Foo - Cell Phone Jammers

They are illegal in the US, but a growing market exists.


As cellphone use has skyrocketed, making it hard to avoid hearing half a conversation in many public places, a small but growing band of rebels is turning to a blunt countermeasure: the cellphone jammer, a gadget that renders nearby mobile devices impotent.

The technology is not new, but overseas exporters of jammers say demand is rising and they are sending hundreds of them a month into the United States — prompting scrutiny from federal regulators and new concern last week from the cellphone industry. The buyers include owners of cafes and hair salons, hoteliers, public speakers, theater operators, bus drivers and, increasingly, commuters on public transportation.

The development is creating a battle for control of the airspace within earshot. And the damage is collateral. Insensitive talkers impose their racket on the defenseless, while jammers punish not just the offender, but also more discreet chatterers.

“If anything characterizes the 21st century, it’s our inability to restrain ourselves for the benefit of other people,” said James Katz, director of the Center for Mobile Communication Studies at Rutgers University. “The cellphone talker thinks his rights go above that of people around him, and the jammer thinks his are the more important rights.”

The jamming technology works by sending out a radio signal so powerful that phones are overwhelmed and cannot communicate with cell towers. The range varies from several feet to several yards, and the devices cost from $50 to several hundred dollars. Larger models can be left on to create a no-call zone.

Using the jammers is illegal in the United States. The radio frequencies used by cellphone carriers are protected, just like those used by television and radio broadcasters.

The Federal Communication Commission says people who use cellphone jammers could be fined up to $11,000 for a first offense. Its enforcement bureau has prosecuted a handful of American companies for distributing the gadgets — and it also pursues their users.
http://nytimes.com/2007/11/04/technology/04jammer.html?ex=1210050000&en=ffb8152ab2245c2d&ei=5087&excamp=mkt_at1

I am tempted to put one in my car that jams every cell phone yakking jack ass that I pass on the road.

I am tempted to put one in my car that jams every cell phone yakking jack ass that I pass on the road.

Better yet, auto makers should be required to build them into new cars.

Better yet, auto makers should be required to build them into new cars.

Yeah but its kinda tough though.. emergencies, passengers are scenarios that are not easily solved. And my proposed plan doesnt solve it either.

If you're crafty enough, you should be able to solder one together.
I soldered a radio jammer a few years ago. It was only good for around 100mhz because I used that frequency crystal oscillator, but that's all I needed it for ;)

^^

I just love good improvisation.

Michigander, do you post on Epicski? I got a reply for a post out there from the exact same handle!

Huh? What's epicski? What do you mean handle?

I am tempted to put one in my car that jams every cell phone yakking jack ass that I pass on the road.

The bad half of that plan:

Oncoming car with driver talking on the cell phone approaches close enough to be within range of your jammer and loses his call.... where do you suppose that person's attention is now at?


Answer: It's NOT on driving, or oncoming traffic, etc. Said driver is now staring at his phone and fiddling with it, trying to figure out why he lost his call... while crossing the centerline and slamming headfirst into you and killing both of you.

yup. Sounds like a great plan to me.

Sorry, that is awesome.

Perhaps a good time for a funny story. I'm at my barber, who is an old WWII Navy guy running an old run down barber shop, and through his front window we watch a women spend 10 mins trying to park her truck while on the cellphone.

He tells me how much he hates those things etc. I agree with him and tell him why i think they are a pain in the ass and what have you. Next thing i know my cell phone rings full blast. I go to push the button that would not accept the call but instead pushed the speaker button and the person on the other line starts talking.

Hypocrite anyone?

The bad half of that plan:

Oncoming car with driver talking on the cell phone approaches close enough to be within range of your jammer and loses his call.... where do you suppose that person's attention is now at?


Answer: It's NOT on driving, or oncoming traffic, etc. Said driver is now staring at his phone and fiddling with it, trying to figure out why he lost his call... while crossing the centerline and slamming headfirst into you and killing both of you.

yup. Sounds like a great plan to me.

A local road ride in these parts is the Rim Rock Road in Colorado National Monument. The road climbs up onto a plateau and 20 miles later descends down again. On the east side of the NM the road goes through a long unlighted tunnel, uphill. This part of the road is used by tourists and by the people who live in a community up on the plateau. Many people ride bikes on this road and through the tunnel. It scares me though. I keep a big blinky light on my road bike so I am visible in the tunnel. When traffic is heavy sometimes I stop a motorist and ask them to follow me through the tunnel for safety.

