9 ms·
Based on the photo in an article linked to from the original article, the device appears to be this: https://www.xiaomitoday.com/product/texin-bg-e8/ https://w
by cantrevealname 5y ago
Based on the photo in an article linked to from the original article, the device appears to be this:
https://www.xiaomitoday.com/product/texin-bg-e8/ https://www.xiaomitoday.com/product/texin-bg-e8/
Quoting from the ad: "The BG-E8 signal jammer weighs only 2.3 kg. The Texin jammer consumes 60W of power and has a single channel 3-4W transmitting power." And costs $119.99.
- baybal2 5y agoThis looks to be a bit more serious piece of hardware than what you can get on Alibaba. How does this stuff makes it to the USA?
- istingray 5y agoThere are hundreds of 5G jammers listed on Alibaba: https://www.alibaba.com/trade/search?fsb=y&IndexArea=product_en&CatId=&SearchText=5g+%22jammer%22&viewtype=&tab= https://www.alibaba.com/trade/search?fsb=y&IndexArea=product...
- baybal2 5y agoI stand corrected now. I seen small portable jammers on Alibaba years ago, but so far nothings like I've seen in the link you gave.
- lbotos 5y agoYou do realize that you can order all kinds of things on Alibaba? Or even, just from the internet? I was importing small PCBs and components from china when I was 15. Most of the time the seller would write "gift" on the package. If the seller writes "wifi router" on the box, is customs gonna doubt it? Sure, one in every X should be getting checked by whatever department looks out for "dangerous electronics" but it's easier than you think. If no american is shipping boats of these into ports to sell, I doubt customs even looked at this person's small box with one device in it.
- baybal2 5y agoWell, there were literally the uranium enrichment centrifuges there one day 10 years ago, the page for which I seen myself. Though they since cracked down on many things
- swader999 5y agoYeah but they were only three stars.
- sidewndr46 5y agoThe other common thing is to label it "test equipment".
- Teever 5y agoIn crumpled cardboard boxes liberally wrapped in that distinct yellow tape commonly seen on packages from sites like alibaba and banggood.
- wlesieutre 5y agoParent comment's linked page has a link to Banggood which no longer works, but presumably it did at one point. I've bought from there myself with shipping to the US, and I doubt every package gets inspected at customs. Among other things they sell a lot of 3d printing and electronics stuff.
- ffggvv 5y agolol that product description: “ Here we have an excellent device for you. Just have a look to understand what it is from the Texin brand. Did you get what it is? I think you got it. Yes, you are right that it is a signal jammer produced by the Texin named Texin BG-E8 which is crucial from different perspectives. If you are in search of a fantastic signal jammer by you can work properly, then I should say that you are in the right place.”
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]
- post_break 5y agoThe cost on this is incredible. The amount of destruction you could do with a handful of those. Rig them up on timers in various parts of a city. Crazy.
- throwawaygimp 5y agoFor sure. Although i think most people with enough radio knowledge to even go down this path also know how trivial it is to track down the source of interference, even for an amateur with cost-next-to-nothing gear.
- lostlogin 5y agoKeeping them moving would be cheap and trivial - mount them on a bus or truck or something.
- teh_infallible 5y agoThis made me think of the movie, “Pump up the Volume,” where Christian Slater has a pirate radio station and at one point he moves all his gear into a moving van to avoid detection.
- the-dude 5y agoThe Netherlands had pirate radio stations located at sea : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_Veronica https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_Veronica
- lostlogin 5y agoNew Zealand had a Radio Hauraki, also pirates at sea. https://nzhistory.govt.nz/page/radio-hauraki-rules-waves%3A-birth-commercial-radio-nz https://nzhistory.govt.nz/page/radio-hauraki-rules-waves%3A-...
- BoxOfRain 5y agoThe UK had loads of these at one point, but the really enduring one is Radio Caroline. They were broadcasting from international waters right up until the early '90s when the British government gave itself extraterritorial powers over foreign-flagged ships in international waters (!) in order to forcibly close down offshore broadcasters. Radio Caroline are still around though, they've actually done pretty well recently with fundraisers. Their old pirate ship is still used for broadcasting but these days instead of using the old valve transmitters aboard they use 4G to relay their signal to (ironically enough) an old BBC World Service site which is then broadcast on 648 kHz with a much more modern unit. They've just been licensed to turn up the power considerably too so they'll be receivable in much more of the UK and northern Europe than they are currently soon. It's kind of interesting to see new AM stations popping up in what's otherwise a dying band. I've always thought it's a bit short-sighted to get rid of AM because in a real national "shit hits the fan" scenario where power and networking are heavily affected it's an efficient way to reach lots of people. You can even build an AM demodulator out of a razor blade and a pencil if you're in proper trouble! I expect by the end of the decade the only things left on AM will be enthusiasts like Radio Caroline and hobbyist pirates (there's quite a few of these in the Netherlands and Greece).
- krisoft 5y agoFurther quoting from the ad: “ the humidity of the Texin jammer is 30-95%.” I understand that they are trying to describe the environmental conditions under which it can operate (probably) but it made think of a deliciously moist signal jammer. :) I understand why they would have a humidity max, but why do they care about the min?
- barsonme 5y ago(Just guessing, but) excess static electricity, maybe?
- amelius 5y agoThis could be nice to have one on a commute where one person on the train decides to have a loud telephone conversation. And you'll only have to use it for a minute or so; too short for authorities to track you down, and too short to cause serious damage.
- jdavis703 5y agoWhat if you jam the railroad communication on accident? Do you know what frequencies the engineer, conductors and operations center is using?
- amelius 5y agoWell first of all, if their service critically depends on wireless communication, then that's bad design. Further, I imagine you turn up the amount of power of the jammer until the person on the phone gets bad reception.
- jdavis703 5y agoI don’t know what you mean by critically. But everything from calling law enforcement for pedestrian and vehicle strikes to handling special operations (i.e. single tracking in a work zone) uses wireless communication. There are also defect detection systems that rely on radio transmissions to indicate if a train is for example dragging equipment.
- objectivetruth 5y agoIt's a train, of course their comms are wireless. They can't exactly just have a big spool paying out fiber from the back end.
- leephillips 5y agoI’ve heard of this psychological problem some people have: where they are disturbed by nearby people talking on the phone. Is there a name for it?
- 5y ago