THE 996 digital

[midnightcaller]

HI
Iam from Washington State and iam thinking of getting the 996 digital scanner.,If I come to Canada with a digital scanner do I need a digital permit?
Midnightcaller

 

[VE6RHS]

Here's what Industry Canada has to say about the use of digital scanners:

Licences for digital scanner receivers capable of receiving radiocommunication may be
issued to persons or public service organizations involved in:
(a) preserving or protecting life and property which includes providing emergency
assistance;
(b) investigating or prosecuting an alleged contravention of any law of Canada or a
province, or when intended to be in the interests of the administration of justice;
(c) managing the radio-frequency spectrum for the purpose of identifying, isolating or
preventing an unauthorized or interfering use of a transmission;
(d) ensuring the security and integrity of communications and communications systems;​

(e) conducting the business of any communication station or system through which such communication is transmitted or received;
(f) carrying out international affairs, national defence or security on behalf of Her
Majesty in the right of Canada; or
(g) operating radio apparatus in the amateur radio service.

See: http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/epic/internet/insmt-gst.nsf/vwapj/IPC2104.PDF/$FILE/IPC2104.PDF for the complete document.

Technically, you must fall into one of the catagories (a thru g) to operate a digital scanner.

​

 

[midnightcaller]

OK thanks do you have the address for radio of canada? Iam a ham radio op in the states,so I would be in the " G " catagorie I thought Canada was goingot change that
Dave
KA7RRA

 

[scnnr]

OK thanks do you have the address for radio of canada? Iam a ham radio op in the states,so I would be in the " G " catagorie I thought Canada was goingot change that
Dave
KA7RRA

There is no license in Canada for digital scanners. Just bring it along and enjoy your scanner. I am sure many of your fellow American's will pipe up and let you know of their own experience of bringing up there scanners to monitor in Canada.

God I wish people would quit posting that 1996 Internal Proceedure circlar as a need to obtain a license. :roll: Don't take that personal Ray

No one has ever seen or been issued a so called digital scanner license up here in Canada. If someone has pleas post a JPEG COPY of the said license.

 

[midnightcaller]

Iam getting confused some people say you need it and some dont I like to stay 100% within the law its not worth the hassle of getting busted and going through crap

I guess I have been watching cops to much

 

[richster]

Iam getting confused some people say you need it and some dont I like to stay 100% within the law its not worth the hassle of getting busted and going through crap

I guess I have been watching cops to much

Hi midnightcaller,

I will echo scnnr's post. You do not need a licence to obtain or operate a digital scanner in Canda PERIOD. I also am fed up with this make believe law, it does nothing but confuse people.

Midnightcaller, in the document that VE6RHS provided a link to is an internal procedural document for departmental staff, and HAS NO STATUS IN LAW.

Bring your scanner.

Regards,
Richster.

 

[midnightcaller]

OK thanks, for the info.. Kind of like searching freqs for the Blue angles Everybody has a web with the Blue Angles freqs and a lot of them are 10-12 yrs old So you don't know witch ones are accurate

 

[Jeffn8wb]

I think that one of the problems is when a scanner manufacturer places in it's manual that in order to use a particular scanner in Canada, one needs a license. Take a look at page 10 of the 996 manual. Someone should call it to their attention to remove that line and I'm sure people will stop asking about it.

http://www.uniden.com/pdf/BCD996Tom.pdf

 

[richster]

I think that one of the problems is when a scanner manufacturer places in it's manual that in order to use a particular scanner in Canada, one needs a license. Take a look at page 10 of the 996 manual. Someone should call it to their attention to remove that line and I'm sure people will stop asking about it.

http://www.uniden.com/pdf/BCD996Tom.pdf

Now that is a problem. I should walk into Industry Canada's office tommorrow and demand a licence for the BCD996T.

Regards,
Richster.

 

[scnnr]

I should walk into Industry Canada's office tommorrow and demand a licence for the BCD996T.

Regards,
Richster.

:evil: No you should not. You don't want to be stirring up that pot again now do you? Behave yourself Richster. :lol:

Randy

 

[electricsheep]

I have personally contacted Industry Canada on this issue a couple of times over the past few years, both times have met with similar nonsensical results. After sending me the two now infamous circulars dating from back in 1996 (10 years ago now!), I asked for an application for the digital license, and they said they didn't have one but would get back to me. It took them two weeks before they finally admitted they were not simply just out of the applications, that they had never seen one, or did not know where to obtain it... Thanks Industry Canada! When they asked if I was a amateur radio operator, and I said yes, they said, "Okay, that's good enough." Good enough?? I guess that's one way to rule on it...

