9 ms·

Cuba jamming ham radio frequencies [video]

118 points by mindcrime 5y ago

mindcrime 5y ago
Other links: https://forums.qrz.com/index.php?threads/cuban-government-jamming-40-meter-us-ham-band.772207/ https://forums.qrz.com/index.php?threads/cuban-government-ja... https://k0lwc.com/direction-finding-points-to-cuba-jamming-ham-radio-frequencies/ https://k0lwc.com/direction-finding-points-to-cuba-jamming-h... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVJS4skdtR8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVJS4skdtR8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtICIDDvnPw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtICIDDvnPw
- JoeDaDude 5y ago
  Interesting maps on [0], though details on how direction finding was done are lacking. Is this something anyone can do with friends who have radios around the country? If so, how? [0] https://k0lwc.com/direction-finding-points-to-cuba-jamming-ham-radio-frequencies/ https://k0lwc.com/direction-finding-points-to-cuba-jamming-h...
  - user3939382 5y ago
    Signal triangulation. You compare strength of a broadcast from a few locations to deduce broadcast location. In the US there’s a volunteer group that does this for the FCC, I forget the name. https://wfebb101.com/faq/how-to-triangulate-a-radio-signal.html https://wfebb101.com/faq/how-to-triangulate-a-radio-signal.h...
  - mindcrime 5y ago
    Radio direction finding[1] can be complicated in a "the devil is in the details" sense, but the basics are fairly simple. All you really need are two stations with directional antennas[2] which can be reoriented freely. You have both stations reorient their antennas until they see maximum signal strength from the signal in question. Now you have two points at known, fixed locations, along with two angles - from there it's straightforward triangulation[3]. Using more stations can help reduce the error and get a more precise fix on the source of the transmission. That said, again, "the devil is in the details" because of things like ionospheric reflection, attenuation from passing through things, etc. Radio signals usually travel in approximately straight lines, but there are some quirks that come into play, depending on the frequencies involved, distances, and suchlike. See also: Radio Direction Finder (RDF)[4] [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direction_finding https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direction_finding [2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Directional_antenna https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Directional_antenna [3]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangulation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangulation [4]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_direction_finder https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_direction_finder
  - nvahalik 5y ago
    Direction finding is usually done with antennas which have large null regions. (Highly directional). You point them in a direction and if you get a signal you mark that down. Then just repeat 3+ more times.
    - lightlyused 5y ago
      None of the SDRs in the videos have directional antennas, so my trust of the results is low.
- motohagiography 5y ago
  Watched the youtube video and it was followed by another one about direction finding using KiwiSDR - which yielded a recent story about how that SDR had been backdoored: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/07/for-years-a-backdoor-in-popular-kiwisdr-product-gave-root-to-project-developer/ https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/07/for-years-a-backdoor... Is it just me or does anything to do with RF and hardware seem like spy games all the way down?
  - reedjosh 5y ago
    I think anything communications related is spy games all the way down.
  - BuildTheRobots 5y ago
    The kiwiSDR news was posted yesterday, but has very few votes. I could have expected it to gain more interest. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27849008 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27849008
quijoteuniv 5y ago
«The United States embargo against Cuba prevents American businesses, and businesses with commercial activities in the United States, from conducting trade with Cuban interests. It is the most enduring trade embargo in modern history.” Wikipedia
- mc32 5y ago
  Is your position that sanctions/embargoes should not be used? Or just not used against Cuba? Was it not okay to embargo other countries whom we had disagreements with or were those okay to embargo, like (imperial) Japan, (apartheid) South Africa, (ayatollah) Iran?
  - random314 5y ago
    This line of questioning can be continued indefinitely. Did Cuba bomb US territories(Japan), practice Apartheid (South Africa) or nationalize their oil (Iran).
    - mc32 5y ago
      Well, they did agitate all over Africa and LatAM in conjunction with KGB operatives and provided thousands of troops to overthrow governments and did plot to kill dissidents on US soil... But I guess the answer is yes, embargoes make sense when we disagree vehemently with another country and its policies. But I know what people are saying: "I want you to embargo countries I don't like, and I want you to not embargo countries I like." and everyone will have a different set of countries.
      - quijoteuniv 5y ago
        With these line of thought I guess the whole world should embargo the US. :)
        mc32 5y ago
        That's their prerogative, isn't it?
asfarley 5y ago
I have a feeling that even in North America, ham radio regulation is essentially anti-revolution legislation. In other discussions on HN I’ve had responses suggesting that it’s simply to ensure that e.g. kids don’t disrupt emergency bands. It seems similar to anti-gun legislation which also appears to a type of anti-revolution legislation despite being positioned as a measure to reduce school shootings.
- JKCalhoun 5y ago
  You lost me when you compared it to gun control.
  - innocentoldguy 5y ago
    Probably because you haven't read the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Federalist Papers.
    - sweetheart 5y ago
      Why so hostile? What does that bring to the table?
      - innocentoldguy 5y ago
        Hostile? I don't know what you mean.
        AnimalMuppet 5y ago
        You assume they are ignorant of the Constitution, rather than assuming that they didn't understand your statement, or event that your statement was less than clear. That's at least uncharitable.
        innocentoldguy 5y ago
        Aren't you making assumptions about my comment and motivations? What you're assuming is incorrect.

