HAM privacy question

[KJ4VOV]

I'm a VE, and I've pushed for that information to be stressed in the training materials and possibly even in the element 2 test questions (since that would, by necessity, make it included in the study materials). (ie: "What information about an amateur radio licensee is publicly available on the FCC web site?" A) Name, mailing address, type of equipment; B) Name and license class; C) Name, mailing address and license class; D) No information about a license holder is available to the general public) So far, I have not had any luck with this.

Well thanks for trying anyway, maybe someday they will get with it.

I just found out that a local po box near will cost me $52/yr. yikes!

A buck a week? That doesn't sound too bad.

[zommoz10]

Well if you're really cheap, there's always general delivery. (google it)

Try some post offices farther out from civilization if applicable. Theres some on my area that are the $52/yr or higher and there's some that are only like $38 for the year. They're in BFE though. Shop around.

[Heebie Jeebies]

Well if you're really cheap, there's always general delivery. (google it)

Try some post offices farther out from civilization if applicable. Theres some on my area that are the $52/yr or higher and there's some that are only like $38 for the year. They're in BFE though. Shop around.

Very interesting! Since I wouldn't be using this for any other mail, it might work. I'll talk to my local po, thanks.

[zommoz10]

Just remember they return the mail if you don't pick it up and you're bound to get a shit load of shit you didn't ask for like AES catalogs and ham radio porn catalogs. The point is if the FCC needs to reach you, you will want to receive the notifications.

[Heebie Jeebies]

Just remember they return the mail if you don't pick it up and you're bound to get a shit load of shit you didn't ask for like AES catalogs and ham radio porn catalogs. The point is if the FCC needs to reach you, you will want to receive the notifications.

I thought of that and decided it would be the same with a po box. I would have to pick up once a month, what a pain.

[zommoz10]

I just called to find out more about it myself and get different answers from each person I speak to.

The dude at 800-ASK-USPS said it's only for people that live outside the area and don't have an address and that you have to pre-register.
So I called the local PO (just so happens to be the main PO) and they didn't know much about it. She started out saying I don't need to come in then she asked someone and said I'll have to come in and fill out a change of address card and show two forms of ID before I can start RXing mail and even then it's only for a maximum of 30 days.

I asked, is it just held for 30 days or you will only offer the service for 30 days max. She said, "oh we go over it but it's not forever".

So I dunno man. If you can get it set up, let us know.

[JohnE]

wondering how many burglars listen to mobile operators to get their callsign in order to then break into their homes?

I've been unable to find a single recorded example of that ever happening.

Does anyone have personal knowledge of a persons home being burglarized after giving out their callsign on the air?

[KJ4VOV]

wondering how many burglars listen to mobile operators to get their callsign in order to then break into their homes?

I've been unable to find a single recorded example of that ever happening.

Does anyone have personal knowledge of a persons home being burglarized after giving out their callsign on the air?

What advantage would it give them? Knowledge that one person in the household wasn't home? Not much help to a burglar. Much more important would be what kind of security the house had, who else might be home, are the neighbors watching the house, etc.

[CapnKlay]

Anybody can look up ANYTHING on you nowadays... it's called the internet...

back in the mid 90's I had a 40W 2M packet rig set up as a mobile/portable.
I got QSL cards from all over: Germany, Alaska and even MIR - R0MIR. (Anybody here remember MIR?)
...all because my name & address are on file with FCC & QRZ.com

[zommoz10]

wondering how many burglars listen to mobile operators to get their callsign in order to then break into their homes?

I've been unable to find a single recorded example of that ever happening.

Does anyone have personal knowledge of a persons home being burglarized after giving out their callsign on the air?

That would be a really good question to ask on one of the big ham forums. I'd also like to know the answer.
It seems like common sense. Especially since repeaters can cover a large area and anyone can listen on a scanner. PEople routinely talk about the equipment they have. When and where their family (if any) is, how long they have until they'll be home.

And not everyone lives in a neighborhood packed in tightly with other neighbors. Some people like on large properties surrounded by trees where anyone could go in without being seen, trip the alarm, pillage the shack, clean out the fridge, and steal the jewelry and take off before anyone got there to do anything about it.

If you ask on one of those forums, it would get a lot more exposure and if so, please let us know so we can check it out and see.

[JohnE]

I read a lot on QRZ.com and eHam and haven't found a single example of a Ham operator that's been burglarized due to someone getting their personal info from a callsign.

I'm only guessing here but apparently bad guys don't use callsigns to find their targets.

Obviously not all Ham operators post on QRZ and eHam.

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and try not to worry too much about being targeted or I'D thru my callsign.

[zommoz10]

I read a lot on QRZ.com and eHam and haven't found a single example of a Ham operator that's been burglarized due to someone getting their personal info from a callsign.

I'm only guessing here but apparently bad guys don't use callsigns to find their targets.

Obviously not all Ham operators post on QRZ and eHam.

