Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version VT3.3 7/21/84; site vortex.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!vortex!lauren
From: lauren@vortex.UUCP (Lauren Weinstein)
Newsgroups: net.tv,net.legal
Subject: Re: Illegal satellite dish cleanup in San Francisco area?
Message-ID: <372@vortex.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 5-Aug-84 04:26:03 EDT
Article-I.D.: vortex.372
Posted: Sun Aug  5 04:26:03 1984
Date-Received: Mon, 6-Aug-84 03:23:23 EDT
References: <1674@sdccs6.uucp>
Organization: Vortex Technology, Los Angeles
Lines: 41

Ah, now I know what's going on.  Rich Wales asked about SATELLITE
antennas.  From the more recent message, I see we are actually talking
about MDS (multipoint distribution) microwave antennas.  These
are receivers for terrestrial microwave feeds (most commonly) of
pay TV channels.  It's sorta the microwave equivalent of STV
(subscription TV -- scrambled UHF) though usually not scrambled since
the receiving equipment was (at one time) considered to be rather esoteric.

It is much easier to do an independent survey of people who have THESE sorts
of antennas, since most people who have them quite openly point them
in the directions of the transmitter (line-of-sight transmission) and
it is usually VERY obvious which way they are pointing.  Since the
transmitter locations are very well known, it is a fairly simple
assumption that if someone has a small dish (or other type of MDS
antenna -- some look like a horn or a long white dildo) pointed at the
local transmitter that receives, say, HBO, that they are probably
receiving the service illegally.  Fairly recent law changes make
such reception quite clearly illegal -- they specifically address this
situation).  

Now, there IS ham equipment that looks very similar to the MDS reception
equipment and operates at similar frequencies, so there are going to
be some receivers around that wouldn't appear on the MDS company's
books but still would not be illegal.  On the other hand, these units
also would normally not be pointed at the local MDS transmitter.  This
sort of situation would be more complex.

In any case, the situation we are talking about (sending out of mass
"threats" to people) sounds pretty fishy.  It seems obvious that the
company involved is attempting to avoid the hassle and cost of
individually invoking the legal process (search warrants and the whole
bit) against each individual location they suspect of illegal
reception.  

--Lauren--

P.S.  Driving around L.A., I fairly frequently see obvious "unofficial"
MDS receivers on houses, including some of the homemade "snow sled and 
coffee can" variety.

--LW--