The Whistler Group SC04 User Manual

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6
Scanning Legally
Your scanner covers frequencies used by 
many different groups including police and fire 
departments, ambulance services, government 
agencies, private companies, amateur radio services, 
military operations, pager services, and wireline 
(telephone and telegraph) service providers. It is legal 
to listen to almost every transmission your scanner 
can receive. However, there are some transmissions 
you should never intentionally listen to.
These include:
•  Telephone conversations (cellular, cordless, 
or other means of private telephone signal 
transmission)
•  Paging transmissions 
•  Any intentionally decoded scrambled or 
encrypted transmissions
According to the Electronic Communications 
Privacy Act (ECPA), you are subject to fines and 
possible imprisonment for intentionally listening 
to, using, or divulging the contents of such a 
transmission unless you have the consent of a 
party to the communication (unless such activity is 
otherwise illegal). This scanner has been designed 
to prevent reception of illegal transmissions. This 
is done to comply with the legal requirement that 
scanners be manufactured so as to not be easily 
modifiable to pick up those transmissions. Do not 
open your scanner’s case to make any modifications 
that could allow it to pick up transmissions that are 
illegal to monitor. Doing so could subject you to legal 
penalties. We encourage responsible, legal scanner 
use. In some areas, mobile use of this scanner is 
unlawful or requires a permit. Check the laws in your 
area. It is also illegal in many areas to interfere with 
the duties of public safety officials by traveling to the 
scene of an incident without authorization.