GPS Antenna/Legality

[JPope]

Just read where Law Enforcement had a GPS on Scott Peterson's car and tracked him for a awhile.

http://home.frontiernet.net/newsdetail.asp?cat=3&id=46985723&bhfv=7&bhsp=4086560&bhqs=1



His legal team is questioning the legality of GPS in CA. for this use?



Ignoring the case and the legal people arguing (PLEASE!!):



How do you put a GPS antennna on a car that no one will notice?

I know my handhelds are line of site and the latest is better than an early one (8 channel vs. parallel/10 channel). The ones I have seen on boats/cars still require a noticeable antenna that is visible.

If you block the antenna view of the satellite (trees, canopy, car roof, etc. ) you get a loss of signal warning.



Maybe someone knows about a stealth antenna?

 

[klenger]

The new satellite navigation systems offered by Dodge have an antenna installed behind the dash under the windshield. Since the windshield is glass (duh!) and the dash is plastic, the signal is not blocked much. If they were using the GPS for tracking, it wouldn't matter if it went in and out of coverage as long at the position was updated periodically. Many, many years ago I did some work with the DEA who were bugging drug runner's airplanes. They can be pretty sneaky. Then the drug guys would hire x-military ECM guys to sniff the bugs, so the DEA had to get sneakier... .



As to legality, if they have a court order, it's legal.

 

[JPope]

Thanks Ken. That is exactly what I was looking for. So if someone with enough money/technolgy wants to they can conceal anything, until the countermeasures continues the game !!!!

 

[slo-ryde]

I also read the lawyers are trying to get that evidence thrown out because GPS technology isn't proven to be reliable. What a bunch of maroons! Once the government turned off the fuzzy signal (SA) my handheld is accurate to around 15 feet. Lawyers, you got to love 'em.

 

[klenger]

GPS is not accurate? Better tell that to all our customers who rely on our GPS navigation products for flying enroute and approaches to airports in bad weather.

 

[TboneMan]

The real argument here is whether GPS is "accurate enough". I can site study after study (MS and PhD level) that demonstrate the accuracy of GPS under curtain conditions. I don't see that the defence has a legal leg to stand on. They only need to prove his general where-abouts, not his exact locatoin down to a centimeter (as would be acheivable with survey grade instrument).



As for concealing an antenna... each car on the track at a NASCAR race is equipped with an antenna. The car position is transmitted to a control center where some slick software makes it possible to have those floating arrows pointing to the cars in real time as they wizz around the track.



I could see the prosecuters showing some video of a race to jurors and saying "see, this is what can be done with GPS. "

 

[Turbo Tim 1]

There was a case in upstate NY not too long ago where this guy had a GM car with On-Star and somebody decided to kill him and take his car to dispose of the body down in NYC and then come home. They solved the who, what, where with the On-Star satellite tracking and even found the guys body that way after he was missing for a while. This is where the car went so the guy must be here somewhere stuff. A little bit too much big brother for me.