Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!ysub!psuvm!cunyvm!ndsuvm1!plains!csmith From: csmith@plains.NoDak.edu (Carl Smith) Newsgroups: sci.electronics Subject: Re: Cable Keywords: scanning.. Message-ID: <10725@plains.NoDak.edu> Date: 5 Jun 91 18:05:40 GMT References: <1991Jun3.044218.16908@milton.u.washington.edu> Organization: North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND Lines: 34 In article lrk@k5qwb.lonestar.org (Lyn R. Kennedy) writes: >Most super-het receivers radiate enough of the local oscillator to be >picked up outside the house. I read years ago about England using this >with mobile units to find out who was not paying the TV receiver tax. >Some cable companies may have people good enough to do this but I doubt >it. Besides they would have to come on your property to determine which >rooms the TVs are in. One thing to consider with this method of detecting what channel someone is watching is that most cable subscribers tune with a supplied cable box, or with a cable compatible VCR. Their TV's stay on channel 3. So this would work only with people with cable compatible TV who actually tune with the TV and not a cable box or VCR. The question is if the local oscillators in the cable box tuner or VCR tuner can also be picked up. Then if you pick one up on ch 3, check for another on some other channel. If you don't find one, then they must actually be watching channel 3. If you find a second local oscillator then they are watching that channel with a VCR or cable converter, and the TV on channel 3. >------------------------------------------------------------------------- > lrk@k5qwb.lonestar.org lrk@k5qwb.UUCP >73, utacfd.utarl.edu!letni!kf5iw!k5qwb!lrk >Lyn Kennedy K5QWB @ N5LDD.#NTX.TX.US.NA > P.O. Box 5133, Ovilla, TX, USA 75154 > >-------------- "We have met the enemy and he is us." Pogo -------------- ----------------------- Carl D. Smith Jr. csmith@plains.nodak.edu -----------------------