Nantucket has gone encrypted

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gordon115

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Anyone know what Nantucket FD is doing are they also on the new TRS? The linked article doesn't mention them. I was last there in early November and the FD was still using 154.43 141.3 which was also repeated on 159.09 D411.

Gordon
 

N1BHH

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KC1UA

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This is a four frequency 9600 baud P25 trunked system. I am monitoring it with UniTrunker although my reception of it is poor. When I have gathered sufficient information it will be added as a system both here and at Scan New England.
 

mcdogg

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Its hard to believe that Nantucket has anything worth encrypting....

Anyone actually know why they have made the switch?
 

JoeyC

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Its hard to believe that Nantucket has anything worth encrypting....

Anyone actually know why they have made the switch?

probably the usual story, smartphone apps and officer safety. Just 2 minutes ago I read another post where the department went encrypted citing smartphone apps and portable scanners as the motivation.
 

wise871

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probably the usual story, smartphone apps and officer safety. Just 2 minutes ago I read another post where the department went encrypted citing smartphone apps and portable scanners as the motivation.

The same thing happened here. The local SO in Escambia County Florida just turned on there system last week and went encrypted. As the Sheriff stated in a forum post on a local paper website, "if only the good people of the county were listening".
 

KC1UA

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Until and unless feeds can be built so end users can stop and hold on a conversation, the feed argument - with the exception of single channel/talkgroup dedicated types of feeds - is complete and utter hogwash.

I have a good basic layout of this system, and will start building it here today for what it's worth. Perhaps some in the clear traffic will be heard. Right now there is not a lot of activity, but the foundation of the system is clear.
 

N1GJB

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As a former special police officer in Nantucket (summer of 2005), I can tell you that their old 3 channel 800 mhz system was terrible at that point, specifically on the west end of the island (Siasconset village, Wauwinet outer reaches of Polpis and Tom Nevers) which was a great danger to guys and gals like me on bicycle and ATV patrol on the remote areas of the island where the regular patrolmen never dared to venture. Channel 3 in the system was encryption-capable (DES voice encryption) on our MTS2000 radios. Hardly any radio traffic was sensitive enough to have required such encryption, and this occurred mostly on the day shift when the detectives were on investigations. Most of the officers had NEXTEL anyway so radio traffic was further minimized.

As a current private EMS dispatch supervisor and former law enforcement officer I will add the following: encryption for routine comms is ALWAYS a bad idea and poses MORE of an issue for officer safety than any conventional system would or could.
 
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zerg901

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yup

zerg901

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Nantucket info from 2009

Sheriff’s clashes with officials create big waves in Nantucket - The Boston Globe


ULS License - Public Safety/Spec Emerg, 806-821/851-866 MHz, Conv. License - WPZT505 - Town of Nantucket Police Department
- Nantucket PD data channel - 857.7125R - 20K0F2D

ULS Application - Public Safety/Spec Emerg, 806-821/851-866 MHz, Conv. - 0003475084 - NANTUCKET, TOWN OF - Administration - coverage maps for digital TRS 800 Mhz - reportedly all the equipment was already purchased - maybe they ran into historical issues with their water tanks?
 

cmpsa

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RE: Nantucket Fire VHF Rptr

FYI:

I confirmed Nantucket Fire Dept is on a VHF rptr, earlier this summer of 2011.

154.430 PL 141.3 Rptr output.
159.090 DPL411 Rptr Input.
 

zerg901

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thanks cmpsa

my 1989 scanner master pocket guide shows 159.09 as the main channel for nantucket pd - pl was 114.8

fd shows as 154.43 pl 141.3 - fd might have 153.83 also - and i show 154.145 as a new fd freq in 1991
 

northscan23

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Only two options:Get a device that can decode encryption and have the lawyers ready to go or the media should go to court!
 

W1KNE

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Only two options:Get a device that can decode encryption

Which, of course, is 100% illegal under Federal Law. If you have good lawyers or not, it's still a violation of FCC rules, and can get you in very serious trouble if convicted.
 

KC1UA

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Only two options:Get a device that can decode encryption and have the lawyers ready to go or the media should go to court!

*SIGH*....not again... :roll:

I have discovered some "in the clear" P25 traffic on talkgroup 51. It sounded airport related to me and was rather informal. Other than that TG 11 leads the way in activity, and there's not much else going on. I've dedicated my BCD996XT to it exclusively for a week or so now. The signal is marginal but it looks like it'll be a "slow growth" type of evolution. I'll check it from time to time but not much to see here, folks...
 

W1TJM

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Nantucket FD is still on VHF with plans to eventually move to the new system. Nantucket Memorial Airport (KACK) utilizes a talk group for ground maintenance operations.
 

KC1UA

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Nantucket FD is still on VHF with plans to eventually move to the new system. Nantucket Memorial Airport (KACK) utilizes a talk group for ground maintenance operations.

That sheds some light on my monitoring, which had some in the clear transmissions on TG 51.

Not much going on with this system, but interesting to try to puzzle out; encrypted or not.
 

northscan23

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If the police chiefs continu to declare war on the freedom of the press, then it time to take the FCC to war in the courts over the Electronic Privacy ACT and the FOIA.I think the Electronic Privacy Act should be modified to allow to certain people to decode encryption(TV,Newspaper Reporters). The media has the right to show up to the scene of a major incident and report the story accurately and timely. This is not Iran or North Korea!!
 
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