Scanner Query?? Digital ?? Victoria

Shoofty_As · 23-08-2006, 11:17 PM

Hi peoples,

I know there is mixed opinions on scanner usage listening to the cops etc.. I'de like to lay this down first.. I listen to my scanner of a night time when I go to bed, If i'm bored or need a it of background noise, there is some interesting things that happen that you just can't read about or see on the news. But lately to my shock horrror I've since been informed that Victoria Police are following the trend or going "digital" ... (hence me not receiving anything on my old scanner no More doh !)

I'm not a scanner geek and hence don't really care for all the hoo har and technological B**L ****e, I"m just Curious on who's done the change over and purchased a new "digital" scanner, whats the cheap way of doing this and if this digital move will ever go encrypted (another word I don't fully undersatnd) is it even worth while??? I've had my trusty scanner for years and never really got sick of it.. I'm kinda missing it now... all i get is the stuff i don't listen to...

Anywaiz.. what do you'se all reckon?

bathurst77 · 23-08-2006, 11:28 PM

NSW and Vic metro Police are changing to APCO25 digital.
Most of them are digital now.
You need a digital scanner, uniden and Radio shack have some around the $700 mark.
They do receive and "decode" the current apco25.

HOWEVER that said, in the next year or two, the police will be encrypting their digital signals too (scrambling). Once they go encrypted, they will be pretty well impossible to hear, ever.

If you get a trunk tracker type scanner tho ($300 and up), u can still listen to fireys, ses, ambos, electrickery and water and railway and rail.

charles_wif_xf · 24-08-2006, 12:12 AM

Meh, encryption. It'll be cracked within weeks.

S3SR · 24-08-2006, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bathurst77

If you get a trunk tracker type scanner tho ($300 and up), u can still listen to fireys, ses, ambos, electrickery and water and railway and rail.

you can do that with handhelds just gotta tweak it...friends dad is an ambo and his one is tweak for all of them only thing is you cant talk back...already tried

VSSII · 24-08-2006, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by charles_wif_xf

Meh, encryption. It'll be cracked within weeks.

No doubt. But not by backyard hacks. It's not new technology. Only new to Australia and is yet to be cracked elsewhere.

charles_wif_xf · 24-08-2006, 12:59 PM

Supposed backyard hacks cracked CSS on DVD's; the same "hacks" cracked DES, the former American encryption standard.

But I'm just nitpicking. Don't mind me.

XR8Rebel2001 · 24-08-2006, 10:39 PM

Victoria Police digital radio is encrypted and has been from the start. It does use DES encryption, and the "backyard hacks" had to came up with a $250,000 machine to crack it. (Decrypting CSS is far, far, far more trivial than decrypting DES). The MFB have also moved to digital but they are not encrypted except for a few multi agency channels. The MAS will be moving to digital next year.

Regional police and the CFA will not be going digital any time soon.

Shoofty_As · 28-08-2006, 12:18 AM

Hmm Intsersting... thanks for the reply guys.. looks like I might be giving it a miss at that price.. I would be willing to Fork out for the 7 hungy odd, but its a bit of a gamble if all this encrypted stuff kicks in.. best I hit the gym and train up to be a cop.. NOT.. maybe I could get in a scuffle with the five 0 at the local and nik one of their handhelds.. might take a few cans of courage but..

frost · 13-09-2006, 03:36 PM

Cant hack metro digital at this stage...

Im glad im in the country, with a goverment supplied radio

13-09-2006, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shoofty_As

Hmm Intsersting... thanks for the reply guys.. looks like I might be giving it a miss at that price.. I would be willing to Fork out for the 7 hungy odd, but its a bit of a gamble if all this encrypted stuff kicks in.. best I hit the gym and train up to be a cop.. NOT.. maybe I could get in a scuffle with the five 0 at the local and nik one of their handhelds.. might take a few cans of courage but..

They probably regularly change their encryption code and formula on a statewide level, therefore leaving your newly stolen handheld useless.

frost · 13-09-2006, 04:02 PM

I beleive you have to log onto the digital network with your radio before it works

VSSII · 13-09-2006, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shoofty_As

Hmm Intsersting... thanks for the reply guys.. looks like I might be giving it a miss at that price.. I would be willing to Fork out for the 7 hungy odd, but its a bit of a gamble if all this encrypted stuff kicks in.. best I hit the gym and train up to be a cop.. NOT.. maybe I could get in a scuffle with the five 0 at the local and nik one of their handhelds.. might take a few cans of courage but..

Any lost or misplaced radio can be "turned off" from the network.

Redrum · 13-09-2006, 05:45 PM

Each police radio, digital issue, has an id number, like an imei number and can be shut off via D24. Digital network is only applicable at this stage to Metro areas.

frost · 13-09-2006, 07:14 PM

I doubt country areas such as ballarat could go digital due to the area covered issue.