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Show HN: A new protocol for packet radio including ECDSA and compression

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Re: Show HN: A new protocol for packet radio including ECDSA and compression

#3
post #2

Cool project! I have always been interested in the amateur radio scene. So encrypting amateur radio comms is illegal in the US? Is there a particular reason for this?

I believe the motivation is that the Amateur service is largely self-policed. If communications are encrypted, it becomes harder to encourage such self-enforcement.

Re: Show HN: A new protocol for packet radio including ECDSA and compression

#4
> With amateur packet radio anyone can pretend to be anyone else. With Chattervox, you can be sure you're chatting with the person you intend to.

This is a great idea, for both the community and as a hobby project. Has there been any other attempts at similar protocols for amateur radio?

Re: Show HN: A new protocol for packet radio including ECDSA and compression

#5
post #2

Cool project! I have always been interested in the amateur radio scene. So encrypting amateur radio comms is illegal in the US? Is there a particular reason for this?

AFAIK it dates back to the 1930’s when spy networks were HF Morse code. Clandestine ops used HF morse well into the 1970’s, perhaps later.

Pretending to be a ham was a form of cover.

Sadly, being a cracker-jack Morse code operstor doesn’t get you a job with the NSA any more :) Technology has moved on.

Re: Show HN: A new protocol for packet radio including ECDSA and compression

#7
post #2

Cool project! I have always been interested in the amateur radio scene. So encrypting amateur radio comms is illegal in the US? Is there a particular reason for this?

It's also illegal in Canada.

With amateur radio "dying" as an interesting hobby (my opinion, but widely held) it is often speculated that if encryption was permitted in amateur radio communications, there would be quite a resurgence in interest. I predict a new generation would start to pick up the hobby and find untold uses (and abuses) for it.

Re: Show HN: A new protocol for packet radio including ECDSA and compression

#8
post #2

Cool project! I have always been interested in the amateur radio scene. So encrypting amateur radio comms is illegal in the US? Is there a particular reason for this?

because they can't intercept your keys so cleverly as when on the internet ;)

Re: Show HN: A new protocol for packet radio including ECDSA and compression

#9
post #2

Cool project! I have always been interested in the amateur radio scene. So encrypting amateur radio comms is illegal in the US? Is there a particular reason for this?

The amateur public radio bands are supposed to be open and useful to everyone so the broadcasts in those spectra are supposed to be readable by everyone as part of the accessible part. On top of that encrypted transmissions would be basically noise pumped into the system making the open uses more difficult and harder to police.

Re: Show HN: A new protocol for packet radio including ECDSA and compression

#10
post #5
post #2

Cool project! I have always been interested in the amateur radio scene. So encrypting amateur radio comms is illegal in the US? Is there a particular reason for this?

AFAIK it dates back to the 1930’s when spy networks were HF Morse code. Clandestine ops used HF morse well into the 1970’s, perhaps later. Pretending to be a ham was a form of cover. Sadly, being a cracker-jack Morse code operstor doesn’t get you a job with the NSA any more :) Technology has moved on.

Well, not the NSA, no—but the same skills that help with Morse are still helpful for radio listening.

The prohibition on scrambled meaning long pre-dates WW2, and goes back to old analogies about fencing a commons.

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