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by ac29 18 days ago
Phased array radars are export controlled in the US. It doesnt mean its illegal to build or own, but it might be illegal to sell in some cases
2 comments
Onawa 18 days ago
I thought I remembered even seeing public Git repos with passive radar code that ended up getting shut down due to export controls?
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lambda 18 days ago
Yeah, Kraken SDR removed some functionality due to these concerns, if I remember correctly.

Odd, because export controls don't generally apply to published material (like open source software), but maybe they were worried that because they were also selling the hardware they could have issues due to the combo being export controlled.

Ah, found discussion of what exactly it was they pulled, it was the passive radar code: https://www.reddit.com/r/RTLSDR/comments/yu9rei/krakenrf_pul...

And indeed, they confirmed that they believe the open source software should be OK, but they had concerns because they also sell the compatible hardware: https://nitter.net/rtlsdrblog/status/1591657740229046274

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0xffff2 18 days ago
As someone who works daily with export-control-adjacent hardware and software, my experience is that people tend to aggressively self-censor to a far higher standard than export control regulations actually require. The perceived headache of drawing the ire of whoever it is the enforces this stuff (which as I type this comment I'm just realizing I don't know who specifically is responsible for that) is so scary that people don't want to take any risk at all of being targeted.
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bluGill 18 days ago
If you don't self censor in these cases the law will find you somehow. How change so they get you next time.

Not always, but pgp wasn't exported that way until not long before there was good demand for for encryption in e-commerce anyway

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dzhiurgis 18 days ago
Wonder which LLM would be happy to vibe code it back (not sure if it would be able to pull it off tho).
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RealityVoid 18 days ago
This is not a radar, only a receiver.
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thomashabets2 18 days ago
It can still be in scope:

> Direction finding equipment for determining bearings to specific electromagnetic sources or terrain characteristics specially designed for defense articles in paragraph (a)(1) of USML Category IV or paragraphs (a)(5), (a)(6), or (a)

ITAR part 121.

The "specifically designed for defense" probably makes this OK, but IANAL.

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