From: j.hastings6@genie.geis.com
Date: Mon, 22 Aug 94 19:56:54 PDT
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Scanner Banners
Message-ID: <199408230256.AA212650583@relay2.geis.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


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- From ham operator N8TQJ @ W8BI.#DAY.OH.USA.NA:
 
      I gained access to a memo from Tandy Inc. headquarters in Fort Worth
Texas that stated that because of an "engineering defect" the Realistic Pro
23 and the Pro 46 handheld scanners were to be immediately pulled from the
shelves and NOT allowed for sale. This "defect" causes these 2 radios to
fail the "compliance" specs of this "law".
      All district supervisors for Radio Shack are to monitor sales records
of all stores within their jurisdiction on a DAILY basis, and ANY sales of
the Pro 23 & 46 by ANY employee will result in "...immediate termination of
employment".
      This is because these 2 radios do "...not conform" to the FCC ban of
any scanner that can be "...easily modified" to receive 800 MHz cellular
phone frequencies. This "ban" went into effect April 24, 1994, yet allows
the sale of scanners already in this country, none may be imported, designed
or built after this date.
      The memo went on to say that there will be no further warehousing and
store restock of the Pro 51 handheld and the Pro 2026 moblie (similar to the
BEARCAT 560 & 760) scanners and that all supplies of these 2 scanners will
be sold out and not replenished. However, there are stores within the Dayton-
Cincinnati-Columbus triangle that have the 2026 and the 51 and are allowed
to sell them.
        This situation defies all logic and makes no sense at all whatsoever,
Let's look at some facts:
        1) ALL these scanners are cell-phone modifiable, and "easily".
        2) The 23(banned from sale)and the 51(not banned)are both contemporous
in design and date of model introduction. Both of these radios modify by a
keyboard keystroke manipulation(1994 model introduction).
         3) The 46(banned from sale)and the 2026(not banned)are both contem-
porous in design and date of model introduction, and are electrically similar
in design. These radios are "hardware" modified, a wire cut in the 2026 and
2 chip jumpers removed and one relocated in the 46.
         Why this jumbled shuffling?
         I think that this is another boot-licking snafu by Tandy, as the
incident where Tandy pulled ALL scanners from the shelves in The People's
Republic Of New Jersey when this State proposed a ban of ALL scanners.
         I would love to know what the Feds are up to, as cellular phones
will be digitally encrypted shortly. Is this cell phone "ban" a legal prec-
ident to ban further frequencies from citizen's monitoring access?
         Are we on the road to Soviet-like Goverbment controls:
        * Firearms confiscation
        * Internal passports
        * Limits on communications outside of local areas
         Noah's flood began with one raindrop.
73 To All
- From The UnHappy Club
Corny N8TQJ@W8BI
- ----------------
 
The message above taken from the ham packet network. Thought it might
be of interest here.
 
Kent - j.hastings6@genie.geis.com
Ham packet AX.25: WA6ZFY @ WB6YMH.#SOCA.CA.USA.NA
 
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