[ScanIndiana] NEXTEL

[Matthew C. Payne]

Rob Dale said:
>> the Nextel system.  After some heavy research, I came to the
>> conclusion that a nextel scanner is very possible, and (like
>> anything else) can be produced if the demand is high enough.
>
> That may be true in theory but does not apply to the real world ;> Look
> at what sort of pull NEXTEL has on the public safety band -- proposing
> to actually move 800MHz systems to 700MHz with a mega-money buyout. The
> cellphone industry as a whole doesn't have that sort of influence, yet
> they were able to ban cell freq's from scanners. What do you think
> NEXTEL lobbyists would do in Congress if a NEXTEL-monitoring scanner was
> ever brought to the FCC?

I don't think you get it.  There is an interface right now that runs on a
laptop that uses an AOR radio to receive, decode, and track the nextel
trunked radios.  And anyone can get it, if they want to spend the dough. 
Nextel systems are on 800 MHz SMR frequencies, and no legalities exist to
prevent this software from being sold.

> That's right -- now we agree there will never be a NEXTEL-capable
> scanner.

I don't agree at all.  In fact, reference to the earlier thread of "Never,
ever having a scanner capable of listening to Pro-Voice, never is a really
long time :-)

> And going to our Congress-critter and saying "I'm a scanner
> user, I _have_ to be able to listen to the private conversations of my
> neighbors" probably won't go very far at all.

We don't have to have a reason to listen in.  Or the permission of the
FCC.  These are 800 MHz business radios, and the laws for monitoring those
are already thankfully well defined.

Matt