| Author |
Message |
    
747
Intermediate Member
Username: 747
Post Number: 140
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, August 04, 2005 - 10:51 pm: | 
|
Check out this thread - big changes upcoming. This has actually prompted me to take my ham exam this weekend to legalize my scanners.. Sad - it'll be used more as a scanner license than an amateur radio license LOL!
On 6/8/05, governor Jeb Bush approved House Bill 1697. In this bill, the Florida scanner law (state statute 843.16) was amended:
1. The law now prohibits the mere transport of scanners or radios tuned to police and fire in vehicles (instead of just being "installed")
2. Added "fre rescue" to what is prohibited from monitoring
3. Changed the violation from a second degree misdemeanor to a first degree misdemeanor
4. Exceptions for amateur radio, news, and alram companies are still in place.
New Proposed Scanner Law In Flordia |
Rover
Intermediate Member
Username: Rover
Post Number: 225
Registered: 2-2004
| | Posted on Friday, August 05, 2005 - 10:37 am: |
|
I got some bad news for ya. *If* what I am told is true, it will not protect your scanner as such.
The exemption ONLY protects "Amateur gear that is capable of 'scanning'". If your ham radio is listening to or scanning the cops or fire/rescue, they can "gitcha". I don't agree with it, and I hope ARRL gets hold of it and gets, at least, part of it stricken down. It goes WAY too far and, I think, attempts to exceed Federal law. (but then, I ain't no barrister)  |
Capt205
Junior Member
Username: Capt205
Post Number: 27
Registered: 5-2005
| | Posted on Friday, August 05, 2005 - 11:54 am: |
|
This subject is related to the, all to widely used for an excuse, Homeland Security Act. I am in the Fire Rescue business, and we get all sorts of briefings down the wire about all sorts of new things to call security issues. Some pass, some don't.
Now, with that said, I don't see how making scanners illegal has anything to do with homeland security, as most terrorist are probably much more sophisticated than your average scanner hobbiest. That and the fact that more and more larger Law Enforcement and Fire Rescue agencies are switching to digital encryption, I don't see what difference it will make.
|
Af579
Junior Member
Username: Af579
Post Number: 41
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Friday, August 05, 2005 - 4:08 pm: |
|
Rover you are incorrect,
(3) This section shall not apply to any holder of a valid amateur radio operator or station license issued by the Federal Communications
Commission or to any recognized newspaper or news publication engaged in covering the news on a full-time basis or any alarm system contractor certified pursuant to Part II of Chapter 489, Operating a Central Monitoring System.
|
Tech833
Moderator
Username: Tech833
Post Number: 1044
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, August 06, 2005 - 10:15 am: |
|
Tell them that if they don't want you to hear their communications, to keep their RF away from you.
This was used one time in a case of someone using a radio to monitor cellular phone traffic. The defense was that if they did not want him to listen, to keep the RF out of his home. It worked.
This is one of those situations where law is not keeping up with technology. Trying to patch the tire with bubble gum , so to speak.
Scanners are not evil, in fact scanners are widely used by truck drivers these days to keep abreast of road hazzards. Most radio and TV stations have a scanner somewhere in the news department for story leads.
If, in fact, this law is to deter criminals from using scanners to find out where the cops are or if the cops got the call for the crime they are committing, then this is a lot like the gun laws. Gun laws do NOT affect the criminals, only the law abiding who would not commit crimes to begin with. Criminals will not follow the law, they will still have guns (scanners in this case). The law abiding are the ONLY ones who suffer. Out of control lawmakers at work again.
Now, do yourself a favor and write to your lawmakers (all of you in FL) and voice your opinion! If they don't hear from you, they will not know what the voters (their bosses) want them to actually do. If this becomes or stays law, it is YOUR fault. |
Rover
Intermediate Member
Username: Rover
Post Number: 228
Registered: 2-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, August 06, 2005 - 10:44 am: |
|
Rover you are incorrect,
(3) This section shall not apply to any holder of a valid amateur radio operator or station license issued by the Federal Communications
Commission or to any recognized newspaper or news publication engaged in covering the news on a full-time basis or any alarm system contractor certified pursuant to Part II of Chapter 489, Operating a Central Monitoring System.
