XTS5000 Secure Lock

[CaliLifeStyle]

Does anyone know how to unlock the radio when it's in secure lock?
It's a Type I ruggadized UHF.

We've looked in the programming and are not seeing something.
Any help would be appreciated.

[batdude]

uh... you can't secure lock a model 1 radio.......




doug

[wavetar]

Maybe he means the codeplug is password protected???

[mr.syntrx]

Or secure strapping a mode?

[e231]

alright how about a model II? any ideas? from ebay.

f/w 7.01.01
dsp 7.01.01
sec 4.01.04
sierra 74114357
des-ofb
des-xl
des-cfb
aes-256
flash 140001-000002-1

[Bruce1807]

maybe the channels are just programmed as secure only?
channge them to select or clear.

[e231]

No, thanks not it. I have checked it side by side with another unit using astro25 9.0 can't seem to find the difference in the programming, also the clock does not display, nor can I make it using the software. Enabled 12 hr/24hr display, no dice. This radio is a 04/06 model and originally said latest programming /factory/ 04/06.

[Mfire39]

Did you put Clock in your menu items? I have seen some new radios where the clock isn't on the display until you go into the clock through the menu.. Just a thought..

-Marc

[e231]

I have indeed tried all these things to no avail. I have not run into these problems before. When powered up, the radio displays 'SECURE LOCK' and beeps at me continuously. You can clear this by holding down the PTT for a second or two. This takes you to 'normal' operation. I cannot find anything referring to this state in the CPS help. I am downloading the updated user manual from mol, perhaps this will shed some light. thanks

[Bruce1807]

So what you have is a conventional P25 radio so that eliminates a bit .
I'm a trunking person so correct my theory if need be.
To begin with is there a channel called secure?
Where I'm going is that in trunking you can send channel lock from the RCM
Is it possible through signalling that a console has sent something like a lock or inhibit command to the radio?
Is MDC inhibit like a trunking inhibit? ie does the radio become a brick with no displkay except that short flash.

Give me my Smartzone anyday.

[e231]

The inhibit function would as you say "brick" the radio. This does not seem to be the case. The radio was showing last programmed as FACTORY. that indicates new radio. I don't know. It is almost like a login type state, however it is a model II radio so no # pad to login with. It functions normally after a long press of the PTT. Batdude had a reply for this post originally. I may PM him and see if he has an idea. thanks

[Bruce1807]

can you post the codeplug somewhere so we can look at it.
Also have you cloned the known good radio into and seen if it goes away?

[e231]

the two vhf units I have are a mod III and the weird one is a mod II. They have different flashes so either way they won't clone. I did however do drag-n-drop from the model III to the model II to transfer the info. I'll pm you the codeplug.

[Bruce1807]

First off you have channels where you can select secure. How do you select.
Open controls/switches and make the two position cocentric switch
secure TX select and clear tx select.

If that doesn't work in the secure options disable the secure equiped. (not sure if this will dump the keys or not) and reprogram and see if the problem goes away.

[e231]

right, as I said if I uncheck secure equipped, then I get a FAIL error on reboot of the radio. I have the concentric switch set for secure select merely because I cannot disable secure. I have tried with, without, remove the module, swap modules with another radio. The other 5000's I have also have ucm's, but I simply uncheck secure equipped because I do not need it. When I first booted this thing I put it in test mode and it went all the way to kg7 on encryption, but it only goes to kg4 now. I cannot expline that nor remember what they all were.

[mustanglane]

Did anyone ever figure out how to rid the display of the Secure Lock display upon boot up? I just met someone today with a newly acquired XTS5000 with this issue - never saw it before myself, and after reading the CPG, we couldn't find anything out of the ordinary. The Radio Lock Feature was NOT enabled----
Thanks

[WB4JGI]

The secure lock function is part of the UCM. There is no way to disable it within CPS, believe me I've tried. To get rid of it you'll have to swap UCM's to a standard one. A friend of mine also acquired a radio like this from some state agency in NJ and that person stated all of their radios were like that for security reasons. But anyways all you need to do is switch the secure module out with a regular one, if that makes any sense. A part number of the standard UCM's and secure lock UCM's would be great to have, that way one could avoid those secure lock modules in the future.

