DroneGun Takes Out Drones From Over A Mile Away

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The maker of this DroneGun thing claims that it can take down a drone from up to a mile and a quarter away. You can't buy one yet so this is a bit like a commercial or demo reel for the U.S. government, but it's still pretty impressive looking.
 
So add RADAR and some smart tracking software, automate the system and you have your own personal drone Bermuda triangle.

And ebay your ass off (y)
 
So it jams 2.4 GHz is my guess. I would think a pringle can WiFi antenna,some hardware to generate noise and a $10 red dot sight from amazon might yield similar results.

Edit: it looks like it might be both a 2.4 Ghz and 5 Ghz, so buy 2 pringle cans.
 
If it jams wireless signals, I think the FCC would have something to say about it.

Probably restricted for government use only is my guess.
 
Accursed said:
So it jams 2.4 GHz is my guess. I would think a pringle can WiFi antenna,some hardware to generate noise and a $10 red dot sight from amazon might yield similar results.

Edit: it looks like it might be both a 2.4 Ghz and 5 Ghz, so buy 2 pringle cans.
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Question is, how do you do broadband jamming out to that distance without jamming every phone and device in the frequency range for miles?
 
lcpiper said:
Question is, how do you do broadband jamming out to that distance without jamming every phone and device in the frequency range for miles?
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I would think that first you would want to "capture" the control signals and then selectively overpower the drone with stronger command signals that tell the drone to land without actually jamming entire frequency ranges.

It looks like Droneshield has three antenna surfaces.
images


The central one looks very different from the others and I suspect that this is the receiver antenna. The other two are of different sizes and this does suggests two distinct frequency ranges because size does effect frequency with larger antennas handling lower frequencies and smaller ones handling higher frequencies.
 
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So, pre-programmed with autonomous software and no radio link, FOILED. Next challenge?
 
Accursed said:
So it jams 2.4 GHz is my guess. I would think a pringle can WiFi antenna,some hardware to generate noise and a $10 red dot sight from amazon might yield similar results.

Edit: it looks like it might be both a 2.4 Ghz and 5 Ghz, so buy 2 pringle cans.
Click to expand...

Likely jams a much, much wider spread of frequencies. Likely 1-1.6ghz since that's where GPS lies. Otherwise upon wifi signal loss, the done would just return to its starting GPS coordinates.
 
potency said:
I was always told size doesn't matter...
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That's because she's interested in your wallet and not your dick. Ask her if "how much" matters :LOL:

Since potency showed such excellent grace and "liked" my post, I wanted to let him know how much I appreciated it by confiding that my wife is much the same which may have something to do with how readily I recognize the symptoms :(
 
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otherweeb said:
So, pre-programmed with autonomous software and no radio link, FOILED. Next challenge?
Click to expand...

Does your autonomous software make use of GPS coordinates cause being lost and not knowing where you are or how to get home is sort of an event.
 
lcpiper said:
Question is, how do you do broadband jamming out to that distance without jamming every phone and device in the frequency range for miles?
Click to expand...

that's what the pringle can is for, to focus the signal into a narrow beam
 
rat said:
Likely jams a much, much wider spread of frequencies. Likely 1-1.6ghz since that's where GPS lies. Otherwise upon wifi signal loss, the done would just return to its starting GPS coordinates.
Click to expand...

Good point, so my guess would be 2.4 Ghz and 1-1.6 Ghz, 5Ghz doesn't have much distance anyway.
 
MavericK said:
If it jams wireless signals, I think the FCC would have something to say about it.

Probably restricted for government use only is my guess.
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Which is why if you click the link (not the video) it says at the bottom that it is prohibited for sale/ownership/use/etc in the US of A.

I mean hell, if you could get your hand on that imagine the DroneJacking that could occur as a result :D Kill their video feed, make the drone go into controlled decent mode, steal the goods!
 
Those antennas have physical dimensions, if you took the measurements you could do some math and figure out a rough estimate of the frequency ranges.

