Cell phone jammers are not new. They have been around for quite some time now. However, they haven’t received much attention until recently. That’s because they are mostly used by law enforcement agencies and military personnel. But, nowadays, they are also being used by civilians. In fact, they are becoming more popular among people who want to avoid unwanted calls and texts.
This Cellular Phone Jammer Guide will cover its in and outs: what’s the cell phone jammer? how does it work? Is it illegal? And how to buy a signal jammer? In short, you can check what you need in the bellowing content table.
What Is A Cell Phone Jammer?
A cell phone jammer is a radio frequency device that blocks access to cell phone signals. The jamming device transmits on the same radio frequency as the cell phone, thereby disrupting communication between the cell phone and the nearest cell phone base station or cell phone tower. When the jammer is working in the vicinity, you will easily see the effects of the signal interference, the network strength and call quality are reduced to the point that using the cell phone is almost impossible. Also, almost no one can detect that it is being used because you will only get poor signal strength in your cell phone.
What does a cellphone jammer consist of?
Cell phone jammers generally include the following components.
- Antenna
- Voltage controlled oscillator
- Tuning circuit
- Noise generators
- Power supply
- RF amplification
Signal jammer circuitry diagram (mainly including power supply, IF part, and RF part with antenna)
Do cell phone jammers block WiFi or GPS?
Nowadays, most cell phone jammers are able to block the communication between cell phones and cell phone towers, and are generally able to switch or turn on other signal frequency channels at the same time, such as 2.4GHZ / 5GHZ (WiFi frequency band), so basically you can say that cell phone jammers can block WiFi or GPS signal.
What types of Mobile Signal jammers?
Depending on the size of jammers, they can usually be divided into two types.
- One is the portable jammers, which are battery-operated and small enough to fit in your pocket, so can meet the needs of mobility.
- The other is the desktop jammers, larger size and more antennas, are plugged into a standard outlet or wired into a vehicle’s electrical system, Which are also larger power and shielding range, generally designed for use in schools, prisons and other purposes.
According to the blocked signal, they can also be divided into 2G / 3G / 4G / 5G jammer, GPS Jammer, WiFi Jammer, but most cell phone jammers can work on more than one channel, so most of them can block multiple signals.
In addition, can also be divided into different types of cell phone jammers, such as:
- Remote control cell phone jammer
- Adjustable mobile jammers
- School and prison mobile jammers
- Explosion-proof cell phone jammers
- Police and military cell phone jammers
How do cell phone signal jammers work?
Cell phone jammers disrupt communication between a cell phone and the cellular base station by emitting a radio frequency (RF) signal that works on the same radio frequency as that used by cellular phones and is stronger than the power supply of the nearest cell tower. This is also known as a denial-of-service attack. The jammer denies radio spectrum service to cellular users within range of the jamming device. Interference usually occurs in the downlink signal. You will not see any signal bars on your phone when the cellular signal is trapped.
How does mobile communication work?
Cell phones work by communicating with their service network through cell towers or base stations. Cell towers divide the city into small areas or cells. As a cell phone user drives down the street, the signal passes from one tower to another, and the system automatically commands the cell phone and the cell site with the stronger signal to switch to a new frequency to maintain the link.
Working of cellular phone jammer
Cell phone jammers work by transmitting signals on the same frequency and at a high enough power so that the two signals collide and cancel each other out, leaving the phone tricked into thinking there is no service.
Cell phones are full-duplex devices, which means they use two different frequencies, one for talking and the other for listening at the same time.
Less sophisticated devices can only block one set of frequencies, while sophisticated jammers can block multiple types of networks at the same time to stop dual- or tri-mode phones from automatically switching between network types to find open signals. Some high-end devices will block all frequencies at once, while other devices can be tuned to specific frequencies.
To jam a cell phone, all you need is a device that broadcasts on the correct frequency. GSM is used in digital cellular and PCS-based systems, and operates in the 900-MHz and 1800-MHz bands in Europe and Asia, and in the 1900-MHz (sometimes called 1.9-GHz) band in the United States. Interferers can broadcast on any frequency and are valid for AMPS, CDMA, TDMA, GSM, PCS, DCS, iDEN and Nextel systems.
How far does a cell phone jammer reach?
The actual range of the jammer depends on its power and the local environment, which may include hills or walls of buildings that block the jamming signal. Low-powered jammers can block calls within about 30 feet (9 m). Higher-powered jammers create a cell-free area the size of a soccer field. Devices used by law enforcement can shut down service within 1 mile (1.6 km) of the device.
