Smallest Radio with Encryption - Looking for recommendations

[n6fnp]

I am looking for a small HT with encryption for my girlfriend to talk to me with. I have some
MTS2000 HT's with DES-XL which are good, but would like something a little smaller. I also have
a couple of Expo's which are perfect in size, but the batteries have been dead for a long time
and the radios are not on usable frequencies anyway.

I don't need high level encryption like AES256, but I would prefer something that is at least
as good as DES so that geeks with high end scanners won't be able to listen in.

I prefer Motorola equipment, but and recommendations are welcome, even if they are from
other manufacturers.


-Thor (N6FNP)

[Jim1348]

Does it really have to be encryption? Honestly, it sounds to me like it is overkill just talking to your girlfriend. I mean really, if you go with a format that can't be monitored with a consumer grade scanner, I really doubt that anything you and your girlfriend say is that sensitive. Why not just buy a pair of Motorola DT550s? Or, since Nextel is dead, buy a couple of Motorola i365s and use Direct Talk. What sort of range to you want? Is it 1 mile or less? For that matter, you could buy something with MOTO TRBO and is anybody really going to focus on your communications with your girlfriend?

[Bigfella237]

If you have your heart set on encryption there's something else you need to consider, if you choose radios with DES/AES you're also going to need a key-loader in order to load the crypto keys, which means more $$$

It sounds like ADP would be ideal as keys can be programmed via CPS but that means you'd have to buy newer hardware?

If you're only worried about people with scanners then maybe a pair of cheap FRS radios with voice inversion would do the job?

[Wowbagger]

What frequency band and service are you planning on using? Business band? IIRC FRS does not allow encryption.

[MTS2000des]

Some of the MotoTRBO radios are small, the SL7550 (digital only) is cell phone sized. They support enhanced privacy, no keyfill device needed (you do it all in CPS) and these will probably keep most scanner nuts away, price on these ain't cheap.

Or just go buy a pair of old Nextel phones with DirecTalk and use the "Private Call" feature, if you use a NAM that is hard to guess (that is your "key") no one else with DT could listen in, and they are spread spectrum on 902-928ISM, so scanner geeks will be in the dark. These are all over the place for $30 a pair or less on Ebay. Tons of models to choose from.

[n6fnp]

Thanks for the responses so far. I don't really want to get into MotoTRBO at the moment, but do like that there aren't
any scanners out yet that can listen to them. I'll keep the NEXTEL DirecTalk Private Call in mind as a possibility.

I'd like to have one radio that was on either VHF high band or UHF (single band is okay) that could be used for ham, MURS,
GMRS, etc, and am curious on what's available with encryption. So far, I am aware of the following radios:

Expo (good small size, but impractical due to crystals)
MTS2000 (okay, but would like something smaller)
MX (too big and old, needs suitcase programmer)
Saber/Systems Saber (won't do narrow band)
Astro Saber (not too bad in size with a short battery)
XTS2500 (encryption not too common and expensive)
XTS5000 (I have two VHF with DES, but are too large)

I already have an ASN KVL3000 with DES and a T3011DX key loader.

What encryption capable HT's have I missed, especially ones that are small?


-Thor

[n7maq]

XTS4000

[RadioSouth]

Nextel ? They're kaput aren't they ?
Perhaps another types of encryption might suit your need other than Motorola's securenet ? Transcrypt, etc. make inversion, rolling code modules to add to pre-existing radios not necessarily designed
to be secure equipped, they can pretty much be added to any radio that has the room inside.

[NSPD]

XTS4000

I second the XTS4000, I think that between price, size, and encryption capability that is your best bet. I liked mine a lot, but the joke of an antenna and 2w power output drove me to an XTS5000. If you just need short-range encrypted comms, that is my suggestion.

If you are willing to reconsider MotoTRBO, I think most all of their radios come with Advanced Privacy and some of them are quite small. With the exception of the SL7550 I think all of them do analog as well, and the price per radio for a new TRBO radio is in line with a used Astro25 radio.

[Jim1348]

Nextel ? They're kaput aren't they?.....

I think that you may have missed the point about old Nextel units. Yes the Nextel network is history here in the United States, BUT old Nextel handsets that have Direct Talk work despite the lack of a network since they are simplex. The operate in the 902-928 mHz range and have limited range due to the low power output. I think most are around 600 milliwatts. Some of the Motorola R765s are about 1 watt. Of course, the Motorola DTR550s are also 1 watt.

[d119]

Keep in mind whatever you do decide to do with encryption will have to be digital.

Old Motorola CVSD ("Analog") encryption is no longer usable on commercial frequencies. Narrowbanding killed it off once and for all.

SO, you'll need an ASTRO radio with encryption (XTS4000).

Your other option might be something along the lines of an EX600XLS with an aftermarket rolling-code type encryption board in it.

But I'm not sure those work in narrowband either.

[Brandon_K]

I'll throw my vote in for a pair of DTR 650 or 550's. Get the Gen 2's with the longer, non-stubby antenna. Programming software is free, 900mhz ISM band is license free. I have 6 of them that I got for testing and I'm thrilled with them, unfortunately the owner didn't want to move to a radio that wasn't compatible with the UHF's we already have and wasn't willing to throw down the few grand to convert everything at once.

My real-world testing with them got me 1.39 miles (according to Google Earth) "as the crow flies". Tested in mid July, absolutely no line of sight. Houses, buildings, and plenty of foliage in the way. Small elevation change of ~50 feet, it's pretty flat in Columbus, OH.

As I understand stand it, it's the same technology and frequency that Direct Talk Nextel's used, but in a true radio form. You don't have to mess around putting the phone in Direct Talk mode, nor do you have to worry about it exiting Direct Talk mode. If memory serves me, DT only outputs at 500mw, vs the 1w output of the DTR's.

[don68158]

MTS2000 wrote:"Some of the MotoTRBO radios are small, the SL7550 (digital only) is cell phone sized"


Believe that almost every person have know the cell phone, but have anybody know the
portable cell phone booster
?