[Scan-DC] Pasadena PD encrypts but promises media access

Tue Jan 10 13:41:41 EST 2012

For many, many years I've been using my scanners to listen to military 
air traffic along with local PD/FD traffic. However, with the advent of 
digital radios and scanners, along with encryption, the PD/FD listening 
is starting to get to be more trouble than it's worth. As a result, I 
have found myself migrating to almost strictly listening to military air 
traffic other than when some big event happens in the police/fire world 
of listening.

In addition to the ability to easily listen to this traffic with even 
the most basic scanner, it's also provides a lot of very interesting 
listening. It is all AM analog mode (and it's critical you have your 
scanner set to AM), there is no trunking and almost no encryption (other 
than very occasional uses when practicing classified type exercises). 
For those not familiar with the frequencies used, here's some very basic 
information:

While I could write a book on the subject, to give a quick and dirty 
overview, here's what you should know.....

1, Most fighters move through the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system using 
UHF freqs (225-400 mHz)
2. Most transport and tanker aircraft use VHF (118-136 mHz) for ATC
3. Bombers use both.
4. Both freq ranges are also used for tactical/operational use with the 
addition of the 138-144 mHz range for F-16/A-10 tactical use - and 
there's a lot of that due to the Andrews and Atlantic City F-16s and 
Martin State A-10s.

To get started, I would suggest you just start scanning those two freq 
ranges (138-144 and 225-400) and see what you come up with. Keep in mind 
that the military aircraft that use VHF for Air Traffic Control will 
also be mixed in with all the commercial air traffic in the 118-136 
range so it's more difficult to segregate them which is why I suggest 
starting with the freqs used almost exclusively by the military.

In the local area at Andrews we have F-16 fighters, KC-135 tankers and 
various Navy transports along with constant arrivals/departures of large 
transport aircraft and a variety of aircraft used for VIP flights - 
including the Presidential fleet of aircraft.
At Martin State Airport, we have A-10 ground attack aircraft and the 
C-27J light transport aircraft.
Patuxent Naval Air Station has aircraft of almost every type in the 
Navy's inventory.
Martinsburg WV has C-5 heavy transport aircraft as does Dover AFB DE 
along with C-17s
McGuire AFB NJ has C-17A transport and KC-135/KC-10 tanker aircraft
Then there are the fighters from Langley and Atlantic City
There is no shortage of military air listening opportunities in this 
general area.

For beginners, I would suggest checking out RadioReference.com, look for 
the Discussion Forums link, go to the Maryland page and check the 
"Sticky Thread for MilAir VII (2012). It will give you a good start for 
an explanation of the traffic and frequencies used for specific 
operations in this area. Other states have similar threads. The 
RadioReference database also contains frequency lists for specific 
military units.

Ease of listening, no expensive equipment necessary, a very basic 
omni-directional antenna will suffice and loads of enjoyment. Isn't that 
why most of us bought our scanners in the first place? Even your 20 year 
old scanners will work. Give it a try if you haven't already.