 

[Jeffn8wb]

It would have been nice if they had given that "good enough" in hard copy. This way if someone were to say anything to you, you would have something to back up their claims.
In any case, I think it better to just keep our scanning hobby low key and not draw attention to ourselves. Walking down the street with a scanner on our belt blasting out dispatch coms would probably draw unwanted attention. For this reason I even hesitate to bring my Kenwood D7 out very often unless I can cover it with a coat.

 

[EG]

Somebody wasnt so lucky
http://www.scanbc.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=10560#10560

 

[Jay911]

Somebody wasnt so lucky
http://www.scanbc.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=10560#10560

That's unfortunate. My 996 came through with no problems. IMO, it's a case of CBSA not having a clue - since Radioworld (a southern Ontario dealier) is offering these items (996s) for sale. Had I a lawyer, and that had happened to me, I'd have him calling CBSA promptly to have them explain themselves and provide the legal references to their decisions.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I don't think any of us have intentions of breaking the law. If there's a license out there to be had, give us the application and let us try for it. And I don't mean a tower site/transmitting land mobile application. Last I heard, the only items Canadians needed a license just to posess were firearms, and we all know how well that turned out.

 

[scnnr]

That's unfortunate. My 996 came through with no problems. IMO, it's a case of CBSA not having a clue - since Radioworld (a southern Ontario dealier) is offering these items (996s) for sale. Had I a lawyer, and that had happened to me, I'd have him calling CBSA promptly to have them explain themselves and provide the legal references to their decisions.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I don't think any of us have intentions of breaking the law. If there's a license out there to be had, give us the application and let us try for it. And I don't mean a tower site/transmitting land mobile application. Last I heard, the only items Canadians needed a license just to posess were firearms, and we all know how well that turned out.

Ok for those of us that don't want to join/sign up for yet another forum just to read what happened would you care to elaborate on all that happened in that link.

All that link does for me is direct me to sign up . I know that I order all my scanners up from the States without any problems.

 

[bcradio]

This is from the other board....

The bad news: Customs seized the scanner.

I was contacted today by CBSA (Formerly Canada Customs) and advised that an item I had ordered was in their custody and it would not be released do to it being a Controlled Item by Industry Canada.

I was informed that if I attempt to import such an item again, that I could face criminal charges. I was advised that if I produce an Industry Canada License for this item, that the matter will be further investigated.

 

[SCPD]

This is from the other board....

The bad news: Customs seized the scanner.

I was contacted today by CBSA (Formerly Canada Customs) and advised that an item I had ordered was in their custody and it would not be released do to it being a Controlled Item by Industry Canada.

I was informed that if I attempt to import such an item again, that I could face criminal charges. I was advised that if I produce an Industry Canada License for this item, that the matter will be further investigated.


I personally had this happen to me a few years ago. Then Canada Customs just sent the unit back to the shipper.
In this case, I would of presented my ham license, claimed it was for ham radio use only then ask for my radio.

 

[scnnr]

The bad news: Customs seized the scanner.

I was contacted today by CBSA (Formerly Canada Customs) and advised that an item I had ordered was in their custody and it would not be released do to it being a Controlled Item by Industry Canada.

I was informed that if I attempt to import such an item again, that I could face criminal charges. I was advised that if I produce an Industry Canada License for this item, that the matter will be further investigated.

Well this is going to be interesting. Criminal Charges, Controlled Item? Since when, show us the documentation and Licnese. What license are they referring to. There is no license, at least none that I have ever seen or heard of. I think some power trip agent decided to use the internal document that is 10 yrs old and decided that it was a done thing. That it meant that a license is needed.

We shall see I guess if this becomes the norm. Or if it was just a fluke thing.

 

[richster]

Well holidays were fun!

Criminal charges!? Ha! is that laughable. The controlled item crap is even more laughable.

Gee Mr CBSA agent, I guess I will have to buy my controlled item from a dealer here in CANADA. What a moron. Obviously he didn't read the disclaimer at the top of that internal procedural document stating that it had NO STATUS IN LAW.

And they want to give these idiots guns??? Better teach these people common sense first.

Ahh yes, it's good to get the blood boiling again by reading about Government bureaucracy at it's finest.

Regards,
Richster.