Need to Hijack Radio Stations

[Crow]

I was wondering if anybody could tell me how to hijack a radio station's signal in a small area (my local gym), so I can listen to something other than the crap they costantly play. An iPod is out of the question because I am usually training people and need to be able to thear and talk to them. I just need something I can turn on when I get there, and shut off when I leave.

Another issue I'd like to deal with are the gyms that play XM or Sirius. Is there any way I can force everyone in the gym to listen to Amon Amarth or something while I'm there?

[potatocubed]

It's certainly possible, although I'm not sure about the specifics. I'm pretty sure it's also illegal. In fact, I know it's illegal over here.

Have you thought about disconnecting the speakers in the room you're in and bringing a stereo with some tunes of your choice? That's more legal, and no one will probably mind if you reconnect the speakers on the way out.

[OverdrivePrime]

Hijacking may be illegal, but it certainly sounds like more fun. Particularly since I sympathize with Crow's cause.

The easiest way would be to do a shadowrun into the station and set up a source of music that you'd prefer. Then it's a relatively simple matter to just switch output wires from the DJ's desk to your machine.

The trick is figuring out to to keep anyone at the station from noticing for a while. :smallamused:

[Mr. Mud]

I think bringing your own speakers is probably your best bet... But theoretically, all you have to do is find the frequency, and shut it off... There are lots of devices out there that can do this.

Problems with that: Most devices that can remotely turn off a signal like that, require a radio operates license, if not government clearance, to buy one. If you do, however, find one that will work, and somehow obtain it without licensing, it's going to cost you about 10 grand.

And I'm also not sure, if you can turn the signal back on with such devices. You should be able to, but not if you don't have some training.

Alternatively, you could just find an iPhone app :smallwink:.


Amon Amarth
Twilight of the Thunder Gods is beautiful... Oh... so beautiful...:smalleek::smallbiggrin:.

[LCR]

Tadaa. (http://www.amazon.com/Griffin-RoadTrip-Transmitter-Charger-iPod/dp/B000BMXJR8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1248885653&sr=8-2)

All you need to do is place the iPod with the transmitter in the vicinity of the radio receiver. Maybe hide it in a bag?
Otherwise you'd probably need a stronger transmitter and I'm not sure if you can order those on Amazon.

[Rutskarn]

Yeah, I'm going to come down on the make-well-sure-this-is-legal side of the fence, here.

[FoE]

You might want to change the title of this thread, Crow. It sort of gives the wrong impression.

[Rutskarn]

You might want to change the title of this thread, Crow. It sort of gives the wrong impression.

Not sure it does, actually.

[Vadin]

Yeah, I'm going to come down on the make-well-sure-this-is-legal side of the fence, here.

It's very legal, and typically for use in cars with no iPod jack. And it only broadcasts over a very small area, so it isn't big enough to constitute an actual offense.

The problem you might run into with this is the other station's strength. It works just fine if you're broadcasting over weak-signal static, but actual stations? Sometimes it works, sometimes it blends them together into unusable and painful noise.

[quick_comment]

I think bringing your own speakers is probably your best bet... But theoretically, all you have to do is find the frequency, and shut it off... There are lots of devices out there that can do this.
Can you elaborate on what you mean here? Finding the frequency of the signal of an FM radio station should be trivial; you have to do that to even listen to the radio. But shutting off the signal sounds like it would involve blowing up some transmission towers*. If the devices you refer to are jammers, you should be able to "turn the signal back on" by simply shutting off your jammer, no special training required.

However, using a jammer in public without some kind of license is almost certainly against the law, and these laws are not some sort of obscure, dormant laws that aren't really enforced.

I think you'd have problems doing this with regular devices meant for consumers. The scenario those are intended for is generally listening to music over a car radio by tuning it to an unused channel, meaning there's no need to "drown out" another strong signal, and you can plant the transmitter very close to the receiver. If you do you should certainly buy the strongest transmitter you legally can. Using a non-restricted device in this way is probably still illegal, but probably more in the "prank" ballpark.
It's very legal, and typically for use in cars with no iPod jack. And it only broadcasts over a very small area, so it isn't big enough to constitute an actual offense.It's certainly legal to do with your own radio, but are you really sure that it's legal to intentionally disturb someone else's receiver with these sorts of devices? All sorts of legal devices are illegal to use in certain ways.