I see one formula given as "the formula for calculating antenna length was given as "length in meters =300 / frequency in MHz".
http://www.instructables.com/answers/How-do-you-determine-the-length-of-an-antenna-and-/

Of course there are many different types of antenna and I am sure many of them require a modification of this formula or a different formula entirely. But I think you can get a rough guess of which antenna does what if you research it from this angle.
 
sfsuphysics said:
Which is why if you click the link (not the video) it says at the bottom that it is prohibited for sale/ownership/use/etc in the US of A.

I mean hell, if you could get your hand on that imagine the DroneJacking that could occur as a result :D Kill their video feed, make the drone go into controlled decent mode, steal the goods!
Click to expand...

I learned to pick locks in 10th grade. Imagine what free things are mine for the taking with this logic! :p
 
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lcpiper said:
Does your autonomous software make use of GPS coordinates cause being lost and not knowing where you are or how to get home is sort of an event.
Click to expand...

Good point, although the video implies direct hijack of the instructions to the drone, spoofing GPS might do the same. +1 Icpiper
 
Sooo... someone pulled the barrel out of an AR and bolted three yagi antennas to the tactical rails, and then plugged them in to a backpack full of RF noise generators. This isn't exactly breaking new ground. (It is, however, breaking the law. Hope bagging that kids quad was worth the $16,000 fine from the FCC...)


There's also the problem of not knowing what the drone you're planning on jamming is going to do.

If it's a cheap RC hobbyist drone, it'll immediately falls out of the sky. Result: handful of carbon-fiber shrapnel and burning lithium.

For and expensive photography drone, it depends on its software settings. Might attempt an immediate soft landing. Might attempt to return to its "home" location on inertial-guidance. Might just hover until the battery runs out (And you'll have to keep the thing pointed the entire 30+ minutes -- hope you brought a book.)
 
Well, the fun thing about companies doing defense contractor work is that they get to break the rules, within the boundaries of the new rules.

When I was in Army Tactical MI units, our jamming teams couldn't actually jam either except under the most controlled conditions. But it doesn't mean that the companies whole built those jammers were doing anything illegal building them or operating them under the proper controls. It just means that most people are not privy to the controls or know they exist.

I didn't see any details, if it is working by jamming or if it is sending more complex control signals to hijack the drone, or as otherweeb suggests, sending false GPS data so that you trick the drone into flying where you want it to.
 
XenIneX said:
Sooo... someone pulled the barrel out of an AR and bolted three yagi antennas to the tactical rails, and then plugged them in to a backpack full of RF noise generators. This isn't exactly breaking new ground. (It is, however, breaking the law. Hope bagging that kids quad was worth the $16,000 fine from the FCC...)


There's also the problem of not knowing what the drone you're planning on jamming is going to do.

If it's a cheap RC hobbyist drone, it'll immediately falls out of the sky. Result: handful of carbon-fiber shrapnel and burning lithium.

For and expensive photography drone, it depends on its software settings. Might attempt an immediate soft landing. Might attempt to return to its "home" location on inertial-guidance. Might just hover until the battery runs out (And you'll have to keep the thing pointed the entire 30+ minutes -- hope you brought a book.)
Click to expand...

I seriously doubt any non-military drone has inertial guidance systems. My biggest concern with a device like this would be jamming signals of any low flying planes. 1 mile is 5000ft, many private planes fly at altitudes of 1000-3000 ft for regular cruise. The last thing they need is the threat of losing GPS while en route for landing.
 
2.4GHz falls off inversely to the distance meaning every ten feet the signal strength cuts in half so

2.4GHz at 6 amps at 10 feet is 3 amps at 20 feet, 1.5 amps at 30 feet, .75 amps at 40 feet, .375 at fifty feet and so until 140 to 150 feet there is simply no ions left, 5GHz has twice as many waves and troughs in the same expanding wave... so it is easy to saturate that space with signals but what is interesting is that the device takes control of the device to land it instead of dropping it out of the sky so it can be used as evidence... my guess is that barrel is a rifle barrel for when the drone can no be taken over.

