PACKET RADIO: Scanner Modification Messages

Steve Wolf, W8IZ@W8IZ


(This text from the W8IZ packet radio bulletin

board. It's formatted to fit a 80 character screen.)


2/23/94

From: KN4IM@N4CII.#CHS.SC.USA.NA
To : MODS@ALLUS

"Letters....we get letters....we get stacks and stacks of letters....
Gee, I didn't think anybody read all these bulletins.....WAS I WRONG!
Our poor little 286 has been working overtime since my bulletin about
illegal scanner modifications instructions to pick up cellular phone calls
ILLEGALLY. I got about 60% agreeing with me that it IS illegal to send
messages on ham radio about modifying equipment for ILLEGAL MONITORING
purposes.....and 40% screaming as they are dragged from the courtroom
towards the holding cell waiting for their trip to federal prison, pennyless
as their lawyers and the feds divide any assets they might have once
possessed. I would like to thank all who answered both ways and say that
only two (2) of the messages were threatening, the Dom says, "Don't worry,
me and the boys will 'handle' it!", whatever that means.....the Dom has a
CD-ROM with Buckmaster, I've seen it...hmmm... Oh, well..

I did a little further research after 4 interesting messages from hams
who have related their work as barristers to me. The most interesting
thought I got goes back to our old friend Part 97.113(d). Many hams
who responded informed me there is not Part 97 regulation that forbid
these mods and anything goes...you can tell people here how to mod a
scanner to ILLEGALLY listen in on cellular phone calls. (Yes, the federal
PRIVACY IN COMMUNICATIONS ACT not the other acts you guys read says in
very plain english that it is ILLEGAL TO EVEN LISTEN TO CELLULAR PHONE
CALLS.) Or, we could detail here how to modify those guns we are constantly
protecting our rights to on bbs traffic so they will fire 4,000 round/min
into our TVI complaining neighbor's car. Or, maybe, we could describe in
detail how to modify ham gear to put out 25kw on CB radio to compete with
the 25kw stations already there. Or we can tell the bbs readers how to
build a bomb with the plutonium smuggled from Savannah River Plant.
WELL, GENTLEMEN OF THE JURY, our wonderful government bureaucrats have
covered all these message in Part 97.113(d) of the "Prohibited
Communications" section of our precious FCC regulations....to wit:
97.113(d):
"No station shall transmit; music; RADIO COMMUNICATIONS OR MESSAGES FOR
ANY PURPOSE, OR IN CONNECTION WITH ANY ACTIVITY, THAT IS CONTRARY TO FEDERAL, STATE OR LOCAL LAW; ..................etc., ad nauseum!
Four lawyers have told me they can ZAP YOU right there, without bothering
with other laws like the aforementioned PRIVACY IN COMMUNICATIONS ACT.
All we need now is some self-serving government bureaucrat looking in on
the "MODIFY YOUR SCANNER TO BLOW UP YOUR NEIGHBOR" message and some, to
quote 8 messages, "poor lowly sysop" gets his.

That's it...I'm done...this will be my last message on the subject, and I
will be taking the Dom to the next hamfest, "just in case". As Mssrs.
Bartles and James say, "Thank you for your support!" By the way, I also
would like to thank all of you again for the interest....73, Larry KN4IM.
NNNN (They always put NNNN at the end of important looking messages).....


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