[rthomas6]

GPS signals from the satellites are extremely weak, and actually are below the noise floor. GPS uses processing gain tricks in order to see the signals at all. This means that a terrestrial based transmitter doesn't have to put out a ton of power to break GPS in a large area. Like, many square miles. It makes sense to me to outlaw the sale of RF electronics that are made to transmit on that frequency.

Usually I would agree with you, but it's sort of like selling a laser pointer with a user-accessible switch that would make it a powerful directed energy weapon.

[moftz]

I went to a GnuRadio conference a few years ago where a lot of presentations were on directional tracking of signals. One huge issue is that truckers are using GPS jammers that plug into the cigarette lighter socket to block the truck tracking systems from knowing that they are driving outside of their legal time limits. One trucker has left his jammer plugged in for a day or two. The nearby port was entirely shutdown until authorities found the jammer because the massive ships couldn't navigate the tight quarters of the port without GPS. One project was using cameras along with multiple antennas to attempt to track who was driving past a particular overpass with a jammer turned on. A cigarette lighter socket has the potential to put out tens of watts out RF power which can almost certainly jam anyone that can't use the military anti-jam GPS channels.

[salawat]

>but it's sort of like selling a laser pointer with a user-accessible switch that would make it a powerful directed energy weapon.

...I see no problem with this. In fact, I'll take 5.

[underwater]

You're proving his point?

People will buy this with the intent of misusing it, therefore the government should stop people selling it.

[TeMPOraL]

Sure. Can you afford to pay damages after you inadvertently blind yourself, and everyone else in a hundred meter radius around you, with diffuse reflections off whatever you point the laser at?

[ziml77]

That's a selfish framing, though for that poster it's probably a good choice. However the thing that they really should worry about is harming others in the first place. If I was blinded by them, money would be great to get but no amount is going to make up for the fact that I'm blind.

[R0b0t1]

I'm aware. Have you not seen the occasional news articles where someone with a cell/GPS jammer gets caught and fined for it? Last one I remember was a trucker jamming his company's GPS to prevent speed tracking.

It's reasonable to expect the end user to not break the law because enforcement is possible. Even if enforcement was impossible, prior restraint of natural rights to just do stuff should not be on the table. Should we ban CNCs because you can use CNCs to build things that kill people?

[FPGAhacker]

I think the obvious difference is design intent.