On Thu, 15 Dec 2005 20:14:44 GMT, "Brian Reay"
wrote:

There was a documentary on the radio in the UK about the amateur involvement
in "9/11".

In the documentary the statement was made that, in the USA, amateurs are
legally allowed to listen to the radio traffic of the emergency services.

Can anyone confirm this please and may put some details to it?

In general terms, there are no restrictions to the reception of
signals in the U.S. There are a couple of exceptions--one involves the
possession of radar detectors in a few states--I never have figured
out how that passes muster--federal preemption of RF matters and all
that.

The other really isn't an exception. It's more of an option permitted
to users. For example, many services encode their data to prevent
reception by other than authorized parties. Over the air television,
for example. Another, commonly used by police, particularly in
relatively large municipalities is a "voting" system of repeaters,
which entails the use of switching algorithms common within the
system, but unknown to those with scanners. It has the effect of
scrambling reception.

No one is restrained from receiving signals but no one is guaranteed
the right to understand them.

--
LRod

Master Woodbutcher and seasoned termite

Shamelessly whoring my website since 1999

http://www.woodbutcher.net

Proud participant of rec.woodworking since February, 1997