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and try not to worry too much about being targeted or I'D thru my callsign.

It boils down to how much information you give out over the air.
The database alone doesn't help a burglar that much but knowing that you're out of town, that you've still got 45 minutes left in your commute and the wife and kids are at the in-laws place. Just common sense.

[KJ4VOV]

Common sense argues that burglars will be looking for easier targets. Unless you're a ham, ham gear is going to be a mystery to you, and you won't have a clue as to what it's worth (without doing research), nor are there many people buying hot ham gear. (I really don't see a burglar renting a table at a hamfest to dispose of stolen gear)

Yes, as a burglar it's useful to know the house is empty and no one will be home for an hour or two, but does nothing to tell you about alarm systems, other people who may be in the house not mentioned on the air, neighbors who might be keeping an eye on the place (or just nosy), and other similar things burglars need to take into consideration.

Also, a burglar spending his/her time monitoring the local 2m repeater, looking for an "easy" mark, just isn't realistic. It would require that the burglar have knowledge of the local repeater, what frequency to listen to, access to FCC listings (easy enough with most phones), and ready transportation to get to the place before the owner does, and still have enough time to break in, rob the joint, and escape. And for what? Gear he/she is going to have a hard time disposing of? Also, it requires the burglar to be somewhat local to the area, so what gets taken will be disposed of locally (or on eBay) and easier to find. And, how many times do you think a burglar could do this before the hams on the repeater got wise and set up a sting? Two times. That's my estimate. After the second local ham mentioned they got burglarized the word would be out to the rest of the local hams.

No, simply not something that's worthwhile to your average burglar, who is likely going to be of the smash & grab type, who just looks for targets of opportunity.

[Heebie Jeebies]

All very good points but I take precautions to try to avoid identity be I'm bring over cautious if that's possible but I don't even toss our mail or anything with my name and address on it.

I guess there is little risk to having your personal info made public but I will take precautions to not make it too easy for the bad guys.

[williaty]

All very good points but I take precautions to try to avoid identity theft as well, maybe I'm bring over cautious if that's possible but I don't even toss our anything with my name and address on it. I guess there is little risk to having your personal info made public but I will take precautions to not make it too easy for the bad guys.

I'll repeat the same thing I say every time something like this gets said: these kinds of crimes aren't retail, they're wholesale. They don't want to steal your information out of the trash, they want to steal 10 million people's information from your bank. They don't want to learn about your vacation one person at a time over the radio, they want to learn about 10 thousand people's vacations by scraping Facebook and Twitter. You have a fairly minimal amount of control over your own privacy and security. The weakest link isn't you, it's the corporations that horde information about you.

[KJ4VOV]

All very good points but I take precautions to try to avoid identity be I'm bring over cautious if that's possible but I don't even toss our mail or anything with my name and address on it.

I guess there is little risk to having your personal info made public but I will take precautions to not make it too easy for the bad guys.

And if that's what makes you comfortable, go for it. It's a personal choice.

[zommoz10]

Common sense argues that burglars will be looking for easier targets. Unless you're a ham, ham gear is going to be a mystery to you, and you won't have a clue as to what it's worth (without doing research), nor are there many people buying hot ham gear. (I really don't see a burglar renting a table at a hamfest to dispose of stolen gear)

Screw the ham gear. They'll go straight for the jewelry and guns.
It's not a cheap hobby and anyone who knows that can deduce the target has some money. Where there are hams, there are often guns. Where there are XYLs, there is jewelry.

Yes, as a burglar it's useful to know the house is empty and no one will be home for an hour or two, but does nothing to tell you about alarm systems, other people who may be in the house not mentioned on the air, neighbors who might be keeping an eye on the place (or just nosy), and other similar things burglars need to take into consideration.

Alarms are useless and neighbors don't give a fuck.
By the time the alarm monitoring center calls to verify the alarm, the robbers are already on their way out the door.

Also, a burglar spending his/her time monitoring the local 2m repeater, looking for an "easy" mark, just isn't realistic. It would require that the burglar have knowledge of the local repeater, what frequency to listen to, access to FCC listings (easy enough with most phones), and ready transportation to get to the place before the owner does, and still have enough time to break in, rob the joint, and escape. And for what? Gear he/she is going to have a hard time disposing of? Also, it requires the burglar to be somewhat local to the area, so what gets taken will be disposed of locally (or on eBay) and easier to find. And, how many times do you think a burglar could do this before the hams on the repeater got wise and set up a sting? Two times. That's my estimate. After the second local ham mentioned they got burglarized the word would be out to the rest of the local hams.

You're underestimating burglars.

No, simply not something that's worthwhile to your average burglar, who is likely going to be of the smash & grab type, who just looks for targets of opportunity.

No better opportunity than a house full of valuables and an owner that is nowhere near close to being home.

[KJ4VOV]

We'll have to agree to disagree then.

[zommoz10]

We'll have to agree to disagree then.