118 points by mindcrime 5y ago

Other links: https://forums.qrz.com/index.php?threads/cuban-government-jamming-40-meter-us-ham-band.772207/ https://forums.qrz.com/index.php?threads/cuban-government-ja... https://k0lwc.com/direction-finding-points-to-cuba-jamming-ham-radio-frequencies/ https://k0lwc.com/direction-finding-points-to-cuba-jamming-h... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVJS4skdtR8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVJS4skdtR8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtICIDDvnPw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtICIDDvnPw

JoeDaDude 5y ago
Interesting maps on [0], though details on how direction finding was done are lacking. Is this something anyone can do with friends who have radios around the country? If so, how? [0] https://k0lwc.com/direction-finding-points-to-cuba-jamming-ham-radio-frequencies/ https://k0lwc.com/direction-finding-points-to-cuba-jamming-h...
- user3939382 5y ago
  Signal triangulation. You compare strength of a broadcast from a few locations to deduce broadcast location. In the US there’s a volunteer group that does this for the FCC, I forget the name. https://wfebb101.com/faq/how-to-triangulate-a-radio-signal.html https://wfebb101.com/faq/how-to-triangulate-a-radio-signal.h...
- mindcrime 5y ago
  Radio direction finding[1] can be complicated in a "the devil is in the details" sense, but the basics are fairly simple. All you really need are two stations with directional antennas[2] which can be reoriented freely. You have both stations reorient their antennas until they see maximum signal strength from the signal in question. Now you have two points at known, fixed locations, along with two angles - from there it's straightforward triangulation[3]. Using more stations can help reduce the error and get a more precise fix on the source of the transmission. That said, again, "the devil is in the details" because of things like ionospheric reflection, attenuation from passing through things, etc. Radio signals usually travel in approximately straight lines, but there are some quirks that come into play, depending on the frequencies involved, distances, and suchlike. See also: Radio Direction Finder (RDF)[4] [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direction_finding https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direction_finding [2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Directional_antenna https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Directional_antenna [3]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangulation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangulation [4]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_direction_finder https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_direction_finder
- nvahalik 5y ago
  Direction finding is usually done with antennas which have large null regions. (Highly directional). You point them in a direction and if you get a signal you mark that down. Then just repeat 3+ more times.
  - lightlyused 5y ago
    None of the SDRs in the videos have directional antennas, so my trust of the results is low.
motohagiography 5y ago
Watched the youtube video and it was followed by another one about direction finding using KiwiSDR - which yielded a recent story about how that SDR had been backdoored: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/07/for-years-a-backdoor-in-popular-kiwisdr-product-gave-root-to-project-developer/ https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/07/for-years-a-backdoor... Is it just me or does anything to do with RF and hardware seem like spy games all the way down?
- reedjosh 5y ago
  I think anything communications related is spy games all the way down.
- BuildTheRobots 5y ago
  The kiwiSDR news was posted yesterday, but has very few votes. I could have expected it to gain more interest. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27849008 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27849008

quijoteuniv 5y ago

«The United States embargo against Cuba prevents American businesses, and businesses with commercial activities in the United States, from conducting trade with Cuban interests. It is the most enduring trade embargo in modern history.” Wikipedia

mc32 5y ago
Is your position that sanctions/embargoes should not be used? Or just not used against Cuba? Was it not okay to embargo other countries whom we had disagreements with or were those okay to embargo, like (imperial) Japan, (apartheid) South Africa, (ayatollah) Iran?
- random314 5y ago
  This line of questioning can be continued indefinitely. Did Cuba bomb US territories(Japan), practice Apartheid (South Africa) or nationalize their oil (Iran).
  - mc32 5y ago
    Well, they did agitate all over Africa and LatAM in conjunction with KGB operatives and provided thousands of troops to overthrow governments and did plot to kill dissidents on US soil... But I guess the answer is yes, embargoes make sense when we disagree vehemently with another country and its policies. But I know what people are saying: "I want you to embargo countries I don't like, and I want you to not embargo countries I like." and everyone will have a different set of countries.
    - quijoteuniv 5y ago
      With these line of thought I guess the whole world should embargo the US. :)
      - mc32 5y ago
        That's their prerogative, isn't it?

asfarley 5y ago

I have a feeling that even in North America, ham radio regulation is essentially anti-revolution legislation. In other discussions on HN I’ve had responses suggesting that it’s simply to ensure that e.g. kids don’t disrupt emergency bands. It seems similar to anti-gun legislation which also appears to a type of anti-revolution legislation despite being positioned as a measure to reduce school shootings.

JKCalhoun 5y ago
You lost me when you compared it to gun control.
- innocentoldguy 5y ago
  Probably because you haven't read the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Federalist Papers.
  - sweetheart 5y ago
    Why so hostile? What does that bring to the table?
    - innocentoldguy 5y ago
      Hostile? I don't know what you mean.
      - AnimalMuppet 5y ago
        You assume they are ignorant of the Constitution, rather than assuming that they didn't understand your statement, or event that your statement was less than clear. That's at least uncharitable.
        innocentoldguy 5y ago
        Aren't you making assumptions about my comment and motivations? What you're assuming is incorrect.