A Secret Radio Jamming Device Dropped From An Aircraft

Before you comment accusing me of planting these bugs, it happened in 1988... the year I was born...
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[@tkteun]

Always amazed how, in the UK, a hi-vis renders you invisible

[@daic7274]

Add a clipboard and hard hat and that can often get entry into other places, even if one asks at the front desk.

[@danielmartin7838]

I once went into a construction site with the aforementioned and very angrily acted like an inspector for the architect to berate the crews over the fact that the building was supposed to face East.

[@crackthefoundation_]

It's not dissimilar in many parts of US, especially it seems the northeast where I live

[@jamjardj1974]

That’s because everyone wears one!

[@colinstewart1432]

Add a clipboard, and you can pretty much walk into anywhere unchallenged. If you look like you're about to give someone a bollocking, people just move out of your way.

[@keithweiss7899]

In the 70’s in Arnold Missouri there was an obnoxious CBer who would get on his favorite channel, drunk, and use foul language and threats. My friend took a cheap, 100mw transmitter, put a crystal on that frequency and a big battery pack, wrapped up in tape for waterproofing. The antenna was a coat hanger with a hook on it. He went to the guys house and threw it into a tree in his yard. For three weeks the jerk couldn’t hear anything on that channel, but it didn’t bother anyone more than two blocks away!🤣 He actually retrieved it twice, put new batteries into it, and did it again and again.

[@johnstreet797]

a sewing needle through the antenna coax works well too

[@dx1450]

I was once asked by a group of CBers to do something similar, but I declined.

[@SiWaterGoblin]

"Who takes any notice of a traffic light engineer?" - Hi-vis jackets are a technique well used in the geocaching community as well, where caches are sometimes placed and retrieved in very public locations. I wonder if the geocaching community would be good at finding these bugs.

[@CZ350tuner]

There was a CB radio jammer inside and powered off of a street lamp, in Bournemouth, back in the early 1980's. The intended target was determined to be a notorious night time Wally, based on its location. It was discovered by the local council during routine maintenance.

[@jamesrush5367]

Year late comment from across the pond, what the heck is a wally?

[@dx1450]

I was once approached by a group of CBers to build a small jammer device which they could plant outside the house of someone who was being a constant annoyance. I declined, though.

[@untermench3502]

Many years ago,I had a neighbor who bought a new console stereo and would play country and western all hours of the day and night, so i built a small RF mike on the same frequency of his favorite station. the minute he tuned it on, it would feedback the audio and cause a horrific howling. This cat and mouse lasted about 2 weeks, when finally, the dealer delivery truck came and took his console away.

[@jannejohansson3383]

When you yell "fucking machine", that thing answer immediately

[@BoB4jjjjs]

That was brilliant dropping it from a remote control aircraft. Traffic light was also brilliant.

[@rupertprice5508]

Great video. I really enjoyed it and brings back my unidays when I made an am broadcast transmitter using a 1mhz crystal and a MOSFET output stage with a big modulation transformer . We did about 20 very noisy watts into a flying v diapole centre fed. Not my finest engineering moment. This was in Cape Town in 83. Unfortunately I have never grown up and run 30w FM in the middle of the African bush.

[@NigelDixon1952]

In the early 1980s the GB3NA Barnsley 2 meter repeater was being jammed almost every time it was fired up. I lived in Normanton West Yorks, about 15 miles away from the repeater. When I switched over to the input the jamming signal was coming in very powerfully, so I unplugged the antenna of my mobile rig, and wow!, It was still there. After literally five minutes of driving around I was right outside the idiot's house! After reconnecting my antenna and waiting for him to exit the repeater, I opened it up with my callsign, G4 RZX, and announced that I was sitting right outside the jammer's house. After a few seconds the curtains moved and I was looking right at him. I just gave him a wave and the jammer wasn't heard from again. Why he did it I'll never know, only a few months before, he'd gained his G6 license, so why would he risk losing it?

[@MI7DJT]

I can only imagine the hours you put into each of your videos Lewis. Top job again.

