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 Posted: Mar 31, 2012 - 08:59 AM |
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Joined: Feb 12, 2005
Posts: 16547
Location: Wormshill, England
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I have never met or even seen any TV detector vans or door knockers.
I can remember in the days of the GPO being in charge.
An acquaintance (whose name will not be mentioned) was using 1kW on Top Band from his house in a regular terraced street.
This was causing interference to his neighbour's TV. The GPO man called to inspect the amateur equipment. The Amateur showed him a legal 10W transmitter, and the pair had a long chat about Amateur Radio.
As the GPO man was leaving, the Amateur suggested that the GPO asked whether the complainant had a TV licence. Who then got fined !
As far as I know, it was always a condition of an Amateur licence to permit inspection of your transmitting equipment.
From my current TV licence:
Quote:
Our officers may visit the licensed place to verify our records and inspect the TV equipment at any time, but you do not have to let them in.
David. |
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Posted: Mar 31, 2012 - 11:00 AM |
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Joined: May 04, 2007
Posts: 3529
Location: Geelong Australia, Home of the "Cats"
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If I am correct both the BBC & our ABC are both affectionately known as Auntie. I think they are both loved for much the same reason and both countries are indeed fortunate. (I don't know what the situation is in Canada. Perhaps a Canadian can weigh in.)
The major difference seems to be the 70cents/day vs. the 10 cents/day and the method of collection.
We have two ABC channels devoted to toddlers & teenagers programming and what I think is wrong with the UK system is that families who cannot afford the license have to make a choice between giving kids food on the table or going illegal or no TV at all.
It seems to be a particular bad in the way that they get the devolved the intelligence gathering to people who can't get a real job, but seem to relish with a badge of authority, whilst in fact they have no authority at all.
I have done some research on LO emission from modern TV sets and it is well below the levels that used to be radiated from valve tuners. In fact the levels are so low they are barely detectable at a distance of 3 meters. So, I think the detector vans & hand held detectors is a myth and total misinformation. Pretty poor, from a quasi-government organisation.
If I lived in the UK, I would certainly cherish being involved with the public disobedience to bring that system.
@David,
There is a big difference between a transmitting license and a receiving license. I have now paid my ham license for 50 years and accept having to pay for the privilege.
An interesting attitude to take with the TV receiving license inspectors is to point out that the BBC should be paying for permeating private property with electromagnetic waves and that they should cease forwith.
One question that I have not had answered to my full understanding, is that if it is a TV receiving license and radio licences were obviated in 1971, what stops you legally listening to MW AM & VHF FM from the UK and Europe.
How about scanner owners? How about scanners which allow TV audio (all though that is nearly did in the water with digital TV). How about listening to hams? |
_________________
Charles Darwin, Lord Kelvin & Murphy are always lurking about!
Lee -.-
(If you haven't already done so, edit your PostNuke profile and let let us know where you are, what you do & what your interests are.)
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Posted: Mar 31, 2012 - 11:29 AM |
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Joined: Feb 12, 2005
Posts: 16547
Location: Wormshill, England
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In the GPO days, the 'reception interference' man was likely to be a Ham.
If the YouTube licence inspectors exist, they are likely to be someone who can't get any other job.
I don't have any serious preference for one method or another. But I would like something that works and is cost-effective.
In the same way, you can drive your car without tax or insurance. Or fill up with petrol from a self-service garage and drive off. You stand a good chance of getting away with it.
You can transmit 1kW on TopBand too. Who cares if it interferes with others?
You need no licence for Radio reception. I do not know about the legal position of scanners.
David. |
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Posted: Mar 31, 2012 - 04:53 PM |
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Joined: Mar 27, 2002
Posts: 854
Location: Athens, Hellas
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Ah, isn't wonderful how the human mind works? Tell them they cannot have something for free and they will do anything to get it! They will do anything to get something that will render their minds useless by watching the state propaganda (that will drive them exactly where the state needs them to be) and those imbecile shows* that, in the long run, will absolutely stupefy them. These are the wonders of reverse psychology ("you cannot do that") combined with a clever distraction (the "license").
By the way, I will completely agree with the views of mojo-chan and peret, above. Additionally, I think that it does not really matter who gets to receive yet another petty tax; the precious outcome is the sedation of the subjects that cannot see that TV (and the cinema) is the instrument that, without it, all the major wars of the 20th century could never have happened.
After all, this powerful tool that indoctrinates the masses is not something new: It is very well documented for more than 2,400 years in Plato's "The Allegory of the Cave" of his masterpiece called "The Republic," where:
I wrote:
In a few words, it is a tale in which four prisoners in a cave mistake artificial shadows --or illusions-- for reality. When one of them is released into the upper, real world, he comes to understand the nature of truth and the responsibility that accompanies his latest realizations. It is about our human nature, whether it is "enlightened or unenlightened."
Plato's description of a fire behind the audience, casting a shadow created by an image being held up in front of the fire, and being so realistic that the cave dwellers mistake it for reality, no longer seems so far fetched when you look at the contemporary image projection technology, the TV and the big screen as well as the nonsense foolish contests of sports/lifestyle/etc. the contemporary captives are called to participate in; even though Plato's book was written a good 2,400 years ago (and it was about an idea conceived even before). It is obvious that this parable is a solid proof that the manipulators of human perception have not changed their principal tactics since then and the unthinking majority is still falling for the same machination...
Reference.
-George
[*] I remember that we have touched that subject matter before, where:
I wrote:
Question: How many movie titles are you aware of, that were really meant to sharpen your critical thinking? Almost every movie title available, goes through the same pattern: Introducing the problem and serving the solution -either directly or indirectly: Bed time stories for the little children... In the long term, you are actually being conditioned not to search for the answers, but to wait for them to be served to you. You will need to try really hard to find a title that leaves the spectator or the reader with no answers provided, in order to start him thinking.
Reference. |
_________________
I hope for nothing; I fear nothing; I am free! (Nikos Kazantzakis)
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