MH> I have a question. If cellular phones are illegal to receive, why hasn't 
th
MH> been some big raid at the scanner companies to stop the production of all 
t
MH> 800mhz scanners? You can even receive alot of cellulare conversations on
MH> another cellular phone.
First off, its NOT illegalt to manufacture scanner thats receive cellular!
The provisions of the law are quite clear and they allow exemptions for
those that are specified as legitimate users.  Those that are allowed to 
listen are law enforcement with the peroper warrants.. Which can be done
under Title 3, etc..           The Cellular and/or
Telecom industry during routine maintenance as specified per the law, as
well as the Federal Communications Commision who has authority under a 
different directive to listen to any piece of bandwith they so choose in the
course of their routine duties. Then theirs the NSA who as the authority 
nder
a seperate law and they are also allowed much as the FCC to  "test" their
equipment for  "routine maintenance". (and of course law enforcement can also
"tap" the lines without a warrant in "emergency situations" provided they
apply for the warrant promptly within I believe its (48 hours? I forget..)
Secondly, money is what makes the world go round, and these "scanner 
companies" are the very people who provide billions of dollars worth of 
equipment to the NSA, FBI, CIA, and local Police..  Theirs an old saying 
bout
"biting the hand that feeds you".  The government is not going to quash the 
very companies that sell the government their own nicey shiny neato 
lectronic
monitoring equipment.  Not just so they can stop a few people from listening 
to other people. Its not worth it. Its a matter of [priorities you see.
The FCC may be the only agency that actually cares about or tries to enforce 
the law actively.  But agencies like the FBI and NSA, they monitor people for 
a living so their not going to create bad relations with the companies that 
sell them their stuff (not unless they want to see the price of the equipment 
jacked up a couple hundred percent).
Thirdly, its a law not worthy of beging enforced. We have more importamt
pronlems in this country, they recognize that fact, so they let it be and
go after "real criminals". (yeah righ... not.. like people who posess drugs,
another useless crime_.
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