Griffin iTrip Apparently Illegal in UK
Comments: 21
According to this story from Tony Smith in The Register, Griffin’s iTrip FM radio transmitter for the iPod appears to be illegal in the UK.
Unlike the 2.4GHz band in which 802.11b Wi-Fi operates, or 802.11a’s 5HGz band, for example, the 87.7-107.9MHz band used by the iTrip is not licence-exempt spectrum, according to the WTA. As such broadcasters hoping to use that part of the spectrum need the permission of the UK’s Radio Agency.
Use an iTrip and you’ll be found guilty of operating a pirate radio station.
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Posted to Computers • 2003.07.31 (Thu) • 23:52
Comments
Posted by Ben Shewmaker 2003.08.01, 01:40
That’s so sad. And funny. And completely ridiculous. Seems typical of media giants lately. Protecting creativity and innovation by law suits and new laws.
Posted by paul mison 2003.08.01, 04:56
Ben: Um. New laws, for the Wireless Act of 1949? What’s so innovative about a radio retransmitter anyway? (Oh, and I think you got your clause backwards in your second sentence.)
Posted by qB 2003.08.01, 06:40
How excellent! I can’t wait to be busted. But I think it’s rather unlikely. They can’t seem to sort out silencing the multitude of airwave polluting attic-based spliff-heads who operate round here so they’re even less likely to spot an iTrip. Still, it’ll give listening via radio an extra, illicit, thrill.
Posted by Sam 2003.08.01, 07:41
I’d be surprised if the UK didn’t have some sort of power requirement for that to fall into effect. In the US, and I thought most of the world, transmitters under a certain wattage were legal on any band. The iTrip would have a hard time broadcasting more than 30-40 feet, so its likely that it falls under some sort of minimum power requirement for those laws to take effect.
Things like the iTrip have been around for over 15 years (though, not ever has the technology looked so good), and they have been in use in the UK, so I figure that this would have been discovered long before the iTrip made its debut..
But then, I’m no expert on UK law, so who knows!
Posted by JMBR 2003.08.01, 21:04
Too bad the iTrip doesn’t work all that well, it just looks cool… that should be the real crime. I want an iTrip to be even more powerful, but here in the States, there is a limit on how strong the iTrip can be and in a city like Philly were radio station saturation is heavy, it simply does not work… unless in your house, a car wash or in a tunnel… maybe if your car fell into a river, but I haven’t tested that one yet. If you live in the middle of nowhere, than it might be worth it… I just bought a car stereo with an aux. input. Sounds better and easier (plug and play).
Posted by Nick 2003.10.14, 11:16
The UK regulates the FM band a little more stringently so it would work over there, except it’s illegal there, because they regulate their FM band a little more stringently.
Does the circular elegance of this strike anyone else?
Posted by Tony Blair 2003.10.17, 07:21
Paul & Ben,
Try using your damned iTrip and I will bust your asses.
Love
Tony
Posted by pete 2003.10.19, 21:17
Hi, just browsing for information on the iTrip when I found this page…
And I must say that it makes Ben look like a wanker.
Posted by andythepole 2003.12.01, 20:41
I thought that too, quite funny really. I want an itrip and am in the Uk so will have to order one from the states and get it sent over….ooooohhhhh, so sneaky…
Posted by Pete 2004.01.08, 22:21
That’s a bit tough. Ben may be guilty for the response, but Paul is the real wanker for his original reply
Posted by George 2004.01.12, 13:40
I have a license in the UK issued By the RA (Radiocommunications Agency) now known as Ofcom (Office of Communications) My license was original issued by the secretary of state, but more current ones are all handled by Ofcom rather than the Home Office. Sorry for the dull lecture but I felt after the wee argument, some one with actual knowledge of the subject might be able to help.
“Ben” is right about when the act was first passed but the last amendment was 2002 I think. Although things like who can broadcast where is up to The RA (now Ofcom) you have to have a license to transmit legally on any frequency in the UK if you look in the paper work which came with your Airport Base Station (if you have one) you have a license to use that transmitter but you are not allowed for instance to service it then use it.