[@EportChris]

Love the story mate, thanks for telling it 👍🏻 Never ceases to fascinate me how creative people can get and how far they will go when sabotaging others 😂

[@knoxieman]

Cracking fun video mate, these hams went to way too much trouble with all the money on jammers when all you need is a pin and a pair of pliers ha ha, a fellow I used to work with had nightmare neighbours really really bad ones, at night he would sneak outside and drift a pin right through the coax of their TV and Satellite cables and cut them flush, (shorting inner to outer) with a pair of cutters, the sky engineer never being too bright or having enough time to check where the fault was would simply change the cable out, then a few days later he would do it again, they also used to like to play loud music in the morning all the time and they had a garden pond pump wired back to the house, so my mate wired in a remote control switch that would short the earth to neutral inside the pump terminal box and trip the RCD in the house, so if he wanted a lie in he would just get his missus to keep hitting the switch! ha ha great eh!! ha ha he's now moved house. Superb video, my TV jammer was so much fun, must do a video on that at some point.

[@EportChris]

Your mate sounds like an absolute legend 😂

[@MarkyMMP]

I remember it very well. And the Said G4 too. We did a bug hunt around the civic centre one Sunday. I was blessed to go into the repeater room by the then Meyer G3TZZ.

[@Bond2025]

Loads of people used to block GB3MP too in the 80s. One was identified as he didn't realise he had the PTT pressed when he was talking to his mate. We got his name and worked out where he was from what he was saying. Strangely he was never heard from again. Shame on him for being a radio technician with a company in the North West in the 90s. Awful ginger hair too.

[@stemc83]

These stories are great! A completely different world I've never heard about. Just goes to show that trolls aren't a new thing!

[@TheMajkla]

Yesterday I heard a French troll again. He's regularly targeting outbanders on Echo Charlie with music and audio clips from old movies.

[@crackthefoundation_]

Radio is full of it haha i'm not a ham myself yet but i've read so many hilarious stories. it reminds me of people on internet relay chat holding grudges and causing drama

[@andyhowlett2231]

Great story. These things were going on when I was a new licensee in the early 80's but I didn't pay much attention to them. Well done for getting them aired.

[@IrishvintageTVRadio]

These stories are fascinating! Thanks for going to the effort.

[@davidkgame]

Loved the story. This kind of thing is right up my alley. But three lots of mid roll ads in a 10 minute video just takes the pee!!!

[@jmileshc]

I have to agree, brilliant video, really interesting, and appreciate the effort in producing it. The mid-roll ads are awful.

[@arbutuswatcher]

Sounds like aspiring BT Engineers in the making. Determination & Creativity prevail in the end. This truly deserves a tip of the ol hat. ;)

[@BanditBen13]

Fascinating stuff. Really loving your content like this. Although I'm a license holder and follow the rules, it's really interesting to see the creativity of the dark side

[@M7BCN]

Another excellent video. Imagine how much easier this would be nowadays with Drones used to hide devices. M7BCN

[@wisteela]

Or flying drone bug

[@RevMikeBlack]

I live in the USA, so I'm not familiar with amateur radio operators in the UK. However, the operators I know here would be irritated by this. They take pride in their networks, especially during times of natural disaster when they become essential personnel, and they would make a great effort to find the offenders and hand them over to the Federal Communications Commission.

[@karengill8234]

Brilliant and informative. Many thanks Lewis. ……

[@trcostan]

Seems like allot of work! I’m glad the worst think I have to deal with on my repeaters is 90 year old men with nothing else to do calling the same station every 5 min for 12 to 15 hours per day!

[@wisteela]

It's sad the amount of effort they put in.

[@Ploggy.]

Awesome video Lewis thanks for posting 👍

[@Phil-M0KPH]

Another great snippet! 👍👍

[@radioboffinG8KNF]

The Voice of the Mysterons was a common bug on NL. Nowadays it's very quiet indeed. It used to be very entertaining in its day.

[@arthurtwoshedsjackson6266]

I totally forgot about that one. “This is the voice of the Mysterons”. You also had “I’d like to teach the world to sing” bug on either EL or NL

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

Regarding the airdropped devices: I wonder if it would have been easier to do that at night using a *_KITE_* or *_KITES,_* versus a radio-controlled airplane?

[@captainhookrecovery5580]

What about the Bug I found on the bus in Enfield? Strangely enough I was a Traffic Light Engineer back in the Day....