I can envision someone driving up the switchbacks, yakking on their cell phone, They get into the tunnel and lose service, and instead of paying attention to whether there is a cyclist in the tunnel ahead of them, they are looking down at their phone, wondering what happened......

Sorry, that is awesome.

Perhaps a good time for a funny story. I'm at my barber, who is an old WWII Navy guy running an old run down barber shop, and through his front window we watch a women spend 10 mins trying to park her truck while on the cellphone.

He tells me how much he hates those things etc. I agree with him and tell him why i think they are a pain in the ass and what have you. Next thing i know my cell phone rings full blast. I go to push the button that would not accept the call but instead pushed the speaker button and the person on the other line starts talking.

Hypocrite anyone?

: points and laughs : :roflmao:

Where can one order one of those neat toys? Just askin. :)

What I think would be a good Idea is to only use a cell phone jammer if it is permanently installed in a building ie Restaurant,Theater,library or places that peace and quiet are the norm. Lotsa big signs everywhere,letting folk know they are entering a "Cell Free Zone",and a land line or three for emergency calls.
In just a few years all automobiles will have high-speed internet at the push of a button so if you think phones are a distraction for drivers,wait till you start hearing the line " He was surfing for Pron and drifted off the road".

Huh? What's epicski? What do you mean handle?

Handle = Screen name ;)

I almost never use my cell phone in public. Sure, people who talk really loudly in places that should be kinda quiet (libraries, classrooms, etc) are annoying, but I think these 'jammers' are a pretty bad idea. Try making a call in an emergency, but the signal is jammed, and someone dies. If I ever saw someone using a jammer near me, I would probably punch them if the face, steal the jammer, break it, then call the police on my cell phone and try to have the person arrested.

The judge, jury and executioner aspect of these jammers...it's scary.

Supression of our personal freedoms is the government's job, not yours!

I don't get why people want to deprive other people of their freedoms...just to feel superior?

I hear the arguement: "People talk extra loud into their cell phones". I've noticed that people that talk loudly into a cell phone talk loudly to the person next to them, so who cares if they're on a phone or not.

I know, some people use phones were they are completely inappropriate, but boors have been with us since humans began. Jammers are just a cowardly substitute for not telling the person to tone it down.

Some people drive distractedly while on a cell phone. Not good at all. But are you distracted when you jam them?

Where does it end?

Dont like the radio station someone's listening to? Jam it.

Don't like the TV show someone's watching? Jam it.

Don't like what someone's looking at on the internet? Jam it.

Don't like the jelly someone uses? Jam it?

:D

If you're crafty enough, you should be able to solder one together.
I soldered a radio jammer a few years ago. It was only good for around 100mhz because I used that frequency crystal oscillator, but that's all I needed it for ;)
I'm kind of curious what you'd want to jam at that frequency and why...

When I was little one of my bros and I made a TV jammer when one of our house guests (we would sometimes have guests who stayed many months) spent all day watching soap operas. It worked great. My folks approved of the gizmo.

The bad half of that plan:

Oncoming car with driver talking on the cell phone approaches close enough to be within range of your jammer and loses his call.... where do you suppose that person's attention is now at?


Answer: It's NOT on driving, or oncoming traffic, etc. Said driver is now staring at his phone and fiddling with it, trying to figure out why he lost his call... while crossing the centerline and slamming headfirst into you and killing both of you.

yup. Sounds like a great plan to me.

No way the driver reacts fast enough unless my jamming radius > 10m. Which is highly unlikely.

Handle = Screen name ;)

OH.

Well in that case no. Although, I do go by that name on SKSboards.

OH.

Well in that case no. Although, I do go by that name on SKSboards.

oh ok. Epicksi is ski/snowboard forum out to-gether by Epic Ski Academy.

And there is a person on EpicSki called Michigander and he replied to one of my posts. Secret admirer maybe :p

They're not expensive to build, but you do need soldering skills.

Search the words "wavebubble" and "ladyada" and you should find what you're looking for.

Best cell phone jammer ever.
http://www.coltsmfg.com/cmci/images/38Super_O2071ELC2.jpg

http://www.advanced-intelligence.com/counter.html?2371

indiscrete

http://www.advanced-intelligence.com/jammerphone.jpg

discrete

http://www.advanced-intelligence.com/cellularjammer.jpg

either way they're not exactly cheap

edit - cheaper still http://www.globalgadgetuk.com/rx9000.htm

I am tempted to put one in my car that jams every cell phone yakking jack ass that I pass on the road.

