From the Daily News. " Agents conducted a security sweep of the house, they also noticed a cell phone wrapped in tin foil on top of a desk, a seemingly misguided effort to evade detection, not by the press or public, which of course would have no ability to trace her phone or intercept her communications, but by law enforcement,”
Aside from the obvious reference to “Tin Foil” ( Tin has not been used in foil for ages) What is meant by “Misguided”? Apparently the foil did not work. I was under the impression it would. OK All you experts wade in here.
The field of radio signal transmission engineering is very complicated and I’m not an expert but this is how I understand it. Perhaps others, especially engineers who are also HAM’s, can give a better explanation.
A simple wrapping of tin foil over a radio antenna does not block the signal very well. It distorts the signal but usually not enough to stop all of the transmission/reception with a modern high frequency, high interference tolerating, radio system.
To block the signal of a cell phone well enough to prevent it from connecting to a tower you need to use a good properly grounded Faraday cage. That is not easy to do for most people, even the tiniest slot openings in the cage will allow the signals through and making an adequate ground connection is also difficult.
The best way to prevent the tracking of your cell phone is to turn it off.
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As someone interested in this for health reasons rather than conspiratorial ones (yes, I fully realize that among the TWiT community I am considered a conspiracist for even “thinking” (rather than what it is for me, which is a finding through unanticipated, lived experience that) it’s a physiological (and not psychological, thank you very much) health problem), the following video settled the issue to my satisfaction as I reluctantly considered purchasing a cellphone (I haven’t) which I’d keep in a carry-box version of this as I travel (in Airplane Mode (and Location Services always off), obviously, until specific instances I need it (and yes, that means not accepting incoming calls unless they happen to come through while I’m in the middle of using it)):
This lovable, sweet geek does a great job of walking through the involved factors. As @PaulHutch notes, the tiniest leak will defeat it, so a padded top is used together with a so-called “jewelry-box” inset on the base. Multiple layers of affordable copper sheeting against transmission are used, as well as a 2nd treatment insulated by plastic inside the box to disqualify any opportunity for conduction. Tested and verified.
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Hope this thread does not cause the Feds and others to come knocking on our doors. We must have something to hide, Right?
The second best way to prevent tracking of your cell phone is to leave it at my parents’ house. Those 1920s thick shale rock walls defeat the mightiest of radios with ease.
@philodygmn I genuinely find these effects interesting and certainly wouldn’t dismiss a rational accounting. Have you posted about your experience before?
That’s just the thing: because it contravenes what many consider to be rational axioms of science, I am reluctant to render any details for ostensible scrutiny, but I appreciate your open-handed offer to hear.
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