Comment by tostr | Hacker News Reader

Comment by tostr | Hacker News Reader

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I just wanted to post that I can't find anything about it being forbidden, but there is actually a link in the post[1]. So basically the situation is:

Mit einer Funkanlage dürfen nur solche Nachrichten abgehört oder in vergleichbarer Weise zur Kenntnis genommen werden, die für den Betreiber der Funkanlage, für Funkamateure im Sinne des § 2 Nummer 1 des Amateurfunkgesetzes, für die Allgemeinheit oder für einen unbestimmten Personenkreis bestimmt sind.

Which in English would read something like this:

With radio equipment you are only allowed to listen to, or take note of in some other way, those messages that are addressed to the operator of the equipment, those messages that are addressed to ham radio operators in general, those messages that are addressed to the general public or for an undefined group of people.

This is of course absolutely unenforceable, untraceable and generally ridicoulus, but it is what it is. Imagine your neighbours having very loud arguments (or very loud 'horizontal discussions') in a clairaudient flat, and then telling you that you cannot listen to it. And being correct legally ;)

[1] https://www.buzer.de/5_TTDSG.htm

German regulations looks like ahead of technology. - You could affect quantum communications by listen them.

Also I remember, we in Kyiv have interest place - in zone around broadcast tower, signals once was so strong, people made simple spirals with light bulb and wire, around cup, and drink "tea with flame". To be honest, when lot of such devices used close enough to radio station, it could significantly drain power from radio station, so apparently this was prohibited, but I still don't think it is enough to prohibit listening in whole country.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyiv_TV_Tower

Using the electric field was indeed possible when megawatt TV stations were still a thing. You could light a tiny bulb or ccfl tube with it. Though at those frequencies you'd need a seriously long loop to heat water. I've been told farmers next to the TV tower would do it with their perimeter fence.

But these days with DVB the big several megawatt VHF towers covering a whole region have been replaced with smaller base stations running only 10-20kW and usually covering the local city area only.

> when megawatt TV stations were still a thing

In my country it was just few years ago with this tower.

I don't know sum of power of all transmitters (looks like it was secret information), but I knew few engineers, worked at radio stations and TV channels, who have their equipment installed there, and they talked about tens Kilowatts each one.

So, I think, when analog TV used, total transmission power exceed megawatt, now, yes, they use DVB, and I hear moderate numbers, about 20kW on each base station.

Must say, digital changed world, it give much clearer reception, but lost magic.

But maritime and air traffic is not personal, it's factual professional traffic. You're invading no one's privacy by listening to it, and if you're allowed to monitor ADS-B and AIS why not the voice version which conveys similar information?

And even messages to other traffic isn't officially allowed? That doesn't make sense. In fact pilots are always encouraged to monitor all radio traffic even the messages not meant for them as it builds a valuable picture of the traffic around them and its intentions. This saves lives on a regular basis.

Besides it being unenforceable it also would seem a bad idea to discourage it.

> "Wir haben unsere Daten gesichert, indem wir nicht autorisierte Benutzer freundlich gebeten haben, nicht darauf zu schauen."

:^)

You all may appreciate (a short browse away from TFA): Antragsformular für den Passierschein A38

https://blinry.org/passierschein-a38/

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