How can I read taxicab data transmissions?
 

A local taxi company uses a data-dispatch
system made by DDS, whose website is at:

http://www.digital-dispatch.com

The data might be encrypted, but why would
a cab company encrypt? Their data isn't
likely to be of much interest to outsiders.
So I'll assume that it's unencrypted. I'd
like to try reading the data transmissions,
as an experiment. Does any of you know
where on the web or in print I should look
for information on how to read the taxi
data transmissions?

Thanks in advance.


**********
1366294709

Try this site
http://www.dataslicers.com/DSOverview.htm

If it's a newer system it may just ship with encryption.
The folks at the company may not want the addressees of the
fairs available to the general public or the competition. Or sensitive
package delivery traffic like medical stuff, going out over the system!
Mark wrote:

A local taxi company uses a data-dispatch
system made by DDS, whose website is at:

http://www.digital-dispatch.com

The data might be encrypted, but why would
a cab company encrypt? Their data isn't
likely to be of much interest to outsiders.
So I'll assume that it's unencrypted. I'd
like to try reading the data transmissions,
as an experiment. Does any of you know
where on the web or in print I should look
for information on how to read the taxi
data transmissions?

Thanks in advance.

**********
1366294709

I smell a rat. Are you trying to intercept credit card numbers?



"Jim Mac Donald" wrote in message
...
Try this site
http://www.dataslicers.com/DSOverview.htm

If it's a newer system it may just ship with encryption.
The folks at the company may not want the addressees of the
fairs available to the general public or the competition. Or sensitive
package delivery traffic like medical stuff, going out over the system!
Mark wrote:

A local taxi company uses a data-dispatch
system made by DDS, whose website is at:

http://www.digital-dispatch.com

The data might be encrypted, but why would
a cab company encrypt? Their data isn't
likely to be of much interest to outsiders.
So I'll assume that it's unencrypted. I'd
like to try reading the data transmissions,
as an experiment. Does any of you know
where on the web or in print I should look
for information on how to read the taxi
data transmissions?

Thanks in advance.

**********
1366294709

--- wrote:
I smell a rat. Are you trying to intercept
credit card numbers?


No. Not my cup of tea.



According to the 44th row on...

http://www.kb9ukd.com/digital

....my target signal is 4800-baud
QPSK. I'm checking with DataSlicers
about whether their product handles
this.

Mark wrote:
A local taxi company uses a data-dispatch
system made by DDS, whose website is at:

http://www.digital-dispatch.com

The data might be encrypted, but why would
a cab company encrypt? Their data isn't
likely to be of much interest to outsiders.

Scanners have long been used by cab drivers around here to steal fares
from other cab companies, one of the reasons every company except one
has switched to Nextel. The aforementioned credit card scam is a
possibility as well, as I have, on occasion, heard (I assume) towing
companies giving out CC #'s over the air.

Dave Mork
Chico, CA

Tinfoil Hat.

"Dave Mork" wrote in message
...


Mark wrote:
A local taxi company uses a data-dispatch
system made by DDS, whose website is at:

http://www.digital-dispatch.com

The data might be encrypted, but why would
a cab company encrypt? Their data isn't
likely to be of much interest to outsiders.

Scanners have long been used by cab drivers around here to steal fares
from other cab companies, one of the reasons every company except one
has switched to Nextel. The aforementioned credit card scam is a
possibility as well, as I have, on occasion, heard (I assume) towing
companies giving out CC #'s over the air.

Dave Mork
Chico, CA

yes the gypsy cabs are a big problem to lots of cab companies
especially in busy tourist areas. They steal the calls they hear on
their scanners. I called for a yellow cab and one pulled right up to
me and had my name and everything and told me he was backup for yellow
cab. In fact I rode in several taxis while on vacation a few years ago
that were owner operated and they all had scanners in their cars. One
guy had a bc245 and when I saw it and started talking about talk
groups he did not have a clue what I was talking about. I was going to
exlpain it all to him and tell him where to get frequencies but then I
thought why bother? if thats what he is using a scanner for he doesn't
deserve any information. Isn't it illegal for them to have a scanner
in the taxi? Someone told me that even if the driver was a licensed
ham he can't have a scanner in a commercial vehicle and use it for
making money.


"K2NNJ" wrote in message . net...
Tinfoil Hat.

"Dave Mork" wrote in message
...


Mark wrote:
A local taxi company uses a data-dispatch
system made by DDS, whose website is at:

http://www.digital-dispatch.com

The data might be encrypted, but why would
a cab company encrypt? Their data isn't
likely to be of much interest to outsiders.

Scanners have long been used by cab drivers around here to steal fares
from other cab companies, one of the reasons every company except one
has switched to Nextel. The aforementioned credit card scam is a
possibility as well, as I have, on occasion, heard (I assume) towing
companies giving out CC #'s over the air.

Dave Mork
Chico, CA

They aren't encrypted per se (AFAIK), but they are encoded to conserve
bandwidth, which amounts to about the same thing: they are not
typically viewable as plain text. I work for a taxi company, so I can
watch our base station monitor and see what the message flow is like.
You can identify message types when you understand the system better,
but the only clear text (again, AFAIK) is when dispatch sends a text
message to an MDT head.

I have no idea how they are encoded, so sorry, can't help you there.
You might try befriending a techie at a taxi company and see if you
can wiggle access to the manuals. You might even ask your local taxi
company for a tour of their operations and data center (tell them your
interest in radio communications) and they might show you what the
monitor looks like and you might see a message flow.

And I have no idea about credit cards. The swipe reader (notorious,
even more so with this non-rectangular credit cards) are add-ons (at
least for our equipment), I would think that the software would at
least pack the CC# to save bandwidth, if not encrypt it entirely.
They know how many scanners and thieves are out there.

DDS is the biggest and best dispatch system for taxis (yet again,
AFAIK), we use it as does our biggest competitor (two major players,
several mom & pops). Our config requires 4 PCs in the computer room
to run the back end. It's quite a setup.


(Mark) wrote in message . com...
A local taxi company uses a data-dispatch
system made by DDS, whose website is at:

http://www.digital-dispatch.com

The data might be encrypted, but why would
a cab company encrypt? Their data isn't
likely to be of much interest to outsiders.
So I'll assume that it's unencrypted. I'd
like to try reading the data transmissions,
as an experiment. Does any of you know
where on the web or in print I should look
for information on how to read the taxi
data transmissions?