[Spooks] Potentially Damaging News to Radio Hobbyists

[spooks@mailman.qth.net]

Guys

Here in UK, its all very vague, with some people getting a small fine and 
equipment confiscated etc. 

The bare bones of it is......."you can listen to whatever you like.....but 
you must not act on the information you receive".   
Errr.....possibly......whatever that means!
Ie some guys running accident recovery outfits used to listen to the police 
comms, and used to find out where the accidents were......go to the 
scene......just happen to be passing a distraught motorist who had had the 
accident.......with the police assisting with the traffic flow. The recovery 
guy would offer to tow the driver off the motorway and would do so, as the 
driver would be in panic mode and would take the first offer he got to be 
towed off. (charging the usual megabucks rate!)

The police got suspicious when it was always the same recovery comany 
arriving at the scene. The police went to investigate the recovery company 
premises and found a bank of scanners and antennas listening to all sorts. So 
these guys got their kit confiscated because 'they were acting on the 
information they received'. Its a 500 UKP fine and everythng taken away. Not 
heard of anything for a few years now, but it was much talk some while back. 
Others in UK on this reflector might have other amusing stories with our 
Radio Communications Agency (aka RA) getting the run around. 
Difficult with listening to the police in UK as they are moving over to the 
new TETRA system, so would take more elaborate equipment.

I am on Lanzarote, Canary Islands these days.....no licence for anything it 
seems. As for HF here, the only thing I've seen is a T antenna at the 
airport, and a 100 foot guyed vertiacl next to it. Never heard anything from 
it though. Lanzarote is a volcanic island so earth conductivity poor...no 
rivers.....no rain etc. Not sure if the clandestine operators would choose 
here to TX from. Not heard any 'numbers stations' that are endstop 
signals.......and having been all over the island not come across any other 
big HF stuff that might constitute a Lincolnshire Poacher equivalent. 
Changing the subject, if anyone needs IOTA from here I can arrange a sked.
Regards
Jerry
EA8/G4CAZ
<A HREF="http://www.radio-com.com">www.radio-com.com</A>


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