iDen/ISm Secure Comms.... UpDate...

Unfortunately this is true,,,,

 

Not sure if this has been posted in this thread but Broker provided the user manual for the i355 in Survival Downloads:
http://www.survivalmonkey.com/threads/i355-motorola-2-26-mb.34089/

 

All good Info... Thanks for Posting...

 

Ok, @wilfor03 Here is the process...
1. Get in DirecTalk Mode, FIRST
2. Go to My Information Screen
3. Hit the Edit Button
4. Scroll down to Name, and Hit OK Button
5. Enter a Unit SPECIFIC Name, and then hit the OK Button.. Write the Name down....
6. Scroll down to Line 1, and hit OK
7. Delete old 10 digit Number, and enter your NEW 10 digit Private Number, and write it down, next to the Name, and then hit the OK Button
8. Hit Back Button, Twice (which brings you back to the DT Ready Screen.
9. Repeat 2 - 8 for each Phone using a different NEW 10 digit Private Number, and Name, on each Unit
10. Once that is done, then enter the Private Number (no spaces) of one of the other Units, using the Keypad, and Press the PTT Key...
11. The Unit that uses that number will Answer in DT Private Unit to Unit Mode, and you can carry on a back & forth conversation....
12. After the conversation is over for a few seconds, the screen will go to the Recent Calls Screen....
13. Hit the Back Key, and you will be back in Squad Comms Mode (CH 5/Code 5 is MonkeyNet Setup)
14. Repeat 11 - 13 for each unit so that ALL your Units are in the Recent Calls Screen
15. You can ADD these Names and Private Numbers to your Contacts Screen and then use the Contacts Screen
to connect Directly to each of your Units in Private Unit Mode, Individually, where as in Squad Comms Mode ALL Units using the same Code
can receive ALL Transmissions made on that Ch/Code Setup Combination.

You can Skype "Me" (btpostak) if you need further Help, or just ask here.....
Once you get them running, send the Kids, or Grandkids, as the case may be, out with a few, and get a feel for the Ranges, and coverage of your local AoO. These make real handy Comms Devices for Family Outings, Like County Fairs, Gun Shows, Camping Trips, Town Shopping Trips, and the like where you are separated, but within Range of the iDen/ISM Units.... and folks just think they are CellPhones, when you are using them.

 

Hey, Great.... I think you will like these.... We use our around the place all the time, instead of the 5 Watt FM Marine/Business Radios, that we used to carry... Now those are only used during the summers, when we need to have comms with boats, and Planes....

 

Ok,I was perusing a Comms Sales Catalog, and came across these Motorola iDen/ISM TwoWay Digital Comm Devices. These seem to use the same Motorola Chipset, that the iDen/ISM Cellphones use, and are VERY similar to the TriSquare Electronics Corp. Units that are, NOW, no longer in production. They are being marketed in the same Price Range as the TriSquare Electronics Corp. Units. They are Significantly more expensive, than the Cellphones, but ARE in production, TODAY.



I did some looking, and found the Opertions Manual for these Units. There are some interesting "Features" that the iDen/ISM Phne do NOT have, but the difference in price/Unit is a bit much even for the extra features. .

 

@Brokor Take a look at the above Post, and User guide..... Interesting....

 

Yes, these are AMAZING. I just did a quick search, and I am betting they can be had for the right price...the right price for the seller. They are just a bit out of price range for me to change out from the iDen line. I still want a couple of them!

From what I gathered, they can be cloned with a cable --a feature the Trisquare's have also.

 

I was most interested the the Messaging, and the Remote Shutdown features... But NOT at those Prices.... Now if they could send FILES from a connected PC, that would be worth the Price....

 

This is copied for the Blog, but wanted to get these ideas into the Comms forums as well.....


