Victoria, TX - Victoria's new radio scanner system will shut out listeners

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riccom

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I sat and read the comments and the story and i say this

The use of encryption for basic calls, is un-needed or warrented, now for stings and other busts, ohh yeah i have to say go for it but to hide normal traffic is paranoid, and an excuse to let some things go on.

and to say normal non encrypted listening is not do able, umm think again.

Now i see his point on the dispersing of a party , but come on, really.
but like many other departments, they think they have to encrypt transmissions, for "combating terrorist" or something like that!

I think this "new wave" is gonna make interoperability, a thing of the past, to a point,
so YAY public is screwed once again!
 

ai8o

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victoria TX Digital

<QUOTE"Ure said the sense of urgency was created by the Federal Communications Commission's mandate that all analog radio systems, such as the one currently used by the city-county emergency network, be replaced with digital systems."UNQUOTE>

.

Where did he get the idea that the FCC has mandated analog systems be replaced by digital?
There is NO such mandate.
He is confusing 12.5 KHz refarming below 512 MHz with getting 800 MHz digital equipment.

Either URE doesn't know what he is talking about or some salesman has done a hell of a sales job.
Either way there is something wrong here.
 

citylink_uk

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The article seems to be written by someone who hasn't checked their facts. That's definitely apparent.

I know this is an unpopular view, but encryption is so easy to add to systems now. With no notable difference to audio of coverage like the old analogue types and a very inexpensive board.

If we have been listening and scrutinising them for years under analogue, what difference will encryption make? I think the paranoia is from more from the listeners side!
 

SCPD

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Victoria

I too read all the replies and saw a common denominator amongst them, "Felons with scanners". What would make a difference would be for the Citizens of Texas to push for legislation making scanners illegal to convicted felons, In Texas there is no such ruling or law currently. The other thing I noticed was the ignorance of the general public, well maybe not ignorance but the General public stating Police Activity should not be anyone's business. radioman had a great post reply showing the point where the citizens should have the ability to monitor. I took agree however that Narcotics and Tactical channels/Groups should be encrypted and kept silent. It was a very interesting article as were the responses.
 

FoeHammer

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I sat and read the comments and the story and i say this

The use of encryption for basic calls, is un-needed or warrented, now for stings and other busts, ohh yeah i have to say go for it but to hide normal traffic is paranoid, and an excuse to let some things go on.

but like many other departments, they think they have to encrypt transmissions, for "combating terrorist" or something like that!

I think this "new wave" is gonna make interoperability, a thing of the past, to a point,
so YAY public is screwed once again!

They ARE using encryption to combat terrorists ,.......
under their definition that's what we are,.......
 

KB1JHU

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For the past two months, the police department has been working to install its new digital radio system, Digital Motorola 800.
...
Even if the police department had not opted to add the encryption feature, Ure said, non-subscribers would not be able to tune in because of the system's advanced technology.

"A scanner does not exist to listen to this frequency," Ure said. "Technology has not caught up yet."

Ure said the police department paid extra for the encryption feature as a preventive measure.

"We don't want to take the chance that three years from now someone will build a scanner that can listen in to our frequency."

Uh, what?
 
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Encrypted systems

A special thanks to that department for screwing up a good hobby!
Everyone in the town should be happy they no longer can listen and know whats going on around them.
Why should the general public know whats going on?
IGNORANCE IS BLISS.
 

kd8ati

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"For the past two months, the police department has been working to install its new digital radio system, Digital Motorola 800.
...
Even if the police department had not opted to add the encryption feature, Ure said, non-subscribers would not be able to tune in because of the system's advanced technology."
------

Uhhhh I think I missed something. Are they switching to a Phase II system? What Moto system are they switching to that cant be picked up by digital scanners?
 

fwradio

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"For the past two months, the police department has been working to install its new digital radio system, Digital Motorola 800.
...
Even if the police department had not opted to add the encryption feature, Ure said, non-subscribers would not be able to tune in because of the system's advanced technology."
------

Uhhhh I think I missed something. Are they switching to a Phase II system? What Moto system are they switching to that cant be picked up by digital scanners?