*Blowing up transmission towers: also almost certainly illegal.

[Mr. Mud]

Can you elaborate on what you mean here? Finding the frequency of the signal of an FM radio station should be trivial; you have to do that to even listen to the radio. But shutting off the signal sounds like it would involve blowing up some transmission towers*. If the devices you refer to are jammers, you should be able to "turn the signal back on" by simply shutting off your jammer, no special training required.

Well, I can't really going to to depth, (1) because the knowledge I have is military and while it's not really a major offense speaking about it or anything, I'd feel rather dirty talking about it on the internet - especially when I'm not IN the military... my uncle is a spectrum coordinator... anyway - and (2) my knowledge is fairly superficial compared to my uncles'. But:

What I was referring to, would be actually turning the receivers and transmitters off at the radio in the gym, via a remote device... (hence why they cost 10k, and the government doesn't exactly let John doe run around with them) for a few hours or minutes, or what have you.


However, using a jammer in public without some kind of license is almost certainly against the law, and these laws are not some sort of obscure, dormant laws that aren't really enforced.

Very true... it were something more important than a gym, say, a radio station or tower, you could be facing several years in jail.


*Blowing up transmission towers: also almost certainly illegal.

You'd be surprised :smallwink:.

[Totally Guy]

You need to go down to the underwater "looking glass" station where you'll find the submarine pen. Off that room is the signal jammer which has a yellow flashing light. The code to disable this signal jammer is "Good Vibrations" by the beach boys 5-4-5-8-7-7-5-5-4-3-7-7-6-1-1-3.

After you've inputted to code the jamming device can be turned off. Then the radio tower can be used freely but that's further inland.

Just don't let the station flood or there's no way to turn it off.

[CDR_Doom]

The other thing you have to consider with this sort of thing is that even if it is technically legal, the gym may not look too kindly on that sort of thing. You may risk getting kicked out, as they aren't legally obligated to provide you with their services outside of any contract they may have with you; contracts can be made void, money can be returned, and you could be barred from that gym.

Have you tried actually talking to whoever it is that controls the radio in the gym? There may be some other station that both of you could find acceptable as a compromise, or as other posters have said, you may be able to get permission to disconnect those speakers and bring your own stereo.

[Whoracle]

http://etherkiller.org/wlan.html

Should work for other frequencies, too. Microwave killed the Radio Star :smallbiggrin:
But I'd rather not try this. Radiation ain't good from what I've heard...
Plus, it may also be illegal wherever you ma roam. I know for a fact that it isn't in germany, though.

And what good would it be if you grew another arm?
Yes, I know radiation don't work that way. Gerrof me ;-)

In fact, forget about this until you've found a way to "tune" the microwave to another frequency.

Damn, and it was such a fun plan...

[Erloas]

If you look on almost every electronic device there is a little stick from the FCC that says it can't output signals that interfere with other devices. The devices that transmit to FM to listed to MP3 players, etc. in a car are only supposed to be used on empty frequencies, which is why they have a setting with at least 2-4 frequency settings. Which works because the FCC never allocates adjacent frequency bands in the same area, so if one is used the next has to be clear. (although there are a few places where you can pick up stations in adjacent bands, they are just outside the range that the FCC considers when looking at that sort of thing)

With FM radios lock into the strongest frequency and ignore the other ones, which is why you don't get nearly as much noise on FM compared to AM. With AM if you broadcast on the same frequency they will sort of blend, but with FM it will just focus on the higher powered signal and block out the other(s).

So if you wanted to broadcast over their signal you would need something that would output more power then what the radio station is outputting, at least in terms of how much of that power is left when it gets to where you are at. If you are really close to the radio station its just not going to happen (unless you have a several megawatt transmitter) but if you aren't very close then its not too hard to over power their signal.

