ALL Radar Detectors May be Banned

[patalive]

I posted this on the Potomac PCA web site, but thought I would put it here as well - -
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This mail was taken from a Yahoo group, which took it from a technical/political forum. It looks real!
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Subject: The FCC’s coming for your radar detector...because you’re going to
use it to steal gasoline.
Date: Thu, 16 May 2002 13:09:30 -0400
Apparently, ChevronTexaco Corporation has filed an endorsement with the FCC
on new regulation that would apply to radar detectors because the 25 million
devices in use interfere with high-tech payment systems now becoming popular
at the gas pump.
According to the briefing
( http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/retrieve.cgi?native_or_pdf=pdf&id_docume
nte13084938
), Chevron uses VSAT services provided by Hughes Network
Systems to beam credit card authorization data from the gas pump to their
host computer system. They’ve discovered that folks using radar detectors
will inadvertently interfere with these communications due to the fact that
the detectors emit a small amount of RF energy on the same wavelengths used
by the satellite communications. Apparently, the company fears that
“thieves could use these devices to steal motor fuel by simply activating a
radar detector while fueling.”
Reading through the FCC documents on this proposed regulation also reveals
that there are companies eager to use the Ka-band part of the spectrum to
provide ‘direct to home’ wireless Internet access for rural and other
‘underserved’ areas, among other things. Since there’s a long-standing
principle in FCC regulations which says in effect that unlicensed devices
cannot interfere with licensed communications, and must accept any
intereference from licensed devices, it looks like we’re in for a new round
of FCC regulation on radar detectors.
In response, the president of Escort, Inc. has said they can’t afford new
regulation, and offered to move the emissions to a different part of the
spectrum. It appears that there are other satcom interests which have
concerns about the frequency range he’s talking about, though. The original
article I dug this out of is was in this week’s ‘Computerworld’ and can be
viewed at http://www.computerworld.com/managementtopics/ebusiness/story/0,10801,71036,00.html

The bottom line: radar detectors may well be regulated out of existence.
-
Chuck

[rvanderpyl]

Hmmm, except then they would have to ban the radar devices as well since the Radar Detector emissions are the same wave length as the radar they are detecting, hence the reason you can get a false reading from 'leaky' detectors. So I don't think there should be to much of a problem as the police have a LOT more pull when it comes to these things than we do, and they aren't likely to want to give up their guns.

[Formerly Steve Wilkinson]

It's nonsense. Your standard Internet-disseminated hysteria.

Stephan

[speeder]

What Stephan said; the internet is a public restroom wall.

[Plays with cars]

Not possible. Anyone using a radar detector, even a good one like Valentine One, knows that security systems at malls, restaurants, ... emit radar signals in the same spectrum as radar detectors. Are they also going to ban security systems? Don't think so.

[Jim Richards]

It's nonsense. Your standard Internet-disseminated hysteria.

It's a little more serious than what Stephan believes (see link below). Still, the FCC has to be convinced about the problem. Then, how will they act on this, given the sheer number of radar detectors out there now?


Satellite Industry Association filing to the FCC

Regards,

Jim
1995 Black 993 Coupe