I could just imagine,

"can you hear me..." oh **** it didn't work, whats with the lack of coverage in this one spot...the dork with glasses looks around and sees some skinny ****er in the corner with a jamming device laughing his ass off.

Now THAT would be a commercial.

I have wished many times I'd had one of those, but in all practicality I think
it would be more dangerous to jam someone's call while they are driving.
They are generally looking at the road while talking, but you make them drop
their call they'll absolutely look right at their phone and start pushing buttons.

My favorite locations if I could jam- Movie theatres and restaurants.

No way the driver reacts fast enough unless my jamming radius > 10m. Which is highly unlikely.

Oh, ok. So he'll kill the person behind you.

As long as it's not you that gets killed, I suppose.

Oh, ok. So he'll kill the person behind you.

As long as it's not you that gets killed, I suppose.

Touche homes..

Where can one order one of those neat toys? Just askin. :)

http://www.dealextreme.com/productimages/sku_4355_1_small.jpg
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.4355

Here's one that can cover a whole concert hall.
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.7708

wait are these things legal in Canada?

Nope.

Best cell phone jammer ever.
http://www.coltsmfg.com/cmci/images/38Super_O2071ELC2.jpg

indiscrete

http://www.advanced-intelligence.com/jammerphone.jpg

I couldn't decide which I liked best.
http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/829/doublejammeroi1.jpg
Compromises rule!

I am tempted to put one in my car that jams every cell phone yakking jack ass that I pass on the road.

I tried one a while ago and it really does work. Some Jackass was yakking away in a Navigator right next to us. The idiot kept inching forward several times until he was completly blocking the crosswalk. You've seen those people before, the types which are at a stop light and slightly release the brake pedal repeatidly and go forward (automatic transmissions).

Anyway, we had enough of his behavior and my friend pulled out a jammer which he crammed into an older model Nokia cell phone. He pretended to make a call, press a button and we saw the Navigator driver suddenly back his ear off the phone and he tried many times to make a call with no success.

I asked him if he could make me one but he refused. He's a friend but not really a close friend. I guess he's a bit concerned about getting caught using the thing or even selling one to someone else.

Now I know the guy might have been on an important call. I know it probably knocked out other nearby innocent people's calls as well and so on. But the thing is: if people can't use these things responsibly, then we're just going to have to take it away from them.

Yeah yeah... vigilante justice. But with the incompetent cops around here, I don't think they would ever do anything about it anyway. So it's up to us to pick up the slack. Remind me to tell you the story about the cop right next to me who refused to stop a red light runner. Then you'll see what I mean about incompetent cops.

Cell phones are great tools but some people are just irresponsible and put other people's lives in danger because of their selfishness. So look at it another way: The jammers may some day save your life. Especially if you're a cyclist dealing with that prick in the Navigator.

The bad half of that plan:

Oncoming car with driver talking on the cell phone approaches close enough to be within range of your jammer and loses his call.... where do you suppose that person's attention is now at?


Answer: It's NOT on driving, or oncoming traffic, etc. Said driver is now staring at his phone and fiddling with it, trying to figure out why he lost his call... while crossing the centerline and slamming headfirst into you and killing both of you.

yup. Sounds like a great plan to me.

Don't they do that anyway? Jammer or no jammer they often lose their calls and start fiddling away on their phones anyway.

I think the idea is to use the jammer at the right time. When they're at a stop light for example.

The judge, jury and executioner aspect of these jammers...it's scary.

Supression of our personal freedoms is the government's job, not yours!

I don't get why people want to deprive other people of their freedoms...just to feel superior?



How about: To save your life!

When someone's personal freedom is risking your life, don't you think their irresponsible use of their freedom should be temporarily revoked?

Although I also get annoyed with people using their cellphones in public areas like restaurants and theatres, I do understand that it's their right and I simply put up with them. But when their use of their cellphone puts other people at risk, like when driving, then that's a whole other issue.

I don't get why people want to deprive other people of their freedoms...just to feel superior?

I hear the arguement: "People talk extra loud into their cell phones". I've noticed that people that talk loudly into a cell phone talk loudly to the person next to them, so who cares if they're on a phone or not.

I know, some people use phones were they are completely inappropriate, but boors have been with us since humans began. Jammers are just a cowardly substitute for not telling the person to tone it down.
You said it better than I could. I love it. Overbearing jerks who think their right to communicate loudly wherever they are vs. overbearing jerks who think their right to freedom from annoyance wherever they are. I love a good jerk fight.