Presidential Limo Radios

[Firefox10]

Ever since I saw JFKs limo, there has been 2 VHF antennas on trunk. This carried on thru 5 limos up to current limo. In POTUS and VPs suburban(s) there are 2 VHF and 2 uhf disc antennas. Having been granted permission to get up close, in Regans and Bushes, there were 2 motorola control heads. I was told one is on a freq. to the command vehicle in the motorcade and was was to the agents. This seemed very logical. Looking in the back seat, up to the beast and Obamas, there was 2 phones mounted on hump. One was red with presidential seal, the other was black with WHCA engraved on it. I asked, where are the antennas to the phones, I never got a good answer. Now in the latest 2 limos, they have the same 2 VHFs but have a mobile phone in the back when you pull down the arm rest that has the seal, and built into the armrest is a wireless charger which has a cell phone.

Can anyone give me a clue on the antennas use even on the new limo (unless they still have 2 VHF motorolas in everything he's in and where could they hide a mobile cell phone antenna(s) that have to be encrypted.

Just curious.

 

[Firefox10]

Got a PM that told me all comms are received by the comm vehicle (war wagon) and then upon their equipment push it thru a VHF freq. to the limo. The other VHF is secret service mobile (a 8500 but stays on the VHF band). The cell phone in the wireless charger is a sat phone. The war wagon acts as a switchboard and sends the call in or out over highly encrypted gear. Recently, Obama, Trump and Biden all have their own cell phones, so all this technology is rather old school.

 

[RaleighGuy]

Antennas like shown? Radio heads like shown?



And good article on Roadrunner

Roadrunner: The President's Mobile Command & Control Vehicle

How the President stays connected in style

www.drive.com.au

 

[Firefox10]

thanks, explains alot . a massive switchboard.

also learned it has L band capability, and each secret service vehicle in the motorcade has a cache of L band portables, so when out of repeater range (or out of the country) or a huge system crash, everyone can switch over fast to the portables on L. Saw inside the suburban which follows with just 4 doors and loaded with 8500's as you pictured and a wooden box with 10 L band portable radios.

Also noticed at Albrights funeral, Bidens limo had just the two VHF, but many state SUVs had magnet mount VHF and inside was as you pictured a "portable" 8500. Also most is secret service SUVs had a magnet mount UHF.
Strange way to be interoperable, your think they would all have 8500's and 8000 portables.

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

Who makes L band portables? Models?

 

[Larry51]

Ever since I saw JFKs limo, there has been 2 VHF antennas on trunk. This carried on thru 5 limos up to current limo. In POTUS and VPs suburban(s) there are 2 VHF and 2 uhf disc antennas. Having been granted permission to get up close, in Regans and Bushes, there were 2 motorola control heads. I was told one is on a freq. to the command vehicle in the motorcade and was was to the agents. This seemed very logical. Looking in the back seat, up to the beast and Obamas, there was 2 phones mounted on hump. One was red with presidential seal, the other was black with WHCA engraved on it. I asked, where are the antennas to the phones, I never got a good answer. Now in the latest 2 limos, they have the same 2 VHFs but have a mobile phone in the back when you pull down the arm rest that has the seal, and built into the armrest is a wireless charger which has a cell phone.

Can anyone give me a clue on the antennas use even on the new limo (unless they still have 2 VHF motorolas in everything he's in and where could they hide a mobile cell phone antenna(s) that have to be encrypted.

Just curious.

Just sent you a PM.

 

[Firefox10]

Who makes L band portables? Models?

Have no idea. Small, looked like a chinese $29.00 special,(haha) but had 1/4" yellow tape on antenna. Antennas were about 1 3/4" in length and a little wider than our motorola 800 band. Did not look cheap, could of been metal case.

 

[mmckenna]

Have no idea. Small, looked like a chinese $29.00 special,(haha) but had 1/4" yellow tape on antenna. Antennas were about 1 3/4" in length and a little wider than our motorola 800 band. Did not look cheap, could of been metal case.

Harris and Thales make some MANet (Mobile Ad-Hoc Network) stuff that will operate in the L-band. Not sure if that's what it is, but that sort of radio would make sense as a fall back.

 

[TDR-94]

As do Collins Aerospace and General Dynamics, just to mention a couple others.

 

[surfacemount]

There's no real need for a ton of comms in the Presidential vehicle. The vehicle (STAGECOACH) is piped to the communications relay vehicle (ROADRUNNER). It does all the heavy lifting.

Also, I'm not read into the program, but, like to learn about stuff. There is pretty much nothing factory about that limo. Perhaps there are other antennas hidden in the exterior surfaces?

Lastly, here's one of the biggest players in L band stuff:

Persistent Systems: Wave Relay®, Mobile Ad-Hoc Networking Solution MANET, Wireless Secure Scalable Communication

 

[reconrider8]

There's no real need for a ton of comms in the Presidential vehicle. The vehicle (STAGECOACH) is piped to the communications relay vehicle (ROADRUNNER). It does all the heavy lifting.

