Listen in on schools radio network

[madman41]

Our school has 13 hyt - tc 310 radios, used to communicate to the higher band of staff, If i bought a

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI....ory=4674&_trksid=p5197.c0.m619#ht_11088wt_922

Could i listen in on the schools radio network

Both the radio and the Scanner radio are on the same frequencies scale?

Would this work?

Thanks Nathan

 

[OwainDIYer]

The school will be using licenced Private Mobile Radio frequencies, not Amateur bands.

It is illegal to listen to anything other than general reception transmissions unless you are either a licensed user of the frequencies in question or have been specifically authorised to do so by a designated person.


Under Section 5(1)(b) of the WT Act 1949 it is an offence if a person "otherwise than under the authority of a designated person,

either:

(i) uses any wireless telegraphy apparatus with intent to obtain information as to the contents, sender or addressee of any message whether sent by means of wireless telegraphy or not, of which neither the person using the apparatus nor a person on whose behalf he is acting is an intended recipient;

This means that it is illegal to listen to anything other than general reception transmissions unless you are either a licensed user of the frequencies in question or have been specifically authorised to do so by a designated person. A designated person means:
the Secretary of State;
the Commissioners of Customs and Excise; or
any other person designated for the purpose by regulations made by the Secretary of State.

or:

(ii) except in the course of legal proceedings or for the purpose of any report thereof, discloses any information as to the contents, sender or addressee of any such message, being information which would not have come to his knowledge but for the use of wireless telegraphy apparatus by him or by another person."

This means that it is also illegal to tell a third party what you have heard.

OFCOM

 

[madman41]

I think there standard ones , as it has been done before i believe , by a very intelligent student

 

[Alarm]

Not you then

My little trainee.............

 

[ericmark]

A short wave listener is and always has been a part of a amateur radio hobby. What one has to careful of is using and passing on information obtained.

If the school does anything to try to stop you monitoring to their transmission then to do anything to allow you to receive what was clearly intended to be private would be clearly breaking privacy laws.

Also to tell a third party other than some one like the police what you have heard would also be breaking the rules.

But most PMR radios can be monitored without a problem. Police radios clearly should not be monitored but I know that on many a RAYNET exercise the police turned a blind eye to us monitoring their transmissions however had we told a third party what we had heard it would have been a different story.

So what one has to consider is why anyone would want to monitor a school radio? If it was so one can assist with school activities then likely there would not be a problem. But if it was to for example to cheat in an exam then it would be another story.

Clearly when scanning for radio transmissions one will from time to time heard things which were not intended for broadcast. I have while scanning for ham transmissions received non ham transmissions which I ignored what ever was heard. It is the acting on what is heard rather than hearing it that gets one in hot water.

So to use my radio to monitor the schools transmission so I could put the meal on for some one returning home from school is not really a problem. But to work out likely answers required in an exam is.

One would hope schools like the police would use an encrypted system needing more then a simple receiver to monitor. As a licensed amateur I am not permitted to use codes or cypher but PMR users are allowed to use them. I would consider any transmission not using a codes or cypher was not private. However packet radio was considered by many to be a private system and all through with BAYCOM one could monitor again to tell a third party what one had read would breach licence conditions.

 

[OwainDIYer]

I don't think schools would be passing much information relevant to exam results. However there could be sensitive personal information passed, which should NOT be overheard by pupils eg

TEACHER Samantha's just started vomiting

OFFICE That's okay, she told the nurse she was pregnant last week

TEACHER Can someone phone her parents to come and collect her

OFFICE Her dad was arrested last night and her mum's in the women's refuge. Samantha's staying at her auntie's.

TEACHER Can auntie come in then

OFFICE Auntie's having chemo this week. I'll phone the social worker

TEACHER Didn't know Sam had a social worker

OFFICE Yeah ever since the police found her mum on the game at the bus station

TEACHER Ta. Oh, and someone with a bucket and mop as well please.

 

[ChrisFrost]

Bl**dyhell, poor Samantha has it tough doesn't she.

On a more serious note though, the whole idea of eavesdropping on communications is a bit of a political hot potato at the moment. Look at the problems it's caused the newspapers!

OP, if you were meant to listen to the schools radios then they'd give you a set. If they haven't then that's your clue. Keep your nose out

 

[gpg1967]

what worries me is why would you want to listen in on a school radio ?

 

[madman41]

Thanks for the replies , Tbh some off the information that passes over those radios need's to be listened to , Believe me. It should arrive Friday , will spend the weekend pratting around with it , take it into school on the monday and do a a whole uhf and vhf band scan.

 

[madman41]

By any chance do those htc radios operate on these channel frequencies? ;;

PMR Channel Frequency (MHz)
1 446.00625
2 446.01875
3 446.03125
4 446.04375
5 446.05625
6 446.06875
7 446.08125
8 446.09375

dPMR446 Channel Frequency (MHz)
1 446.103125
2 446.109375
3 446.115625
4 446.121875
5 446.128125
6 446.134375
7 446.140625
8 446.146875
9 446.153125
10 446.159375
11 446.165625
12 446.171875
13 446.178125
14 446.184375
15 446.190625
16 446.196875


Cheers Mad Man