# TV Licencing



## 88724 (May 9, 2005)

Just been reading on another site about TV licences for motorhomes (well it was about a French holiday home at first)

One person is saying that trucks and motorhomes require a seperate licence, another is saying that if both could be watched at the same time you need a second licence (this part can be true BUT NOT for touring motorhomes), tese is not true (for motorhomes) if you read the licencing website it says:

If you watch or record TV programmes in a second home *which is a touring caravan or vehicle, or a boat, you do not need a separate TV Licence; you will be covered by the TV Licence for your main residence. *

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The *same time* rule only applies too Statics, park homes and moveable chalets etc

If you have a static caravan, mobile home or moveable chalet, and it has a TV which is used at the same time as a TV set is being used in your main licensed home - you'll need a separate licence to cover your second home.

Quote

However, if the TV in your static caravan or mobile home is never in use at the same time as your TV at your main home, you don't need a separate licence. But you do need to complete a declaration form and return it to us so that we can update our records.

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After phoning they say motorhomes and touring vehicles (and lorries!) are exempt (as long as you have a licence at home)


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## Paulway (May 9, 2005)

George
Just curious, they use these detector van thingies, do you know what they actually detect?


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## johnsandywhite (May 9, 2005)

All electrical items wjile inuse give off a field of radiation.


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## 88724 (May 9, 2005)

Hi Paul

I have never believed in detector vans, as far as I can see its impossible to detect where a signal is being received.

Do they have listening devices (eavesdropping) on board ? I would imagine that that would be ilegal.

Computer or list of addresses without a licence? that seems the most likely to me. Why do they need lists of TV's bought etc from stores?


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## ActiveCampers (Jun 17, 2005)

The vans can detect.

IIRC they detect the frequency of any tuners - so they can see teh tuner (on or off0 and also what channel (frequency) youare tuned in to.

They can detect the oscillations of the crystal (or digi equivalent).

Not sure - but do they broadcast and see which frequencies are absorbed?


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## ActiveCampers (Jun 17, 2005)

http://www.radardetector.net/tv's-give-off-local-oscillator-emissions-same-as-detectors!!-2962t.php


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## Boff (May 10, 2005)

Hi,

rules about TV licensing are different per country. So no conclusions should be drawn from French rules regarding UK.

Second: The "detector van" to find non-licensed TV or radio sets is a classical urban myth!

It is _theoretically_ possible to detect the intermediate frequency of the tuner. However this:
- only indicates that the tuner is operational, as it is independent of the station tuned in
- is very weak and well-shielded, so would require very large equipment to be detected from more than about 10 metres distance
- is in inhabited areas (including camp sites) completly covered by the noise from all the other tuners operating in the vicinity, so it is absolutely impossible to spot a single tuner.

Best Regards,
Gerhard


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## johnsandywhite (May 9, 2005)

8O I think you are wrong *Boff*. They can pinpoint it down to the room the appliance being used is in.


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

I think they nab you with a combination of all the above.

The detector van can tell whether you're watching tv at that moment. I didn't think it could detect a 'turned off' TV but i may be wrong

They then have a list of addresses where a licence has been purchased and if that address isn't on the list you get a knock on the door...

The only way to escape a fine is if you can prove that the TV set is not capable of receiving channels that require a licence, or produce your licence of course!

Also, everytime you purchase a TV now, you have to fill in a form declaring your address to where the tv is to be used.

Thats how i think it works but no doubt i'll be proven wrong by someone :wink: 

pj


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## Boff (May 10, 2005)

As usual when my myth alarm sounds: Does anybody here have any *first hand, proven* example for a case where "they" have actually pinpointed an unlicensed TV-watcher only by technical means?

If that can be proved then I might be willing to reconsider my opinion.

Best Regards,
Gerhard


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## ActiveCampers (Jun 17, 2005)

Boff.

How is this for evidence:-

A TV detector van stopped at a house and a man got out and knocked on the door. "Good morning, madam," he said as the door opened. "Could I see your TV licence?" "I'm just on my way out," the woman replied. "But tell my husband it's behind the clock on the mantelpiece." Moments later the woman's husband appeared. "Good morning, sir," said the man from the van. "Could I see your TV licence? You'll find it behind the clock on your mantelpiece." "My God!" said the husband. "That sure is some van you've got there." 


*Sorry. I will continue googling!


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## 88724 (May 9, 2005)

Hi Boff

Those rules I quoted are the UK Rules, not the French.

