What to expect from a Digital Scanner?

[OZ_Redneck]

Hi, I have several analogue scanners and I thought it was time to add a digital one to my set up.

If most emergency services that use digital are also encrypted then what can I expect to recieve on digital that im not already receiving?

On analogue should I already be receiving the digital transmissions as garbled noise?


Thanks,

 

[mmtstc]

The Garbled noise that you are hearing is what the Control Channel sounds like in analog. a digital scanner (or any trunk tracking scanner for that matter) makes sense of the garbled noise and interprets it.

You may be getting encrypted and encoded mixed up. In Minnesota, we have a system called ARMER which is a Digitally Trunked 800 MHz system that is encoded with the project 25 standard protocol. Depends on where you are, but up here there is very little traffic that i cannot hear on my BCD396T, only when there is a drug task force action or somethign along those lines.

I have been very happy with my purchase of a digital scanner abotu 2 years ago and if you are in an area where digital is becoming prevalent, i would recommend it. i use it at work as my ambulance service doesnt have the money to get onto the new radio system yet. But i still have my analog radios around because there is alot of stuff in analog mode that i still find very interesting.

 

[dangitdoug]

Digital scanner info

First, there is a difference between encrypted and digital.

There are no scanners that can listen to encrypted transmissions. With this in mind, be sure you have digital systems in your area before you invest in a digital scanner. If the systems you want to hear are encrypted, then you are out of luck at this time.

Digital scanners can listen to digital trunk, analog trunk and conventional transmissions.

You will be able to hear the noise from digital signals with an analog scanner.

Good luck with your new toy.

 

[ryangassxx]

People need to read better... That's not what he said or is asking..

 

[greenthumb]

If most emergency services that use digital are also encrypted then what can I expect to recieve on digital that im not already receiving?

Absolutely nothing. Scanners will not decode encrypted transmissions, and most digital scanners ignore encrypted transmissions altogether on trunked systems. I am unsure if they will ignore encrypted transmissions on conventional. If the system you are looking to monitor with your digital scanner is trunked with 100% encryption, your radio will sit listening to the control channel and not make a noise.

On analogue should I already be receiving the digital transmissions as garbled noise?

In most cases, the answer is yes. For conventional systems this is true, but if you are trying to trunk track a fully digital system, your legacy analog scanner will not be able to decode the control channel, so you will not hear anything at all. I believe that legacy analog scanners will show you a talk group ID and make noise if it is a mixed analog and digital trunked system...maybe someone here can confirm or deny this for me.

Perhaps you can let us know what system you are trying to monitor and we can try to assist you as to whether or not you will be able to utilize a digital scanner with it or not.

 

[DickH]

Hi, I have several analogue scanners and I thought it was time to add a digital one to my set up.

If most emergency services that use digital are also encrypted then what can I expect to recieve on digital that im not already receiving?

On analogue should I already be receiving the digital transmissions as garbled noise?

Your assumtion may not be correct. Digital systems may or may not be encrypted, just as some analog systems may or may not be encrypted. And only a few Talk Groups may be encrypted.
My city has a Motorola Type II Analog system. There are a handful of talk groups that are encrypted out of 700 or so that are listed. I believe they are the local FBI and perhaps drug enforcement.
.

 

[dangitdoug]

Thanks for all the help!!

People need to read better... That's not what he said or is asking..

It would appear that your knowledge exceeds ours, but you are unwilling to share your wisdom with us mere underlings. Instead you would rather just tell us all what ignorant people we are and keep your own vast knowledge to yourself.

Please forgive us, we are not worthy to share the same website with you. Come my fellow underlings. Let us find a place where we are worthy enough to speak without being ridiculed.

Doug K

 

[hotdjdave]

Analog vs. Digital vs. Encrypted

Just thought I would answer your questions directly to avoid any more confusion and bickering.

If most emergency services that use digital are also encrypted then what can I expect to recieve on digital that im not already receiving?

Nothing. You will hear the same exact thing, either dead air, digital noise, static, etc.

However, it is an assumption that "most emergency services that use digital are also encrypted." Actually, this is not normally the case. There are a few agencies that encrypt everything, but very few. Most agencies that use encryption use it for tactical purposes, such as detectives, surveillances, records checks, etc. Also, the radio techs want to feel special, so many times the radio tech channels are encrypted, as well.

On analogue should I already be receiving the digital transmissions as garbled noise?

Yes, when listening on an analog device that does not decode digital transmissions, you will hear the digital transmissions as I described above.


In regards to encryption, as stated by others, no scanner (available in retail) can decode encryption, whether the transmission is in digital or analog.

In regards to buying a scanner that can decode digital transmissions (ie. APCO Project 25 or P25), properly tuned, you would hear all the digital transmissions you were not able to previously hear on your analog scanner, as long as they are not encrypted.

 

[ryangassxx]

It would appear that your knowledge exceeds ours, but you are unwilling to share your wisdom with us mere underlings. Instead you would rather just tell us all what ignorant people we are and keep your own vast knowledge to yourself.

Please forgive us, we are not worthy to share the same website with you. Come my fellow underlings. Let us find a place where we are worthy enough to speak without being ridiculed.

Doug K

You're right, I know how to,.... read..

I honestly didn't mean to brag about my fancy edumacation..

 

[scannerbum]

How can you tell ?

I have yet to use the digital scanner , but I was wandering . How can you tell if a frequency , ID , etc.. is encrypted ? Analog or digital .

 

[Dubbin]

Well my 396 will tell me if something is encrypted. I don't remember if my PRO-96 would let me know or not.

 

[hankv]

How can you tell if a frequency , ID , etc.. is encrypted ? Analog or digital .

If you mean when your scanner finds a transmission, the 396 display will show you P25 if it's digital and ENC if it's encrypted. Most likely any Digital Capable scanner will do the same or similar, but I only have a 396.

I know this works on Motorola Type II and Project 25 Standard Systems - I don't have any EDACS, LTR, or Conventional (Digital) systems to monitor so I can't say for sure about them.

 

[ampulman]

Well my 396 will tell me if something is encrypted. I don't remember if my PRO-96 would let me know or not.

That's true regarding the 396. Also, sometimes when I would come across an encrypted frequency, I would hear a very brief sputtering sound.

AM

 

[BaLa]

Well my 396 will tell me if something is encrypted. I don't remember if my PRO-96 would let me know or not.

The 96, will 'listen' to that frequency regardless whether it's encrypted or not, actually gets quite annoying when encryption is used heavily.

 

[InlandAZ]

The 96, will 'listen' to that frequency regardless whether it's encrypted or not, actually gets quite annoying when encryption is used heavily.

It's only an issue if you don't lock out the encrypted talk groups, or run the bank in open mode.