Ok, I have been considering this ISSUE (Range extension, and or Terrain, or Path Issues) for a while, and I think I have an answer for some of these, that would be SECURE and still get the Job done.... Build a Repeater out of two Motorola i355s.... They ALL have a Remote Audio Jack, for access to Rx audio, Tx Audio, and PTT... They are Spread Spectrum, so if one were to set them up with Vertical Separation of say 15 Ft, on a 30 Ft Pole, and programmed them on Different ChannelSetUps, Say Ch1/Code5 on one and Ch10/Code 5 on the other, and placed the Pole, a Solar Panel, Charge Controller, and a Battery, on the Hilltop between your two places. You would use the first Setup to TX, which would trigger the Second Unit to Tx on the Second Setup, which would be RX'ed by your Friend. Then he would replay on the second Setup and the second Unit would trigger the first Unit to Tx on the first Setup back to you on your Unit which is still on the First Setup.... I haven't tried this, but the theory is SOUND, and should work. The only thing that you would need to do, was to WAIT for the other Pole Unit to Lockup with your Friends Unit, before any audio could pass on the Link. This would be a couple of Seconds, I think... Double what it takes for a single Link, the way we use them NOW.... also NOTE, that these Units can be operated with Power Amps, to Ten Watts, and ANY Antennas one would like to use, under Part 97 (Ham License) as they use the 902-928 Mhz Ham Band which is a SHARED Band with ISM, and the Ham USE is a Secondary Use, where the ISM is an Unlicensed, and must accept interference from and can NOT interfere with a Primary or Secondary Use. I guess I will have to get a couple of more i355s, and try this out, this spring....

Just thinking out loud here, But one "could" build a HUB Repeater on a Tall Pole, that had multiple (not just two) Units, all cross-connected, so that a RX on any One Unit would cause a Tx on ALL the other Units, and then each Camp, or Group, could just TX up on their Setup, and be received by ALL on their individual Setups. Another thought just came to mind, Why not just put a High Powdered WiFi Router up on the Pole as well, and do ALL the interGroup Comms via Digital Voice, (like Skype or Equivalent) You could use High Gain Panel Antennas, on each end, at the Camps, and a reasonable High Gain Omni Directional Antenna on the Pole, in the middle. Leave the Encryption to the computers, and send Encrypted GPG files, back and forth, across a completely closed Network. Costs would be cheap, and as SECURE of Comms, as the Encryption Scheme. GPG for normal Comms, and OnePad for REALLY SECURE Comms.....​

 

Just off the Top of my Head... Seems to me one could just tap the Audio Output, Rectify that, and use that, with a long deIntegrated

Another thought, on OpSec... Do NOT discard the FRS/GMRS Radios, as these would be just fine, for unSECURED Comms, pre-SHTF, and Post SHTF, they can be used for Spoofing, and Monitoring Outsiders, by directing a series of pre-arranged Spoof Comms, on FRS/GMRS, while keeping the REAL Comms on the SECURE Phones.... Very Good way to lead Bad Guys, into a Ambush/Trap, while maintaining Group OpSec.... A Good Scanner, that monitors MURS, FRS/GMRS, and other local Police. Fire, and Ham, FM Frequencies, should ALWAYS be part of an Integrated Comms Plan for ANY Group.

 

@Altoidfishfins

One could tap the Audio Output, of the Unit, Rectify that, add a Delay Hystereses, and use that to trigger the PTT of the Other Unit. Basically a VOX (Voice activated Switch) Circuit. Not to hard to design & build into a Controller System.

One other thing, for Group OpSec.... Do NOT chuck the FRS/GMRS Radios, as they can be used, Pre-SHTF for routine Group Comms. Post-SHTF they then become a valid Spoofing Unit to deal with Outsiders, trying to Monitor your Group Comms. Setup a pre-Arranged Spoofing Comms routine, that would tend to lead outsiders away from your area, and also can be used to lead Bad Guys, into a pre-Arranged Ambush/Trap, with your Spoofing Comms, while maintaining your REAL Comms on the SECURE Phones. A Group should ALWAYS have a Good Scanner programmed to watch MURS, FRS/GMRS, as well as local Police, Fire, and Ham, FM Frequencies, as part of a Group Comms Setup, just so you can Monitor, Who, What, and Where, others are moving around in your AoO. This is all part of OpSec Rules for any Prep'ed Group. Someone needs to be designated as your Groups Comms Guru.

If you have a Ham Operator, then that person should get themselves hooked up with MonkeyNet, to keep your Group connected to the rest of us. You can review MonkeyNet, by reading the Comms White Paper in the Advanced Comms Forum, here on the Monkey site. OnePad is a very valid system to SECURE Comms, on unsecured Comm Links, like FRS/GMRS, and the like. A Phrase PAD that was designed for Your Specific Group, and AoO could be invaluable, down the road, for Groups Comms, The technology that is the basis of MonkeyNet, is available to ANYONE. This allows for each Person, or Group to setup their OWN Private SECURED Comms, and get ready to deal with MonkeyNet, when vetted into the System. .....