Tracking Handheld GPS

[Barn Owl]

Gentlemen,

Have been considering the purchase of a 60 series Garmin for a while, due to the reciever's ability to read a signal inside an armored vehicle or a building, and the worldwide topo map.

Before dropping the cash, is it possible for our enemies to track GPS recievers? Does the power of the reciever affect enemy ability to locate a handheld GPS? If GPS does indeed produce a signature, can the sig be minimized?

My common sense tells me no, handhelds do not produce signature, since the reciever is capturing an incoming signal, but I am the first to admit I have no real knowledge or experience in these matters.

Please reply by PM if your answer contains specific GPS / enemy capabilities.

Very Respectfully,

Barn Owl

[albeham]

Barn Owl, nice,

Give me a day to really look at this. Everything that has power going though it will give some type of signal or RF a signature, off it, but the question is how strong is it for some type of spectrum analyzer to see it .

Dealing with EMC/EMI issues , I would feel it would be too low in the noise floor to really be seen. But then again, I have a 50 lbs brain, the 100 lbs brains at work might have a different view.

Too add to this, when you hit the ground , this will be the least of your worries.

[Ambush Master]

Did you catch this exchange today?!?!

http://www.professionalsoldiers.com/...599#post346599

Your question is an interesting one!!

[Barn Owl]

Ambush Master,

No, I didn't, thanks for the info. Confirms all the good things I have been hearing about the new Garmins.

Albeham,

Thanks for checking. You're absolutely right, it's low on the worry list. I heard a rumor about tracking handhelds and I am really curious if it's even possible.

On that note, do you roll with issued or personal GPS on missions? I am guessing both. I only have line experience overseas, and I used my handheld for everything, including CAS. It actually worked better than the issued gear for me.

Very Respectfully,

Barn Owl

[perdurabo]

I know this thread is dead, but I thought it was important for future searchers to point out the FCC electronic testing site, which should have RF reports for nearly all consumer electronic devices.

https://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/oetcf/eas/ (search options under Reports, on the left)

If you have the FCC ID of the unit, you can click "Authorization Search", enter the vendor name, and the FCC ID and get engineer data, including 3-D RF radiation patterns.

For some newer, more popular devices (read: iPhone), you might have to wait a couple months for confidentiality to expire.

Hope this helps!