If listening is detectable our Nuclear fleet is in trouble, everytime they surface to receive instructions the enemy can detect them............

Can they also pick up Sky reception? and Cable?

They claim to have detectors that pick up a magnetic field?!?!?! when a tv is switched on.

If you have a set up that will only watch DVD's no licence required. But your TV will be detected.

With all the houses so close togethor measuring a weak weak dip in signal strength and seperatingfrom neighbours?? In flats??


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## Malc (May 9, 2005)

Sorry George,
Subs use VLF and trail antennas sometimes hundreds of metres long to pick up whilst submerged.
Malc


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## 89564 (May 28, 2005)

I have no tv so i have no license.

By the number of enquiries received from ''TV Licensing ''by those not wishing to have a tv ,about when they intend to purchase a license i firmly believe the detection to be simply computer based.No license at this address so obviously a wierdo or cheat.

Nick


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## Road_Runner_644 (May 9, 2005)

Hi All

I got taught my radio stuff by a guy who used to work in a detector van, he said the bit about the frequency of the local oscillator, it could be picked up, and that they used decent high gain (directionally sharp) antennas, i.e. they could get a pretty good idea of where a TV was being used, depending on the view of the building in question. I can hear a steady signal all the time on 14.625mhz on the HF radio sitting next to me, presumably from a TV oscillator.

So if your TV is in the room next to the street, and it’s turned on, they can collect electronic evidence that can help to convict you. If you challenge them though and they don’t find a TV set, they don’t normally use this, as it may not stand up. They rely on people saying “it’s a fair cop you’ve got me”

But the find a guy in a block of flats bit is tosh, they go round with a list and try to ascertain if a TV is being used in an address that has recently purchased a TV, and hasn’t purchased a licence. That thing where you have to give your details nowadays when buying a TV, came in a few years ago, is their biggest advance for ages.

The other myth is that they know if you are using colour or B&W, as the B&W license used to be, maybe still is cheaper. It’s just common sense that if you had a black & white license they’ll knock on you door, and claim to know you have a colour TV.

Boff is right about a load of TV’s together in a confined situation, campsite or block of flats. Radio direction finding isn’t that clever. It’s not much further ahead than those nature programmes where the guy is using an aerial to follow a lion or something with a radio tag. 

The only thing that is different is that they can listen to different frequencies which help them know if a TV is turned on, and possibly on standby nowadays as the set still gives off some noisy stuff when on standby.

I have spent years trying to stop our TV ruin my hobby, its one of the worst culprits for interfering with other parts of the radio spectrum, and therefore easy to detect when turned on, but not so easy to find in some situations.

Dave


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## 91929 (May 1, 2005)

*Tv Licensing*

Yes they can pick up a signal from the TV And tell (almost) to the room

We had a B&W TV and the man came to the door demanding to see our license as he had picked up a signal for a colour & we had a B&W license

Our neighbours had a colour TV with its back to our wall
Anyway I refused to let him in & he returned with the law. so we aalowed him to see the B&W TV. He then asked the law ti search the house. We only had 2 rooms then so it didnt take long

But it took thm longer when as Senior Technician in a research group we ran a rig which (un know to us) Blocked out ITV 
The detector van was searching for us for weeks, as we only ran the rig every few days & the building we were in had 14 floors & 100 yds long

Someone warned the boss & we shut down while we did some mods (had to remove the earths from all the gear)

The detectors cannot find you if you are getting TV via the internet.
You are then not recieving via the air waves hence no license required


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## 88724 (May 9, 2005)

Hi Malc

I know that they only come close to the surface and then unfurl a trailing array aerial, I didnt want to go into all that, but if picking up signals can be detected then the fleet, can be detected for picking up their coded messages saying "do not nuke Moscow" (or whatever their pre arranged targets are)

My point was if picking up signals can be detected.....

Would also make radio silence pretty pointless, because they could detect you listening anyway.

TV interference is one thing, telling you what tv channel and in which house is another. Having read a load of webpages today its seems there is no evidence that it is practically possible or even used, Lists get my vote.


