The almost secret Secret Service radios you’ve likely never heard of, the APX3000

This is a radio that is not often advertised, but the APX 3000 is a single band variant of the modern APX line. What makes it unique is it has no display, no external microphone or speaker.
God bless America. 

[@s.ep30]

legend says he secretly stole the radio from one of the secret service agents

[@AdventureCruiser]

@@s.ep30 shhhh…. They’re watching.

[@AdventureCruiser]

If I had to admit anything, it may formerly belong to the agent who couldn’t holster her weapon. But, as you said, it’s a legend.

[@ATI556]

Damnnnnnn mic drop

[@EverlyScott]

maybe thats why they didn't realize he was on the roof earlier 😭

[@angmgt]

@@AdventureCruiserwas about to say the same 😉

[@HardBall-be1fe]

Legend has it this radio fell from it's holder because a certain agent couldn't get it back in the holster. It was picked up off the ground and then sent to auction.

[@huntersam4028]

Excellent timing of this video lol. Also, I love your videos when you share the cool parts of your collection! I have yet to find another channel that does in-depth videos on these somewhat obscure radios

[@AdventureCruiser]

Thank you! Yeah, I bought the radio last week but I thought it was important to make the video today. If anybody else is like me, I love researching things that are relevant to current events.

[@MattLitkeRacing]

These don’t work on roofs

[@Innerbrave]

Lollllll

[@DONTTREADONME001]

Only sloped roofs.

[@microdesigns2000]

They also don't work if you can't attach it to your belt.

[@Jay.Halliburton]

Lolll they gone get you for that comment 😂

[@neusanceonline5151]

That's pretty slick with the low profile bluetooth.

[@Internethugg]

Most similar to the APX1000 and 4000. It shares batteries with it, and from what I recall, the chasis is similar.

[@AdventureCruiser]

@@Internethugg spot on. I’d forgotten about those two radios, so far I’ve owned neither.

[@SteelWolf13]

I doubt that it would be bluetooth the secret service is using. That protocol is not secure and easy to detect/hack/listen in.

[@UKsystems]

You can always encrypt the information sent over Bluetooth. Bluetooth is also less suspicious

[@SteelWolf13]

@@UKsystems Basic BT does not encrypt. 99% of the people don't know that it's off by default and don't know about the tools to do that. Phone BT to a head set streaming music is not encrypted.

[@UKsystems]

@@SteelWolf13 it’s not Bluetooth that needs to be encrypted. If you care about the security you send the data pre-encrypted to the Bluetooth transceiver it’s like for example you send a letter that’s in code all you put the letter in code and then write it down in Morse code it’s the same thing as Bluetooth encryption is not secure.

[@charlie_nolan]

A lot of “covert” government operations are still on plain old analog FM without even voice inversion or anything so that wouldn’t be surprising.

[@Chiberia]

Computer scientist here that works with wireless comms quite a bit. Bluetooth has some security through obfuscation naturally, but also has built-in encryption protocols. Specifically, it uses a stream-cipher called E0 to encrypt each data packet that is sent. The algorithm takes several inputs, including a seed (random number), the device address, the slot number, and an encryption key using standard elliptic curve algorithms, no different than using HTTPS on your browser. The slot number changes with each and every packet - making this type of encryption even more secure than your standard HTTPS link or AES cipher for other streams. There are two security modes and four security levels built into standard bluetooth: Level 1 - communication without security Level 2 - AES-CMAC encryption during unpaired communications (wouldn't apply to this) Level 3 - AES-CMAC via paired encryption (similar to internet encryptions, with the caveats explained above; the way bluetooth channels bounce around with each packet, you can actually think of this almost [...almost] like using the TOR network) Level 4 - ECDHE encryption instead of AES-CMAC (Diffie-Hellman Ephemeral encryption) That said, there are known vulnerabilities, such as Key Negotiation of Bluetooth (KNOB) attacks wherein hackers intercept the process that two devices use to exchange cryptographic keys to establish a connection - but the way around this is to simply implement a minimum encryption key of 7 octets, which no doubt these devices meet compliance with. Also, you'd have to implement the attack when you're pairing the device, not to mention process and rebroadcast the packets to not "steal" the connection, so the likelihood of the man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack occurring with these specific devices is unlikely. More than likely, the payload within the bluetooth has another layer of ECC encryption, so even if the bluetooth protocol somehow gets an MITM attack, the communication is still secure. Happy to answer any questions. @SteelWolf13 - to your point, consumer electronics are largely unencrypted because it rarely makes sense for those needs. The standards for devices to be used by federal governments come from recommendations from NIST, which state: "[they] use Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) validated cryptographic modules for Bluetooth data encryption and security." Specifically, FIPS 140-2, which uses 128-bit AES to secure the module and packets between nodes. This is on top of the existing 128-bit AES encryption through CBC-MAC. Google "NIST SP 800-171 Encryption Requirements" if you want to geek out on it.

