BART Blocked Cellphone

[dawp]

http://news.yahoo.com/cellphones-blocked-sf-hinder-transit-protest-041114962.html

I had thought it was illegal to do this?

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

It's 1984 all over again...

 

[Mark R]

It's illegal to transmit an interfering signal to block cell phones.

It is not illegal to ask the cell phone companies to turn off their base stations.

 

[luv2liv]

it is illegal! jammers often interfere with other networks.
i used to work for Sprint and we found a small company using a jammer. it was interfering with our signal and causing dropped calls. with a spectrum analyser, you could see the jamming signal 3 miles away!!! apparently the boss of that company didnt want anyone chatting/playing/txting while working.

 

[Bignate603]

It's illegal to transmit an interfering signal to block cell phones.

It is not illegal to ask the cell phone companies to turn off their base stations.

From the sounds of it in the article, the base stations were located inside the stations themselves. If the stations are on their own property would they have any more rights to turn them off?

 

[Bignate603]

it is illegal! jammers often interfere with other networks.
i used to work for Sprint and we found a small company using a jammer. it was interfering with our signal and causing dropped calls. with a spectrum analyser, you could see the jamming signal 3 miles away!!! apparently the boss of that company didnt want anyone chatting/playing/txting while working.

But they didn't use a jammer.

 

[SpunkyJones]

it is illegal! jammers often interfere with other networks.
i used to work for Sprint and we found a small company using a jammer. it was interfering with our signal and causing dropped calls. with a spectrum analyser, you could see the jamming signal 3 miles away!!! apparently the boss of that company didnt want anyone chatting/playing/txting while working.

They shut off the stations, they didn't use jammers.

 

[zzuupp]

Off switch <> jamming

 

[BoomerD]

I'd love to have a high-powered cell phone jammer...Imagine the LULZ you'd have, driving down the road with it on full blast...

In spite of the laws against using a cell phone while driving, it's very common to see folks tooling down the road with cell phones stuck to their head.

:whiste:

 

[bart1975]

A cell phone jammer is also fun to use when walking through the mall. Plenty of lulz.

 

[mnewsham]

http://www.thesignaljammer.com/products/Cell-Phone-Jammer-480W-Indoor.html

Install this in your room.

 

[zinfamous]

Iran did this too! Oh Noes! The US = Muslim terrorist state1 Oh Noes! we must take out our traitor in chief Barrack Hussein Obama = Barack Hussein bin Laden!

/spidey

 

[zinfamous]

I'd love to have a high-powered cell phone jammer...Imagine the LULZ you'd have, driving down the road with it on full blast...

In spite of the laws against using a cell phone while driving, it's very common to see folks tooling down the road with cell phones stuck to their head.

:whiste:

I've always thought that front-mounted guided missiles were an apt enough solution for this and many other idiot driver-related issues.

 

[BoomerD]

I've always thought that front-mounted guided missiles were an apt enough solution for this and many other idiot driver-related issues.

Those should be standard equipment on cars...and rear-launching sticky-grenades to get the tailgaters off your ass...

I commuted in the bay area for many, many years. I hate driving over there.

 

[WelshBloke]

I'd love to have a high-powered cell phone jammer...Imagine the LULZ you'd have, driving down the road with it on full blast...

In spite of the laws against using a cell phone while driving, it's very common to see folks tooling down the road with cell phones stuck to their head.

:whiste:

Unfortunately I could see that causing more accidents as the idiots start dicking around with their phones to see whats wrong.

Cinemas however...:thumbsup:

 

[zinfamous]

Those should be standard equipment on cars...and rear-launching sticky-grenades to get the tailgaters off your ass...

I commuted in the bay area for many, many years. I hate driving over there.

It is the worst place that I have ever driven.

...haven't driven in India/China yet, though.

:hmm:

Oh wait, yes I have. :sneaky:

 

[Leros]

I'd love to have a high-powered cell phone jammer...Imagine the LULZ you'd have, driving down the road with it on full blast...

In spite of the laws against using a cell phone while driving, it's very common to see folks tooling down the road with cell phones stuck to their head.

:whiste:

I don't think its legal to buy a cell phone jammer or use a cell phone jammer, but here are plans to build one.

http://www.ladyada.net/make/wavebubble/

 

[zinfamous]

I don't think its legal to buy a cell phone jammer or use a cell phone jammer, but here are plans to build one.

http://www.ladyada.net/make/wavebubble/

that is made infinitely more awesome by being stashed in a pack of Newports.

 

[BoomerD]

It is the worst place that I have ever driven.

...haven't driven in India/China yet, though.

:hmm:

Oh wait, yes I have. :sneaky:

Never been to either of those, but I have driven in Vietnam...Saigon used to be lots of fun...especially when you didn't really care if you ran over one of the locals.

 

[zinfamous]

Never been to either of those, but I have driven in Vietnam...Saigon used to be lots of fun...especially when you didn't really care if you ran over one of the locals.

well, what I meant by the :sneaky:, is that living/driving in the Bay Area, one might as well be in India/China.

 

[Red Squirrel]

http://www.thesignaljammer.com/products/Cell-Phone-Jammer-480W-Indoor.html

Install this in your room.

LOL 480w. That is insane. You could probably take out half a city with that if you got the right antenna.

Though the fact that these devices are fairly easily (ok maybe not this one, at 15k) obtainable makes me realize a wireless security system is probably not the best choice. Best to stick to wired. They probably run on a different frequency, but someone who knows what they're doing could probably jam it.

 

[BoomerD]

well, what I meant by the :sneaky:, is that living/driving in the Bay Area, one might as well be in India/China.

No shit....too many "immigrants" in the bay area who have zero concept of how to drive properly...not all of them from foreign countries.

 

[mnewsham]

LOL 480w. That is insane. You could probably take out half a city with that if you got the right antenna.

Though the fact that these devices are fairly easily (ok maybe not this one, at 15k) obtainable makes me realize a wireless security system is probably not the best choice. Best to stick to wired. They probably run on a different frequency, but someone who knows what they're doing could probably jam it.

Very true, a decent 100meter one is only about 2 grand (not cheap but not unobtainable)

 

[jersiq]

From the sounds of it in the article, the base stations were located inside the stations themselves. If the stations are on their own property would they have any more rights to turn them off?

It really depends on how the system is set up. For example if it's a DAS with a neutral host (meaning one non-cellular company owns the antenna design and each cellular company pays that company for access) then yes. If it's a macro then there has to be some really odd verbiage in the lease agreements. Normally landlords cannot interfere with the operation of a tower unless it a written agreement. For example, one cell site had antennas mounted on the edge of the billboard. if the billboard had to be changed, the lease indicated we had to turn our site off while the workers changed the billboard.

And those advocating building jammers, enjoy your $10,000 per day fine. Interference hunting is a common technique among carriers, and having met quite a few people who do it over the years, they are REAL good at finding you.

 

[bfdd]

of course it's the Bay Area. Those hippies don't realize how bad they really are.