4 Mar
2005
4 Mar
'05
11:24 p.m.
While the Federal Communications Act permit the reception of radio signals by
scanners, shortwave radios, etc. - there are exceptions to that privilege in
both federal and state laws. They typically fall into the following
categories:
It is illegal to listen in on cellular and cordless phone calls.
It is illegal to intercept encrypted or scrambled communications.
It is illegal for scanner manufacturers to sell or import radio scanners that
are capable of receiving cellular phone frequencies. (Note: This rule does
not apply to sales by individuals and radio scanners made before 1985).
It is illegal to modify radio scanners so that cellular phone frequencies can
be received.
It is illegal to use information you hear for personal gain. A common example
is where a taxi driver listens to a competitor's dispatch channel for fare
pick-ups and then races over and picks-up the fares.
It is illegal to use information you hear to aid in the commission of a crime.
It is illegal to disclose information you hear to other persons.
If you're really curious, here's a URL summarizing the laws on the subject
matter:
http://www.panix.com/~clay/scanning/rules.shtml
Lyle
KF6ZGI
On Friday 04 March 2005 23:03, Eric Smith wrote:
Chris wrote:
--
Lyle Bickley
Bickley Consulting West Inc.
http://bickleywest.com
"Black holes are where God is dividing by zero"
Last I knew, lock pick sets were illegal to own
in NJ unless you are
someone that has a "legal" use for one. Of course, since legal use isn't
really defined, it leaves it pretty wide open.
I own more than one hundred locks, and sometimes I can't find the key to
open one. In some cases, I purchase equipment with locks but no keys.
So I think I have an entirely legitimate use for lock picks. Whether a
court would agree is an open question.
(It is also illegal to have a police scanner in
your car,
Contradicted by the Communications Act of 1934, which being Federal
law should override it.
as well as carry a center punch...
Now I'm baffled. I can see reasons for banning lock picks and police
scanners, even though I vehemently disagree with those reasons. But
why on earth should center punches be illegal? I don't carry one
routinely, but if I'm going somewhere that I expect to need one,
I carry it.
For that matter, I routinely have a bolt cutter in my car, and I suppose
an overzealous police officer might try to contrue that as a burglar
tool, but I can cite multiple occasions when I've had a legitimate use
for it.
Eric