BigCheeseStick
Member
Just to be sure I'm understanding this... From the research I've been doing I'm learning that Motorola has roped the state of SC and many if not all other states into paying to build a radio network (here its called "Pal800") for all "public service radios" (police, fire, EMS, most everything). The state then pays Motorola monthly fee's for each radio that uses this digital, encrypted network. As well as paying Motorola around $4,700 per handheld, and much more for each mobile unit.
As soon as the state fully implements "Pal800", commercial scanners as I understand them (anything from Uniden, GRE, ICOM for example) will receive very little of interest because the encryption. They say EVERY radio that will function with this encryption is "fingerprinted", and tracked by the state, fed, and Motorola. So P25 digital compatible really means nothing if your trying to listen in.
Now, I see all kinds of deadlines for this to be implemented have come and gone. But the current one is this December for SC.
The description of the new digital network explains use of encryption is up to the discrimination of each user. BUT, every new government radio is required to be compatible. And all the would be users participating on local government sites and forums say they would always use it for various reasons. And why not?
All this means to me that even the shiny new PSR-800 will be little more than a very expensive weather radio in January, 2013 if they follow through... Right?
As soon as the state fully implements "Pal800", commercial scanners as I understand them (anything from Uniden, GRE, ICOM for example) will receive very little of interest because the encryption. They say EVERY radio that will function with this encryption is "fingerprinted", and tracked by the state, fed, and Motorola. So P25 digital compatible really means nothing if your trying to listen in.
Now, I see all kinds of deadlines for this to be implemented have come and gone. But the current one is this December for SC.
The description of the new digital network explains use of encryption is up to the discrimination of each user. BUT, every new government radio is required to be compatible. And all the would be users participating on local government sites and forums say they would always use it for various reasons. And why not?
All this means to me that even the shiny new PSR-800 will be little more than a very expensive weather radio in January, 2013 if they follow through... Right?