Read that in 5 years Scanning in Atlanta would be impossible

[casanova2u2]

I read this off of another site, and I guess being a newbie it just got me a little worried. I really enjoy knowing whats going on in my community. It's become a hobby for me. Here is what I read:

Dekalb county already has plans to switch their TRS to a fully digital Astro P-25 within the next few years. This means you will have to buy a new scanner and most, if not all of the talk groups will be encrypted. Cobb county is in the process of doing this as well as Atlanta and Gwinnett. Clayton is ProVoice which isnt possible to monitor. In 5 years scanning law enforcement in metro atlanta will be almost impossible.

END

I live in Coweta County, Newnan, GA........Is the above most likely true?

 

[rdale]

"This means you will have to buy a new scanner and most, if not all of the talk groups will be encrypted."

Going to a digital system is not at all connected to encryption.

 

[gatorhater]

I wouldn't worry too much about it yet. I live in DeKalb and don't see a sudden switch to digital. The reason is cost. The cost are too high and the county budget can't squeeze it in now. In a few years, maybe the cost will go down and the technology will change again.
Cobb is supposed to go digital this year and Gwinnett is also doing this soon.

 

[casanova2u2]

Okay, Thanks but

will the digital scanner they sell at Radio Shack be able to monitor these counties that are going Digital.

 

[gatorhater]

Yes they do. The PRO 96, regular priced at $499.95; ouch!

 

[casanova2u2]

Thanks for the info. Man your right about that price. I think that is a little high. Hopefully they'll come down soon. Since I am not in need of it that bad I'll just wait. It sure is nice looking though and would love to get my hands on one. I will wait though. Not forking over 500 bucks for a scanner right now. My wife would kill me.

 

[dhutsell]

Scanning digital is no problem, the problem is that if systems decide to encrypt all the talk groups then scanning is impossible. ALL of orange county california public safety is encrypted, there is nothing keeping an all digital system from making a talk group or all talk groups in a system encrypted.

 

[rdale]

" there is nothing keeping an all digital system from making a talk group or all talk groups in a system encrypted."

And by the same token there is nothing keeping an analog system from making a talk group or all talk groups in a system encrypted...

 

[b7spectra]

Clayton County is still VHF analog. Henry County is ProVoice. Forsyth County has gone P25 and my Pro-96 picks it up quite well. As long as they don't go encrypted, we are still OK.

 

[DanRollman]

ALL of orange county california public safety is encrypted

Not all of Orange County, CA public safety is Encrypted.

Only Orange County law enforcement uses encryption, and not 100% of law enforcement is encrypted. One talkgroup (the most important talkgroup - called "Red" - where major incidents go) is Digital in the clear. The rest of law enforcement is encrypted.

All Fire & EMS in Orange County is not only NOT encrypted, it isn't even digital. County and city Fire agencies are Analog trunked.

Dan

 

[CORN]

It also costs money to encrypt all the talk groups as well. I can see the real sensitive ones being encrypted but not all of it. I wouldn't worry too much. See what happens and keep your fingers crossed that you don't have a "communist" regime running your city, who wants everything to be a secret (something to hide). I don't see why every day dispatch would be enccrypted. Good luck.

 

[dhutsell]

ALL of orange county california public safety is encrypted

Not all of Orange County, CA public safety is Encrypted.

Only Orange County law enforcement uses encryption, and not 100% of law enforcement is encrypted. One talkgroup (the most important talkgroup - called "Red" - where major incidents go) is Digital in the clear. The rest of law enforcement is encrypted.

All Fire & EMS in Orange County is not only NOT encrypted, it isn't even digital. County and city Fire agencies are Analog trunked.

Dan

Either way the good stuff cant be monitored, which is a shame.

 

[b7spectra]

As long as each radio has the encryption module installed, it shouldn't cost anything extra to have all talk groups set up encrypted. If anything, it's just the time to program up the radio's with the new codeplugs.

 

[N_Jay]

As long as each radio has the encryption module installed, it shouldn't cost anything extra to have all talk groups set up encrypted. If anything, it's just the time to program up the radio's with the new codeplugs.

It is very rare that ALL the radios are purchesed with encryption options.

 

[grem467]

remember though, that encrypted analog can suffer from voice quality problems, where as encrypted digtial sounds no different.

When jacksonville, FL went digital, it was extremely easy for motorola to talk them into using OFB on all law enforcement channels, using the good ole "sept 11" and "privacy from scanners" line.