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Test Test Test!

A project log for ResQ Search and Rescue Tools

Air and ground-based tools to detect people by using their existing cell phone signature

eric-wiiliamEric Wiiliam 10/05/2020 at 00:210 Comments

I finally had a miserable day to get out in the woods with the ResQ ground- I needed the rain and cold to get everyone to stay home from the trails so I could test the 2.4 GHz signal propagation in a bit heaver obstacles (heavy forest).  

The rain and wet foliage would be perfect for more test results (the moisture should attenuate the target signal and make it even harder for ResQ) :

And test results we got!  I placed a target in the woods and to my surprise- it was received even better than previous tests.  I really dont expect ANY results without fairly clear line of sight since 2.4GHz should not penetrate hardly at all but it seems that grabbing a packet here and there by ResQ is entirely possible.  

Someday I will bring an SDR to see just how far down in to the noise floor ResQ can identify a target of interest- the tests indicate it is pretty sensitive indeed! I really want to see this myself on a waterfall and it will make for a nerdy fun empirical test...

Note: the rolling shutter effect blocks half the display at any given time:

The client is my test but check out the AP's- this I didnt anticipate. The gain on the antenna is apparently so high that I am able to detect and identify access points from the businesses in the industrial park just beyond the woods.  Very cool.

The GPS took a few moments to get position as the last field test was far from here. The position lock is much faster if you power up close to the position of the last 3D fix.  Overall- I'm still super happy with the results.  

I would like to fast the ground unit to a light aircraft facing down and do an aerial survey to test the results with the YAGI. The Air unit with an omni antenna has worked well but the high gain directional is a BEAST.  

I took Sentry along too for a play in the woods.  As usual I forgot a key part- the SD card from the ResQ cam was sitting in my laptop at home... Murphy.  I have enough tests on the camera now that I am happy.  

Next up I would still like to get V3 PCB on the go, alter the Sentry code to capture more image options (capture timed/burst sets of pictures) and finalize the LORA and Bluetooth code so the data stream can be best used in a phone/tablet app and base station for multiple ResQ Sentry installations in a game preserve or other large area needing surveillance. 

I may take some weeks off just to rest and regroup on the project now though as I've lived an breathed ResQ for months now.  I doubt I will be able to stay away though...

Loving this project :)

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