I have, in the past, wondered how practical it would be to take a highly-directional antenna and a camera mounted on a computer-controlled tripod head and then pan the thing around for a bit and create an image with a heat map overlay showing where the signal is strongest. I was thinking about making a map showing WiFi networks.

If you have some fancy RDF antenna array, which I imagine that military signals intelligence people do, might not even need to do the panning.

[–] Cort@lemmy.world 8 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Add 2 more sensors and you can triangulate. Fly them around on drones and you could search the countryside

[–] Jesus_666@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Even just one additional sensor if they're directional. Even if optical camouflage of broadcast equipment might work in the short term, I don't doubt that Ukraine will find a way around that relatively quickly. The Ukrainians are really good at this and, well, it's broadcast equipment.

[–] CanadaPlus 1 points 1 week ago

You'll need a big dish or phased array to get that kind of directionality, but it's doable.

If you wanted to do radio stations, which are on longer wavelengths, it probably isn't anymore.

[–] waldfee@feddit.org 1 points 1 week ago

This sounds very similar to this project from The Thought Emporium

[–] ravenaspiring@sh.itjust.works 13 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I'm guessing they could be seen easily with FLIR, but of course not every drone or soldier has that.

[–] CanadaPlus 1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Hmm, how much heat does it take for something to become visible? A high power antenna will get hot, but if it's a signal type that's jamming resistant otherwise maybe it can use a normal civilian level of power.

[–] lemming741@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Emissivity is probably different, and if the shell is thin and plastic, probably closer to ambient temp

[–] CanadaPlus 1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Oh right. I supposed unless it's absolutely cooking a thermal blanket would hide it decently well. You'd need to be careful the radio/microwave frequencies of interest aren't blocked as well, though.

Edit: If it's a non-directional transmitter you can just find it pretty easily from it's transmissions anyway.

A receiver should be totally cold.

[–] AmidFuror@fedia.io 6 points 1 week ago

If they're anything like the ones used for cell towers in the US, they're very obvious.

[–] glimse@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago

Pretty clever. Wouldn't have guessed from the thumbnail (minus the spool)