Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site brl-tgr.ARPA Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!whuxlm!harpo!decvax!genrad!panda!talcott!harvard!seismo!brl-tgr!tgr!wjc@ll-vlsi From: wjc@ll-vlsi (Bill Chiarchiaro) Newsgroups: net.ham-radio Subject: Re: Ham Encryption Message-ID: <860@brl-tgr.ARPA> Date: Wed, 21-Aug-85 15:30:15 EDT Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.860 Posted: Wed Aug 21 15:30:15 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 25-Aug-85 00:03:19 EDT Sender: news@brl-tgr.ARPA Lines: 30 It wasn't too many years ago that the only digital codes allowed for Amateur transmission were International Morse, American Morse, and Baudot. Then the FCC allowed ASCII, and eventually AMTOR and "any digital code above 50.0 MHz." I interpret those rules to have meant that before the allowance of arbitrary digital codes, it would have been illegal to transmit raw binary object code from your microcomputer over your packet-radio setup. It would have been legal, say, to transmit ASCII-coded representations of the hexadecimal characters that made up your object code. I believe the new rules are intended to permit the efficient transfer of data. After all, it only takes 8 bits of raw binary to send 8 bits of data as opposed to 16 bits of ASCII (i.e. two hex characters represented in ASCII). Also, the new rules permit experimentation with techniques such as Huffmann (Huffman?) codes for data compaction and convolutional codes for error correction. The FCC has given us permission to experiment with modern techniques with the intent of increasing the usefullness and efficiency of digital communications. We must remember, however, that one of our rules (I don't have the number handy) forbids us from taking steps to hide or obscure the meaning of our transmissions. I know that there may be little chance of ever being charged with a violation of this rule as a result of your use of data encryption, although the probability might be about the same as for those fellows who get caught running 10 kW. The point is, if the FCC asks why it can't make heads or tails of your transmission, you better be able to hand them a paper explaining how your technique furthers the efficiency of Amateur communications. If you don't have a good answer, you may end up reading about yourself in the Happenings column in QST. Bill N1CPK