With the normal FM transmitters you can get for MP3 players, they generally have very low power and they generally have a very limited frequency selection, almost all at the low end of the FM band. So if they are listed to an 88-92MHz station you might find one that broadcasts that, if they are listening to a 97-104MHz band, chances are you aren't going to be finding much that works in those ranges. *its also why low budget transmissions like free public radio and college radio stations are generally in that lower range.

Its not too hard to build an FM transmitter, I know I made one from a basic kit in school. It might be kind of hard to tune them to a very specific frequency and to get one that will output a lot of power, but you could try if you really wanted to.


The easiest thing to do would be to talk to the people running the local gym and work something out. Most likely talking to someone that has a stake in the gym and not some high school student making minimum wage.

[FoE]

Not sure it does, actually.

All I'm saying is, when Homeland Security busts down Crow's door, pistol-whip him and haul him off to prison for planning to take radio station employees hostage, let no one say he wasn't warned. :smalltongue:

[eidreff]

I'm guessing that putting a Faraday Cage around the building is impractical?:smallbiggrin:

A portable stereo and disconnecting the radio sound like the best idea form the above.

[Comet]

I'm pretty sure that if I actually wanted to Hijack a Radio Station at gunpoint, I would find someone on these very forums that would help me achieve this.
Probably by using some obscure iPod application.

You guys rule :smallbiggrin:
Also, "Etherkiller" sounds like a cool sounding name.

[Whoracle]

Also, "Etherkiller" sounds like a cool sounding name.

It's a pretty simple idea, actually: "What happens if you connect a networking cable (RJ-45) to a mains plug?"
My Answer: "Depends on the PC in question and the shielding, but whatever it is, it sure smokes and is fun :D"

[The Extinguisher]

My suggestion: Just deal with it. Just because you don't like what they are playing doesn't mean no one does. If you force people to listen to your music, who's to say they won't do the same thing you're trying to do.

Sometimes, you need to listen to bad music.

[Jimorian]

Sometimes, you need to listen to bad music.

Oh yeah? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNaCgXChvlw) :smalleek:

[mikeejimbo]

For purely academic reasons, and because I think something should be cleared up, you could simply transmit your own signal to overpower the other one, as long as it's FM. FM has this property called the capture effect that makes the more powerful signal take over, rather than getting a useless noise like an AM signal would. A fellow Ham Radio operator explained it to me. (And then dug around his shop and showed me a device that would do just that. It had an audio jack where you could plug in what you wanted to play and then a knob to tune it to the proper frequency.)

Being a Ham radio operator, I felt this should be cleared up. However, also being a Ham radio operator, I know the radio laws, and indeed, you face a fine for doing such a thing.

[Flame of Anor]

I'm guessing that putting a Faraday Cage around the building is impractical?:smallbiggrin:

Hmm...so why can you get radio signals inside steel skyscrapers? :smallconfused:

[Erloas]

Hmm...so why can you get radio signals inside steel skyscrapers? :smallconfused:

Because they have a lot of glass, its the frame that is steel, not everything else. If you have a steel building with metal siding it makes it very hard to get cellphone signals or radio. Of course they are never perfect faraday cages so you get some signals through them.

[Renegade Paladin]

Why hijack another station's frequency when there are many empty frequencies to choose from? :smallconfused:

[Jack Squat]

Why hijack another station's frequency when there are many empty frequencies to choose from? :smallconfused:

Because how gyms are set up, they normally have the receiver in a hidden area. One I've been to didn't, but if you weren't one of the first 5 people there, good luck picking out a station.

What you can do is build an FM transmitter (or buy one of the ones from Wal-Mart) and hook it up to a media player. Depending on the strength of the signal (and of the unit), you may be able to hijack a station. Now, you could always increase the power output if you don't mind fiddling around with the device some.

Technically, broadcasting over an unlicensed FM device/frequency is bad news with the FCC, but with all the devices out there that broadcast over a short distance, I'd say that if it didn't interfere with a significant area (most of these devices are good for up to a couple hundred feet, if that), then you don't have to worry about the radio police coming after you.

EDIT: As far as ones with XM or Sirius, XM universal remote (http://www.xm-radio-satellite.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=4174) and Sirius universal remote (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001PL9CVQ)