From: "Weld Pond" <weld@l0pht.com>
Date: Sun, 24 Dec 1995 05:30:55 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: 900mhz digital phones
Message-ID: <199512232055.PAA01594@l0pht.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


floyddb@alpha.c2.org:
>         There is a company called Optoelectronics that markets a
>         radio reciever 
>          called the Interceptor.  This is a broad band (several
>          hundred MHz) device designed to lock on to the most
>          powerful signal around, regardless of frequency.  As
>          supplied, it only has a rubber duck antenna, but a
>          broadband, directional antenna (Log Periodic?) could be
>          attached.  There are AM and FM versions that output audio
>          and a version called the Scout that controls a scanner. 
>          These could have outboard devices hung on to them to decode
>          digital signals, record the conversation ... all for less
>          than $1000

I don't think that the  Interceptor is going to be much use with 
spread spectrum reception.  Unless you are really, really close to your 
target other non-ss signals are going to be much stronger.  

The freq range of the device is 30MHz-2GHz.  It is also legal to sell 
even though it is great at picking up the cellular phone 
conversations in the car you are tailing. There is also the plausible 
deniability in a device like this because you don't know what 
frequency you are listening to so you don't know if it is one of 
those "illegal ones".

A directional antenna isn't much use with a device like this because
it will pick up many other stronger signals that will overwhelm your
target transmission.  I am speaking of suburban or urban areas here.
This may work if you are in a rural region where there are no cell
towers, braodcast towers, or repeaters in use.

The Scout is a just frequency counter so you must have a scanner or
the Interceptor  to actually listen in. 

- Weld Pond -