Posted on 11/06/2005 7:03:59 AM PST by cloud8
Many automatic garage doors in Ottawa have suddenly, and strangely, stopped working, due to a powerful radio signal that appears to be interfering with the remote controls that open them.
J.P. Cleroux of Ram Overhead Door Systems says the phenomenon began last weekend.
"It affects a 25-mile radius. That's huge," said Cleroux.
Angolan Ambassador Miguel Puna's operation is one of those affected by the problem. He can no longer open his embassy's electronic gate.
"Not only in this gate, but even other gates, we are having a lot of problems," said Puna. "This could cause security concerns."
Two companies that have plotted the reported problems on maps say they appear to cluster in the Byward Market area just east of Parliament Hill, and a corridor leading southeast from there.
The Door Doctor has received more than 100 calls from irate customers who can't operate their doors using the usual remotes.
The company installs and services Liftmasters, the most popular door opener in North America, which operates by radio frequency.
The signal is transmitted on the 390-megahertz band, which is used by virtually all garage door openers on the continent.
That's the same frequency used by the U.S. military's new state-of-the-art Land Mobile Radio System.
Cleroux said operators have already been warned of this phenomenon by service updates from U.S. manufacturers, who started seeing the same problem around military bases last summer. The strong radio signals on the 390-megahertz band simply overpower the garage door openers.
One technician likened it to a whisper competing with a yell.
"From what we hear, it is the American Embassy that's operating on 390, and they're the only ones who can block it. But I'm not 100 per cent sure, because we're all kind of up in the air until we know exactly what's going on," said Cleroux.
The U.S. Embassy denies any transmissions on that frequency. So does the Canadian military.
Who's bonehead idea was this?
The military signal is digitally encrypted and supposedly unbreakable. It now seems to have the secondary benefit of keeping the enemy from opening the garage doors to drive the tanks out of their hardened bunkers.
"The signal is transmitted on the 390-megahertz band, which is used by virtually all garage door openers on the continent.
That's the same frequency used by the U.S. military's new state-of-the-art Land Mobile Radio System."
How widely known was this information before the CBC's loose lips began flapping??
It took 15 seconds to blame the Americans.
"Not only in this gate, but even other gates, we are having a lot of problems," said Puna. "This could cause security concerns."
Mr. Puna should be congratulated on the wisdom of admitting to all of Canada in a CBC news article that the Angolan embassy has security problems. Duh!
I took you longer to post this thread than it should have taken to fix the location.
> Who's bonehead idea was this?
Maybe it's some kind of early warning system :)
Actually I was wondering if Ottawa was experimenting with Broadband over Power Lines (BPL), and that was causing the trouble.
Space aliens...
I plugged my old CB into my new linear amp, aimed the beam antennae at Canada, and just look what happens!
If the foriegn press knew it, I'd guess any adversary that could use the info already had it.
I knew it was you!
Howdy all. It probably is us. Just talked to a friend of mine with the border patrol. It is probably them and not the military. This new system works like a private cell service. Think Nextel walkie-talkies not available to the general public. System digitally encrypts voice over old analog frequencies. They have constructed "cell tower" all along the section of Texas border where I live. Now the coyotes smuggling wets can't monitor them with standard scanners. Without the digital key code it is all just gibberish.
No, it is not a widely held secret. Everyone on our southern border knows about it.
PS- Our boder patrol a great individuals led by PC buffoons at the advisory level. Take off the administrative cuffs imposed by Washington and they could slow the infiltration WAY DOWN. Bust employers like they used to before Clintoon halted the practice.
Just needed to get that off my chest. Wheww.
No. Occam's razor suggests thousands of more likely possibilities. Paranoia suggests the neighbor to the South.
I'll bet Bush did it :)
It's not exactly the same frequency, it's just that the more powerful transmission bleeds over onto civilian frequencies, disrupting them. The door companies have many other bands they could be using, and could retofit their systems for IR or 5 ghz and alleviate the problem. The companies involved in wireless devices know exactly what frequencies are used for military, state,local, aircraft and civilian use and which ones they can use. What's scary is no matter how high tech we think our security is, it only takes a low tech problem to circumvent it. Arm yourself, put a fence up, get a German Shepard. I have yet to see the batteries die on a 12 gauge, or a solar flare affect my dog's bite...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.