The recent post (in rec.radio.scanner) about cell phone jammers got me
thinking...
Both as part of my job and part of the radio hobby, I have attended many
communications-themed events and made some interesting acquaintances. I am
sure we have all seen some of the things that I have, but I just realized
after reading the "cell phone jammer" post that this seldom-acknowledged
movement might be far more widespread than I imagined.
Any thoughts? Have others made these observations as well?
Also...
On a side note, a friend's brother works for one of the US federal
three-letter agencies. During a recent raid that was intended only to net a
drug lab and some firearms, the agents discovered an electronics workshop
that included, among other things, a wideband VHF jamming device based on a
USCG-surplus marine transceiver and, most shocking, a very complex
work-in-progress to use Nextel phone parts coupled with stolen Nextel tower
equipment to be able to monitor and intercept Nextel services.
He could not tell me much about that bust, but I'd love to know anything
else that anyone may know about the prevalence of these technologies.

nextel eh? that's pretty f'n sweet.

"Toscano" wrote in message
...
The recent post (in rec.radio.scanner) about cell phone jammers got me
thinking...
Both as part of my job and part of the radio hobby, I have attended many
communications-themed events and made some interesting acquaintances. I am
sure we have all seen some of the things that I have, but I just realized
after reading the "cell phone jammer" post that this seldom-acknowledged
movement might be far more widespread than I imagined.
Any thoughts? Have others made these observations as well?
Also...
On a side note, a friend's brother works for one of the US federal
three-letter agencies. During a recent raid that was intended only to net
a
drug lab and some firearms, the agents discovered an electronics workshop
that included, among other things, a wideband VHF jamming device based on
a
USCG-surplus marine transceiver and, most shocking, a very complex
work-in-progress to use Nextel phone parts coupled with stolen Nextel
tower
equipment to be able to monitor and intercept Nextel services.
He could not tell me much about that bust, but I'd love to know anything
else that anyone may know about the prevalence of these technologies.

Toscano wrote in message
...
The recent post (in rec.radio.scanner) about cell phone jammers got me
thinking...
Both as part of my job and part of the radio hobby, I have attended many
communications-themed events and made some interesting acquaintances. I am
sure we have all seen some of the things that I have, but I just realized
after reading the "cell phone jammer" post that this seldom-acknowledged
movement might be far more widespread than I imagined.
Any thoughts? Have others made these observations as well?
Also...
On a side note, a friend's brother works for one of the US federal
three-letter agencies. During a recent raid that was intended only to net
a
drug lab and some firearms, the agents discovered an electronics workshop
that included, among other things, a wideband VHF jamming device based on
a
USCG-surplus marine transceiver and, most shocking, a very complex
work-in-progress to use Nextel phone parts coupled with stolen Nextel
tower
equipment to be able to monitor and intercept Nextel services.
He could not tell me much about that bust, but I'd love to know anything
else that anyone may know about the prevalence of these technologies.


I'm assuming that deliberate cell phone jamming, that might be done by
places that don't like people using their phones, is in fact, completely
illegal. True? Has anyone ever been caught and prosecuted for this?