[@423tech]

Neat! Thanks for sharing. I love my APX radios.

[@CentralVirginiaEAS]

No way, this is the second ever video discussing an APX3000! Good video!

[@AdventureCruiser]

@@CentralVirginiaEAS seriously? I hope I’m not going to get a knock on the door by men in suits. 😬

[@CentralVirginiaEAS]

@@AdventureCruiser Hopefully not. Good luck!

[@DurakeMe]

Works great when paired with my Motorola LEX11n so I can control the zone, channel, scan options, power output, etc.

[@F3PIZZA]

This is so cool! The lady & I use a pair of GT-22 when we go shopping and dealing with the headsets in the summer (or in general) is a PITA. I wish those BT devices were within our budget. I came for the radio but stoked to see that BT device. Thanks😊

[@P25AES]

The ice cream sandwich.

[@BenAEMT]

I was cringing when you went near the top button. Can't imagine that SOS response 😂

[@AdventureCruiser]

@@BenAEMT oh, good call. However, the radio had every indication of being a fresh flash and no existing programming. I certainly wouldn’t do anything of the sort with a radio that actually had programming.

[@timgore829]

The USSS used to love the Sabres because they were so thin. They even made a battery pack that was only 1 or 2 inches tall, so pretty compact setup back in the day.

[@TheAAA166]

Please bring more content on the apx 3000 . I have been looking at purchasing one But ultimately haven't because of the lack of information out there . I would love to know more about it!

[@AdventureCruiser]

It’s a somewhat confusing radio, I’ve programmed it now, but I definitely need to spend more time with it. I’ll post more when I feel confident that I’ve learned enough to share more.

[@rowanjones3476]

Hah, just deploying a fleet of APX Next which with the touchscreen and lime green mic and extra large controls is about as far from covert as you can get 😂

[@Internethugg]

They also have a wire antenna that just hangs

[@UKsystems]

I believe these are signs so that if someone does decide to give one to an adversary they can change settings on every radio such that that radio is now disconnected from the system and a lack of buttons makes it significantly harder to try and reconnect things

[@ReaPer_INNOVATIONS]

Can you do a video on just the vp 8000 alone please

[@radioswithjackson]

Almost bought one the other day but the fact it didnt have a built in mic was kind of a bummer.

[@jasonmirabile5184]

Would look cool with a stubby antenna to make it even more covert

[@ashtinhill5664]

Do you know how an agency like the secret service or other federal law enforcement agencies that travel all over the US get radio coverage all over the USA? Do they have to set up comms before arriving or just work on local channels?

[@AdventureCruiser]

@@ashtinhill5664 I have no real information on this, other than what you can pull from Radio Reference which shows that USSS has their own frequencies. I suspect they are fully self supporting but according to a friend who is a fed, there are a lot of mutual aid channels that can be used in an emergency or as tactical channels.

[@ckotterman]

You can bet they come prepared with everything they need to talk to their people for an event. They're not piggybacking on local infrastructure.

[@Elia33337]

You're so underrated

[@Dallas-Rife-UDX-347-Tennessee]

How do they perform on steep pitched slanted roofs 🤭🤭 ?

[@AdventureCruiser]

@@Dallas-Rife-UDX-347-Tennessee I think you’ve given me a challenge, it must be done. I’ll make a video about it. Ha ha

[@charlie_nolan]

I don’t entirely understand why they made this. Yeah, it’s smaller than a normal APX but it’s still larger than a lot of other handhelds.

[@AdventureCruiser]

I see where you’re going with this, but I’m not sure that I have ever seen a radio with all the usual Motorola features and something smaller. I’d love if you can help me out here.