It may BE the case in the Fla. legislation, but the FEDERAL exemption applies ONLY to Amateur Radios "capable" of monitoring police and fire. The law is designed to prevent local Bubbas from ticketing or seizing of hams' AMATEUR radios that MAY be capable of monitoring police comms. IOW, if you have a dedicated scanner OTHER than an Amateur transceiver, then they *may* be able to ticket you and/or take the equipment. It also appllies if you have an Amateur transceiver and it is listening to the cops at the time of the stop.
I don't have anything against the cops, but I hold these "scanner" laws in the utmost contempt and/or any swell-headed, fat bellied bubba that, in his ignorance of the ACTUAL law, goes around hassling hams over a "scanner". ("Ah'm the LAW 'roun heah, boy, an' ah don' keer whut kinda liceense you got, hit don't cut no ice 'roun heah cuz ah says so, you heah?") |
Al_lafon
Member
Username: Al_lafon
Post Number: 65
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, August 06, 2005 - 11:23 am: |
|
Yes all hams cbers scaner fans need to voice your opinion! If you just sit back your lawmakers
keep writing stupid laws that do more harm than good! |
Al_lafon
Member
Username: Al_lafon
Post Number: 66
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, August 06, 2005 - 11:34 am: |
|
You know i was thinking about this one.
We had a town here in maryland that put a law
on the books one time that you can not mount a
ant. over 3 feet on your car this was so stupid
the state cam in and made them take it off the books. |
Bruce
Senior Member
Username: Bruce
Post Number: 3027
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, August 06, 2005 - 1:59 pm: |
|
AGAIN .........
I work for the SHERIFF OFFICE and there has not been ONE ham hassled by our department. My guess is 99.99% of people stoped for scanners will have been chaising cops or fire trucks. |
747
Intermediate Member
Username: 747
Post Number: 143
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, August 06, 2005 - 5:26 pm: |
|
Now that I have my ticket test under my belt this won't be an issue anymore!! :-) Hey Bruce, any suggestions on a good mobile AND handheld dual band (2m/70cm) that won't break the bank? |
Yankee
Advanced Member
Username: Yankee
Post Number: 804
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, August 06, 2005 - 7:38 pm: |
|
I've noticed as of Lately, most times it's hard to understand what is being heard over a scanner with all the code word and numbers that are being used. Such as: OKC 348 at sector 57 and 73 with a possible B&E, we know that B&E is breaking and entering. But the sector numbers is where it stops. Also an officer or fireman will say a group of words the mean nothing to the general public, but they are telling their dispatcher where they are and whats going on. In some cases it's not like the good old days, if you had a scanner you knew just about everything that was going on, because plain English was used, now some times a scanner is useless. And the list of code words and numbers are not the same with all cities, counties and states. So most times if I don't hear sirens, I don't bother turning the scanner on. |
Bruce
Senior Member
Username: Bruce
Post Number: 3029
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, August 06, 2005 - 9:49 pm: |
|
there are several good ones like a vx-5 also icom and kenwood make them
|
Hollowpoint445
Advanced Member
Username: Hollowpoint445
Post Number: 628
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, August 06, 2005 - 10:00 pm: |
|
Yankee - Find yourself a friendly officer or firefighter and ask them for a list of the codes. In my town one of the most senior firefighters is a scanner listener and he has an excellent website with all of that information and he even explains the way the county control breaks down the county into regions for all public services.
Otherwise just take a few notes while you're listening. It's not hard to figure out what they're talking about after a while. They use "signal codes" here that aren't standard, and I had most of them figured out before I found that website. Heck, after a week of listening to my local police frequencies I can tell you what most of the officer's schedules are, where they sit to do paperwork, and even their names. |
Bruce
Senior Member
Username: Bruce
Post Number: 3031
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, August 07, 2005 - 8:27 pm: |
|
This was posted on our local ham retailer
"i was stopped last friday by an FHP trooper and he saw my rig and asked if I was A licensed Ham oper. I showed him my Lic and he said fine. " |
