radio information

[blue5011]

So the Alaska State Troopers use encryption, I get that. Can't hear the audio, I get that. But do the radio ID's, Talk-group, signal strength, time of/ and length of calls still show up?

I use Freescan logging w/ my 996xt. I could save the audio, but I don't regularly do that. For every call monitored I get signal strength, time, agency, and radio ID. Can't the same be done w/ AST?

 

[kma371]

Yes all that information is still available. Only the audio is affected.

 

[aps_ak]

As noted above, the rest of the information comes through fine from the control channel stream. Any control channel decoding software will get you same results as well.

 

[blue5011]

So then there is some info to be gained, how many units in action, general area (tower affiliation/ signal stength), and in the case of no comms, no problems?

I am glad I can still **hear** what is going on in my neck of the woods.

 

[stok573]

yes you can monitor that, I use a pro 197 and 106
sometimes sporadicly you can hear a few transmissions
that just come through unencrypted I think those are just
glitch in the system.
also I use the rtl dongle with unitrunker you will see all the
logins and outs time of transmission and id talkgroups

marc

 

[blue5011]

yes you can monitor that

Thanks!

At first I thought, oh encryption, not a thing to know/ hear. But then I realized there "might" be some info available, just not the "words heard".

I have seen numerous references to rtl dongles and unitrunker here on RR. I guess that will be my next adventure in radio listening/ scanning.

Here in MN we have a really great statewide P25 radio system. It is not encrytpted and all the state LEO's, fire, and EMS are on it. I also spent a few years in AK, around Fairbanks, and what we have here would be very expensive for use in AK.

 

[aps_ak]

Unitrunker really is a great resource. In addition to functions mentioned above, it also shows which transmissions are encrypted.That way you get a feel how much traffic really is secure.

 

[blue5011]

I d/l Unitrunker a couple of years ago, and never set it to work. Maybe now that I "have time on my hands" again, I will try it.

A TV channel (Justice Network) I get has the Alaska State Troopers on it, and seeing the ID's in those radios got me thinking there must be some "info" that can be picked up.

Years ago I drove truck in Alaska (Carlile Transportation). It was great to know one could get a trooper on the CB. A fellow driver and I "corralled" a bank robber one night for a Trooper near Cantwell. The dumba@@ robber was driving at night w/ parking lights only...

Thanks for the info!

 

[aps_ak]

I leave unitrunker on all day while Im at work, and it allows me to map the system out pretty well. In fact, I've been able to correct and submit many sites to the Database with the great help of that program. The DB entry pre-2013 was a mess.

Interesting to know that AST used to have CBs. The only agency with CBs in their rigs now is Commercial Vehicle Enforcement, I think. I see antennas on their vehicles.

 

[blue5011]

Interesting to know that AST used to have CBs. The only agency with CBs in their rigs now is Commercial Vehicle Enforcement, I think. I see antennas on their vehicles.

A number of times the AST were "running lights" and called me on the CB to say "stay on the road" (I was pulling double trailers) and they were only trying to get somewhere in a hurry.

Part of that reason maybe that Alaska, is the only state in the union to have a separate "transportation/ trucking" radio band. There are a dozen or so channels that only an Alaskan truck driver can use on (in state only) VHF. 10-15 years ago truck drivers were using "modded" VHF ham radios for communication.

 

[kikito]

The DB entry pre-2013 was a mess....

It's not exactly that it was a mess but a lot has changed and evolved since the system came online around 2001. I've been here since before the system started and seen it grow to what it is today. And we didn't have all the tools and knowledge that we have now as far as hardware and software. It is because of many people including myself that we know and can do a lot of the things we do now. I beta tested many of the hardware and software experiments of the past that have become the staples of our "hobby" today.

That said, I'm glad there's a few more people like you contributing to this nowadays. Due to many factors I've been slacking off in submitting more info to the database in the past few years. But I'm still into the whole thing. Hope to see you all sticking around here. Later...

 

[aps_ak]

I guess what I said wasn't meant to be a slam on whoever submitted information to the database before me. Sorry if that's how you took it. I've seen you around the forums since before you joined, so I know you were probably instrumental in getting some important DB entries together- entries that helped me kickstart this hobby 6 years ago. Systems aren't easy to map out, especially from scratch, and you're right about availability of technology. The license listings are what helped me figure out other sites that weren't listed - and then unitrunker helped me confirm them. We still have a few sites unconfirmed in the DB, but I am hoping to get that fixed this summer.