Home › Forums › Decaffeinated Coffee › Picking Up A Neighbor's Phone Calls on a Scanner
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December 28, 2012 4:37 pm at 4:37 pm #607605ChulentMember
If you are picking up your neighbor’s cordless handset phone calls on your scanner, is it best to tell her so that she gets a more secure cordless so that other neighbors shouldn’t be snooping in?
December 30, 2012 12:30 am at 12:30 am #917124I can only tryMemberYes, tell her. You’re doing her a favor.
December 30, 2012 12:33 am at 12:33 am #917125NaysbergMemberIt can be quite embarassing to telll her.
December 30, 2012 12:37 am at 12:37 am #917126popa_bar_abbaParticipantOn your scanner? What is this scanner, and why are you using it?
December 30, 2012 1:54 am at 1:54 am #917127aurora77ParticipantPopa, you always make me laugh! 🙂
December 30, 2012 1:09 pm at 1:09 pm #917128shmoelMemberWhat frequencies do cordless phones operate on?
December 30, 2012 7:28 pm at 7:28 pm #917129HaLeiViParticipantThe newer (as in since 2000) phones are supposed to be digital and operate in the 900MHz frequencies, both reasons for it not to be picked up with a scanner.
December 30, 2012 7:41 pm at 7:41 pm #917130Boro Park GirlMemberpleeeeeez tell her!!!
the wires sometimes get crossed in my house if more than one person is one their cellphone and someone turns on the microwave and it can be VERY embarrassing sometimes if the call was private.
Ur doing her a major favor and even if she might be embarrassed, she will be happy that u r telling her so that she can change it for the future.
December 30, 2012 7:43 pm at 7:43 pm #917131OneOfManyParticipantlol, soooo Joe’s type to have a radio scanner. 😛
December 30, 2012 8:23 pm at 8:23 pm #917132NaysbergMemberNot all 900 Mhz, 2.4 Ghz or 5.8 Ghz phones are digital. If it is, it should say something like DSS (Digital Spread Spectrum). Otherwise it may be analog and picked up on a scanner.
Also, even if the phone is called a 900Mhz, 2.4Ghz or 5.8Ghz, it may be only operating on that frequency from the base to the handset. The handset to base could transmit on a lower frequency, allowing a cheap scanner to pick up one side of the conversation.
It’s best to make sure it is digital. The newer DECT 6.0 are all digital as well as some of the older models with the other frequencies.
December 31, 2012 12:46 am at 12:46 am #917133HaLeiViParticipantThat is very interesting. Why would they differenciate between base-to-handset and the other way?
December 31, 2012 12:57 am at 12:57 am #917134ChulentMemberFollowing ICOT and BPG’s advice, I finally mustered up the courage to inform her of the situation. Despite a curt “thank you” and the door immediately closed, her face said it all. She turned sheetrock white in the face and looked like her world just caved in. I only hope she doesn’t now think I’ve been eavesdropping on her for however long shes owned that handset.
December 31, 2012 1:06 am at 1:06 am #917136YentaParticipantChulent, I mean Joseph, has done this type of stuff on here for no reason at all.
He is not a Ham radio operator at all.
Just a troll.
December 31, 2012 2:36 am at 2:36 am #917138HaLeiViParticipantWho cares? I think what Naysburg said was interesting, anyhow.
December 31, 2012 5:11 am at 5:11 am #917139OneOfManyParticipantChulent=Naysburg=shmoel
yep
December 31, 2012 5:52 am at 5:52 am #917140natureParticipantIn the U.S., it’s a violation of federal law to listen in to phone conversations on your scanner. Don’t do it. If you want to warn your neighbor, do it anonymously to avoid giving the impression that you are admitting to the violation.
December 31, 2012 9:34 am at 9:34 am #917141NaysbergMemberThe cheaper cordless systems use the lower frequency for its handset-to-base (usually in the 900s which are accessible on scanners) because it is cheaper to manafacture lower frequency transmitters and they use less power. (And the handsets use a battery as opposed to the base which has an ac power supply.) You can find out what frequency your cordless system uses by looking up its FCC ID on the bottom of the phone with its FCC regulatory filing on fcc.gov. Its a federal code violation to listen to cell calls but not cordless. (Not that it should be done anyways.)
December 31, 2012 1:50 pm at 1:50 pm #917142mi puebloMemberPeople who own scanners are voyeurs of the worst kind. This incudes the macher. Wannabees who listen n on hatzalah calls. We oftenread of such people in the news after they get arrested as peeping goms.
December 31, 2012 4:32 pm at 4:32 pm #917143I can only tryMemberOneOfMany-
Your troll-detection radar is better than mine ?.
Some threads arouse my suspicions, but this one didn’t; probably because I actually had this occur to me many years ago, when a neighbor came by to let me know my cordless phone conversations were coming over their radio.
December 31, 2012 4:43 pm at 4:43 pm #917144akupermaParticipantIf your scanner is operating illegally, shut up and stop scanning before you get arrested.
If her phone is operating on the wrong frequency (which is the only way you could be legally getting her conversations), tell her since her phone is broken (and she could get in trouble for it).
December 31, 2012 5:37 pm at 5:37 pm #917145HealthParticipantakuperma -“If your scanner is operating illegally, shut up and stop scanning before you get arrested.”
It’s not illegal unless you do it on purpose.
“If her phone is operating on the wrong frequency (which is the only way you could be legally getting her conversations), tell her since her phone is broken (and she could get in trouble for it).”
She can’t get in trouble for this. What happens is the junky phones can’t stick to their frequencies and anyone with a receiver/scanner can pick it up. It happens more often with other handheld phones -you can pick up others’ convos if they are in range. Either buy an expensive cordless that can only be picked up by the base/cordless of that set or use a landline for privacy.
December 31, 2012 6:41 pm at 6:41 pm #917146apushatayidParticipantwhy do people own scanners?
December 31, 2012 6:48 pm at 6:48 pm #917147OneOfManyParticipantIcot: lol, thanks. Maybe we should start a troll-slaying brigade. 😛
December 31, 2012 7:01 pm at 7:01 pm #917148uneeqParticipantI once was babysitting for my nephew, and the baby monitor picked up some lady’s cursing and screaming over the phone.
December 31, 2012 9:03 pm at 9:03 pm #917149I can only tryMemberOneOfMany-
“Maybe we should start a troll-slaying brigade.“
A worthy endeavor, but one doomed to failure, IMO 😛
December 31, 2012 9:23 pm at 9:23 pm #917150☕ DaasYochid ☕ParticipantOur phone line in the bungalow colony was once crossing with someone else’s (we immediately told them). When I called Verizon to complain, the rep gave me a credit. While I was on with her, the other person’s conversation started coming through. The rep put me on hold, and came back on and told me that she gave me an even bigger credit! That summer, they actually paid me to have a phone.
December 31, 2012 9:38 pm at 9:38 pm #917151DoswinMemberIn rural areas (such as the Catskills) they used to give people “party lines”, which meant the phone line was shared between two and four households.
December 31, 2012 10:46 pm at 10:46 pm #917152OneOfManyParticipantOh lookee, here comes #4…
January 2, 2013 10:08 pm at 10:08 pm #917153uneeqParticipantIcot: lol, thanks. Maybe we should start a troll-slaying brigade. 😛
Oh, dang it. I thought I came up with the name and idea on my own. Stupid subconscious…
January 2, 2013 11:06 pm at 11:06 pm #917154OneOfManyParticipantActually, I had another thought on the name – what about “Trollbusters”? It has a ring to it… ^_^
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