[Milsurplus] NESTOR: AN/PRC-77 with TSEC/KY-38

[KD7JYK DM09]

> Prohibited communications: <snip> messages encoded for the purpose of 
> obscuring their meaning ...

Technicality...

For the PURPOSE of obscuring meaning...

If the purpose is to use, or demonstrate encrypted signals, then 
allowed, even if the unintentional side affect fully obscures the 
content.  One could further show no ill intent by making the actual 
content publicly available, despite how the signal sounds, or is produced.

Digital modes, things like Morse code or RTTY, fully obscure the 
information, but not the ultimate decodable meaning, even if only by the 
sender, so they are permitted.  If someone else can receive, and decode, 
all the better, no more gray area.

One of those funny things that gets rapists, murderers, and war 
criminals completely off the hook with an apology letter and fat check.

There was a huge debate about this as more interesting digital modes 
started popping up in the Ham bands in the 90's.  By nature of design, 
they obscure, and any encoding could be argues as encryption, but if 
anyone is able to show the content of the message, in any form, even 
just the developer, it's all good.  This is why you see so much fuss 
nowadays about "open source", it's so anyone can decode it freely, on 
paper, even if not in reality.

I'd say transmit the encryption, make the key openly available, no more 
obscuring, now it's just who has the decoder, like any other commonly 
used digital mode, the only thing unique being the hardware to make the 
noise.

Kurt