Many years ago, I was challenged by a coworker to come up with a way to open a garage door with a cellular phone. My proposed solution involved a computer, an internet connection and an X10 home automation device. A simple phone app could send a signal to the computer’s IP that would tell the automatic opener to operate via the X10. While this solution would work, he asked why I couldn’t just “hack” the phone to work like his battery operated garage door opener did. After all, both devices are wireless, right? I explained that radio chips are designed to operate on specific frequencies. As it is, the GSM radio on his phone, which operates at either 850 or 1900 MHz, requires a different radio chip than his Bluetooth and WiFi, which operate on a vastly different 2.4 GHz frequency. Because garage door openers usually operate on a range of 312 to 340 MHz, it simply wasn’t possible to communicate directly with his existing hardware because everything operates on clearly defined ranges. Until now.
Engineer and gadget tinkerer Michael Ossman has come up with a project to change that limited communication. This project, something he calls HackRF, is a software defined radio (SDR) that can switch frequencies on the fly from as low as 100 MHz all the way up to 6 GHz. This range includes some FM stations, cordless phones, cellular phones, WiFi, GPS, and yes, even garage door openers.
The HackRF device isn’t the first SDR product, but it appears to be the first affordable one on a consumer level that offer this kind of range and features. Ossman’s device is expected to look similar to a USB dongle and cost around $300, making it perfect for hobbyists and tinkerers that want a single device to potentially tap into anything around them.
Be aware that as cool as this device is, it’s not without limitations. For starters, most RC toys and walkie talkies are below 100 MHz and that means they’re outside of the range of this radio. Also, despite what others have speculated, wireless devices such as TV remote controls work with line-of-sight infrared communication and don’t fall under the range of this product.
Of course, let’s not forget the legal implications involved. Some of the frequencies in this range are policed by the FCC and reserved for emergency communications. Please hack responsibly.
(Yes, we know the meme in the image at the top of the article is a dead horse that we shouldn’t beat, but it fit the topic so well that we couldn’t resist.)
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