Illegal, Dangerous, Plentiful, and Cheap - GPS Jammers

We all thoroughly enjoy using our various GPS devices to the extent that they have become indispensible in our daily lives. We depend on them to keep us from getting lost, to keep track of our children and pets, to find specific types of business - restaurants, stores, gas stations, etc. Our GPS devices and Smartphone apps help us to maximize the enjoyment of our vacations even protect us from harm by letting the proper authorities know our whereabouts if/when we find ourselves in perilous situations.

Sad to say that our honeymoon with our GPS is being threatened by unscrupulous, terroristic tactics carried out by uncaring and selfish individuals. The tool being used to create such dangerous and potentially life threatening circumstances is the GPS jammer. Regardless of the fact that these devices are illegal in the United States and most of Europe, the gps jammers can be bought online directly from factories in China for $30 to $50 USD. Since the websites advertise the jammers as privacy protectors and tracking blockers, the average consumer is unaware of the jammers' capabilities to wreak havoc on an unsuspecting public. Consider this incident reported in a recent article published in The Economist; "in late 2009 engineers noticed that satellite-positioning receivers for a new navigation aid at Newark airport in New Jersey were suffering brief daily breaks in reception. Something was interfering with the signals from orbiting global positioning system (GPS) satellites. It took two months for investigators from the Federal Aviation Authority to track down the problem: a driver who passed by on the nearby New Jersey Turnpike each day had a cheap GPS jammer in his truck."

Now consider the fact that even though most people know that satellite signals are used by automotive satellite navigational devices, very few realize how many other industries rely on clear, uninterrupted GPS signals; just to name a few, we have aviation, financial-securities clearing houses, mining and electricity distribution, mobile telecommunications, toll roads, weather forecasting and most importantly, the US military all rely on GPS. But wait, there's more because these signals are also used to synchronize the clocks in mobile-phone base stations, steer combine harvesters and keep oil platforms in position. Since the satellites were first put in place for use by the US military over 20 years ago, its applications are far reaching and well beyond what any of us truly understand.

This is nothing to play around with or take lightly. Be warned! It's time for all of us to grow up and start acting responsibly. These gps jammers are ILLEGAL! If you don't want your boss, wife or husband to know where you're going - don't go, or consider leaving your GPS at home. Whichever you choose, don't jeopardize the public safety and wellbeing to appease your own self interests. Thank you.