Can drones be jammed?

Forums › Gadgets, robotics, home automation, electronics (including wearables) › Can drones be jammed?

Rikkitic

Devastation by stupidity
12499 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#233701 28-Apr-2018 14:21

An item in our local paper about horse riders and farmers being harassed by rogue drones. It seems to be a bigger problem than many realise. The farmers want to know if they can legally shoot down the drones. This makes me wonder if drones can be jammed or misdirected. I don't know much about modern RC. Is it digital and protected in some way or can it be interfered with?

I don't think there is ever a bad time to talk about how absurd war is, how old men make decisions and young people die. - George Clooney

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

9816 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#2004106 28-Apr-2018 14:23

shouldnt be flying over private property in the first place

tehgerbil

735 posts

Ultimate Geek

Subscriber

#2004111 28-Apr-2018 14:29

Short answer: Yes.

Long answer: Not by the public. Using jammers of any kind can (and does) result in some pretty hefty fines.

You'd need a GURL in order to even look at broadcasting of any kind. And I would say most requests for amateur devices would be banned and probably result in a knock at the door if you tried to import one with an appropriate GURL in hand. (They're even flat out banned on Trademe).

mattwnz

16525 posts

Uber Geek

#2004118 28-Apr-2018 14:44

There are already rules in place that should prevent the sorts of problems y9u refer to. It doesn't sound like whoever is flying those drones are following the rules. However the media in NZ appear to be writing a lot of different stories at the moment about drones, and as a result, people are now fearing them You can't fly drones over private property, so there should be no need to 'shoot down' drones. If flying on public land, such as in parks, some councils require permission first, and then you cant fly it above people or event anyway, and yu can't cause a nuisance. Some things you need a license for. There is a lot of info on the airshare website. People also shouldn't be taking the law into their own hands, so shooting down or jamming could cause a big financial loss for a drone operator. In terms of horses, our local council recently issued a resource consent for a new shooting range, and without any public notification, and the road in front of it is used a lot by horse owners. If anything is going to spook a horse, it is gun fire.

Rikkitic

Devastation by stupidity
12499 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#2004120 28-Apr-2018 14:48

Why import one? If all you need is a transmitter you can get the parts from Jaycar and there are schematics all over the Internet. Assuming, of course, that you wanted to do this.

I don't think there is ever a bad time to talk about how absurd war is, how old men make decisions and young people die. - George Clooney

mattwnz

16525 posts

Uber Geek

#2004123 28-Apr-2018 14:50

I wouldn't be surprised if the software on some of these drones could detect such a system, and the drone operator could potentially report that to the authorities if they were concerned.

Rikkitic

Devastation by stupidity
12499 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#2004124 28-Apr-2018 14:53

The article mentioned Dannevirke. Apparently there are drone operators who stay out of sight and don't care about the rules. The complaints are that they are spooking horses and livestock. I was just wondering what means, if any, might be used against them. I would think a jammer would be less risky than a gun but I wasn't sure jammers would work against modern devices. Apparently that isn't a problem.

I don't think there is ever a bad time to talk about how absurd war is, how old men make decisions and young people die. - George Clooney

gzt

11551 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#2004125 28-Apr-2018 14:53

It's about time the retailers/distributors etc were required to insert a sheet outlining the regulations and penalties. Many of the operators are clueless.

Gordy7

1096 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#2004126 28-Apr-2018 14:54

Wow.... with a quick search.... What a DroneGun...

https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2016/11/30/13800338/dronegun-droneshield-anti-drone-gun-security

Gordy

mattwnz

16525 posts

Uber Geek

#2004128 28-Apr-2018 15:00

gzt: It's about time the retailers/distributors etc were required to insert a sheet outlining the regulations and penalties. Many of the operators are clueless.

I think some retailers provide brochures etc with the product, but maybe that should be a requirement, especially with the cheaper ones you an just buy in stores..I think it is some of these cheaper toy ones which are a problem. But systems like DJIs ones do put restrictions into the software to prevent people flying in restricted areas. But as with anything, you get idiots. I was almost involved in a car accident twice yesterday, with cars overtaking on double yellow lines on the Rimutuka hill road. What can we do to stop idiots on our roads, which could actually kill. Ban cars? Obviously the rules aren't stopping them.

Jase2985

9816 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#2004129 28-Apr-2018 15:00

Rikkitic:

The article mentioned Dannevirke. Apparently there are drone operators who stay out of sight and don't care about the rules. The complaints are that they are spooking horses and livestock. I was just wondering what means, if any, might be used against them. I would think a jammer would be less risky than a gun but I wasn't sure jammers would work against modern devices. Apparently that isn't a problem.

contact the correct authorities to deal with those flying the drones where they shoudnt be.

shouldnt need to do anything more than that.

mattwnz

16525 posts

Uber Geek

#2004130 28-Apr-2018 15:03

Rikkitic:

The article mentioned Dannevirke. Apparently there are drone operators who stay out of sight and don't care about the rules. The complaints are that they are spooking horses and livestock. I was just wondering what means, if any, might be used against them. I would think a jammer would be less risky than a gun but I wasn't sure jammers would work against modern devices. Apparently that isn't a problem.

To spook horse and livestock, they would need to be flying them very low. If they are high up, you can't hear them. I would have thought that radio tracking could find them. Also they should be flying them back to where the are located, so it shouldn't be too hard to find where they were flown from. But without facts in these stories, it is somewhat hypothetical

Rikkitic

Devastation by stupidity
12499 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#2004144 28-Apr-2018 15:38

I can't speak for these people. I only know what I read in the paper. The article made it sound like at least one drone operator was actually chasing horses to spook them. Obviously, he would have been flying low in that case. The person complaining said it had happened to her on multiple occasions and she couldn't spot the drone operator. Then comments from complaining farmers were added. It sounded like more than one drone operator in more than one location, but rural and against people without technical knowledge who didn't know how to respond (other than shooting them down).

I don't think there is ever a bad time to talk about how absurd war is, how old men make decisions and young people die. - George Clooney

nutbugs

247 posts

Master Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#2004201 28-Apr-2018 17:50

Only one answer to this. Shotgun!

MikeB4

15364 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Subscriber

#2004202 28-Apr-2018 18:01

the answer to reckless use of drones is not the reckless use of firearms.

Mike

Consultant

The views stated in my posts are my personal views and not that of any other organisation.

He waka eke noa

mattwnz

16525 posts

Uber Geek

#2004214 28-Apr-2018 18:41

nutbugs: Only one answer to this. Shotgun!

What s the difference between a car trespassing onto your property, or a plane or helicopter, or hot air balloon flys low above your property. We have had a hot air balloon almost land on our property before and they don't really have all that much control over the properties they hover above. We are also only one paddock from electricity pylons, so risky stuff.The fact is we do already have rules in place. People don't follow rules, that happens, whether it is alack of education, or they want to ruin it for other people. But it happens with most things, including driving.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5