Also, I'm not read into the program, but, like to learn about stuff. There is pretty much nothing factory about that limo. Perhaps there are other antennas hidden in the exterior surfaces?

Lastly, here's one of the biggest players in L band stuff:

Persistent Systems: Wave Relay®, Mobile Ad-Hoc Networking Solution MANET, Wireless Secure Scalable Communication

That L band feed would be a heck of a system to crack and monitor for sure.

 

[TDR-94]

There's no real need for a ton of comms in the Presidential vehicle. The vehicle (STAGECOACH) is piped to the communications relay vehicle (ROADRUNNER). It does all the heavy lifting.

Also, I'm not read into the program, but, like to learn about stuff. There is pretty much nothing factory about that limo. Perhaps there are other antennas hidden in the exterior surfaces?

Lastly, here's one of the biggest players in L band stuff:

Persistent Systems: Wave Relay®, Mobile Ad-Hoc Networking Solution MANET, Wireless Secure Scalable Communication

Not sure if it's required for presidential details, but Persistant Systems units don't support TYPE-1 COMSEC algorithms. They don't even have the required interface for loading TYPE-1 keys. Their units only supports the, formerly known as, Suite-B algorithms. Which in their case is CTR AES-256 and SHA-256 HMAC

 

[prcguy]

Some time ago I was invited to visit a Roadrunner vehicle that was being refurbished and in addition to various Motorola mobiles of the era, it had UHF satcom with Type 1 encryption and 1.6 to 60Mhz HF with encryption. This would be obvious to someone near it with some radio smarts as the D&M satcom antenna is hard to hide as is the Shakespeare HF whip when deployed.

There's no real need for a ton of comms in the Presidential vehicle. The vehicle (STAGECOACH) is piped to the communications relay vehicle (ROADRUNNER). It does all the heavy lifting.

Also, I'm not read into the program, but, like to learn about stuff. There is pretty much nothing factory about that limo. Perhaps there are other antennas hidden in the exterior surfaces?

Lastly, here's one of the biggest players in L band stuff:

Persistent Systems: Wave Relay®, Mobile Ad-Hoc Networking Solution MANET, Wireless Secure Scalable Communication

 

[chrismol1]

This former gentleman of the WHCA here has the best blog I've ever seen. Take you're time and take a look at this stuff! This is a real gem of a blog. It's not all just the old stuff. Lots of pictures from a man who lived it! If this isn't the best WHCA blog, please post it

"The White House Communications Agency: A Look into Its Past, and Present "

whcacannonball.blogspot.com

 

[RichardKramer]

One VHF ant is usually used for the motorcade USSS Oscar: 164.8875; the other for the WHCA Y/Z patch to AF1/RoadRunner 162.6875/171.2875.

 

[surfacemount]

Not sure if it's required for presidential details, but Persistant Systems units don't support TYPE-1 COMSEC algorithms. They don't even have the required interface for loading TYPE-1 keys. Their units only supports the, formerly known as, Suite-B algorithms. Which in their case is CTR AES-256 and SHA-256 HMAC

And you know this because of personal familiarity with the product line, or because of what they put out in their unclass brochures? I ask, because it doesn't square up with what I have heard (I have no personal knowledge to relate here)

Some time ago I was invited to visit a Roadrunner vehicle that was being refurbished and in addition to various Motorola mobiles of the era, it had UHF satcom with Type 1 encryption and 1.6 to 60Mhz HF with encryption. This would be obvious to someone near it with some radio smarts as the D&M satcom antenna is hard to hide as is the Shakespeare HF whip when deployed.

There was a ton of circuit paths available at any one time. I haven't gotten to see inside the new six door monster, but I've seen what are purported to be drawings of the interior. I always thought it was a really neat concept, letting a vehicle be the main node, to reduce weight and complexity in the other vehicles in the secure package. (shrugs)

One VHF ant is usually used for the motorcade USSS Oscar: 164.8875; the other for the WHCA Y/Z patch to AF1/RoadRunner 162.6875/171.2875.

Give this man a banana. Also... big fan of your art

Pay attention to what is sitting in the cupholder:

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zo...-that-are-being-converted-for-special-ops-use

 

[surfacemount]

The real question has always been.... what's going on inside WATCHTOWER... and out

 

[chrismol1]

The real question has always been.... what's going on inside WATCHTOWER... and out

This gentlemans site has some info. This site is incredible
The Presidential Motorcade (2018)

About The White House Communications Agency from 1965 to 1974.......and Beyond

 

[prcguy]

I remember having a conversation with someone in the know about the subject, regarding who may be operating he Watchtower vehicle. It is obviously tasked with radio frequency jamming and it would be technically illegal for a US Federal employee to operate such device. Speculation is that its manned by US military personnel.

This gentlemans site has some info. This site is incredible
The Presidential Motorcade (2018)

About The White House Communications Agency from 1965 to 1974.......and Beyond

View attachment 122715

 

[Firefox10]

Those small stubby antenna portables in the suburban in the pic are the ones I was told were the L band portables.