Are cell phone jammers Illegal?
According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), “Federal law prohibits the operation, marketing, or sale of any type of jamming device that interferes with authorized radio communications, including cellular and personal communications services (PCS), police radar, and global positioning systems (GPS) ).”
Despite the law’s opposition, the use of cell phone jammers is common in schools, theaters and restaurant areas.
Why illegal?
In addition to interfering with regular communications, cell phone jammers can also prevent you and others from making 911 and other emergency calls, creating a dangerous risk for public safety communications, which is a very ethical reason to eliminate the use of cell phone jammers.
Mobile signal jammers, on the other hand, will not only block voice and text on your cell phone, but will also interfere with GPS, WiFi, and even police radar.
As mentioned above, this is why the federal government has banned the sale and use of any signal jammers in the United States.
What is the penalty?
According to the FCC, the use or sale of a jammer in the United States may subject a person to the following penalties:
- Substantial monetary penalties (up to $11,000 in fines)
- Seizure of the illegal device
- Criminal sanctions including imprisonment
- No exemptions in residences, businesses, vehicles, or classrooms.
- Local law enforcement agencies do not have independent authority to use jamming devices.
- Federal law enforcement agencies employment of tampering devices is authorized by statute only under certain limited exceptions.
Is it illegal in other countries?
In addition to military and law enforcement applications, cell phone jamming is illegal in many countries, including the United States. Some countries such as Mexico allow the use of cell phone jammers in public areas such as hospitals. Different countries have different laws regarding the use of cell phone jammers.
Why would someone use a cell phone jammer?
In a variety of circumstances, law enforcement and the armed forces utilize cell phone jammers to limit and disrupt communications. Certain companies use cell phone jammers in order to prevent corporate espionage by obstructing communication in sensitive locations. Some people also use portable jammers to prevent others in the vicinity from using cell phones. Bellowing are some of the common reasons for using a cell phone jammer.
- Blocking eavesdropping attempts – It is very easy for someone to conceal an audio transmitter in the remaining items in one’s home or workplace. Jammers can effectively stop snooping attempts. It is both convenient and cost-effective.
- Prevent location tracking – Location tracking can become quite annoying. Often, it is unavoidable. So, what’s a solution? Use jammers. By transmitting a noisy signal that interferes with GPS signals, jammers can effectively stop location tracking.
- Restrict cell phone activity – Cell phone jammers are often used to limit cell phone usage in certain areas and buildings, such as prisons. Jammers can help prevent any criminal activity by preventing unwanted cell calls between prisoners and the outside world.
- Stop cheating – Educational institutions also make extensive use of jammers. Jammers can be installed throughout campuses in order to effectively stop cheaters.
How to buy a proper cellphone jammer?
Before purchasing a jammer, you need to consider some of the following factors:
- Cost
Firstly, how much will you pay? You can get the cheapest jammers for about $30 to $60 (for example, devices that only block very specific signals). Reasonably priced, right? On the other hand, they tend to use batteries for a very short period of time and cover only small areas.
If you decide to buy a more specialized device, you’ll have to put more money behind it – say $500. On the bright side, you don’t have to worry about getting a separate GPS or Wi-Fi jammer. These models are usually able to block a variety of signals, including cellular, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, and other radio communications.
- Size
Surprisingly, portable jammers are as small as a cell phone. However, they require batteries and may only work for short periods of time, covering only small areas. If you want to cover a larger area, feel free to block the signal of your choice, or block it for a longer period of time – you should choose one of the desktop models. These models may be bulkier, but they allow you to cover an area as large as a building and cover a specific signal, not just block every signal in that area. These jammers have the ability to pack a real punch.
- Functionality
What to expect next? As mentioned before, the cheaper models have only the most important features. They have the ability to block a single type of communication for about an hour of run time (due to battery life), but that’s about it. Moderately priced models are more functional. They offer the user more functionality by providing a choice of types and frequencies of signals that can be jammed. In addition, the battery life and range are superior to smaller batteries. They can last about 2-4 hours and cover a few dozen meters of free space.
- Installation
Jamming devices are usually unassembled, so users must assemble them themselves. Assembling the components is very simple and usually takes no more than 10-15 minutes. Since there are not many bare-bones models, all you have to do is turn them on (or simply plug them into a socket) and they are ready to rock. However, the higher-end models require some initialization and tweaking before you can get them to work.