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## Road_Runner_644 (May 9, 2005)

Hi PamNPete

I hope i'm right in saying that when they tried to find the ITV blocking signal it would have involved a guy with a handheld tracking setup, running round like a prat, trying to find the signal. I was told that the van could get a rough idea in a building such as a flats or small industrial units, but only a general direction in relation to where the tracking van was situated. They can't work out distance from the van unless they completley analyze the fabric of the building, and know the power of the signal they are trying to track. They could do guesswork on that i suppose, but it would be just that, and i really believe that that the black & white and colour thing is a red herring, as i think the recieving part both tv's is the same, it's only the crt - tube or screen which is differant. The crt i suppose could give off some rf, and maybe they can track that.

Dave


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

When I bought a Haupaage TV card for my laptop PC World wanted my address details in the same way that TV shops do when you buy a new TV.

No means of evading a licence fee there then !

G.


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## Drew (May 30, 2005)

Hi Folks,

I have never read so much rubbish in all my life. There are no detector vans in the UK. This was a ploy made up by the BBC many years ago to force people into purchasing a licence. Please think about it, how many vans would there have to be to cover the whole of the UK??? People are gullible and tend to believe all that they hear. They also elaborate on stories and tend to make up there own. (A friend of a friend for e.g.)

All these stories of detector vans are lies or should I say a figment of the imagination.

As far as someone going for a Police Officer to gain entry to a house, is more lies. No one can demand entry into your home other than a Customs Officer. The gas or electricity people can enter your home without your permission, only in an emergency. A warrant is required by everyone else. 

Nowadays when you purchase a television you are required by law to give your name and address to the dealer from which it was purchased. A central database is kept and it is this that is used to find addresses that are not registered as television owners.

Please forget all that you hear regarding television vans etc. Those people who have stated that they have seen them are down and out L****, Rumour Mongers, the Gin and Tonic brigade who have done it all and seen it all, we have all met them on the campsite with there boring stories. 

Under no circumstance let anyone into your home, no matter who they are, tell them to go away or you will call the police. If a policeman asks you if he can come in, It is down to you whither you let him in or not. If you invite him in then that is a different story!!!

Hope this helps.

Drew


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## 88734 (May 9, 2005)

Back in 1973 I did have a visit from a detector van. I was living at my sisters house. as I had a licence when I moved in, she never renewed her licence. They wanted proof that I was living there and then they left. I did see the very large van but for all I know it may have been empty. And no I am not a liar.


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## Road_Runner_644 (May 9, 2005)

You are no liar merlin

There is at least one detector van, I have seen it, claims that there are more of them i can't backup. They were at an amateur radio show some years ago and the centre of interest for many. If it had been a fake, the anoraks would have picked up on it.

Drew is right i think about them not being allowed into your property, and customs & excise have indeed the right to do just about anything.

I'll just slip off for another gin & tonic :roll: :roll:


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## suedew (May 10, 2005)

*t v licencing*

it may be new for the customer to fill in details when buying a tv, but in1980 when i workedin an electrical shop the seller had to give names and addresses of everyone who purchased a tv
sue


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## 88724 (May 9, 2005)

Hi Drew

I have seen a van with aerials and TV Licencing blurb all over it, so there are vans with aerials about, I just dont believe in the detection part.

The person with the lists gets out of them and knocks on the doors and you are right thaey can probably only catch the gullible out with regards to entering to search for TV


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## Road_Runner_644 (May 9, 2005)

More or less agree with George

I can see the detection part, but not the spot on detection of some dude in a flat 17 storeys up.

There are vans or a van about, but the list is the thing that they use to best effect.

Dave


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## ActiveCampers (Jun 17, 2005)

Interesting debate - though WTF this has not got to do with motorhomes....!

I do recall seeing a van when I was a kid - but it may have been an empty van.

I do also recall seeing a tv programme showing one working. However, whether that was spoofed or not I do not know. (Many many years ago).

The real/fake debate is quite common:-

http://www.guardian.co.uk/notesandqueries/query/0,5753,-22440,00.html

Prior to yesterday I'd have been confident in saying yes they do exist and they do work. I agree with the science so agree a TV can be detected - though where I do not know. And I believed hand-held devices were a little more accurate and used to pinpoint locations. (Thats what we were also told at Uni!)

However......

Now I am not so sure.....! I'm erroing on the "techncially they can work; but not accurate enough to be useful; no legeseltive powers to do anything anyway; so if they do exist its only a few and guess seldom used".


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## ActiveCampers (Jun 17, 2005)

http://www2.techcentralstation.com/1051/defensewrapper.jsp?PID=1051-350&CID=1051-042804F

-----

lol!

