Dave2582
Member
Nashua Police Blocking Access To Police Broadcasts For Safety
Nashua police have made a decision to encrypt radio traffic that was previously heard by civilians on scanners and online.
patch.com
Nashua PD goes dark
- Thread starter Dave2582
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patch.com
n1das
Member
Well that royally sukcs and I live in Nashua too. Not surprised though.
Totally agree N1DAS, I just caught the article on another posting, really sucks and ya, people shouldn't do stuff like that. I can honestly say I don't blame them but now no more help from the public on certain situations and no one will know what's going on out there. They should have keep the channel clear for dispatching out, then to another channel that is encryted for sensitive comms. Lowell Mass and Hudson NH does this. At least we knew something was going on, could stay clear of something, or kept an eye out if in the area, but totally enc all the channels, this stinks! I can under the chiefs concern, but think some of it is BS. They don't want you to hear everything.
N1DAS, can you confirm this on your end? I am picking up calls on channel 3, all the other 5 channels have gone quiet. I submitted that info to RR and someone contacted me about it and a confirmation. I'm only going by what I read in the article above and the fact my scanner for Nashua PD has gone quiet now except Channel 3. On the encrypted channels, would you hear it, perhaps garbled, or not at all. I see it stopping now and then but not hearing anything. Normally when I program a site in, if I see an encryted channel, I don't even bother downloading it so not sure if you can still hear something or nothing at all.
Dave2582
Member
I also heard comms on ch 3. I'm assuming that they are patching the other channels and keeping ch 3 open until the update is done. That would be my guess.
Agreed, hoping they would keep one channel open and just switch to encrypt when needed. At least the folks in Nashua would at least have some sort of idea what's going on. Now they all left in the dark wondering. Oh well.
Dave2582
Member
That would be nice, but I doubt it. They are following Manchester and going full enc. At least the MFD is open so you can still hear the fire/medical calls. Nashua will probably do the same.
Hopefully, I thought or heard that Lowell and Hudson did the ecrypt on their PD channels a while ago but had issues and went to clear and I listen to them all the time still but they have a encrypted channel as well they switch over too and have at times which is fine, there is a reason to do it and don't blame them for it, especially nowadays.
n1das
Member
I am listening on a BCD396xt and I only get occasional PD traffic on TAC-3 (3077, formerly 49232 on the old system). TAC-1 (3073, formerly 49168) and TAC-2 (3075, formerly 49200) are dead quiet. No problem hearing the FD and DPW talkgroups on the system.
Whenever you hear the squeaks and squawks of encrypted P25 traffic, your scanner actually IS decoding correctly. It's just not decrypting the data afterwards. You hear it as pseudorandom data instead of clear audio.
My scanner like others automatically ignores encrypted traffic on the system so I don't hear the squeaks and squawks. A way to test this is to scan all frequencies in the system as conventional channels, except for the control channel. You'll hear ALL traffic on the system but without trunk tracking ability and the ability to ignore encrypted traffic. TAC-1 and TAC-2 traffic should be heard but will be encrypted. Pay attention to what IDs show up. Scanning all frequencies in a trunked system as conventional channels is how it had to be done years ago before trunk tracking capability was added to scanners.
Software like Unitrunker should be able help see what's going on with the system and see TAC-1 and TAC-2 in use.
Whenever you hear the squeaks and squawks of encrypted P25 traffic, your scanner actually IS decoding correctly. It's just not decrypting the data afterwards. You hear it as pseudorandom data instead of clear audio.
My scanner like others automatically ignores encrypted traffic on the system so I don't hear the squeaks and squawks. A way to test this is to scan all frequencies in the system as conventional channels, except for the control channel. You'll hear ALL traffic on the system but without trunk tracking ability and the ability to ignore encrypted traffic. TAC-1 and TAC-2 traffic should be heard but will be encrypted. Pay attention to what IDs show up. Scanning all frequencies in a trunked system as conventional channels is how it had to be done years ago before trunk tracking capability was added to scanners.
Software like Unitrunker should be able help see what's going on with the system and see TAC-1 and TAC-2 in use.
Interesting, I'm using a 996P2 and the SDS200, only ones logging are the channel 3, since I cleared it this morning as I am trying out different antennas, I have 47 hits on the channel 3 as of this time. Funny thou, its not as clear as it use to be, but here them all the time still, just on this channel, so the other channels must not be coming thru on the radios since they are encrypted now and not being logged. FD and others are still ok.
Dave2582
Member
If you listen to dispatch on Manchester PD channel, you'll hear the encryption noise. I don't think the other nashua channels are Live yet.
Hum, I'll check that now. Ugh, I'll have to program it in, forgot it wasn't just a matter of programming in a frequency, I'll have to download the trunk system into the scanner. I don't have the system in any of the scanners, just the ones closer to me.
n1das
Member
I assume by channel 3 you mean the TAC-3 talkgroup with TGID 3077.
How well do you hear the control channel? (853.4500MHz) If you're hearing the control channel strongly, then you are hearing the system strongly and messing around with antennas is probably not going to help. The control channel transmits continuously 24/7. The individual voice channels should be of similar signal strength.
I have problems with simulcast distortion given that Nashua's system is a simulcast system and transmitting from 2 sites. My 396xt doesn't handle simulcast systems well. I should someday replace it with an SDS100 or SDS200 or a Unication pager.
I live a quarter mile away from the Shakespeare Rd site in the south end and I am within direct line of site of the north end site on Kessler Farm Dr. I used to live in an apartment on Kessler Farm Dr a quarter mile away from the north end site. Now I live in a house a quarter mile away from the south end site. There's something about hams liking to live on hilltops, LOL. I can take the antenna off my 396xt and still hear the system just fine.
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Correct, I meant Tac 3, I am full strength and quieting on the control channel. Not messing with the antenna for this site, trying different ones to increase the coverage or should say, signal strength for the state police frequencies. I'm always working with different antenna's. I'm down near the Bridge in town, 3 miles from the Pheasant Lane Mall. From where I am, there are hills to the west of me that are higher than my antennas are on my 2 section tower but clear to the north, south and east. Ah, ok, I see where you are, your not that far from me, probably 4 or 5 miles from my location. Wish I lived on a hill top, a ham radio operators dream, lol.
Dave2582
Member
Sometime between Sunday afternoon and today, the changeover happened. Dispatch and tac 2 were encrypted. That's what I gathered within 15 minutes of listening.
I was listening to them on Tac 3 up until today, last logged entry was just after noon today. All other channels were quiet on my 2 radios since last week when this all was posted. Last night something was going on and heard the cars to switch over to Tac 4 which at that point I heard nothing after that so I assumed it was an encrypted channel so no more listening, which was fine but at least I, they the tax payers of Nashua, knew something was going on in some area and to stay clear of it. Sad day that they have to fully encrypt all channels, BS!
dvendt
Member
I personally think social media scanner apps should be outlawed nation wide. They are ruining it for the true hobbyist.
Agreed
GearJammersc
Member
It's coming to all law enforcement. I sold my Unication pager not that its no good it's great. The only reason was needed the money and do to encryption coming there only be a handful of stuff to listen to. I use my motorola radio now scan 10 talk groups but who cares lol. Encryption is like a virus its coming.
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