[@RingwayManchester]

[e-mail] let’s chat 🤫

[@captainhookrecovery5580]

Lewis...This all started back in 1978 on GB3SL... I was working in the music industry when I got a 2 meter radio as a pirate... I got my G6 call in 1981. So many memories of all the 4 London Repeaters and the Squweekys..

[@arthurtwoshedsjackson6266]

@@captainhookrecovery5580 Fish on, Fish off.... Jenny (G8YYL) keeps her (ollox) in a pickle jar, to name a few ! Did you get your pirate callsign out of the hat? 😂

[@captainhookrecovery5580]

@@arthurtwoshedsjackson6266 No,not off Brian,(Hotnet) but I bought an IC22a from the Wobourn Rally in 1978 and just used the start of my co.pany car number plate...RUB so...G8RUB.. This didn't last long when I got told it was a University of Birmingbam calling!!

[@herby4215]

Signal jamming of the starlink may be a good topic to cover

[@jannejohansson3383]

Jamming that guy project would be not that good idea, I think.

[@ShaunieDale]

Used to work GB3SL occasionally back in the day. Sometimes it was unworkable due to all the wallies on it. Apparently one bloke used to sit underneath it in a car with his Mike key held down.

[@UnitSe7en]

Some people's children...

[@fmo94jos8v3]

There's always that one douchebag on the waves 🤣

[@RamLaska]

Impressive project given the tech of the day.

[@hanleypc]

This is all quite new to me, so was this sort of pre-internet hackers trying to disrupt repeaters? Interesting history.

[@berryreading4809]

I think hackers have been around as long as the printing press 😉 probably even longer?

[@stevemumbling7720]

You would think it would occur to the dumbest of radio hams that the the bugs would be short lived. If they just left it for a day or two the battery would die and it would be gone. All that time and effort spent by the 'buggers' would be in vein. I used to listen to EL and WL more than NL or SL. A long time ago but I remember a couple of them, Rex G4J.... UJ and Sad, G4SAD on WL. And on EL, Bonehead IQE, Beaky RZZ, The Guv'nor TWD, The Toad, callsign forgotten, Kevin 'the genius' callsign forgotten. Funny stuff. I don't recall hearing any bugs, they must have been around either before or after my time. Cheers Lewis, I don't recognise any of the voices on this one, but keep them coming.

[@Heimbasteln]

I could imagine it to be actually quite fun to search for a jammer.

[@donpro3672]

Nice production 👍😀

[@Jackaoz]

Would love to some of the circuits. Make for great fox hunt transmitters. Some of the controls circuits sound like fun to tinker with. Especially as they would be discrete components not SMD as today.

[@RingwayManchester]

Unfortunately due to them never retrieving them and no digital cameras I doubt there’s any pics of the circuits etc now. I’d love to know if any are still there

[@mikeburch2998]

What a great prank! Very clever. Greetings from Arizona de K8MB

[@radiosification]

That was a really entertaining story. Enjoyed this!

[@RingwayManchester]

Thanks Ben hope you’re ok mate

[@paulmorrey733]

Thanks Lewis

[@Mottersmotters]

Hello Lewis great video mate Motters M7TRS 73's

[@bozallen]

Really enjoying these videos. Thanks for putting them together. The stories are really inspirational in terms of technical achievement and effort involved. Not sure about the malicious intent though...! Keep it up. 73

[@MarkyMMP]

I can run into the north London repeater with a 1000 watts and still have listen through. That was the audio file played.

[@MrJohng2001]

I remember "and I'll pay for the diesel" being played quite often on the north London repeater...anyone else remember that ?

[@cbradioghosttalk1986]

Great Story. Really enjoyed the content of all of your stories. Interesting to hear these stories from across the Pond. Clinton County New York State (Adirondack Mtns., Border of Canada) the USA

[@shaungilmartin1505]

Had a lovely stay in the Autumn some 15 years ago @ the Mirror lake Inn ,Lake Placid up and around the Adirondacks....from UK. Beautiful area.

[@cbradioghosttalk1986]

@@shaungilmartin1505 I live about 40 miles to the northeast of the Lake Placid area. Which in our area is close LOL. Our winters are long and cold but the other times of year are beautiful. Still very rural and lots of woods. Radios work well still. Love the UK as my Maternal side is Scottish/English. Been in the states since the 1720s. Love your countryside and Folks. ADK

[@anotherdave5107]

Plattsburgh AFB 4ever!