That is EXACTLY what people are being told about Parker County's new VHF P25 (Phase 1) system. You can't get a scanner to listen to it. But in the next breath they say you have to have a key to program a scanner to listen to it. Apparently they haven't been to the local Radio Shack yet.
 

zerg901

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I wonder if Victoria PD is really worried about the FBI listening to them? Peter Sz
 

nmacret

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Victorias new Radio System (not scanner system)

Maybe some kind soul should educate the media of Victoria of the difference between "digital voice" and "encryption". Just go buy a new scanner and listen.

Media failed horribly in their due diligence on this article.

However, reading the citizen commentary that followed, maybe they don't deserve to listen.
 

nmacret

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And when they are using it for "interoperability" they have to turn off the encryption switch. No RRTF will communicate with them if they are scrambled.
 

N5AMS

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I have said this before and I will say this again the only agencies that should encrypt their traffic is the federal government. SWAT, and Narcotics everyone else should not be encrypted because they are the only ones that have sensitive traffic to pass and i know someone will say what about EMS well with HIPPA in place you will not hear that traffic passed ecause they use cell phones to call the hospital and when they do use the radio to pass it the only pass the age and gender and a brief of whats wrong with the patient and it is possible to ENC certain channels they do it here in Montgomery County

Oh and i just remembered I read the article saying its a matter of time that they will make a scanner that will decode ENC or something like that and no they won't if you read the FCC rules its illegal to monitor scrambled or ENC transmissions so they will not make a scanner that does that because it would be a violation of the FCC rules and i read somewhere that all analog is suppose to be digital by 2013 but its been a while since i read it so i don't remember where i read it

just my opinion
 
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monitor142

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<QUOTE"Ure said the sense of urgency was created by the Federal Communications Commission's mandate that all analog radio systems, such as the one currently used by the city-county emergency network, be replaced with digital systems."UNQUOTE>

.

Where did he get the idea that the FCC has mandated analog systems be replaced by digital?
There is NO such mandate.
He is confusing 12.5 KHz refarming below 512 MHz with getting 800 MHz digital equipment.

Either URE doesn't know what he is talking about or some salesman has done a hell of a sales job.
Either way there is something wrong here.

I agree that narrowbanding has nothing to do with the migration to digital. Drank the digital Kool-Aid??? Yeah he may have had a cup or two but here's the issue, if they continue to go with Motorola, the big /\/\ isn't selling new analog trunking systems anymore. He did mention the issue of support and parts for his central site controllers are getting difficult to get and/or support. He's right in that aspect. With the latest SmartNet/SmartZone controllers if they have them, support ends 2016. If he has older models such as the 6809, better start surfing Ebay for cards. Oh well, no where to go but 1's ands 0's. As far as encryption, you can get Motorola's proprietary ADP in your radio flash for $10 each at time of purchase. It isn't AES but it certainly gives them privacy on the cheap.

All that and a cookie from the land of fully encrypted law enforcement.

-M142
 

motorola_otaku

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A few points for those outside of the area:

For many years, Victoria was the only entity in their region to use 800 trunking. Even now, their nearest neighbors not using VHF conventional are Corpus Christi to the south and Wharton County to the north, and even they only made the switch this last year. Ask yourself why an entity would want to switch to a system that would isolate them from all of their neighbors. Seized drug money? Federal grants? Or a good salesman with a good pitch? I'd wager cash money they were told at the time of purchase of the existing system that no one would be able to listen to it.

Or how about this: there actually is another 800 P25 system on the air in their area, but it's not a public safety system. Union Carbide Corporation Trunking System, Seadrift, Texas - Scanner Frequencies
Ask yourself why a refinery out in the middle of nowhere would switch to a P25 system instead of, say, LTR or TRBO.

Whoever said ADP encryption is dirt cheap is absolutely right; the only guys paying out the nose for crypto anymore are those who want or need FIPS-compliant AES256. In fact, software-based ADP is one of the cheapest flash options available for the Astro25 line, coming in at somewhere around $10 a radio depending on whose contract you're on. Supposedly the LWIN subscribers in Louisiana are getting it free for the asking. Now ask yourself why THAT is and you'll start to see things coming around in a circle.
 
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