[TrunkCom] Re: [ConnScan] Milford Police Broadcasts

Wed, 27 Aug 2003 23:07:28 -0400

[email protected] wrote:

> I have not heard of any FCC rule or law that states as such. If any at all, 
> it would be a FCC rule. You cannot legally use encryption on HAM freq's, 
> business/industrial freq's (the DOT freq's), MURS, GMRS, FRS, Citizen's bands radio 
> and a couple of others. Private license holders not operating in such bands 
> can use encryption as long as their license has the FX2 (I think) on their 
> license, which covers DIGITAL use which doesn't necessarily mean encryption.
>
> "Paul S." <[email protected]> wrote:
> I was just reading the previous posting that Milford PD is digital 
> and it is encrypted FULL time.   I could be wrong, but  I thought I 
> read somewhere or heard somewhere that police agencies that have 
> encryption capabilities, are only supposed to encrypt their 
> broadcasts a certain percentage of the time  for example   10% of 
> all broadcasts.

Unless there is some sort of state or local ordinance to that effect, 
there is no reason an agency cannot encrypt their transmissions 
full-time. Of course, key management can be a real pain, in addition to 
the fact that full-time encryption gives those with nefarious intentions 
and the appropriate software lots more opportunity to successfully break 
the encryption.

Tom WA8PYR
--
-----------------------------------------------------
Tom Swisher, WA8PYR         [email protected]
          "They're not going to catch us...
   we're on a mission from God" - Elwood Blues, 1979
     WA8PYR Radio - http://www.qsl.net/wa8pyr