Public Vs Private Disclosure & Monitoring Stories Re: [FedCom] Monitoring Status?

[Ken]

Hello Larry & the group:

Interestingly you bring up the aspect of keeping a frequency found to one 
self or a very limited
number of "trusted" hobbyists that you know.

Recently I was talking with a fellow hobbyist, who for the most part remains 
out of the public
posting aspect of the hobby, BUT provides information to people that he 
feels can be trusted with
the information.  e.g. sent only to that hobbyists for their personal use, 
no further disclosure.
He related a story about how a group of hobbyists mapped out all of one of 
the three letter
federal investigative agency's repeaters & inputs in a particular geographic 
area.  Apparently one
of the hobbyists given the information disclosed it to a public list & 
within a year all of those
locations were reprogrammed to different frequencies.  So at times there 
will be some
frequencies in a local area that only a handful of  "trusted" hobbyists know 
about.

I also firmly agree with you that monitoring known & (searching for)unknown 
frequencies, in the clear or encrypted
still should be monitored.  A few years back I was monitoring one of the US 
Postal
Inspection Service frequencies, when I heard what sounded like surveilliance 
& than
a raid taking place.   Sure enough the local media carried stories the 
following day
about an individual in the local area getting arrested for receiving child 
pornography in the
mail.  What also happen is when they executed the search warrant they found 
some completed pipe
bombs & other bomb making material.  So the case/raid really took on a VERY 
different aspect!

I guess folks on this list have to decide on what they want to post, not 
post, or just lurk.  Of course
everyone has an opinion!!!! :)

Ken
Springfield MA Monitoring Area

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Larry Van Horn, N5FPW" <n5fpw at brmemc.net>
To: "Discussion of Federal Government Communications" 
<fedcom at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Sunday, July 30, 2006 8:00 AM
Subject: Re: [FedCom] Monitoring Status?
..snip.

>To say it is time to give up fed monitoring is folly. Let me illustrate 
>with a story I have never shared with any until now.
> ..snip..snip..snip...
>
> We have another freq up here that about once or twice a year comes up 
> active for a few days and is some of the most interesting comms I have 
> ever heard on fed freqs. It isn't on any repeater, but simplex. When I 
> first discovered it several years ago, none of the other long time 
> monitors in this area even knew it existed. It stays quiet in my scanner 
> until the next time those folks show up around here to do their thing. And 
> before any of you ask, no I won't share this freq. I don't want anyone to 
> know I know about that freq and that I am listening. Sometimes it is best 
> to hold certain things close to the vest and not talk about things openly.
....snip..snip..