Alan (TinEar)
Maryland

On 1/10/2012 12:32 PM, Jeffrey Embry wrote:
> I have the feeling that scanner listening as a hobby...one that I have
> known for some 40 years is going away.  And technology, primarily the
> internet and smart phones are the root cause.  I wonder if changes
> would be made if streaming scanner feeds were not so readily
> available?
>
> Which makes me wonder...I have always believed that it is okay to
> listen so long as one didn't divulge what was heard to a 3rd party.
> Yep it is the honor system, but perhaps divuging what one hears to
> people you don't even know via the Internet or other means is just
> plain wrong.
>
> I do know this, I will NOT be putting anymore money into scanners,
> scanning equipment or other such items.  I am certainly not enjoying
> listening they way that I use to enjoy it.  In fact, I am finding
> commercial air traffic and railroads to be quite enjoyable.
>
> Just my measly .02 cents.
>
> 73es
>
> Jeff
> K3OQ
>
> On 1/10/12, lepine15 at comcast.net<lepine15 at comcast.net>  wrote:
>> I was thinking about starting a post on RR to start a dialogue with the site
>>
>> owners and the group as a whole, that maybe it's time to shut down the audio
>>
>> feeds for a little while.   Dept after dept is using this as the excuse to
>> encrypt all comms.
>>
>> Thoughts?
>>
>> Paul
>> Sent from my Verizon Wireless Phone
>>
>> -----Original message-----
>> From: Alan Henney<alan at henney.com>
>> To: Scan DC<Scan-DC at mailman.qth.net>
>> Sent: Tue, Jan 10, 2012 04:57:20 GMT+00:00
>> Subject: [Scan-DC] Pasadena PD encrypts but promises media access
>>
>>
>> Pasadena Star-News (California)
>>
>> January 7, 2012 Saturday
>>
>> Pasadena's digital scanners can't be monitored
>>
>> BYLINE: By Brian Charles, Staff Writer
>>
>> SECTION: NEWS
>>
>> LENGTH: 688 words
>>
>> PASADENA - As of today, the Pasadena Police Department's radio
>> communications will switch from analog to digital, preventing media outlets
>> and amateur radio enthusiasts from monitoring police calls.
>>
>> The police department will make its $7 million leap forward from analog to
>> encrypted digital transmission of radio conversations in a move city
>> officials insisted was not about secrecy but safety.
>>
>> "We are not out to avoid detection, but we are here to keep everyone safe,"
>> said Steven Page, Pasadena's telecommunications supervisor.
>>
>> Aided by cell phone advances that - in terms of technology - change every
>> few months, criminals are monitoring police activity constantly, Page said.
>>
>> "With the advent of iPhones and other devices, you can use an (application)
>> to figure out where the police are at any given time," he said.
>>
>> Shawn West, who owns West Information Services, a company that monitors
>> radio traffic, said "people listening to scanners aren't committing that
>> many crimes" and those employing scanners to aid in a criminal activity are
>> themselves breaking the law.
>>
>> And while police seek privacy in switching to digital transmission of their
>> conversations, doing so will hinder the work of journalists, West said.
>>
>> "Newspapers will have to wait on press releases," he said.
>>
>> Meanwhile, a digital revolution of sorts is underway in law enforcement,
>> with agencies from Pomona to the Pacific Ocean adopting new radio
>> technology. And as they do, many news agencies will be at least temporarily
>> left in the dark.
>>
>> Pasadena city officials promised to come up with a plan to arm area media
>> outlets with digitally equipped scanners. Pasadena officials said they will
>> likely replicate the plan used in Orange County, where news outlets and law
>> enforcement agencies enter into agreements to lease or receive the scanners
>> on loan, Page said.
>>
>> However, the city has not formulated criteria for what constitutes as a news
>>
>> agency.
>>
>> For now, the Pasadena media will depend on the discretion of police officers
>>
>> in reporting the agency's activities.
>>
>> "We will put the information out that the public needs to know," Pasadena
>> police Phillip Sanchez said.
>>
>> "That may be one of the unintended consequences," Pasadena City Manager
>> Michael Beck said about the encryption which will keep residents and the
>> media from listening in on police frequencies.
>>
>> Sanchez surmises that the public prefers the improved response times
>> associated with the technology to open access for the media and the public.
>>
>> "I guess the balance to that is the benefit to the victim; that we get there
>>
>> quickly and can coordinate our response," Sanchez said. "Ultimately time
>> will tell whether the media feels excluded."
>>
>> While California requires government bodies to operate openly under the
>> scrutiny of the press and the general public, police departments are not
>> required to make the same concession when it comes to radio transmissions.
>>
>> "I have never seen an obligation to keep scanner traffic transparent," said
>> Terry Francke, CalAware attorney and government watchdog.
>>
>> "Assuming of course that the police are doing what they are supposed to do
>> ... I don't know it's inherently suspect anymore than it would be for police
>>
>> to use the phone or email to secure communications," Francke said.
>>
>> The new digital radio system works much like a cell phone. A computer system
>>
>> assigns a frequency to a radio in the field and switches that frequency
>> assignment as traffic on the entire system increases or as the officer moves
>>
>> across the coverage area. In short, more people can talk along a more narrow
>>
>> spectrum of bandwidth, West said.
>>
>> By April 1, the Pasadena departments of Public Works, Water and Power and
>> Code Enforcement will have adopted the new encrypted system.
>>
>> The Pasadena Fire Department will not adopt a fully encrypted system, as the
>>
>> department works closely with other agencies that have not gone digital,
>> Page said.
>>
>> In the Bay Area, the new radio systems have been crippled by cell phone
>> jamming equipment, proof that the system is not foolproof, Page said.
>>
>> "If someone really wants to jam our system, they can," Page said.
>>
>> brian.charles at sgvn.com
>>
>> twitter.com/JBrianCharles
>>
>> 626-578-6300, ext. 4494
>>
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