[@cbradioghosttalk1986]

@@anotherdave5107 Yes for sure. When they closed the base over 20 years ago we all sort of lost something. I was asked by the base commander to pull the flag down for the last time and did during the base closing ceremony. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done. We all still miss the base and the personnel. ADK

[@hhyy3173]

Great video!❤️

[@frinkemon]

Well it seems like a lot more fun than talking to some really boring people on GB3CV...

[@Boodieman72]

Those were the days

[@angusgrier5677]

That's the most interesting way to plant a jammer

[@ShaunieDale]

I gave up amateur radio but I still fly model aircraft. One of the competitions we do is bomb dropping, it’s remarkably hard to do with any accuracy. I’m surprised it only took them two attempts.

[@jerrythibeaut4593]

All of the local cb radios got the hammer dropped on them.

[@carlashby6174]

Intresting video Lewis the location was close to an area where I work

[@TRIPPLEJAY00]

Lewis how do get all this detailed information?

[@clangerbasher]

There has to be a book in all this..........

[@grsmith06]

I remember the CW Bug well and what it said.

[@jannejohansson3383]

I remember old vw bug 🐛

[@CanadairCL44]

Great technical ability, but why? What was the point? It must have cost a few bob!

[@stephengunrunnerhanson3550]

I think it's great to see the jammers and it's hidden in plane sight and good luck to the next jammer a great video Lewis until next time

[@dextardextar]

drone droppin' in the 80's lol.

[@TheNoCodeTech]

I dig this.

[@markg6jvy135]

Interesting video 👍👏👏

[@herby4215]

A device dropped from an aircraft radio jamming device really strange

[@coolvideos8864]

You do seem to attract these sorta people though for some reason.

[@heh2k]

So, not jammers, but bugs that used ham repeaters? Who were being bugged and why? The recordings are of audio from the bugs?

[@RamLaska]

7:08 Bird!

[@terrymckenna3382]

I know this is something ingenious and im really fascinated, im just not clued up on this world. Any advice on what to read before i listen again ?

[@MrJohng2001]

Anyone remember "and I'll pay for the diesel" on the north London repeater ?

[@ALSNewsNow]

This channel is freaking awesome. How does this guy know all this shit?

[@Bond2025]

Google and other youtube videos, he just compiles it all in one place for us all which is handy. Many would never think of searching for some subjects,

[@hegemonycricket9549]

Oh, he's saying "bug." I thought he was saying "book". That made it much more difficult to Google. Lol.

[@danhurley6152]

But can you signal jam Caz clean air zone cameras in cities they are anpr and use WiFi signal ? Now that would be very useful 😁

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

@RingwayManchester >>> Referring to the description of this video, _YOU_ were _PLANTED_ the same year those bugs were...😉

[@jamess1787]

@6:06 Siklu etherhauls?

[@gps9308]

"the year I was born" So what you are saying is that you have a working time machine...

[@GHOOGLEMALE]

What was this bug for? Why so much trouble to do this..?

[@bill-2018]

What was the point of doing it? A lot of technical knowledge wasted on a jamming device. I don't get it. Was the G4 accused of making the jamming devices?

[@wizard8838]

Another interesting vid. But why did they do it? Seems like they had too much time on their hands! De M0HLG

[@listerdave1240]

Some people's whole purpose in life is just to take satisfaction in annoying others. This is just one of the less harmful ways of doing it.

[@alanchatfield4271]

Cloud being made at 2:27

[@SamuelSimmons]

You Brits. Make for a good story lol. How crazy. Built into a biscuit tin!! Good job with the video btw.

[@nematube]

I know "bug" as a hidden listening device, but what is this video about actually???

[@philippinevlogger5409]

Can you make a karaoke jammer device? We need it to silence the noisy loudspeakers of our neighbors. Wow...🚴‍♀️📺🇵🇭

[@RingwayManchester]

Not legal mate

[@robertedwards3147]

WHEN IWAS VERY YOUNE I MADE A CW BUGitwas set to tansmitonly when it was not in full sunlight it would shut down if soundwas aboutand it was put in a treat was never found

[@OMM-bo9fr]

can someone explain to an outsider what this video is about? and what the hell is a g4 Station? edit: upon further watching, I think I've gotten it. there is a group of people among radio amateurs opposed to repeaters cause they regard using one as taking the effort out of amateur radio? did I get that right?

