Digital RF Guide to Jamming

Digital RF Guide to Jamming

The field of Jamming is always a very difficult area for people to make a decision as to the exact solution required to meet their specific needs. Digital RF, has built-up an impressive reputation since its inception for offering complete Counter Terrorist  &  Surveillance  solutions,  individually  tailored  to meet the client’s specific needs. All of Digital RF’s products are designed and manufactured in their facility in Essex in the UK, but their services do not end there. The company prides itself in providing a complete After-Sales Service including system integration, training and in field support.

 Fixed Building/Room Jammers:

As technological products continue to reduce in size and increase in connectivity there is a growing need for more complex systems to provide building security. Preventing communications within a building is the main task to ensure the security of information. Depending on the building and occupants there are two methods commonly used. Where the building/room is in a VIP’s office, Embassy or Police Station, Low Power Room Jammers can be placed in each room as required. Featuring full Remote Control, the units can be switched on and off as required to block communications when needed. For Detention Centers or Prisons a different Jamming System is required, such as Digital RF’s High Power Jammer Systems, which can be placed around the perimeter of the building, enabling the jamming signal to be transmitted into the building.

In both these situations there are two concerns from the user: How do we ensure the jamming signal does not go outside the building? The Digital RF Site Signal Survey provides information which understands the signals in and around the location, adjusting the levels accordingly and selecting the correct antenna for the installation.

Can we use our own phones while jamming? The Digital RF Jammer System has a facility to provide a White list (phones allowed) and a Black list (phones not allowed).

Digital RF also provides  a  product  range  to  protect  VIPs against illegal interception of telephones. Tapping into telephones illegally is a growing threat to security, but by placing the Digital RF Network Guard in an office, or in a building, all network activity is monitored. If a threat tries to intercept calls and SMS messages, the Network Guard will give an alarm. The details of the Frequency band the threat is being transmitted on is automatically sent to the Digital RF Handheld Detector and Security Staff can then immediately sweep the perimeter of the building and locate and remove the threat.

Portable Jamming Systems for VIP, Military and Police personnel protection 

Moving a VIP from building to the Convoy vehicle is a vulnerable point in Security operations. Protection against Remote Controlled Improvised Explosive Device (RCIED) has to be maintained. In some situations the Convoy Jammer can be placed close enough to the apartment / building to provide coverage during the transition to the Convoy. Where this is not possible the Close Protection Security Staff can carry a Portable Jammer. The specification of such a Jammer requires some compromises. To provide the best coverage you would need to Jam all frequencies 20-6000MHz at high power. In order to do this with a portable handheld case the size and weight will be too much for one person to carry. Added to this is the danger to the safety of the Security Staff from the transmitted radiation.

A solution is to provide protection against the most common threats. A system should have a wide range of frequencies available, the highest power that can safely be transmitted, and be powered by a light weight battery with the required operational life. Digital RF has a wide range of Portable solutions including the Briefcase Jammers and Back Pack Jammers, tailored to the mission and the security operation procedures of each organization. Reactive Jamming, sometimes known as Smart Jamming or Threat Detection, is used for certain environments and missions to target threats as they appear.

Vehicle mounted Jamming Systems and RF Survey systems on-the-move for VIP Convoys.

The use of Vehicle mounted Jammers in Convoys is a well- known tool for the protection of VIP’s against the threat of RCIEDs. Vehicle Systems fitted with Jammers and Antenna Systems can block  RCIEDs  with  frequencies  from  20MHz to 3000MHz, 6000MHz or 9000MHz depending on the application. However there is a common misunderstanding when it comes to  the operational  range  of  coverage  from Convoy Jammers. In built-up suburban areas the performance of a Jammer may be very different to the performance in an open desert environment. The performance of any Jammer System whether it is wall mounted, portable or a vehicle system depends on the level of the jamming signal versus the level of the terrorist trigger transmission - both being received by the RCIED receiver. A GSM Jammer will have a different range of protection when it is near a Base Telephone system (BTS) as opposed to operating where the GSM signals are low. The difference in the performance between high and low GSM signals can be quite enormous.

Many Jammer companies take advantage of this fact and quote very large jamming ranges. In reality these advertised distances are not achieved and users are disappointed. Digital RF provides honest distance assurances of jamming based on the actual signal survey in the area.

Digital RF has a range of Survey Tools to assist Security Staff in route planning to ensure the most effective use of a Vehicle Jamming System. The Digital RF Network Survey Tool monitors the signal level of every Network along the route. The Data is analyzed and a plot of the route is provided indicating the signal strength of each Network provider. Based on this information the Security Staff can avoid areas of high network coverage or locate the relevant BTS.

For a more detailed analysis of a convoy route the Digital RF Threat Detection System can be used. The Threat Detector scans all frequencies from 20-6000MHz. Analysis can be performed live or later from the office to show all the frequencies received on route and the direction/location of the frequency. Using this information Security Staff can analyze the route for potential threats to ensure the maximum performance of a Jamming system. The Threat Detector can be linked to the Digital RF Convoy Jammer to provide a Reactive Jammer.