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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Hello,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>To amplify Kevin’s comment below: <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>In a conversation several years ago with Riley Hollingsworth, then the FCC’s enforcement guy, he emphasized to me that “obscuring the meaning†was not allowed, but encryption for other purposes was perfectly acceptable. I even wrote about it (“Encryption is Legalâ€, August 2006) in CQ Magazine (google it, it’ll come up somewhere).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Granted, Riley is no longer with the FCC. But authentication != obscuring meaning, and lawyers focus on the meaning of the words as written. And, if it is not prohibited, it is allowed.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>So it all comes down to the purpose of the encryption, right? Purpose is obscuring meaning = Not allowed. Purpose is other, allowed.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>73, Don N2IRZ<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b>From:</b> Kevin Walsh [mailto:w8khw1@gmail.com] <br><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, March 16, 2021 6:09 PM<br><b>To:</b> Puget Sound Data Ring <psdr@hamwan.org><br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [HamWAN PSDR] Newbie<o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>Hello,<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>The word encryption never appears in Part 97 rules, so its definition is irrelevant here. The key words in the rule are “intent†and “obscureâ€. So for instance, two people speaking pig-Latin with the intent of obscuring their conversation violate the same rule and the conversation is prohibited - even though it’s not encrypted.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>If I may, another option would be to get any of your associated Public Safety agencies to in part sponsor HamWan. Public Safety was granted access to the “special†Amateur Radio portion of 5.8GHz years ago and they CAN use (and in my state require) secure communication. Then you’re operating under Part 15 and the conversation is moot.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><a href="https://www.fcc.gov/public-safety/public-safety-and-homeland-security/policy-and-licensing-division/public-safety-spectrum">https://www.fcc.gov/public-safety/public-safety-and-homeland-security/policy-and-licensing-division/public-safety-spectrum</a><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Just food for thought, I’ll go back to lurking now :-).<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>73, <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Kevin<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>W8KHW <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><br><br><o:p></o:p></p></div></div></div></body></html>