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From: kam@dlogics.COM (Kevin Mitchell)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: No More Listening in on Cordless Phones in California
Message-ID: <10983@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 16 Aug 90 15:11:20 GMT
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In article <10925@accuvax.nwu.edu>, covert@covert.enet.dec.com (John
R. Covert writes:

> Don't these people realize that all you need to intercept a cordless
> phone call is another cordless phone?

Or, you can use any good scanner. My Radio Shack PRO-34 sometimes
stops on cordless phone frequencies -- they're crammed in between
frequencies for other VHF services.

Also, since a radio receiver can sometimes receive images offset by
twice the Intermediate Frequency (10.7 MHz on the PRO-34, for an image
offset of 21.4 MHz), I find it hard to search the 800 MHz public
service bands for all the images of cellular calls that crop up there.
(You get the image only if there isn't a stronger signal on the
desired frequency).

The PRO-34's come with the cellular range locked out. Changing the
programming to avoid the few cordless frequencies hiding among other
stuff would be prohibitive.

My opinion on the matter are that other's phone calls are pretty
boring and mundane anyway. Most of the cellular trash images that show
up are either (1) Ringing tones, (2) somebody's answering machine
message, or (3) "Honey I'll be a few minutes late." Federal law
prohibits divulging the content in any case, or using the information
received to commit a crime (spelled out in big bold letters on the
first page of the {Police Call} frequency directory).


Kevin A. Mitchell                (312) 266-4485
Datalogics, Inc                  Internet: kam@dlogics.UUCP
441 W. Huron                     UUCP: ..!uunet!dlogics!kam
Chicago, IL  60610               FAX: (312) 266-4473


[Moderator's Note: Actually, people who have done modifications to the
PRO-34 to expand the coverage in the 800 megs range have discovered
that in the process of moving a diode on the board, they lose all of
the 30-50 meg (low VHF) range as a result. Highly illegal to make the
mods in the first place, of course.  PAT]