Posted on 05/09/2011 4:24:38 PM PDT by Smogger
We partnered with Wired to bring you a peek inside an FBI car-tracking device. The device is similar to the one Yasir Afifi found underneath his car. If you're curious where this one came from, Wired has posted a writeup about Karen Thomas, the woman who found this tracker under her car. They've also posted a video of Kyle doing the teardown.
The device comprises of a GPS unit for receiving the car's position, an RF transmitter for relaying your location to the interested authority (aka the FBI), and a set of sweet D-cell batteries that power the whole enchilada. But we didn't stop there, of course. Read on to find out exactly what components make this secretive device tick.
Disclaimer: We love the FBI. We've worked with them on several occasions to fight crime and locate criminals. We've helped them with instructions on gaining entry into certain devices. We have nothing against them, and we hope they don't come after us for publishing this teardown.
(Excerpt) Read more at ifixit.com ...
Personally, If I ever found one attached to my car I would mail it to the South Pole.
The weak link in all these is the GPS signal they rely upon is easly spoofed. In fact they sell them for car lighters. You can program it to say your car is in your garage, for example, when you are driving about.
Yeah I think FedEx’ing it to the FBI field office in Iraq would be a big enough hint for even the dumbest of cops...
“...mail it to the South Pole...”
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What’s their zip code?
APO/AP Zip Code 96598
Put it on a UPS or FEDX truck.
Put it on your Mother-in-laws car.
Put it on your worst enemies car.
Best yet put it on an FBI car.
Need I go on?
You could slap it on a Greyhound bus. That would be some fun. ;-)
You could also slap it on the car of the nearest Imam. You know, as a backup.
There’s that scene in the movie about the traitor in th FBI. The traitor knows he’s caught, and says “I’ve known you’ve been on to me for a while. There’s still that radio noise problem with the GPS you put on my car...”
[Participant's Name, Project # or RPSC]
South Pole Station
PSC 468 Box 400
APO AP 96598
It takes about 6 weeks for them to receive their mail. An entertaining 6 weeks for the feds following this device for sure.
Don’t they have cell phones?
If I found one on my car, I would simply stick it on someone else’s car (preferibly one with out of town plates) and wave bye bye
Amundsen scott south pole station
Zip code 96958
Sorry thats 96598
Well, I knoow exactly what it *could* be used for. Of course, that would be exceptionally bad and mean and probably illegal ;).
Go to a truck stop & fasten in onto a trailer then go on your merry way the next thing the FBI knows is that you are on your way to Olathe Kansas for a load of box beef while in fact you are heading in an entirely different direction.
HEard of ranchers out west doing this to tracking collars on wolves , it freaked out the Fish & game types when their wolf was going down the highway at 75 MPH. 8*>
The trouble with any form of tampering is that it is illegal. The law against tampering with any government surveillance device was originally intended to prevent Mafiosa from locating and destroying police listening devices. It is even called “obstruction of justice” if you are caught informing others about their presence.
So the best bet, if you found such a device in your vehicle, would be to loosen its restraints, then go for a ride on a bumpy patch of freeway or busy highway. Hopefully it will be smashed by a dozen semi-trucks before they can recover it.
Alternatively, if you know some juvenile delinquents, get them to steal it, and use it to prank the government.
That being said, the last court case out of the 9th district on this subject ruled that agents could place trackers on vehicles parked in their own driveway. I'm don't support that.
You mean you gotta what? Sell your car to get rid of it? Isn’t there a law about tampering with other peoples cars? Geesh.. Ridiculous
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