satellite coverage

[Sean]

I find it hard to understand how anyone can be held liable for RECEIVING any kind of signal as long as you don't retransmit it or use it for profit.  Perhaps there are some eavesdropping laws that might apply. ...

This is a common misperception.

Radio receivers are definitely regulated in the US.  Perhaps the best-known example is equipment to receive 800 mHz cell phone transmissions.  It's unlawful to attempt to eavesdrop on this band, but it is also unlawful to construct a receiver to do so, or to import or sell such a receiver.  Doing so is a felony violation of federal law.

Satellite receiving equipment is in something of a different boat, since, technically, it is the operator of the satellite who is responsible for all that satellite's ground stations.  When you sign your satellite contract, you are agreeing, among other things, to operate your earth station in accordance with the technical and legal regulations in force for the satellite carrier, which is their way of transferring some of that legal liability back on to you.

Importing radio receiving equipment, even if it does not have any capability to transmit, is still regulated by US customs, who enforces the FCC's rules on the matter.  And equipment that is not "type accepted" or that is specifically intended for receiving prohibited signals (such as 800 mHz phone calls) is prohibited from being operated here.

There is plenty of case law establishing the government's authority to regulate even the receiving of radio signals.  Just ask anyone who has had a radar detector confiscated in Virginia, for example.

Again, this discussion is all theoretical, since there is really no one out there (AFAIK) who is going to step in to prohibit Canadians from receiving StarChoice in the US.  Of course, let StarChoice start broadcasting something that the far right finds "obscene," for example, and see how quickly the hue and cry goes up.

The signals from Direct TV and Dish network don't stop at the Canadian border. My first RV satellite system was registered to my Yuma address and I used it 500 miles North of the 49th parallel. I notice all the US registered RVs that come into Canada using a dish put it up and use it, possibly all the way to Alaska.

The cutoff is much sharper in Mexico, for very simple technical reasons.  Also, the cutoff is sharper in the central part of Canada then on the west coast, where the beam still needs to cover Alaska.  But both these networks have at least made the effort to restrict the signal to the US as far as possible.  The fact that the vast majority of Canadian population centers are within a couple hundred klicks of the border makes it nearly impossible, though, to preclude them without dropping out legitimate US customers.

-Sean
http://ourodyssey.blogspot.com

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Hi Guy's,

You will all be thrilled to know that all the new Sat. Antennas are equipped with GPS. [including my KVH A-7] This is awesome for very quick

reception of programming [7 seconds] but, the down side is.. within "Feet" of being out of your "pin spot" market area for locals, your signal is gone...

In my coach,  have the 12v receiver that works in conjunction with the A-7 antenna, and 2 other standard home receivers. The 12v receiver goes out

first when traveling out of my market but, the home receivers keep on working many, many, miles out of the pin spot mkt. for locals.

I'm sure this is so while you travel out of US markets with all programming too.

The wonderful GPS....

Nick-