Any way this is all how it is so that every one can use the Air waves with out cowboys coming along and messing it up. For instance a pirate radio station transmitting over a public station telling people how great it would be if they all became Racist or something ells equally anti social an iTrip if misused could stop a nabor listening to a public radio station. as always its the ignorant and inconsiderate few that spoil it for every one.
How ever if you would like to use an iTrip legally you could spend the months learning the required regulations and electronics to gain a license how ever I doubt that many of you will, it is a very low power transmitter and although illegal very low down on priorates as far as illegal transitions go.
Posted by Rich 2004.10.06, 04:31
First time caller….can someone please tell a non-pc literate how the heck to load his itrip software in the UK. All I now have on my ipod (where loads of station settings should be) is”LED Off”. Please help!
Posted by Michael 2005.04.12, 03:50
I hear you can pick up police frequencies in the UK. Is that true?????
Posted by Matt 2005.06.11, 20:30
Yep, we can get the Police here. We get to hear when they are going back to the station for coffee and donuts. When they do, we can break the law.
Posted by Will 2005.06.22, 22:31
I have an iTrip, but I really don’t think that they are that bad because if you move with your iPod more than 15 feet or so away from the radio it goes off anyway! So I don’t see why they are illegal over here, it is very unlikely you will distort or interfere with other people’s home or car radios. The Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949 should be changed as it is a bit dated now anyway.
Posted by Ross 2005.08.23, 22:12
My mates got an Itrip and its bloody brilliant, only problem I can see with it is that it drains your battery to hell, best get a in car charger to even out the battery level. Besides that its fine, You have to put the CD-Rom in and load it like its a normal audio CD, then you get about a hundred songs that all look like radio frequencies, when you play a certain radio frequency apparently it plays what you played before that, or something like that, my mate just usually puts all the songs he wants to play into a playlist and plays them from there. Also, who gives a shit, I live near London, which is pirate station capital of the world, and the funny thing is no one gives a shit, police cant track them, politics cant do squat, and because there are so many of these pirate stations, it takes maybe a year to find them, and then they move camp, the whole system is useless, the point I’m trying to make is that if the authorities are worried about bigger fish there’s no need to panic. Itrip’s are decent and you are extreemly unlikely to get caught, especially since teh local bobbies (Police) dont have a clue what they are. Sorted!
Ross
Posted by Tom 2005.09.09, 16:34
Got one, works ok, problem with driving is having tuned to a station, you drive into somewhere with Radio 2 or whatever near your frequency and suddenly, your sound quality drops. I am more likely to get done for fiddling with my iPod to retune whilst doing 90 on the M6. What an irresponsible git! Anyhow, has anyone found a website with recommended frequencies which avoid too much re-tuning?
Posted by mascott 2005.12.09, 20:12
no.
Posted by jm 2005.12.27, 03:00
Wlell has anyone found a website with recommended frequencies which avoid too much re-tuning? Especially in London? Spliff-head radio central, of course.
Posted by Dan 2006.03.10, 18:46
I’m in Portsmouth, UK and got an iTrip nano yesterday. Been using it on 87.9FM and it works a treat. Better than one of those cheapo cassette adapters. I was worried about getting caught but it doesn’t even transmit past about 8 feet away, (about the length of my car!) I’ve found that the low end of the dial is nearly empty here (with a few low power hospital radio stations etc) so no worries about retuning.
Posted by marzzbar 2006.09.18, 14:51
That’s really funny. I live in Australia, and I was watching this show the other night from the UK called The Gadget Show. It was talking about itrips, and it said they were actually ilegal because you’re setting up a pirate radio station. I couldn’t believe it. What’s wrong with transmitting an FM station if it’s only going a few metres? The show said you could face 2 years in jail. Just as well the police mostly turn a blind eye to it.
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