Well I've certainly never heard of anyone getting busted. In fact, I've heard that there are actually no such things as TV detectors. If you don't let someone into your house there is no way that they can detect that you are watching TV. The TV detector vans which they have in the UK are supposed to be one of the most successful urban legends of all time. People think they exist so they're frightened into getting a licence, even though there's technically no possible way they can be caught.

On the other hand, I've also heard that the TV detector van urban legend story is itself an urban legend. This is where we disappear up our own backsides with rumour upon rumour

-----

My head hurts.


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## 88734 (May 9, 2005)

ryanjjones said:


> http://www2.techcentralstation.com/1051/defensewrapper.jsp?PID=1051-350&CID=1051-042804F
> 
> -----
> 
> ...


*As i said before*

Back in 1973 I did have a visit from a detector van. I was living at my sisters house. as I had a licence when I moved in, she never renewed her licence. They wanted proof that I was living there and then they left. I did see the very large van but for all I know it may have been empty. And no I am not a liar.


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## 88724 (May 9, 2005)

Hi Ryan

The vans actually exist, I have seen one. But the detection part as simply got to be a myth.
The vans serve a purpose, they transport a man with a list, when left out in the neighbourhood they encourage the sale of Licences (panic buying)

The more I see the technology discussed the more certain I become that it would would not usefully work, the signal is too weak and picking it up with any accuracy would be impossible.

But lets pretend for a second that it does work, once he had a line on the TV and it would have to be more than telly to east it would need a vertical plane too, the operator would have to be able to calculate complex euclidian geometry, based on the data, which would then still be no good because what if it was next door? ie the line past straight through to the next house, so it would also need a range finder on a very weak signal.

How would hey explain the geometry to a court? which begs another question anyone know of acourtcase involving detection?


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## ActiveCampers (Jun 17, 2005)

Merlin - I am not calling you a liar - I agree. I recall seeing a van when I was younger.

George - exactly. 

Despite loads of googling I have found nothing definitive as to whether they actually work in the real world - or are just vans to scare people...


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## Boff (May 10, 2005)

merlin said:


> *As i said before*
> 
> Back in 1973 I did have a visit from a detector van. I was living at my sisters house. as I had a licence when I moved in, she never renewed her licence. They wanted proof that I was living there and then they left. I did see the very large van but for all I know it may have been empty. And no I am not a liar.


Hi merlin,

of course there are detector vans. However they are not used to pinpoint non-licensed TV sets but to trace sources of electromagnetic interferences. I know that because during my high school time (also back in the seventies :wink: , however in Germany) I was doing a lot of electronic bricolage for fun and once had set up a rig which (accidentally) disturbed our neighbours TV-reception. He called the broadcasting agency and they did send a detector van. Luckily for me when they came I already had dismantled the rig again and they came in the morning when I was at school, so there was nothing to detect.

It is very easy to distinguish a detector van from any other van because it has a huge "forest" of antennas on the roof.

They most probably visited you not because they had detected your TV but because they knew from their lists that your sister had not renewed her license.

Now I don't know about UK but I do know that the German "GEZ", the agency which collects the TV and radio license fees, well, at least does not actively deny the detector van story and some other myths regarding TV licenses.

Best Regards,
Gerhard


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## 95792 (Jul 20, 2005)

I cannot comment on whats inside the detector vans but I do know they exist and travel the country spending a week or two in one area then moving on. 
I know they have a list of addresses which do not have a licence and visit them. 
I do know they call upon the Police if they have a problem at an address to prevent a breach of the peace while they use the powers given to them by the licencing laws to gain entry as I have had to assist in the past.
Following a visit to our area a few weeks later the best part of two days are always full at the local magistrates court with licencing fines.
As far as Drews comments about powers of entry, I am afraid this is also rubbish.
A Police Officer is given many different powers of entry by various Acts and also common law. 
It would be an unworkable system if each time you were refused entry you had to go to court for a warrant.
A warrant issued by a magistrate is required in some cases but not many.
Programs such as The Bill are very rarely correct as far as procedure goes and there are many people out there in tv land who believe what they watch is true. 
As you say customs and excise do have powers of entry but this is in the form of a piece of paper similar to a warrant that they all carry giving them powers in certain situations.
James


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## 88734 (May 9, 2005)

Thanks Gerhard I am glad to hear I wasn’t having a dream


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## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

And the moon landings were all filmed on a set in the texas desert.........
also UFO' s landed and aliens were caught in Roswell...........


