Will DES communicate with DES-XL?

Post by **CAPTLPOL** » Sat Mar 29, 2003 6:27 pm

Hello, I thought ran across this in the past, but alas I cannot seem to find the info on this. Will a radio with DES communicate with a radio equipted with DES-XL?

Zaputil · Post by **Zaputil** » Sat Mar 29, 2003 6:51 pm

Only in the clear mode.

If memory serves, original DES/DVP only had an 8 bit alogorithm and XL is 16. You can tell the difference between the KVLs because the older only has keys 0-7.

mancow · Post by **mancow** » Sat Mar 29, 2003 7:02 pm

My experience has been, yes, if the XL radio has the XL function turned off. This forces the XL module back to regular DES mode.
This works with sabers, don't know about anything else.

mancow

The Pager Geek · Post by **The Pager Geek** » Sat Mar 29, 2003 7:07 pm

MTS and Astro Sabers also from what I've played with.

DES will talk to DES-XL as long as the DES-XL users turn off the XL.

tpg

Post by **CAPTLPOL** » Sat Mar 29, 2003 7:21 pm

Well thanks for a the quick replies. I am getting a Spectra off of Ebay that the seller said had DES-XL in the radio, and I noticed that their were some Saber out there that had DES in the radio. I do not have the Spectra yet, waiting for the seller to send it out. I guess it will be intersting to see how this all is goiing to work out. I still would like to have a VHF Astro APCO-25 radio and run APCO-25. Anyone have one for sale?

pmb1010 · Post by **pmb1010** » Sat Mar 29, 2003 7:33 pm

Zaputil wrote:Only in the clear mode.

If memory serves, original DES/DVP only had an 8 bit alogorithm and XL is 16. You can tell the difference between the KVLs because the older only has keys 0-7.

Not really. The number of keypad digits on the key loader have nothing to do with key length. The "key" actually ends up being a string of zeros and ones (binary digits), and the key length is the number of those bits. DVP is 32 bit. DES is 56 bit.
The algorithm (fancy word for formula) in the keyloader converts the entered digits into the loaded key.

hycheng · Post by **hycheng** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 12:32 am

I don't know if one can turn off XL mode in a Saber DES/XL module. All I know is if I load a DES and a DES/XL module with the same code, they will talke to each other on a Saber.

Post by **wavetar** » Sun Mar 30, 2003 5:17 am

The parameter to turn XL on/off is normally in the RSS. With XL enabled, regular DES will not be able to talk to DES-XL. It does not recognize the extra error correction bits, and thus cannot decode it.

Todd