Entries in frequencies (6)
Insecurity of Wireless Headsets
February 17, 2008 in Technology In a recent security audit of a typical American company, investigators found it to be child’s play to obtain confidential information about the company’s secrets. Positioned across the street, they intercepted a large number of telephone conversations transmitted in the clear because a significant number of employees were using wireless headsets.
To perform the work, we purchased a commercially available radio scanner. These devices are available at any local electronics retailer at prices ranging from $80 to several thousand dollars. We chose a scanner capable of monitoring frequencies from 900 to 928MHz and the 1.2GHz ranges, which is where many of the popular hands-free headsets operate. We took a position across the street from the facility and started up the scanner. Within seconds of turning on the device, we were able to listen to conversations that appeared to be coming from our client’s employees. Several of these conversations discussed the business in detail, as well as very sensitive topics… Within minutes of this discovery, we contacted our customer and explained the vulnerability… To demonstrate the sensitivity of what we discovered, we used the conversations we recorded to social engineer our way into the facility.
Transcript of Episode 130, Security Now
Military Takes Back Frequencies
February 25, 2007 in Technology Homeowners across the country are finding they’re unable to operate their garage door remotes anymore. This is because the remote control systems are unlicensed users of frequencies already licensed for military use. In recent years, the military stopped using them much, but since 9/11, many military facilities are reclaiming the frequency spectrum.
Garage door freeze has broken out in other areas near military installations. Just before Christmas, hundreds of people around an Air Force facility in Colorado Springs reported that their remotes died when the 21st Space Wing began testing a frequency that would be used for homeland security emergencies or threats. Two years ago, testing of the system generated a dozen calls to Fort Detrick in Maryland. …Since the years preceding World War II, the military has held a portion of the radio spectrum in reserve, from 138 to 450 megahertz.
Of course the Washington Post is wrong about the huge frequency range they listed. I suspect they meant that the military has always reserved 174-420 MHz. The entire VHF-FM band is 138 to 174 MHz, which is licensed for a variety of purposes to police, fire, rescue and business purposes. Ham radio uses 144-148 MHz.
A CBS report says the frequency reclaimed for Homeland Security is 390 MHz. Others sources say that garage door openers across the 300 MHz band are affected.
Continue Reading: Near Quantico, A Click, but Garage Door Doesn’t Budge, Washington Post
Radio Reference Has The Latest Frequencies
February 5, 2006 in Technology 
As more and more police, fire and rescue radios move to trunked systems, they’re becoming harder to find. Police and Fire in Warren county Virginia recently moved, and I’ve been wondering where they went to —- until I found out about Radio Reference. To find what you’re looking for there, click on the “database” link. They had all the latest frequencies, and I was back to listening to them the same day. Front Royal Police have moved to 800MHz on a trunked system shared with other users in the county. Most of what they’re doing is in the clear. It takes a little getting used to because of the shared use. At first, I thought the police department was sounding awful casual these days… until I realized one of the shared users is a local cab company with a very rude dispatcher. So to know who is who… the ones who sound professional are the police - Front Royal and Warren County Sheriff’s Office. Warren County Fire and Rescue has also moved to new frequencies, but not 800MHz for some reason. They just switched to the new channels in January 2006, and sound like they’re getting used to the new system.
Virginia Fire & Rescue
February 1, 2006 in Technology These are the frequencies I have on file for Virginia Fire and Rescue. Again, I suspect that some of these frequencies have been abandoned as municipalities move toward trunked service on the 800 and 900MHz bands:
Alexandria Fire/Rescue Dispatch 154.430
Alexandria Fireground 153.845
Arlington County Fire Dispatch 154.130
Arlington County Fireground 155.865
Clark County Fire Dispatch 46.10
Fairfax City Fire F1 Dispatch 460.600
Fairfax County Fire Marshall, Hospital 460.600
Fairfax County Fire NOVA, Hospital 460.625
Fauquier County Fire/Rescue Dispatch 46.50
Fauquier County Fireground 46.48
Frederick County Fire/Rescue Dispatch 154.220
Loudoun County Fire KIU862 458.950
Loudoun County Fire Ambulance to Hospital 155.175
Manassas City Fire/Rescue Dispatch 154.250
Manassas City Fireground / Hospital 154.400
Manassas Park Fire/Rescue Dispatch 154.980
Manassas Park Fireground 155.115
Mutual Aid National Fire/Rescue Mutual Aid Channel 154.280
Mutual Aid NOVA Fire/Rescue Mutual Aid 154.265
Prince William County Fire/Rescue Dispatch 154.325
Prince William County Fireground West 154.370
Prince William County Fireground East 154.445
Falls Church Police Dispatch 453.925
Shenandoah County Fire/Rescue Dispatch 453.300
Warren County Fire/Rescue Dispatch 39.84
Warren County VFD Dispatch, Rappahanock Co Link 33.68
Winchester City Ambulance Service 464.600
Virginia Police
February 1, 2006 in Technology Here is a collection of scanner frequencies for Virginia police, though some have probably changed recently. I haven’t heard a peep on Front Royal’s police frequencies lately, making me suspect they’ve gone to the 800MHz band like everybody else.