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## 88724 (May 9, 2005)

Hi Mike

Are you saying the vans are Myths? (as detectors)

or saying that those that think they are fake are deluded?


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## spykal (May 9, 2005)

ryanjjones said:


> Despite loads of googling I have found nothing definitive as to whether they actually work in the real world - or are just vans to scare people...


How about this article...fiction? or fact?

http://www.tvlicensing.biz/detection/

Mike
[web:185b069272]http://www.tvlicensing.biz/detection/[/web:185b069272]


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## Boff (May 10, 2005)

spykal said:


> How about this article...fiction? or fact?


Sounds very much like fiction.

Although the description of the principle of the superhet receiver is basically correct, the article does not state that there is an HF amplifier before the "mixer" which does not allow the signal from the local oscillator to go "backwards".

And, as the local oscillator frequency lies within the same range as the TV broadcast signal, any significant leakage would seriously disturb TV reception for the neighbours.

Best Regards,
Gerhard


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## peedee (May 10, 2005)

Fact, but don't agree with the sentiments expressed by the rest of the site.
Someone also said they could tell in which room you were using the tele. Detector receiver beams are so narrow these days I think it is perfectly feasible
in some cases.

peedee


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## peedee (May 10, 2005)

Gerhard,

Nervertheless there will be some radiation from the oscilator which could be detected by equipment close by with high gain directional antennas and far more sensitivity than the domestic TV receiver. A TV revceiver also has the capabilities of rejecting unwanted signals of considerably more power than oscillator leakage signals. As the article says the Oscillator is nothing more than a very low power transmitter, stick a power amp on its output and a matched 
antenna and it will radiate for miles. 

peedee


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## 2point (Jun 10, 2005)

Who really cares?

I pay my fee/tax. There are much easier ways to avoid paying £150 a year to the government.

The database held by the TV Licence is a simple postcode/household database, the existance of a livence fee being paid makes targetting those households without one that much easier. By cross referencing the data from the sales of equipment capable of receiving this targetting can be that much more accurate, thus making best use of the manpower required to 'police' the payment of fees.

I'm no electronics expert, but I do know that installations of equipment that houses sensitive data are shielded to prevent electromagnetic leakage. This money is not spent for the sake of it, there must be some perceived risk.


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## peedee (May 10, 2005)

Exactly 2point and I will say no more.

peedee


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## Paulway (May 9, 2005)

Hi all, well that is all interesting. The reason I asked George is that the father of my daughters friend actually mans one of these vehicles in our area, it is not a van but a Land Rover Discovery with aerial arrays on top that raise and lower and direction automatically from the equipment inside the vehicle(a bit like the auto seeking sat dishes on motorhomes).
Now I asked him about how they worked and found him extremely cagey saying official secrets act and other mutterings, but when pressed he was saying that it was something to do with radiation given off by the screen, from which they can determine presence, position and even size of TV???
Now what I was wondering, and I was hoping to confirm or deny the screen thing, was do LCD screens give off radiation? If what he was saying was true, but it seems maybe there is no truth in working detector vans anyway, my understanding was that LCD did not give of radiation and so would be undetectable. Likewise laptops running TV tuners.
By the way ryanjones for your info. as this is in General Chitchat it doesn't have to refer to motorhomes!


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

> By the way ryanjones for your info. as this is in General Chitchat it doesn't have to refer to motorhomes!


Not strictly true, if you look at the heading for 'general chitchat' it says 'any posts about anything related to motorhoming that doesn't fit in any other sections', you have to have a tv licence to watch telly in a m/h so it is loosely related and i'm happy for it to stay here.

'off topic' is the place for completely non m/home related items.

Just to clear that one up :wink:

pj


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## spykal (May 9, 2005)

Paulway said:


> By the way ryanjones for your info. as this is in General Chitchat it doesn't have to refer to motorhomes!


Hi Paulway

I'm gona be a bit of a pedant but "General Chitchat" is solely for subjects concerning motorhomes...see the description: "Any posts about anything related to Motorhoming that doesn't fit in any other sections"

I think you may be getting mixed up with "Off topic" which is described as: "General non motorhome chit chat, Anything posted in here will automatically be removed after 30 days of last post on it."

But these posts do have a bearing on Motorhoming ...so you were sort of right :lol: :lol:

In fact my post now is way off topic so there you go ................... 

