Sound

.About the blog

   How many people have been in public, said something out loud without thinking, then looked around hoping it wasn't noticed?

   How many have been by themselves, said something out loud, then had the feeling someone else was listening?

   Hopefully no one ever does.  It's a creepy feeling and one that tends to be laughed at when shared.  For those who persist trying to explain or share details, laughter from others can turn into ridicule or taunts.

   But what if there are those - with the technology and certainty they won't be found out - who are violating people's privacy for their own ends?

   A few days ago I tried to find out if the feeling I have about my own car was based in something real.  I've had several items stolen from my vehicle on more than one occasion.  But there was never an indication it was broken into, those items just vanished.  Recently I noticed the battery was getting drained overnight so starting looking for a cause.

   I bought an SDR (software defined radio) and tried it out near the vehicle. To make sure I wasn't picking up anything else I did a few things first:

• Parked the vehicle away from apartments and homes
• Disconnected the battery so the vehicle had no power
• Put my cellphone in airplane mode so it wouldn't transmit

   It took some time to get the SDR working, but when it started receiving I found only 1 signal that stood out across the spectrum.  That was at 25.43 GHz which isn't used by any cellphone or walkie talkie.  By the time I thought to snap a screenshot or take a picture the signal stopped.  So no help there on having proof.

   But this evening I tried something different.  I'd noticed that sound or movement in the vehicle seemed to be affecting the amount of tension in my arms and legs.  That made absolutely so sense to me but I kept noticing a correlation.

   So I parked the vehicle a short distance from any apartments or homes again, disconnected the battery, and put my cellphone in airplane mode.  I turned on a cheap RF meter I had and checked for any signals.  There were none.

   Next I set the RF meter on the dash and hit the armrest between the front seats with my hand  to make some noise.  What happened next?  Well the laws of physics - as I understand them - don't support sound being converted to radio frequencies by an armrest.

   But that seems to be what happened...

   Which means that there's something in the vehicle that sends out RF when enough sound is made.

   Either that or the laws of physics work differently in a Ford vehicle... which I doubt.

   Hopefully the Ford dealership I take the vehicle to tomorrow can explain what's going on.

   It's more than just creepy.