[mustanglane]

Thanks for the reply - will pass it on!

[groundrat99]

I know this is a real old thread but I had some radios like this. Ours had the secure lock and they were set up to run Type 1 encryption. Meaning the radios could be loaded with up to a secret level encryption key. You had to use a KYK-13 or one of the newer crypto loaders. Very expensive modules.

[mustanglane]

Thanks - that plays into the thought that it came from a high level federal agency - it otherwise appeared normal!

[High_order1]

.... or a .mil type, would be more likely.

Shawn

[Elroy Jetson]

This may be an old thread but I have relevant info on it.

When you power up an XTS that has a type 1 encryption secure module and type 1 capable vocon board in it, it automatically defaults
to SECURE LOCK. Press and hold the PTT for a few seconds and the message clears and the radio operates normally.

Any radio that goes into SECURE LOCK on power-up will display SIERRA MOD at one point if you put the radio into self test/data readout mode.

The Sierra UCM is manufactured by Harris, and is not illegal for a civilian to own IF it does not have any Type 1 encryption algorithms in it.

But, if it DOES have any Type 1 encryption algorithms in it, it's a hot potato that you do NOT want.

However...if the radio came from a .gov source and simply has the Sierra module in it, as far as .gov is concerned, there IS a problem, even
if there is no Type 1 encryption format in it. This is because Type 1 capable radios (actually set up for Type 1 or not) are CCI items, that is,
Controlled Cryptographic Items.

At least when it comes to the military and their rules on CCI radios, any accountability failure involving a CCI device is a reportable incident.
They are not permitted to be sent into the surplus chain. They have to be destroyed (thoroughly) if they are to be disposed of.

I would personally avoid having anything to do with a radio that had the CCI label on it (on the bottom, in the case of an XTS5000) or which
showed Secure Lock on power-up, or read out SIERRA MOD in self test.

It's potential trouble that you just don't need or want.


Elroy

[kotaguchi]

I bought a XTS5000 Model II VHF one time on Ebay that had a "SIERRA MOD"Type I CCI module in it.When I bought it,I was not aware that it had a SIERRA Module in it till I received it and posted looking for info on Bat Labs forum.

The US GOV definitely wants to recover any radios with a TYPE I CCI encryption.

I got a call from a FBI special agent and then shortly a call from a Special Agent with the NSA.

She was very understanding and helpful.

I returned the radio to the kind,understanding NSA Special Agent based at Fort Meade MD and she sent a letter to PayPal on my behalf and was covered by PayPal which gave me a full refund.

[Elroy Jetson]

This is good information.


If you find yourself in possession of a CCI labelled radio, even if it does not have a Type 1 algorithm in it, and you can't provide
a receipt or get repaid via Paypal or other means, your best course of action is probably to just quietly drop the radio off at
your local FBI office and get on with your life.


The hassle they can bring is not worth the novelty of having one.


Incidentally, the Sierra UCM has a back-up battery on it. If that battery should go dead, the algorithms are all erased from
the volatile memory on board the UCM and then, since the VOCON board for Type 1 radios is modified as compared to the standard,
non-Type 1 variety, the radio will exhibit an error code, FAIL 09/90 on power-up and that's as far as it goes. To recover this,
you'd have to get the algos reloaded into the UCM and that would get rather hairy.

However, it's also fair to note that Harris' own documentation on the Sierra module clearly states that the unit is not a controlled item
if it does not have any non-type 1 algorithms in it. In theory at least, you could buy a Sierra UCM for use with all of the various non-Type 1
encryption formats. But why would you? Granted, they support AES-256, but you can buy standard variety UCMS with AES on ebay now!


Elroy