From: pcw@access.digex.net (Peter Wayner)
Date: Fri, 24 Jun 94 06:07:38 PDT
To: Phil Karn <karn@qualcomm.com>
Subject: Re: Cellular Telephone Experimenter's Kit (2600 article)
Message-ID: <199406241307.AA18536@access2.digex.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


>>This CTEK sounds like a fun toy and I guess I'm glad that it can't be
>>used for cellular phone fraud. That would be an illegitimate use. But,
>>monitoring cell phone traffic is a crime now, right? Is there a legitimate
>>use for the device? Can anyone think of one? 
>
>Several companies make cellular test sets (or optional modules for
>more general purpose RF test sets) that perform functions very much
>like those of the CTEK package. Since we manufacture cell phones, we
>have a perfectly legitimate reason to have a few of those test sets
>around here.  And I know of no special licensing requirements to buy
>them (other than having $20,000 or so in cash).


Sure, I know that Qualcomm could easily justify having the toys around
the place. But what would I say to the cops/FCC when they came knocking?
I was just waiting to get the capital together to set up a phone manufacturing
program? Is there any legitimate use for someone not in the business? 

The best I can come up with is: a wife who wants to track her husbands
progress home so she knows when to throw the steaks on the grill. ("He
always arrives 12 minutes after the he moves into our cell.")



>
>Phil