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Virginia considers repealing last radar detector ban in America, pleases gun owners

AbNo

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Yes, this is a double post....

KBCraig wrote:
The reasoning is correct: that we are free to receive anything that is broadcast in the RF spectrum, and it is up to the broadcaster to encrypt, encode, limit his transmission range, or otherwise take steps to prevent reception by unintended parties.

The FCC ignored that reasoning when they outlawed the sale of scanners that could pick up cell phone frequencies (this was back in the 1G analog days, after a couple of high-profile politicians had their cell phone conversations recorded and sold to news agencies).
Correction: You may not have anything that SPECIFICALLY is designed to intercept cell phone signals.

Let's say someone hit their head on a rock, and suddenly decides that buying from Radio Shack is a good idea.

If one were to walk into the store and say "Hi, I'd like to buy a (parts for) scanner that can pick up cell phone conversations.", whoever is working there is supposed to show you the door.

If you walk in and say "Hi, I'd like to buy (parts for) a scanner that will receive on the 1710-1755 and 2110-2170 (CDMA frequencies) and/or the 1850-1910 and 1930-1990 (GSM) frequencies.", whoever works there can sell to you.

A few years ago it would have been 650-850 MHz. Analog cell phones in those days were unencrypted signal, much like your favorite radio station.

There are other technical limitations to this, primarily something to decode the digital signal.



tl;dr: You may not have anything that SPECIFICALLY is designed to intercept cell phone signals. It's about like going into a gun store and saying "Hi, I'd like to use that to kill my wife. Will you sell it to me?"
 

hsmith

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Glock34 wrote:
N6ATF wrote:
Glock34 wrote:
most police depts, have switched over to Laser speed detectors anyways...If ya don't speed then you don't need a detector. Just saying...:)
If you drive too slowly for near-empty and good weather freeway conditions, you don't need one either. Snails should be fined just as much as zig-zag lightspeed at rush hour drivers.
yup, drive the speed limit. pretty easy.
Oh please, we all know they setup speed traps all throughout this state to steal money from people. We all have driven through the 65-55-60 MPH speed zone changes that occur within a mile or two of one another.
 

altajava

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But they say it's not about the revenue! This isabout the only thing I agree with Maryland on. Maryland allows detectors then sets up radar with no operator just to make people slow down.

I think a CB works better anyway. If you can speak "trucker" they will tell you where the cops are and what they are doing but most of the time you just need to listen.
 

AbNo

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altajava wrote:
But they say it's not about the revenue! This isabout the only thing I agree with Maryland on. Maryland allows detectors then sets up radar with no operator just to make people slow down.

I think a CB works better anyway. If you can speak "trucker" they will tell you where the cops are and what they are doing but most of the time you just need to listen.
A+ on that. I love my CB. :D
 

hometheaterman

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Yep a CB is nice but honestly, I tend to find myself listening to the radio instead then I can't hear the CB. I don't want nor have any desire to have a radar detector however, I think it's dumb to be the only state in the country to have them banned.
 

Tomahawk

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hometheaterman wrote:
Yep a CB is nice but honestly, I tend to find myself listening to the radio instead then I can't hear the CB. I don't want nor have any desire to have a radar detector however, I think it's dumb to be the only state in the country to have them banned.
I agree. I have little use for one myself, but I don't see any reason for them to be banned, nor any constitutional authority for doing so.
 

tag

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Icetera wrote:
hlh wrote:
I think I heard this bill died yesterday and I'm very dissapointed.
Oh well, I guess the CB plus situational awareness will have to do. Atleast in VA, theState Policeare horribleat hiding.
Isn't that a good thing? They shouldn't be trying to trap us, their goal should be to keep the roads safe. Personally, I'd rather see them get people who blatantly tailgate or fail to indicate for lane changes and turns.

Some of the speed limits are entirely too low. (55 on the beltway?? Come on...)
 

wylde007

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Or pace you in your blind spot, or pace the car in the slow lane so that a queue of cars trying to pass is unable, or ride right up on your ass, and then when you get over to get out of their way they pull in front of you and slow down so you have to reset your cruise control, or the ones who run right up on you and before you even have a chance to do the decent thing and get out of the way they swerve between you and the car you were attempting to pass nearly causing a three-car incident.

A fair number of the aforementioned vehicles seemed to have shiny oversized chrome rims and tinted windows. Or blue hairs.
 

essayons

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I've never really seen the point to having a radar detector. It would seem that even by the time it warbles and you can apply the brakes its too late if the LEO actually has put his radar on you.

I don't know about you guys, but cops in Virginia don't really hide all that often. When I am driving, I am in condition "Red" just as if I were walking down a dark alley full of shady characters at night. The way people drive I feel like everyone on the road is trying to kill me. Since I am hypervigilant anyway, spotting the nose of a State Trooper isn't difficult. Plus they seem to be pretty lenient anyway on most of the interstates where traffic is flowing 5-10 mph over.

I've only ever gotten pulled over twice, once for taking the chicane of an on-ramp at 65... which as far as I know is legal so I just got a "warning," and once when I was speeding big-time and got caught big-time, by a Henrico unmarked Impala SS. He paced me for over a mile as he said "to see how fast I would go" No radar involved. I was fresh out of high school and going to Army Basic was the only thing that got me out of the Reckless charge.

My question is, if they raise the Interstate speed to 70, will 80 still be Reckless? Not much wiggle room there. Only state where 10 over the speed limit is a Class 1 Misdemeanor. 1 year in jail for a heavy foot seems a little excessive.
 

rlh2005

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essayons wrote:
My question is, if they raise the Interstate speed to 70, will 80 still be Reckless? Not much wiggle room there. Only state where 10 over the speed limit is a Class 1 Misdemeanor. 1 year in jail for a heavy foot seems a little excessive.
My very quick search found no changes to § 46.2-862 which defines 80 mph as reckless.
 
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