[@RingwayManchester]

Exactly!

[@HakanKoseoglu]

Yup. Similar crowd now go around yelling people saying FT8 mode is not real radio...

[@Bugsworth]

... Just couldnt make it up, could u? !! :-)

[@watomb]

Ok but if your a real RF engineer you would realize life is not simple

[@beansandrice9776]

id bet bob marley is a fan of these jammers

[@forfengeligfaen]

What is a G4?

[@RingwayManchester]

A G4 class amateur radio operator

[@arthurtwoshedsjackson6266]

Is this a rhetorical question ? 😂

[@forfengeligfaen]

I infer that the messages from the bugs were insutling the G4 operator?

[@andyclark1426]

Ffs it’s like a game of cat and mouse

[@peterhart1966]

So what you're saying is On the night in question you were in the hospitals neo-natal unit,, how convenient,,

[@arthurtwoshedsjackson6266]

A G4 station (silent key) who will remain unnamed 😂😂😂. Up up shovel. You’re just not .... strong enough...

[@captainhookrecovery5580]

Good old Fred.... Remember Gearbox?

[@grsmith06]

I wonder if he's still active his callsign is still on QRZ.

[@arthurtwoshedsjackson6266]

@@captainhookrecovery5580 I’ve heard the name Gearbox. Only Fred I remember is Fred the Gardener

[@arthurtwoshedsjackson6266]

@@grsmith06 The G4? If so he’s permanently QRT. 6 foot down. Maybe he’s callsign has gone back into the hat 😂

[@grsmith06]

@@arthurtwoshedsjackson6266 Sorry to hear that I meet him once on a bug hunt in the Chingford area, And a member of the fishing club.

[@crackthefoundation_]

You should make another version of this video for a more general non-radio audience, this is a hilarious story, no?

[@joemarquez9291]

The G4 on the NL bug I have a feeling is John, "I can run onto the north London repeater with a 1000 watts, H***s. If that's the case can anyone tell me if he's still with us. TIA Joe G7OOX

[@chrisharper2658]

What is G4?

[@Londonphoto]

Its the beginning of an Amateur radio user's call sign, ie G4NEZ

[@g0fvt]

@@Londonphoto the last letter was an X

[@Londonphoto]

@@g0fvt I know, I was being Polite :-D

[@g0fvt]

@@Londonphoto some hilarious stuff went on, met most of the characters back then. Some utter lunatics too...

[@TheSpitfiregoggles]

Yep...met said G4 a few times at rallies..."me old mate" from Coopersale...

[@shloomyshloms]

can anyone translate the first 15 seconds of this video?

[@outdoorjo6752]

I have to disagree with Qwerty, History is just that and shouldn't always be written by the victors. imho However, sadly there seems to be the most important factor missing from these documentaries when we discuss the darker side of radio, and that's the motivation. I read these thing and shake my head in dissapointment once more at the human race. I mean WHY? why would anyone in their right mind spend so much time, expertise and money on such negative projects? Far from a demonstration of enterprise, I see a lack of foresight, and a very limited IQ. Seriously, if the best way a person can think of to showcase their skills and inventiveness, is by spoiling a hobby for dozens, maybe hundreds of other operators (depending on the popularity of the repeater) then I can only assume that said skills and inventiveness are very limited indeed and stop dead at the technical and never venture within a football field of social and / or acceptable standards of behavior. I feel sorry for them, they strike me as lonely, bitter and more than a little twisted, perhaps there's a little- jealousy involved in that mix too? All of the above would of course be proven wrong, if there were some justification, if the perpetrators had perhaps been grievously wronged by the owners / users of said repeaters but as I say, we never get to hear their story so must assume that they simply belonged to the criminal classes with a similar mindset that keeps them out of acceptable society? Fascinating stuff never the less, thanks for sharing :o) ODJ

[@glengraham7080]

Yes, I was wondering if there was a back story to explain the effort put in.

[@ianharling9569]

😉😉👍73 G7HFS/PA3IKH.

[@astrazenica7783]

Nutters lol, get a life