[@charlie_nolan]

@@AdventureCruiser I don’t think there is, but what I mean is why didn’t they just use an already existing chassis and put P25 guts in it, or make a new product line for a physically smaller line of public safety radios? I know there isn’t a ton of demand there but I feel there would be more than just this singular model, I’ve had customers buy fleets of small handhelds for law enforcement and EMS etc

[@TheVanillaReport]

Sephora is filled with those..... Actually alot of retailers have these.

[@randykitchleburger2780]

Ive seen these on ebay

[@defrabe1]

What are you covering up behind the battery and why? Thanks!

[@AdventureCruiser]

The serial number, some people try to grab serial numbers and put them in their own radios. I’m not sure if it really ever makes a difference. It’s just habit.

[@defrabe1]

@@AdventureCruiser never thought about cloning serials, not sure why someone would do that! Thanks for the info :)

[@-Mike]

I thought the earpieces were induction neck ring rigs. As they are a bit more simple and secure than BT normally is.

[@Chiberia]

I wrote another comment on the top of the thread explaining why this is a misconception about Bluetooth, if you're curious, explaining how it is actually more secure than normal government encryption for internet communications and the NIST standards that control certification of devices like this.

[@jayp7171]

Really unique radio, but can it actually make the Special Agent actually listen and become more situationally aware?

[@AdventureCruiser]

Ha! Good one. You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make them drink.

[@bearb1asting]

Slick thumb on the sticker buddy.

[@RicArmstrong]

What frequency does it TX/RX on?

[@AdventureCruiser]

@@RicArmstrong mine is VHF but these are made in all the usual bands.

[@RicArmstrong]

@@AdventureCruiser OK, thanks

[@adamravid1886]

The agents was wearing apx 8000 not that radio , I even have a photo

[@PTRRanger951]

No one said they were using the radio at the event. Doesn’t change the fact they DO use these radios. They were not trying to be covert and didn’t have the need to have everything be covert.

[@-Mike]

Yes, exactly correct.

[@cm4308]

Motorola...that explains why they couldn't communicate on the roof.

[@jamesshepherd8565]

You know I always assumed usss used these but you could see the trump agents were using what looked like apx 6000 or maybe 8000?

[@vapid_b]

I wonder if they are sparkless too

[@AdventureCruiser]

@@vapid_b I have not seen any indicator that these are rated for hazardous conditions, I believe if they were, Motorola would have announced that very clearly

[@coreybabcock2023]

Wish I could get help with this EF Johnson 5100 es I got the firmware 6.18.0 but I wanna make it a non affiliated scanner and I need a new battery for it I really need help

[@AdventureCruiser]

@@coreybabcock2023 sorry, I have zero experience at that radio. I know there are a lot of guys post videos about similar radios online hopefully one of them can help you.

[@NigelBallard]

I prefer the Hytera X1P with the titanium antenna option, way thinner and the antenna curves with the suit line so there's no printing. A favored model of close protection around the world.

[@thomasmoran9114]

You are a funny man!

[@ocsrc]

Motorola makes all the government radios Years ago the SA used the 300 and 400 bands but they use a lot more bands now. I was lucky enough to see their communication command tractor trailer back in the 90s and all the support vehicles. I saw smart phones, real smart phones, in the 90s The SS had smart phones a decade before the BlackBerry It was wild I worked nights at a communication site and they set up their command center on our access road There was a lot of military vehicles in addition to SS vehicles. Seeing the SS spread out all over the area where the VIP was coming and the number of people that they talked to, it was crazy.

[@AdventureCruiser]

@@ocsrc that would be quite an experience, I would love to see what some of these agencies are using. There is so much really cool stuff out there that most of us have no ideas about.

[@Chiberia]

The amount of effort to pass NIST security testing for communication hardware isn't worth the squeeze for most folks, especially when Motorola already has all the contracts. There isn't much to differentiate themselves from Motorola, and it's a very expensive hurdle to initially get past.

[@Rockymtprep]

what bandsplit did you get?

[@AdventureCruiser]

VHF, that's what I use the most.

[@Rockymtprep]

@@AdventureCruiser nice grab!

[@mylesl2890]

really neet

[@alexsweet8585]

The Secret Service has radios?

[@AdventureCruiser]

@@alexsweet8585 yeah, but don’t tell them and ruin the surprise. They think they’re still using Morse code.

