Some day all systems will be encrypted then what?

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Do you think small private radio systems can afford to encrypt when there is no reason they should? One day maybe all Public Service communications MIGHT (huge IF there), be encrypted but that doesn't meen there is nothing to listen to...

I don't even believe that all LE agencies want encryption...

Agreed but most people buy Radio Scanners to listen to Public Safety / Service and NOT businesses.
 

mciupa

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Agreed but most people buy Radio Scanners to listen to Public Safety / Service and NOT businesses.

I would have to disagree with that statement as there are numerous businesses listed in the various State databases. Somebody's listening !! :eek:
I'm grateful that people have taken the time to monitor and submit business frequencies even if it isn't exciting monitoring :)
 

N8IAA

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Well in this case I think the budget committee for the community will see that passing a law to band them and apply stiff punishment's would be easier than spending a million dollars to upgrade. So then you would just simply have to hide your equipment if they ever come to your home for anything , but then you would still be breaking the law !!

There are already laws on the books in USA and Canada about the use of scanners in the commission of a crime. Canada prosecutes more strenuously than the US. The main reason one of the counties I used to monitor went 800Mhz encrypted, was that they were catching drug dealers with radios capable of monitoring their ancient VHF system. Couldn't understand why FD and EMS, but, what the heck, I don't monitor them anymore. My county is in the process of doing the same. Leaves me to open up new banks for other monitoring.
Larry
 

N8IAA

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Agreed but most people buy Radio Scanners to listen to Public Safety / Service and NOT businesses.

Jerry, if I had a system like MARCS, considerable time would be spent in monitoring, not to say a dedicated digital scanner. FD where my home is, is much more exciting than the PD. Corps of Engineers on the weekends and nights, milair, trains, mall security near me, and yes businesses. They really think that no one listens! I can monitor at least six more counties around me that have gone digital, are analog trunked, or conventional. Still a lot to hear:))
Larry
 

caffman263

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N4DES

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I happen of done an unscientific telephone survey of some of my users to try to get a feel of the utilization of encryption in a future network and this is some of the responses I received:

Large users -
Most could either take it or leave it for agency-wide communications. It will remain a priority for the investigative/SRT(SWAT) members.
The cost has to be minimal <$100 per radio.
It has to be "over that air manageable". Calling in hundreds of users is almost impossible.
It has to be software based so the agency doesn't have to own multiple $2000 keyloaders.
It can't affect interoperability and all of the users will either share a common key or communicate in the clear.

Small users -
Very interested, even more so than the larger ones for all of their communications.
Would be interested if < $200 per radio.
Not too concerned about key management or keyloaders as I currently provide or can provide these services for them.
Concerned about "Public Outcry" as a number of them received complaints when they moved from their conventional systems to the RS that I manage, even though they are still in analog.
They also noted, like the large ones, that it can't affect our interoperability program that works very wel.
 
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ecps92

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Any someone is reporting them, for inclusion into the RR Database :)

I would have to disagree with that statement as there are numerous businesses listed in the various State databases. Somebody's listening !! :eek:
I'm grateful that people have taken the time to monitor and submit business frequencies even if it isn't exciting monitoring :)
 

tommyscan

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Law enforcement frequencies are only a fraction of whats out there and a small one at that!!! My local pd has been rumored to go all digital/encrypted. Oh well! I still have railroad/gmrs/ and the list could go on. Not to mention, analog trunked systems for ambulances/delivery services/etc. ALOT to listen to and little time to monitor!!!!!
 

lugoffman

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Heck my home town law enforcement can't even afford radar detectors that alone upgrading there radio system's but besides the point I don't care if they do , just as long as the Milair is still around cause thats were the fun is I think listening to Fort Jackson , Shaw Airforce , Mc Intire Is really cool stuff to monitor.
I really don't get into monitoring police anymore every time I here them it's someone went to jail or they pulled them over for speeding or they got my wife for driving to slow Lol !!! every now and then there is a good chase that goes on but other than that it's really boring . JMO

Try to monitor other things you might find the hobby a lot more interesting !!!!!!!!!!!!
 

ecps92

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Detectors ? The Police are using Radar Detectors ? [Sorry , had to] :)

Heck my home town law enforcement can't even afford radar detectors that alone upgrading there radio system's but besides the point I don't care if they do , just as long as the Milair is still around cause thats were the fun is I think listening to Fort Jackson , Shaw Airforce , Mc Intire Is really cool stuff to monitor.
I really don't get into monitoring police anymore every time I here them it's someone went to jail or they pulled them over for speeding or they got my wife for driving to slow Lol !!! every now and then there is a good chase that goes on but other than that it's really boring . JMO

Try to monitor other things you might find the hobby a lot more interesting !!!!!!!!!!!!
 

pathalogical

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We all buy scanners to listen to the big three: Police, Fire and Ambulance. We don't buy them to listen to the warehouse down the street unloading cargo, or to hear some factory saying "Bring part # 5932 to shipping". Not everyone listens to planes and trains, these are two other main listening areas. Not everyone lives near water so forget about marine listening. No matter what town -- big or small, coast or inland -- there's always the big three to listen to.

Turn off all LE/Public Safety freqs or Trunked systems. How long can you go before turning them back on.....a week....a day.....an hour ??? Face it, if those systems are off then there will be nothing but the sound of crickets in our shacks !
 

lugoffman

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Check this out just had a Detective over at my house today , as matter of fact 15 min ago due to a rip off
I had on ebay about a scanner , never got my money back for it , but anyways we was talking about all the scanners I got and he informed me that they did away with the 800 mhz cause they could not afford it.
I asked him what did he think about going encripted , he said he wants it to be open to public due to all the help they somtimes get , pluss the safety factor of it all.
He also said that the department was tring to upgrade , but the sheriff said they had to deal with what they got it was to expensive for there budget. So I don't see encription happing anytime soon here
 

KI4RDO

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if everything else become encrypted then i guess we will be listening to the local burger flippers, mall security and department stores but THAT WILL NOT HAPPEN ANY TIME SOON encryption is too expensive to do 100%
 

reconrider8

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When I first started to scan I thought the same thing then I started to scan Milair thats awesome !!!!! heck with the crime monitoring , listen to this cool stuff will make you buy more and more scanners to enjoy it better then you are hooked like me Lol !!!!!

exactly!!! same thing happened here listen to a police chase everynow and then then i heard about how to pick up milair and now its like a game trying to pick more and more milair
 

LarryMax

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Well remember this, All encryption can be broken, all of it. Someone will figure it out. Just like WEP/WPA and the rest of our wireless world. There's just not enough people at this point putting effort into it. I think we will be using more computer software in the future of scanning than the actual radio itself.

No offense, but please don't start a "THATS ILLEGAL" followup. I know, I know, I know.
 

sc800

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I honestly doubt ALL systems will become 100% encrypted. Not so much for much for the scannists, but for the officers themselves. A lot of officers in my county carry scanners in their cars because many times, the neighboring town's frequencies or towns they patrol thorough aren't programmed into their radios. A scanner is the only way for these officers to hear those in neighboring departments.
 
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