There is currently a group trying to figure out anti-drone weapons when a domestic enemy attempts to survey a military or government facility with a drone... I put a bid in on the off chance I can get some of my old tech back out of what ever box it is sitting in. It is probably labeled space ship... snicker. Two of my friends were deported and the rest of us told to join the military when we turned eighteen then everyone simply forgot about it...
 
All effective until china stars making laser gyros for pennies on the dollar. Then you need to move into actually taking shit down with laser or physical means.
 
Darunion said:
I learned to pick locks in 10th grade. Imagine what free things are mine for the taking with this logic! :p
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Logic? it was a simple statement of what could happen, which FYI is not why using them is illegal. It's because anything that active blocks a radio signal is illegal as per the FCC>
 
sfsuphysics said:
Logic? it was a simple statement of what could happen, which FYI is not why using them is illegal. It's because anything that active blocks a radio signal is illegal as per the FCC>
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Oh I am aware of what is illegal about it. I guess I interpreted your comment as an opportunity for cash grabs (which in the past with many people, stealing someones drone doesn't come off as something that is illegal, which is strange to me).
 
N4CR said:
All effective until china stars making laser gyros for pennies on the dollar. Then you need to move into actually taking shit down with laser or physical means.
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Explain please? I am ignorant, what do laser gyros do for you?
 
lcpiper said:
Explain please? I am ignorant, what do laser gyros do for you?
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One of many inertial guidance systems. An accelerometer is pretty standard but a laser gyro gives you direction/roll angles and helps with positioning to an extremely very accurate degree. Basically enables a drone to carry out a very detailed mission without radio control at all.
 
sfsuphysics said:
Logic? it was a simple statement of what could happen, which FYI is not why using them is illegal. It's because anything that active blocks a radio signal is illegal as per the FCC>
Click to expand...

Not actually true. Ownership, manufacture, construction, none of which are illegal. But usage is heavily restricted.
 
N4CR said:
One of many inertial guidance systems. An accelerometer is pretty standard but a laser gyro gives you direction/roll angles and helps with positioning to an extremely very accurate degree. Basically enables a drone to carry out a very detailed mission without radio control at all.
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I ask because my understanding is that they still rely on radio based GPS systems.

I am not aware of a Ring Laser Gyroscope INS that works without incorporating a GPS system as part of the solution. But again, I am not that up on this, it is not something I know well.
 
lcpiper said:
I ask because my understanding is that they still rely on radio based GPS systems.

I am not aware of a Ring Laser Gyroscope INS that works without incorporating a GPS system as part of the solution. But again, I am not that up on this, it is not something I know well.
Click to expand...

It is more of a last ditch effort, e.g. final missile guidance in heavy EW scenario. Of course GPS or other signals will make it more accurate but it's better than nothing and can operate alone and in conjunction with other INS derivatives (edit: and other sensor types of course too!). Many ways to skin a cat.
 
I'd rather have a phased plasma rifle in the 40 watt range.
 
N4CR said:
It is more of a last ditch effort, e.g. final missile guidance in heavy EW scenario. Of course GPS or other signals will make it more accurate but it's better than nothing and can operate alone and in conjunction with other INS derivatives (edit: and other sensor types of course too!). Many ways to skin a cat.
Click to expand...

It's funny you chose an Air Defense related comparison.

I was a 98J, a RADAR Intercept Analyst, when I was in the Army. Intercepting and doing battlefield analysis of RADARs was a big thing for me for years. I never worked one of the dream jobs at the NSA or some other special locations though. I was the guy in the field with the tactical intercept equipment or worked anlaysis at the Technical Control and Analysis Element, of one unit or another, for many years. It's still interesting to this day.
 
lcpiper said:
I ask because my understanding is that they still rely on radio based GPS systems.

I am not aware of a Ring Laser Gyroscope INS that works without incorporating a GPS system as part of the solution. But again, I am not that up on this, it is not something I know well.
Click to expand...

RLGN's work fine on their own for quite a while. You do want to update your "fix" occasionally for accuracy though. But as long as you could get a GPS position every day or so, you'd be fine...
 
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