[@alexsweet8585]

@@AdventureCruiser when did they make the just from semaphore?

[@AdventureCruiser]

@@alexsweet8585 post 9/11 there was a mandate for communications systems to be more capable in a mutual aid situation. They clearly didn’t watch the cowboy movies I grew up on or else they would know that the lines always get cut between the guys needing backup and Fort Apache where the cavalry is stationed.

[@jed-henrywitkowski6470]

Does it work if the operator is on an incline?!

[@AdventureCruiser]

@@jed-henrywitkowski6470 only if the repeater antenna is also on the same incline. A competency leadership team also allows for radio waves to work on an incline or level.

[@KarenLopez-in5ih]

Im a transgender..and hopefully no. d.e.i.. ...hire ....made this radio.....goodness....

[@tanzepei1985]

Is this a classified product?

[@AdventureCruiser]

No, there is nothing in it. That is any different than an APX of another flavor. It takes the same software, uses the same flash codes, it’s just a different body with the same guts more or less.

[@spitfeueranna]

What's with the highly offensive God bless America statement

[@AdventureCruiser]

It wasn’t a statement, it was a request. 😁

[@spitfeueranna]

@@AdventureCruiser Request denied.

[@ImSkye]

Yes, lets key up the radio that we just bought and have no idea what frequency its on.

[@PTRRanger951]

Like it even matters.

[@AdventureCruiser]

Ha! Fair point! However, when a radio has been written with a blank FLASHcode it exhibits specific characteristics showing clearly that it’s not programmed to a department or anything like that.

[@ImSkye]

@@PTRRanger951 It absolutely does matter because he could be interfering with a public safety system, because he has no idea what frequency its transmitting on.

[@ImSkye]

@@AdventureCruiser That's not a blank flashcode. If it was blank you would only get "unprogrammed tone" when it's turned on. There should be no channel voice announcement if it's truly a blank codeplug. You should probably "read" them to ensure they won't cause a problem. You could always tick the tx inhibit box, or if it's UHF write FRS programming to it (nobody cares what you use on FRS/GMRS unless it has spurs or you admit it's noncompliant.)

[@PTRRanger951]

⁠​⁠@@ImSkyethe chances of it being programmed to a local frequency that is where he is a million to 1. It would not only need to be on the same frequency, but also have the same PL codes to even key up on that frequency. So no. It doesn’t matter. And if you bothered to read his reply, you would know that he did read the radio, and knows what’s it’s on. He also never said it was unprogrammed. He said it has characteristics that shows it’s not programmed to a department. And yes, default empty channels that have a frequency on them WILL have a zone/channel announcement if the announcement is active on that channel. The only way to get an unprgrammed tone is if there is no channel actually assigned to that physical channel. Like if you have 10 out of 16 channels selected. The rest of the channels will give a tone when the channel knob is on them. Even default radio programming straight from the factory with a factory code plug has frequencies assigned to channels so you would not get the un programmed tone with them.

[@VSEC.Academy]

does it vulnerable about signal jamming ? it uses Bluetooth and it's on 2.4 Ghz , i mean it would be a problem for secret service or anybody uses it for emergency situation

[@Chiberia]

You'd have an easier time jamming the VHF radio frequencies than Bluetooth. Bluetooth isn't just on 2.4GHz, but takes up a range of 79 different frequencies (or 40, if using BLE) between 2.402-2.480 GHz, with guard bands 2 MHz and 3.5 MHz wide at the top and bottom, respectively. Devices regularly "jump" between slots within these frequencies at a rate of 1,600 hops-per-second, and will ignore channels that are full of traffic (or jammed) - which is part of why Bluetooth was one of the first standards to support so many concurrent wireless devices in one area. Since the connection is hyper local (both devices are on your body), not only would the jammer need to overpower you, they'd need to overpower the devices being in extremely close proximity. The combination of BT being designed to jump away from noisy frequencies, the fact that you generally have to be within 30-45 feet of the individual to jam them, and the fact that you're literally a couple feet from TX to RX with these devices, means jamming isn't realistic. In fact, generally with Bluetooth, if jamming does occur, it is mostly done to prevent initial connections - not necessarily to stop paired traffic.

[@VSEC.Academy]

@@Chiberia Thanks you so much