USAF in secret garage door jamming trials

[UpInArms]

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/05/20/garage_door_jamming/

The USAF has successfully deployed a two-way radio garage door jamming system at its Eglin Air Force base in Florida, according to the state's news-journalonline.

The $5.5m Motorola system is apparently keeping garage doors firmly shut in the surrounding Niceville, Valparaiso and Crestview communities. Although technicians have said they will try and address the issue by running the system at "slightly different frequencies from those used by garage door openers to try to eliminate or reduce the interference when another test is conducted Friday through Monday", the Air Force is unrepentant and insists it is in compliance with its licence.

...more...

and because I haven't seen this website before, I went looking and found it also on the Minneapolis Star website at

http://www.startribune.com/stories/1451/4786501.html

Air Force radios jam garage door openers in Florida

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- A new military radio system is jamming remote-control garage doors in communities near this Florida Panhandle base.

During testing last week of the $5.5 million two-way radio system at Eglin, homeowners in Niceville, Valparaiso and the Crestview area reported that their garage door openers failed to work.

Air Force officials said Tuesday the contractor, Motorola Inc., will try to minimize the problem. Technicians will run the system at slightly different frequencies from those used by garage door openers when another test is conducted Friday through Monday.

``I want my garage door opener to work, too,'' said Col. Russell F. Miller, commander of the 96th Communication Group.

...more...

[BrotherBuzz]

1. Garage door openers are used to set of bombs in Iraq...

Roadside Bombs the Most Dangerous Weapon in Iraq
Patrick Cockburn, The Independent

FALLUJAH, 26 January 2004 — It is the bomb beside or under
the road which has turned out to be the most dangerous
weapon facing the US Army in Iraq. It usually consists of heavy
artillery shells detonated either by a command wire or from
longer range by a remote switch such as a cell phone or a car
door opener. Combat engineers from the 82nd Airborne
Division based near Fallujah had not prior warning before they
came to Iraq last August that they would be responsible for the
lethally dangerous task of searching roads for improvised
bombs. “I never heard of this type of bomb until I came to Iraq,”
said Private Aaron Brown, a combat engineer in forward
operational base Volturno outside Fallujah.
<more>

http://arabnews.com/?page=7§ion=0&article=38639&d=26&m=1&y=2004

[havocmom]

2. So, when somebody uses their garage door opener, what happens?

They bomb Louisiana?

[BiggJawn]

3. Motorola....Why am I not surprised...

The same people who brought you the wonderful comms system used by NYPD and FDNY...

[Wind Dancer]

4. Testing, testing, testing

They will try anything to keep certain voters home on election day.

-sarcasm off-

Although, nothing would surprise me!

[VolcanoJen]

5. Can they do NOTHING right?

<snicker>