We seek to understand and document all radio transmissions, legal and otherwise, as part of the radio listening hobby. We do not encourage any radio operations contrary to regulations. Always consult with the appropriate authorities if you have questions concerning what is permissible in your locale.

« previous next »
Pages: [1]

Author Topic: US warns hidden radios may be embedded in solar-powered highway infrastructure  (Read 3675 times)

ChrisSmolinski

  • Administrator
  • Marconi Class DXer
  • *****
  • Posts: 34670
    • Westminster, MD USA
    • Black Cat Systems
US warns hidden radios may be embedded in solar-powered highway infrastructure
« on: September 10, 2025, 1607 UTC »
WASHINGTON, Sept 10 (Reuters) - U.S. officials say solar-powered highway infrastructure including chargers, roadside weather stations, and traffic cameras should be scanned for the presence of rogue devices – such as hidden radios – secreted inside batteries and inverters.

The four-page security note, a copy of which was reviewed by Reuters, said that undocumented cellular radios had been discovered “in certain foreign-manufactured power inverters and BMS,” referring to battery management systems.

https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-warns-hidden-radios-may-be-embedded-solar-powered-highway-infrastructure-2025-09-10/
Logged
Chris Smolinski
Westminster, MD
eQSLs appreciated! [email protected]
netSDR / AFE822x / AirSpy HF+ / KiwiSDR / 900 ft Horz skyloop / 500 ft NE beverage / 250 ft V Beam / 58 ft T2FD / 120 ft T2FD / 400 ft south beverage / 43m, 20m, 10m  dipoles / Crossed Parallel Loop / Discone in a tree

ThaDood

  • DX Legend
  • ******
  • Posts: 1648
    • Likely, not where you are.
    • Extreme, Part #15!
    • Email
Re: US warns hidden radios may be embedded in solar-powered highway infrastructure
« Reply #1 on: September 10, 2025, 1615 UTC »
Well, if you takes those apart, the quickest way to tell that is to find at the edge of a PC board a 2" foil trace, that terminates to nothing, at one end, and just an SMT chip CAP at the other. That, would be the antenna.
Logged
The best two statements of advice that I've ever gotten are from my brother-in-law in the early 1990's. 1st one, when I bought a used '89 Olds Cutless, my bro-in-law said, "Congratulations!!! You've just bought a deficit!". The other, was on a work environment, " No matter where you go, it's going to be f***'ed -up!". No truer words have been spoken.

BoomboxDX

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 941
Re: US warns hidden radios may be embedded in solar-powered highway infrastructure
« Reply #2 on: September 12, 2025, 1657 UTC »
Part of me says, yeah, looks like a problem, just as the hidden spy chips in Chinese made PCB's that were destined for sensitive Naval equipment (the chips were complete spychips, made small and shaped to look like diodes or SMT transistors) were a problem.

On the other hand, every smartphone, modern car, many modern flatscreens, and other devices are spying on everybody already.

What's the difference, really? It's all a matter of who's selling the data to whom.

Logged
An AM radio Boombox DXer.
+ GE SRIII, PR-D5 & TRF on MW.
The usual Realistic culprits on SW (and a Panasonic).

NQC

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 310
    • Boston,MA
Re: US warns hidden radios may be embedded in solar-powered highway infrastructure
« Reply #3 on: September 26, 2025, 2307 UTC »
Welcome to the bold new world.

de NQC
Logged
Station main receiver : Bed springs to  blue razor blade detector to 2000 ohm cans to steam  radiator. Grid FN 42
Pages: [1]
« previous next »