solarwind wrote: > On Sat, Apr 3, 2010 at 2:23 AM, Russell McMahon wrote: > >> It's a freedom you agree to give up in exchange for a st of freedoms >> that many commercial operators would give much for. >> >> A radio amateur has great ability to muck other people's systems up if >> not careful enough. >> In exchange for the ability to do all sorts of risky (to others >> rights) arcane things without any checking or oversight etc you give >> them the ability to tell who you are asap so they cam come knocking if >> you stray too far unawares. A good protection. >> >> Honoured more by formal observation than strict compliance. eg some >> modes are not clear or decipherable without a priori knowledge of >> them. With such the operator may sen and ID in 'clear' every say 30 >> minutes or so or whatever the requirement is. Or not. >> >> In quite a few countries CB radio is banned and in others the power >> restrictions are ludicrous. Radio amateurs are given immense freedom >> and power. >> >> The men in the black helicopters do not NEED your address to find you, >> it just puts makes them in a better mood when they arrive :-). >> > > So you're saying that I can't encrypt my data because if I mess > something up, the men in black will have an easier time finding me? > So, what if I transmit my ID or callsign or whatever every few minutes > in plain text along with my encrypted data? > Depends on the local Administration. Ours you can apply do almost anything, in theory even outside the Amateur bands. If it won't "hurt" anyone and might be useful, they will licence that usually for a year and 30 Euro. I think TBH, the restrictions in most countries on 3rd party messages and encryption date back to Telegraphic Days, when the Government run P&T had the person to person communications monopoly. Most countries within living memory had NO private telephone, telegraph or point to point radio. Even broadcasters had difficulty in getting their own microwave distribution links in some countries and had to use state owned links. -- http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist