SB QST @ ARL $ARLB049
ARLB049 Scanner ban

QST de W1AW
ARRL Bulletin 49  ARLB049
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT  April 30, 1993
To all radio amateurs

Effective April 26 the FCC has banned the importation and sale of
radio scanners capable of receiving cellular telephone transmissions
(in ET Docket 93-1).

While the FCC denied an ARRL request for specific wording that bona
fide amateur equipment be exempted from the new rules, the
Commission did agree to modify its proposed rule on converters so
that it applies only to converters ''designed or marketed for use
with scanning receivers.''

The new regulations change Parts 2 and 15 of the FCC Rules to
prohibit the manufacture or importation of radio scanners capable of
receiving frequencies allocated to the Domestic Public Cellular
Radio Telecommunications Service (presently, 824-849 and 869-984
MHz).

The specific wording suggested by the League (and not adopted by the
FCC) appears in May QST, page 87.  The FCC in denying the League's
request said the rule modification ''would not adequately ensure that
such converters would not be readily available and commonly used to
intercept cellular communications.''

''However,'' the FCC said, ''we do not believe it appropriate to
restrict cable television converters or other devices that might be
able to receive cellular telephone transmissions but were not
designed for that purpose.''

The FCC's new rules, in addition to the anticipated banning of
scanners capable of tuning cellular telephone frequencies (or of
being easily modified to do so), also prohibit frequency converters
that either convert or are easily modified to convert cellular
frequencies to other frequencies outside the cellular band that are
easily received by most scanners.

It is possible that commercial manufacturers may file petitions for
reconsideration, particularly for clarification of the ''readily
modified'' definition.