The commercial use of drones raises concerns for the average citizen. Those concerns lie with privacy and public nuisance. Drones take up commercial airspace, yet are small enough to buzz past us while we are standing in our own backyards and driveways.

According to attorney Lisa Ellan, “From catastrophe response to news-gathering to construction-site monitoring, commercial drones represent one of the fastest-growing sectors in technology.”

Ellman is an attorney at an unmanned aircraft systems law firm. Her statement is no surprise to some of us.

Read on to learn about the problems with commercial drones and how you can stop them with drone jammers.

The Problem with Commercial Drones

There are a wide variety of UAV shapes, sizes, configurations, and characteristics. Commercial or civilian drones are of special concern. Most drones have high-resolution cameras that can invade your privacy. They can capture images of you and your personal property.

People also use drones to smuggle drugs. Or they use them to crash into buildings or act as a remote “peeping Tom.” They can cause harm when carrying a payload of explosives or artillery.

For these reasons, jammers that block the drones’ remote control signals are of interest. They can protect your privacy and even your safety.

Jammers are also called signal blockers. They are devices that block radio communications signals. A pilot on the ground remote-controls an Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV). Therefore, blocking the radio signal renders a UAV useless. The drone will either fall to the ground or land, depending on its programming.

The Legality of Drone Jammers

Jammers, which block GPS, cellular communication, and WIFI signals are illegal in many states, countries, and municipalities. The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only, and anyone looking to purchase a jammer should first check their local regulations prior to ordering and/or use.

The use of jammers is often limited to federal, military, or other law enforcement personnel as they have special permission to use the technology.

DroneDefender, a Counter-UAS Device

Pilots man drones by remote control. They are vulnerable when something blocks the communication between the UAV and pilot.

At the Battelle Memorial Institute, engineers developed a directional jammer called the DroneDefender. This jammer looks like a combination rifle and antenna. Due to federal regulation restrictions, the DroneDefender is for government use only.

How the Jammer Works

When locked onto a drone, the DroneDefender disrupts the GPS and radio signals guiding it. It is effective from up to 400 meters (1,312 feet) away. This makes it a long-range weapon.

The disrupting technology deploys in a 30-degree cone, so the jammer can also hit one of the faster, fixed-wing drones.

What Happens to the Drone

The cheaper, less complex drones will simply fall to the ground when hit by the jammer.

Others will revert to a fallback mode, such as return home or hover to the ground. The advantage is that no collateral damage results from the drone falling from the sky. Further, the jammer would not destroy the drone itself. If the drone belonged to an innocent party, all the better.

In other cases, the drone could belong to someone using it for illegal activities. Law enforcement would have the opportunity to confiscate the drone intact. If the drone’s emergency protocol is to return to home base, law enforcement would have a way to track the drone’s path. The drone’s destination could lead to the location of the operator.

Available Drone Jammers

There are dozens of drone jammers available to the public. Though, the intended customer is, of course, law enforcement. The following are a few of the models we know and recommend. For full details on these jammers, select the links listed with each description.

TSJ-ManPackUAV

The TSJ-ManPackUAV is a highly portable drone defense system. It comes in a backpack for portability. This jammer is effective on most drones, like the DJI, Phantom, Advanced, Standard and Inspire Series, for example.

TSJ-UAV30174

The TSJ-UAV30174 is a hand-held directional four-channel antenna drone jammer. It has a total output power of 82W. The coverage area is 400-1000 meters.

This jammer is also effective on most commercial drones such as DJI, Phantom, Advanced, Standard and Inspire Series.

TSJ-UAV3077

The TSJ-UAV3077 is a seven-band, outdoor drone blocker. It prevents drone intrusions at fixed locations. You can protect your facility with this jammer. It is one of the highest quality anti-drone jammers available.

TSJ-UAV3078

The TSJ-UAV3078 is a powerful eight-band, portable, rugged outdoor UAV jammer. It prevents drone intrusions at event locations.

You can transport this unit easily and set up in under 10 minutes. Like the TSJ-UAV3077, use this jammer to protect your event or facility. It is one of the highest quality drone protection units available.

TSJ-UAV6067

The TSJ-UAV6067 prevents drone and UAV aerial intrusions in restricted areas or during events. This unit is a durable drone jammer. It is has a protective Pelican case. It features a total output power of 260W. With that, the coverage area is 800-3000 meters.

Drone Jammers Prevent UAV Breaches in Safety and Privacy

In its least concerning form, UAVs are a public nuisance. Though, drones can present valid security issues at public events or secure facilities. Concerns aside, drones are here to stay in the civilian sector.

Drone jammers are one way for security professionals and law enforcement to deter drones from compromising our safety and privacy.

If you have any questions about jammers or need more information about one of the products on our website, please contact us.