Mike


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## spykal (May 9, 2005)

Hi Peejay

SNAP

that was unmittigated serial posting :lol: 

Mike


Help......Johnsanywhite will be after me


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## peejay (May 10, 2005)

Err,

I think I was being pedantic before you Mike, 'so there' ! :lol: :lol: :lol: 

pj


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## Paulway (May 9, 2005)

I most humbly apologise and will go and write 100 lines, that will teach me to post something as a smug bast£$%^. I wasn't trying to be nasty though just forgot about Off Topic, senility rules!!!
Sorry Ryan i'll get me Zimmer frame out and race you to your Lotus!!


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## Drew (May 30, 2005)

Paulway said:


> Now I asked him about how they worked and found him extremely cagey saying official secrets act and other mutterings, but when pressed he was saying that it was something to do with radiation given off by the screen, from which they can determine presence, position and even size of TV???
> !


Hi Folks,

I cannot believe what I am reading, pure and utter drivel.

Official secrets act my backside.

Prior to the present laws i.e. before databases etc. the only records that existed were of those people who had bought a license for a certain address. A team of "officials" would go round an area knocking on the doors that were not registered as having a license. If you had never bought a license then your name would not be on the list. They only called on those premises where the occupants had at some time or other bought a license and hadn't renewed it.

If the television was on when they called (never during the day, always in the evening) they could tell which programme you were watching. In those days they only had a choice of two!!! In some premises they could see the television through the curtains.

They travelled in "Vans" with seats inside, nothing more.

Nowadays there is a central database with everyones name on it who has purchased a television. If you haven't a license then you can expect a visit from the "Agency", they work on a bonus system so there is no way out, you are reported and fined £100 at least.

As far as policemen are concerned, yes they can enter your home BUT ONLY IN AN EMERGENCY as can a fireman, gasman, electrician, plumber etc. They cannot turn up at your door and demand entry, they must have a good reason. If you live in a flat and you find water pouring through your ceiling, you are entitled to break in to turn the water off i.e. if there is no one at home. However you must secure the door before you leave as it is entirely your responsibility if anything goes missing. You must of course inform the police.

Please believe me, I worked in the business for over 30 years.

Cheers

Drew


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## Boff (May 10, 2005)

Paulway said:


> Now I asked him about how they worked and found him extremely cagey saying official secrets act and other mutterings, but when pressed he was saying that it was something to do with radiation given off by the screen, from which they can determine presence, position and even size of TV???
> Now what I was wondering, and I was hoping to confirm or deny the screen thing, was do LCD screens give off radiation? If what he was saying was true, but it seems maybe there is no truth in working detector vans anyway, my understanding was that LCD did not give of radiation and so would be undetectable. Likewise laptops running TV tuners.


Hi Paulway,

now it really goes into the voodoo region: Though it is correct that every CRT screen (or better, the electronics driving it) produces a weak electromagnetic signal, frequency and intensity of this signal is much lower than that of the oscillator in the tuner. So it's penetration power can be neglected.

In addition every CRT screen produces a very weak x-ray radiation. Now my field of expertise is not so much RF physics, but it is radiation physics. So I may be partially wrong regarding the RF, but definitely not here: To detect the X-rays from outside of the house you would need a detector of a size and weight that would make every Landrover Defender just collapse...

Plus that comparable "signals" are produced by any other CRT screen (like a computer monitor) as well. Given the density of screens in modern houses, all specific information would be blanketed by sheer noise. And, by the way, neither "radiation" contains any information about the channel tuned in.

LCD screens produce neither kind of "radiation", that is true. However a computer with a TV tuner (theoretically) emits the signal of the tuning oscillator, as any normal TV set would do. No matter the kind of screen.

So I still stick to my theory: Detector vans to pinpoint unlicensed TV sets are just nonsense.

There is also an economic reason behind that: Running a detector van would not exactly be cheap. You would need to pay for the expensive equipment, maintenance, fuel and of course the salary of the blokes operating it. I would estimate the operating costs to be at least 500 quid per hour. Now given that the annual license fee is 126.50 quid, they would have to catch at least four non-licensed TVs per hour to break even.

And if this blurb on the TV licensing home page were true:

_"We have a fleet of detector vans, plus, our enforcement officers have access to hand-held detection devices capable of detecting a magnetic field when a TV is switched on. In fact, we catch an average of over 1,000 people watching TV without a licence every day."_

Then they should have driven non-licensed TV watchers to the verge of extinction meanwhile.

Best Regards,
Gerhard


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