt the MOSCAD system in your area is that simple. Most are quite a bit more advanced than that and would require a great deal more money to decode than I'm sure the average person would want to spend.

 

[topcop1833]

well gentelman, this info is all very helpful. but i must say, i dont have a very tech mind, and im not sure with all this info that has been posted, will i be able to accomplish what im looking for or is it a lost cause? or is there anyone out there who may know who i need to talk to?
-mike

 

[kg4icg]

MOSCAD is 19.2kbauds or above is Computer assisted dispatch , that's where the cad comes in, and is illegal to intercept. This keeps coming up again and again and ppl keep forgetting that.
R Collins

 

[CCHLLM]

There are MOSCAD units (and its predecessor, INTRAC) that are set up to react to radio output signals to accomplish multiple functions. The encoding can be tones or 1200 to 9600 baud data. There is a Civil Preparedness siren system nearby where the radio decodes Quick Call tones and 9600 baud function signals. The contact closures from the radio's decoder are fed into the INTRAC I/O and the CPU determines which output(s) is/are appropriate. Since INTRAC was discontinued, there were MOSCAD models built to accomplish INTRAC logic tasks. These units are no longer available but MOSCAD units can still be configured to do this type of routine very easily, but it's an expensive way to go. If it's done by some type of tone/fsk decoding, and monitoring or possessing a monitor is not illegal in your area, it's probably not illegal to decode it passively (monitoring). If, however, you act or profit from the alerting without authorization, or if it's a true MOSCAD digital data system, it's definitely illegal.

 

[SCPD]

RC,

I'm not trying to be a pain, but could you post the law that prohibits this? It's not a cell phone or other common carrier data/paging service. The MOSCAD system could be used for law enforcement or some other private enterprise mobile data/dispath application.

Would it always be illegal to monitor this type of signal in the US or does the law vary by state?

The reason I bring this up is that I know the Texas Criminal Code prohibits monitoring such signals if they are law-enforcement related. I can't find a federal law that prohibits this.

Perhaps Dave Stark can comment.

-rick

 

[CCHLLM]

I may be wrong but in most states, the law now refers to public safety, not just law enforcement any more, and it'll vary from state to state, locality to locality. The reality is that probably whoever/whatever controls the public safety is the source of that regulation. In NC it's the Department of Crime Control and Public Safety, and that name alone should give you the idea that any "scanner" laws can be rather broad. If it's done by MDC signalling and it isn't unlawful in your location to decode the data, you'd still have to have the system logic scheme and the radios' programmed signalling parameters in order to put the data into a decipherable form, as well as some sort of dedicated PC program (if that actually exists) to tell you which units are being dispatched. The radios only respond to the data directed to their individual addresses, so you'd have to have multiple radios if you didn't have the PC to do it for you. The digital data would entail being a part of the local system and possessing the system key(s) in order to do what you want. I don't think anybody here misunderstands how illegal that might be.

 

[DaveNF2G]

I may be wrong but in most states, the law now refers to public safety, not just law enforcement any more, and it'll vary from state to state, locality to locality.

Only a few states have such laws to begin with (Texas, NC, maybe Florida).

still have to have the system logic scheme and the radios' programmed signalling parameters in order to put the data into a decipherable form,

That's where ECPA (Federal law) comes back into the picture. It is illegal to decode any sort of system that uses proprietary (not in the public domain or licensed to other companies) protocols, regardless of content, encryption, or user status.

 

[CCHLLM]

Yep, what he said.

 

[SCPD]

That's where ECPA (Federal law) comes back into the picture. It is illegal to decode any sort of system that uses proprietary (not in the public domain or licensed to other companies) protocols, regardless of content, encryption, or user status.

Thanks Dave!

-rick

 

[k8ur]

Anyone with experience using MOSCAD to monitor Motorola Quantar repeaters, please email me:

K8UR@Yahoo.com