Copper Talk » Open Forum » Archived Messages » 2002 » Archived Messages 07/01/2002 to 07/31/2002 » Are the feds really back? « Previous Next »

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R2d2
Posted on Wednesday, July 24, 2002 - 7:33 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I don't know about the feds being back. Everytime I turn on my radio and go to the freebander frequencies, there are people talking there. These people do not sound like licensed ham radio operators. If the feds are back, they are not doing a good job of tracking these people down and removing their equipment and fining them. Maybe there are too many freebanders for the feds to handle. That is probably why I do not notice any difference in the level of activity on the freebander frequencies. Or maybe they are just beginning to track down freebanders. I think that if the police would put out more effort in tracking down freebanders, that it would help the FCC out a lot.
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Funtimebob
Posted on Thursday, July 25, 2002 - 3:57 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

the feds have a lot more to worry about since 9/11 than a few "Freebanders" with understaffing and all.
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Barefoot
Posted on Thursday, July 25, 2002 - 9:49 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I hope not . One of my freebander friends is a COP
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Taz
Posted on Thursday, July 25, 2002 - 8:44 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

mine too
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707
Posted on Thursday, July 25, 2002 - 9:42 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I know of "freebanders" who are cops, firemen, EMT, prison guards, doctors, and teachers. Many of them are also amateur radio operators.
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Rightwing
Posted on Thursday, July 25, 2002 - 11:26 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

yeah, since 9/11 , the government has better things to d than worry about brown nosing rats who rat out freebanders. serious freebanders only stick to themselves and not bother anyone on the amateur bands. it`s the few knuckleheads who transmit on the ham bands w/out a license that screw it up for the legitimate free banders and give them a bad rap. it`s the truth ,like it or not.
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Barefoot
Posted on Friday, July 26, 2002 - 12:39 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I agree with Rightwing. Funny ,all my 2510,s have come from hams already modified
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Triplecguy
Posted on Friday, July 26, 2002 - 12:56 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

If the FCC is going to enforce anything it should be the idiots who do the super-bowl on channel 6. Everyday here in Colorado they are so loud that if I am able to squelch them out I can't hear anything when my radio is scanning. I've seen some of these guy's setups on the internet and running 100KW mobile is a bit more than necessary and it really fouls things up even 1500 miles away! They should have all of their equipment confiscated and be forced to listen to guy's with deep southern drawls scream AAAAUDIO!!! all day long for a year.
DAN
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ChillyDog
Posted on Friday, July 26, 2002 - 1:16 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Rightwing,

"legitimate free banders"? Sounds like an oxymoron!

Best Regards,

Bob
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Tech181
Posted on Friday, July 26, 2002 - 1:24 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I will have to agree with Rightwing...

Don't cause interference. TVI, RFI, etc.

Don't transmit on legitamately licensed freqs.

Don't tranmsit on amateur frequencies.

Follow those three rules and you should not have to worry about anything. Of course this is common sense correct?

Steve
Tech181
Tech181@copperelectronics.com
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Highlander
Posted on Friday, July 26, 2002 - 3:33 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Trouble is, most of the freeband IS allocated to legitimate users! Just because they aren't communicating with freebanders doesn't mean they aren't communicating, and it doesn't mean they aren't there!
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Barefoot
Posted on Friday, July 26, 2002 - 4:19 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I have freebanded 25 yrs and NEVER have heard anything else on these freqs.
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Highlander
Posted on Friday, July 26, 2002 - 7:39 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I have heard beacons, french navy digital(ARQ), remote broadcasting, over-the-horizon radar systems, ionosondes, tugboats, and oil-platform telemetry in the freeband. You just need to know what to listen for and where.
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Wildbill
Posted on Friday, July 26, 2002 - 7:45 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

The Feds are far and few now. I seem to recall a movie star that moved into the white house and his name was Ronnie or Ron or something like that, well he was the one to cut funding for the F.C.C. and therefore Uncle Charlie doesn't have the manpower they use to have. I agree with Barefoot, I have monitored frequencies for years and there is no activity going on.
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Deadly Eyes
Posted on Saturday, July 27, 2002 - 10:16 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Topic: The FCC uses its eyes and ears first...

Every once in a blue moon some less than smart person decides to play prankster on the police or fire dept frequencies. Of course the FCC is notified but more often than not the Ham Comminity is called almost immediately. They (the local hams) break out their direction finding antennas and narrow down the location to within a block or two, occasionally down to the very house. They make recordings of the offending transmissions and help to gather other evidence. The FCC then comes in, verifies the location and then moves in with their people.

Two cases immediately come to mind. One involved jamming of a fire dept radio frequency that was tracked down by the local Ham community which turned out to be an old, unused radio and tower on the top of a hill a few miles out of town that someone just simply forgot to turn off the radio. The other involved a fellow ham operator who modified a handitalkie to transmit on the police frequency and was cursing, laughing etc on the said police frequency. He was of course traced by hams, caught and tried under criminal charges that involved prision time.

The FCC does not have to be in town. The Amateur Community is more than willing to help them track down those who would violate rules particularly as they relate to pranksters having fun on the police, fire or other public service frequency.

The moral of the story is that you can break a few little laws and if that is all you do no one will go get ya. But crossing that invisible line between petty and major offense is a big step with a big fall for doing so. Heck why cross it at all. Staying legal you will sleep much much better.
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BIG FOOT
Posted on Saturday, July 27, 2002 - 1:52 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

... according to DEADLY EYES... the ham radio community does most of the dirty work... guess that is how I can be of service to my country without joining the military ...( GREAT idea )...so far around here all we have on VHF & UHF police / fire frequencies is the occasional "mike stuck in transmit position while lodged between a leg and the seat...muffled audio, usually only lasts a few seconds to maybe a full minute...( if only they would buy some of those EXPENSIVE MIKE HOLDERS and USE them )...there used to be one (cop) in a nearby town that played a lot of music on the VHF police frequency, but he decided he wanted to run for SHERIFF this past year and the music stopped, but he lost the race for SHERIFF by a wide margin ( public aint all that dumb )...so the music may begin again if it aint already....did hear of the city of DECATUR ( not too far away ) getting some type of "computer communiction system" that virtually eliminates "radio traffic and office paperwork"..tv sttion showed man sitting behind desk saying that the "scanner scum " could not listen or aggravate the police with this new system....(( scanner scum contribute quite a few TIPS that help the cops actually catch the crooks ))...guess he is biting part of the hand that feeds him...---...just listening and some times talking...BIG FOOT
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Deadly Eyes
Posted on Saturday, July 27, 2002 - 11:19 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Re Bf....

In a way we do seem to do most of the leg work so to speak. But you have to consider the public relation angle as well. It is a good thing that we be seen helping the legal authorities. Sort of like the good citizen who joins the possey helping the sheriff catch the bank robber.

And then too most of the public service frequencies are in the vhf and uhf frequencies. Most of the time those who commit these crimes are hams or X hams. By self regulating ourselves we keep the bureaucrats at bay.

IMHO it's worth it.

You mentioned computer networks as well. Every form of communication has its big bad wolf. In the case of the computers you can just hear the hackers and crackers already gathering to take a swing at breaking into the system.

Later

DE