Design of a simple cell-phone radio-frequency detector

Abstract

Recently, we have witnessed, locally and globally, a dramatic-boom in the wireless-communications industry, hence increasing the number of mobile-devices-users. This magnified the need for developing more-efficient and reliable-means of mobile-phone-signal-detection. The following-study aimed at developing a circuit that would be able to detect any mobile-phone activities such as: sending or receiving calls and text-messages, unauthorized- audio or video-transmission or any other type of data-transmission, yet the phone is kept in the silent-mode. Overall, the results of this brief-study are potentially-useful, as the mobile-phone-transmission-detector can sense the presence of an activated-mobile-cell-phone from a distance of about 4 meters. It can therefore be potentially used to prevent use of mobile-phones in restricted and unauthorized-places, such as examination-halls, confidential and private-government meetings-venues, and business-companies-seminar-halls among others. It is also useful for detecting the use of mobile-phone for spying and unauthorized-video-transmissions. Another potential application is in hospitals and airplanes where mobile-signals might interfere with the electronic-equipment, possibly resulting in fatal- consequences and most-importantly, the circuit would also help to reduce the use of mobile-phones for terrorist-activities, thereby improving national and personal-security. The prototype, however, has a limited-range of detection, of only about 4 meters, therefore future and more-deeper-research on improvements should be conducted, so as to make the device more-efficient.