Amateur radio seems to be overly restricted in the States. I have little interest trying to participate in a P2P communication system where encryption is explicitly forbidden. Also, the fact my country would prosecute me for communicating internationally with someone who lives under a repressive regime seems totally bogus.
If you're worried about privacy, with packet you can encrypt the data payload itself so long as the headers are not obfuscated and the transmission is properly identified.
Besides, privacy seems to be somewhat defeating of the purpose of Amateur radio. The spectrum set aside for hams is intended for educational use, and the ability to be heard is important so you can gauge the effectiveness of your rigs, vice versa for the other parties involved, learn how to make those improvem
If you're worried about privacy, with packet you can encrypt the data payload itself so long as the headers are not obfuscated and the transmission is properly identified.
Incorrect. Any use of ciphers or codes to obscure the meaning is prohibited, with the limited exception of control signals for space stations (47CFR97.113(a)(4)) [arrl.org]. That includes the bodies of packets sent via packet radio. That's the US law, perhaps you are referring to a different country?
Current software [winlink.org] in common use compresses the bodies of email messages sent via packet and pactor systems, but software can be used to decompress the messages and is thus not considered encryption.
Incorrect. Any use of ciphers or codes to obscure the meaning is prohibited,...
There was a forum discussion which someone complained, "so what if I want to talk like a CBer on ham radio? As long as I'm licensed and mention my callsign every 10 min, end of transmission, bla-bla, I can talk in whatever style I want!" However, someone gave example: "That's a big ten-four good buddy and I sure do appreciate that there smokey report on the five oh niner. Well, I'll catch you on the flipper flopper!" Bzzzzztttt. FCC Part 97 prohibits codes and ciphers used to obscure communications.
There was a forum discussion which someone complained, "so what if I want to talk like a CBer on ham radio? As long as I'm licensed and mention my callsign every 10 min, end of transmission, bla-bla, I can talk in whatever style I want!" However, someone gave example: "That's a big ten-four good buddy and I sure do appreciate that there smokey report on the five oh niner. Well, I'll catch you on the flipper flopper!"
Bzzzzztttt. FCC Part 97 prohibits codes and ciphers used to obscure communications.
I have little interest trying to participate in a P2P communication system where encryption is explicitly forbidden.
Some encryption is allowed, and the prohibition is against the use of codes or ciphers to obscure the meaning, not explicitely against all encryption. HSMM (ham WiFi) uses WEP (maybe WPA, I don't know) and gets away with it.
What's more important is that amateur radio isn't supposed to be used for things that would really require encryption anyway. No commercial use. You can't order a pizza, so you don't need to send anyone your credit card number, for example. The HSMM folks need to keep non-hams from usi
Your pizza example is a bad one because they specifically allow that now (as of like, decades ago actually).
No, they do not. Stop spreading such patently absurd information. Read the rules sometime. Like this one [gpo.gov], 47CFR97.113(a)(2) and (3):
97.113 Prohibited Communications
(a) No amateur station shall transmit:
(2) Communications for hire or for
material compensation, direct or indirect, paid or promised, except as otherwise provided in these rules;
(3) Communications in which the station licensee or control operator has a
pecuniary interest, including communications on behalf of an employer.
This wouldn't appear to prohibit you ordering the pizza, just the use of amateur radio to reply by the pizza dealer, but then there's this, same section:
(b) An amateur station shall not engage in any form of broadcasting, nor
may an amateur station transmit one-way communications except as specifically provided in these rules;
And gosh if I can find a specific exemption from this one-way communication prohibition for "pizza shop".
Now maybe the rules in YOUR country differ, but in the US of A the FCC rules apply, and the FCC rules still prohibit th
my country would prosecute me for communicating internationally with someone who lives under a repressive regime
AFAIK, there is no country that prosecutes licensed Amateur Radio Operators for communicating with Amateurs in any other country, regardless of their government. If a government permits the Amateur Radio Service as part of their telecommunications policy at all, then those Amateurs can communicate with any other Amateur anywhere, provided the other Amateur is duly licensed in his or her respectiv
Philosophy: A route of many roads leading from nowhere to nothing.
-- Ambrose Bierce
Restricted (Score:3)
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Anonymous because I'm at work.
If you're worried about privacy, with packet you can encrypt the data payload itself so long as the headers are not obfuscated and the transmission is properly identified.
Besides, privacy seems to be somewhat defeating of the purpose of Amateur radio. The spectrum set aside for hams is intended for educational use, and the ability to be heard is important so you can gauge the effectiveness of your rigs, vice versa for the other parties involved, learn how to make those improvem
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If you're worried about privacy, with packet you can encrypt the data payload itself so long as the headers are not obfuscated and the transmission is properly identified.
Incorrect. Any use of ciphers or codes to obscure the meaning is prohibited, with the limited exception of control signals for space stations (47CFR97.113(a)(4)) [arrl.org]. That includes the bodies of packets sent via packet radio. That's the US law, perhaps you are referring to a different country?
Current software [winlink.org] in common use compresses the bodies of email messages sent via packet and pactor systems, but software can be used to decompress the messages and is thus not considered encryption.
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Incorrect. Any use of ciphers or codes to obscure the meaning is prohibited, ...
There was a forum discussion which someone complained, "so what if I want to talk like a CBer on ham radio? As long as I'm licensed and mention my callsign every 10 min, end of transmission, bla-bla, I can talk in whatever style I want!" However, someone gave example: "That's a big ten-four good buddy and I sure do appreciate that there smokey report on the five oh niner. Well, I'll catch you on the flipper flopper!"
Bzzzzztttt. FCC Part 97 prohibits codes and ciphers used to obscure communications.
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Which
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I have little interest trying to participate in a P2P communication system where encryption is explicitly forbidden.
Some encryption is allowed, and the prohibition is against the use of codes or ciphers to obscure the meaning, not explicitely against all encryption. HSMM (ham WiFi) uses WEP (maybe WPA, I don't know) and gets away with it.
What's more important is that amateur radio isn't supposed to be used for things that would really require encryption anyway. No commercial use. You can't order a pizza, so you don't need to send anyone your credit card number, for example. The HSMM folks need to keep non-hams from usi
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Your pizza example is a bad one because they specifically allow that now (as of like, decades ago actually).
No, they do not. Stop spreading such patently absurd information. Read the rules sometime. Like this one [gpo.gov], 47CFR97.113(a)(2) and (3):
97.113 Prohibited Communications
(a) No amateur station shall transmit:
(2) Communications for hire or for material compensation, direct or indirect, paid or promised, except as otherwise provided in these rules;
(3) Communications in which the station licensee or control operator has a pecuniary interest, including communications on behalf of an employer.
This wouldn't appear to prohibit you ordering the pizza, just the use of amateur radio to reply by the pizza dealer, but then there's this, same section:
(b) An amateur station shall not engage in any form of broadcasting, nor may an amateur station transmit one-way communications except as specifically provided in these rules;
And gosh if I can find a specific exemption from this one-way communication prohibition for "pizza shop".
Now maybe the rules in YOUR country differ, but in the US of A the FCC rules apply, and the FCC rules still prohibit th
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AFAIK, there is no country that prosecutes licensed Amateur Radio Operators for communicating with Amateurs in any other country, regardless of their government. If a government permits the Amateur Radio Service as part of their telecommunications policy at all, then those Amateurs can communicate with any other Amateur anywhere, provided the other Amateur is duly licensed in his or her respectiv