GPS Device Jammers Thwarted

GPS technology is a major aspect of modern life. Millions of people around the world use some kind of GPS device. Some use GPS navigation systems in their vehicles to help direct them in their travels. Others take advantage of the GPS equipped in their smartphone or tablet devices. Some people carry a tracking device with them when hiking, camping or off-roading, to avoid getting lost. Emergency response teams use the technology to get to the scene as fast as possible and researchers use it to monitor wildlife, their habitats, and even to measure the movement of mountains and the earth itself!

GPS technology relies on GPS signals bouncing from the earth’s surface to satellites orbiting our atmosphere and back. Certain crafty developers have come up with devices to jam these signals, causing serious problems for military, air traffic control, and everyday people relying on those signals. Chronos Technology have recently released a device that can detect these jamming signals. The device is called CTL-3520.

“Previous jamming detection products have been unable to identify which vehicle is hosting the jammer. This has been a particular limitation and a major challenge for people wishing to protect critical infrastructure if faced with GPS jamming emanating from a nearby vehicle. Most websites currently selling GPS jammers maintain that the operating distance of a jammer is just a few meters. This is simply not true. We have tested GPS jammers in controlled trials and their range is easily 250/300 meters which makes specific vehicle identification extremely difficult, particularly in a multi-story car park,” explained Professor Charles Curry. “The CTL-3520 solves this problem and can pick out one vehicle in a thousand which has the jammer installed.”

“This product contains advanced technology which is the culmination of more than two years of research and development at the University of Bath, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) within the SENTINEL project. We are delighted that our collaboration with Chronos has led to a commercial product,” said Dr. Robert Watson from the Electronic & Electrical Engineering Department at the University of Bath.

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GPS Device Jammers Thwarted