Alexandria Police Trunked System 854.4875
Alexandria Police Trunked System 855.5625
Alexandria Police Trunked System 856.8375, 857.8375, 858.8375, 859.8375, 860.8375
Alexandria Police Conventional 854.2125
Alexandria Police Conventional 855.5125
Alexandria Police Dispatch 460.375
Alexandria Police Tac 460.075
Arlington Police Trunked System 856.4375, 857.4375, 858.4375, 859.4375, 860.4375
Arlington Police Trunked System 856.7625, 857.7625, 858.7625, 859.7625, 860.7625
Arlington Police Trunked System 856.9375, 857.9375, 858.9375, 859.9375, 860.9375
Arlington Police Dispatch 453.825
Arlington Police Cars 453.500
Culpeper EOC/Culpeper Link 155.655
Fairfax City Police Dispatch 453.975
Fairfax County Police F1 HQ 854.1375
Fairfax County Police F2 Mount Vernon 854.2875
Fairfax County Police F3 McLean 853.3375
Fairfax County Police F4 Mason 853.4875
Fairfax County Police Reston 853.9625
Fairfax County Police F6 Franconia 853.1875
Fairfax County Police F7 West Springfield 853.7875
Fairfax County Police F8 Fair Oaks 853.6375
Falls Church Police Dispatch 453.925
Fauquier Co Police Sheriff Office 39.80
Front Royal Police Dispatch 460.500
Front Royal Police Cars 463.6375
Herndon Police 453.850
Loudoun County Police 155.970, 453.450, 453.625, 458.550
Loudoun County Police 488.6875, 488.9375, 489.1875
Loudoun County Police 491.6875, 491.9375, 492.1875, 956.4438
Loudoun County Sheriff 39.50, 39.72, 39.78, 39.82
Manassas Police Dispatch 453.200
Manassas Police Secondary 453.425
Manassas Park Police Dispatch 453.775
Prince William County Police East Dispatch 453.375
Prince William County Police West Dispatch 453.475
Prince William County Police West Cars 453.150
Prince William County Sheriff Office 39.68
SIRS (State Interdepartmental Radio Service) 39.54
Vienna Police Dispatch (old) 155.700
Virginia State Police Fairfax, Arlington Counties 159.000 (input=154.935)
Virginia State Police Prince William, Loudoun Counties 159.135 (input=155.460)
Virginia State Police Culpeper, Fauquier Counties, I-66 159.165 (input=155.445)
Virginia State Police Shenandoah Valley, I-81 158.985
Virginia State Police Tac 154.665
Virginia State Police Executive Protection 154.680
Virginia State Police Surveillance 154.695
Virginia State Police Mobile Extenders 158.910
Warren County Sheriff Office 851.2375, 852.2375, 853.2375, 854.2375, 855.2375
Warren County Sheriff Office Portables 453.1375, 453.1625
Warrenton Police Dispatch 153.995
Warrenton Police Cars 153.800
Winchester Police Dispatch 159.210
What's On My Yaesu FT-7800R
January 5, 2006 in Technology I love the Yaesu FT-7800R, a programmable radio transceiver which lives in my trunk with a remote control head… handy because I use valet parking every day in the city. I’ve programmed lots of stuff to listen to.
121.5MHz has priority because that’s where pilots would call for help unless they just do so on their last frequency. That’s also where they try to reach pilots who have strayed into the Washington ADIZ… hoping they can reach them before it’s time to shoot them down. If they can’t get pilots to divert, they’ll have to deal with Guard Dog very shortly.
Flight Service Stations talk with pilots about their flight plans, and Flight Watch is to give pilot’s weather updates enroute.
Reagan National Airport (DCA) in Washington communicates with pilots flying in and out from their control tower frequency, while planes on the ground but off the runway coordinate movement with the ground frequency. Dulles Airport (IAD) in Virginia has the same division of communications, as do most all airport control towers in the U.S.
Unicom channels are used by pilots to communicate with uncontrolled airports… those so small, they do not have a control tower. Pilots also advise other pilots of their location and intention in the airport traffic pattern. There are a limited number of UNICOM frequencies available, so airports share frequencies. When in the air, pilots often hear communications from other airports, as well as their own. Unicom frequencies listed here include Winchester VA (OKV), Warrenton VA (W66), Cumberland MD (CBE), Luray VA (W45), Hagerstown MD (HGR), Leesburg VA (JYO), and Front Royal VA (FRR). Airports broadcasts updated weather and airport information on separate ATIS frequencies.
Pilot planning to land in the Washington area get in touch with Potomac Approach, and those flying through the area communicate with Washington Center.
Pearls Before Swine
Day By Day
Cartoons Used With Permission