TMC Net
Berkeley Varitronics Systems, Inc. a provider of advanced wireless solutions and products for the domestic and international wireless telecommunications industry, has released a palm-sized cell phone detector called the Wolfhound-Lite.
Company sources added that Wolfhound-Lite is the second product in a line of BVS’s advanced cell phone detection products which can be easily concealed in a pocket or worn on a belt clip similar to a wireless pager.
Company sources added that Wolfhound-Lite is the second product in a line of BVS’s advanced cell phone detection products which can be easily concealed in a pocket or worn on a belt clip similar to a wireless pager.
Security personnel and correctional professionals are instantly alerted to nearby cell phone activity by the vibrations produced by the Wolfhound-Lite. The device works on standard Lithium Ion rechargeable 9-volt batteries which can power the device for up to 8 hours. Security personnel can scan for all cellular voice and text or data transmissions in a hands-free mode.
The use of contraband cell phones by inmates in U.S. prisons has risen remarkably and the number of cell phones confiscated by prison officials has increased within just a few years according to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration or NTIA.
In order to address this growing menace of cell phones in prisons Wolfhound-Lite has been designed to detect and also locate contraband cell phones without employing jamming technology as it will interfere with authorized communication channels or 911 emergency calls. Jamming is a violation of FCC rules and the CTIA recommendations. Most other solutions need an entire network infrastructure of wireless sensors hard-wired across the facility which may be difficult to deploy and expensive also, said company sources.
The new device features a high speed scanning multi-band receiver in a packet-sized pager configuration with an integrated omni-directional antenna system. This allows correctional personnel to detect a cell phone’s unique RF energy algorithm and lock on it. The device’s bright but discreet OLED display indicates signal strength. Wolfhound-Lite also features a stealth mode which can alert operators with vibration in case any cell phone is detected.
“The Wolfhound-Lite will allow correctional facilities to enforce an affordable NO CELL PHONE USE policy, since each security officer could potentially be equipped with a cell phone detecting watchdog,” said Scott Schober, President and CEO of Berkeley Varitronics Systems. “We believe secure facilities will come to depend on the Wolfhound-Lite to detect and confiscate the increasing number of contraband cell phones being smuggled in prisons that are not only used to threaten public safety, but also contribute to ongoing criminal activity.”
As correctional facilities and prisons make use of steel in large quantities which are not RF friendly it results in inadequate cell phone coverage. This necessitates cell phones to transmit at higher power levels for maintaining connection with nearby base stations. Wolfhound-Lite allows instruments to detect the presence of cell phones discreetly and rapidly.
