Data transmitted over Amateur Packet Radio is not permitted to be
encrypted.

Larry.... it is "encrypted" in a sense. Otherwise my scanner should be able
to recieve it no different than the voice comm's I already hear there. It
is "encrypted" (or maybe a better choice of words being "encoded") in the
sense that it needs to be encoded before sending over the air and decoded at
the other end. And this is totally legal as long as the standards and such
are publicized. Look at PSK31 and the 15-20+ other variations of the
digital modes, are you now saying all of those modes are illegal?

When was the last time you listened to a packet signal being transmitted and
could tell what was being sent as far as the content of the message, merely
by listening by ear? If you are that good, you have my respect, as it
merely sounds like a digital "blurb" to me.

Now do you understand what I meant by "encrypted?" The average "public" in
"scannerland" does not have the capability to monitor that traffic as we do.


--
Ryan, KC8PMX
FF1-FF2-MFR-(pending NREMT-B!)
--. --- -.. ... .- -. --. . .-.. ... .- .-. . ..-. .. .-. . ..-.
... --. .... - . .-. ...
"Larry Roll K3LT" wrote in message
...
In article , "Ryan, KC8PMX"
writes:

Show me a ham group working a large-scale disaster that has not??
Injuries,
triage info, fatalities are information that *may* have to be passed as
traffic and need to stay in a mode that is not generally accessable to
every
nut (or media person) with a scanner. Packet, albeit slow is okay for
this,
as it is a legal means of encrypting the data.

Ryan:

Data transmitted over Amateur Packet Radio is not permitted to be
encrypted. Equipment to receive and decode AX.25 packet radio is
widely available, even to the news media, so that is not what I would
consider to be a legitimate concern. Any mode used by hams to
transmit data over the air must be considered to be wide open to
monitoring by anyone capable of acquiring the off-the-shelf technology
necessary to receive it.

73 de Larry, K3LT

On Tue, 1 Jul 2003 01:53:22 -0400, Ryan, KC8PMX wrote:

Data transmitted over Amateur Packet Radio is not permitted to be
encrypted.

Larry.... it is "encrypted" in a sense. Otherwise my scanner should be able
to recieve it no different than the voice comm's I already hear there. It
is "encrypted" (or maybe a better choice of words being "encoded") in the
sense that it needs to be encoded before sending over the air and decoded at
the other end.

The same way that messages sent in Morse Code are "encoded".
Perfectly legal.

When was the last time you listened to a packet signal being transmitted and
could tell what was being sent as far as the content of the message, merely
by listening by ear? If you are that good, you have my respect, as it
merely sounds like a digital "blurb" to me.

The old-time RTTY techs could read certain combos by ear, having
heard them so often, just as many of the international point-to-point
radiotelephone techs could "read" inverted speech after being exposed
to it long enough.

Just like high-speed Morse.....

Now do you understand what I meant by "encrypted?" The average "public" in
"scannerland" does not have the capability to monitor that traffic as we do.

They sure do. TNCs are cheap, and an awful lot of "scannerists"
have them if they have any interest in HF reception. Some of those
TNCs can decode protocols that the average ham TNC can't. Of
course, when the material is decoded, it usually turns out to be
"spook" quality encrypted.

--
73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane

In article , "Ryan, KC8PMX"
writes:

Larry.... it is "encrypted" in a sense. Otherwise my scanner should be able
to recieve it no different than the voice comm's I already hear there. It
is "encrypted" (or maybe a better choice of words being "encoded") in the
sense that it needs to be encoded before sending over the air and decoded at
the other end. And this is totally legal as long as the standards and such
are publicized. Look at PSK31 and the 15-20+ other variations of the
digital modes, are you now saying all of those modes are illegal?

Ryan:

I didn't say that at all, and you, yourself, stumbled on the truth: Amateur
Radio digital modes are "encoded," not "encrypted." Encryption implies that
a system is being utilized to obscure the meaning of the message to all
who do not possess the requisite decryption equipment and "key" to the
encryption method utilized. The "encoding" methods utilized in Amateur
Radio are public domain, and the equipment used to decode these signals
simply MUST provide positive and accurate decoding in order to work --
or else, nobody would spend good money to purchase them! "Encrypted"
signals have no use in the ARS -- and the FCC rules which prohibited
encrypted signals is quite correct considering the nature of our service.

When was the last time you listened to a packet signal being transmitted and
could tell what was being sent as far as the content of the message, merely
by listening by ear? If you are that good, you have my respect, as it
merely sounds like a digital "blurb" to me.

Never, of course. However, while operating RTTY, I can recognize my own
call sign being sent in Baudot code!

Now do you understand what I meant by "encrypted?" The average "public" in
"scannerland" does not have the capability to monitor that traffic as we do.

I was never confused over the meaning of the term "encrypted." Moreover,
the average public scanner owner can, indeed, decode packet signals for
the price of a TNC. This does not imply that packet signals are "encrypted"
in any way. If you thought otherwise, perhaps it is you who is/was confused!

73 de Larry, K3LT