Silk Road forums

Discussion => Newbie discussion => Topic started by: Jonny Bench on February 06, 2013, 05:32 am

Title: Looking for cellphone diagrams to remove GPS on smartphones. Droids specifically
Post by: Jonny Bench on February 06, 2013, 05:32 am
Trying to remove the GPS on my phones.
I tried figuring it out on one phone, managed to disable everything but the gps...any break it in the process but that's trial and error.
If anyone has any diagrams for droid phones or could point me in the right direction I would be grateful.
I only use throw away phones, can't be too safe these days.
Title: Re: Looking for cellphone diagrams to remove GPS on smartphones. Droids specifically
Post by: Jonny Bench on February 06, 2013, 05:46 am
It's almost like threads that pertain to anything other than (50) sink to the bottom in this place
Title: Re: Looking for cellphone diagrams to remove GPS on smartphones. Droids specifically
Post by: chaosmix on February 06, 2013, 05:57 am
if your local walmart or wherever u buy your disposables from doesnt carry phones wout gps such as a cheap nokia then go online and find one.
Title: Re: Looking for cellphone diagrams to remove GPS on smartphones. Droids specifically
Post by: Jonny Bench on February 06, 2013, 06:12 am
Don't want a cheap nokia.
I want to keep the droid, especially the 4g. My phone is also my connection to the internet through tails.
Title: Re: Looking for cellphone diagrams to remove GPS on smartphones. Droids specifically
Post by: Mischke on February 06, 2013, 06:40 am
What exactly is it that you're trying to prevent? LE from tracking you through GPS data? I'm not 100% sure, so verify what I'm about to say, but your gps data isn't stored by any wireless carrier I know of. It's stored on your phone and given to any apps that you granted access to it. So don't grant location data access to any suspicious apps, and encrypt your phone with a strong passphrase. And then leave your phone at home when you go to make drops.

Btw, using an access point that can be traced to you isn't very smart. Your wireless carrier will be able to tell that you're logged onto Tor, and if shit hits the fan, that will be yet another thing you'll have to explain to a judge. Also, in the EXTREMELY rare event that an adversary has impersonated a guard node, they would know who you are (via your IP address) and what you're viewing and transmitting via tor.

So long story short, use an access point that cannot be traced to you, period. And REMEMBER: Tor only helps you with anonymity, NOT encryption. And it only does that well if used correctly.
Title: Re: Looking for cellphone diagrams to remove GPS on smartphones. Droids specifically
Post by: LSD-Mescaline on February 06, 2013, 06:45 am
if you disable your gps then you cant use navigation!!!!!!!!!!!!

but this is a very good question, i would like to know how too

knowledge is power
Title: Re: Looking for cellphone diagrams to remove GPS on smartphones. Droids specifically
Post by: Clyde on February 06, 2013, 07:24 am
Also, in the EXTREMELY rare event that an adversary has impersonated a guard node, they would know who you are (via your IP address) and what you're viewing and transmitting via tor.

So long story short, use an access point that cannot be traced to you, period. And REMEMBER: Tor only helps you with anonymity, NOT encryption. And it only does that well if used correctly.

Could you explain this a little more? Never knew about this and it peaked my curiosity. How would someone go about doing so?
Title: Re: Looking for cellphone diagrams to remove GPS on smartphones. Droids specifically
Post by: Jonny Bench on February 06, 2013, 06:11 pm
Let me elaborate.
These are prepaid phones. My phones aren;t registered to me in the least. They are registered to people like Donald Duck. I keep them for one month and discard for a new one.
I want to remove GPS to add an extra layer of security and to keep feds from activating my GPS and finding out exactly where I am. Which they can do with almost no effort. getting a warrant is easy.
I connect through my cell phone to tor. My IP location shows I'm in whatever state  I register the number. Example. Last phone was registered in Cali, showed my location as being in oakland, ca when I was on a business trip to NY. Feds have a few devices used to track, crack and locate your wireless devices. StingRay II, AmberJack, KingFish, TriggerFish and LoggerHead are just a few of them.
Can they see through that little ruse? yes, of course but it will take them a little bit longer to realize my location is not bound by ip and its one more warrant needed.
In this game, every second counts
Title: Re: Looking for cellphone diagrams to remove GPS on smartphones. Droids specifically
Post by: android465764E on February 06, 2013, 06:31 pm
You can root your android handset and remove the gps software, for sure.

As for actually removing the receiver/antenna hardware, you can't do that without wrecking the handset.

Title: Re: Looking for cellphone diagrams to remove GPS on smartphones. Droids specifically
Post by: Jonny Bench on February 06, 2013, 07:50 pm
I know on older gps phones you could remove the antennae. It doesn't remove the GPS but it does make it virtually impossible to get a signal which is almost as good.
I opened up my last phone, a newer droid but couldn't find the GPS chip. Damn near figured out how to disable everything else except the gps.
Title: Re: Looking for cellphone diagrams to remove GPS on smartphones. Droids specifically
Post by: Chopper on February 06, 2013, 08:07 pm
Trying to remove the GPS on my phones.
I tried figuring it out on one phone, managed to disable everything but the gps...any break it in the process but that's trial and error.
If anyone has any diagrams for droid phones or could point me in the right direction I would be grateful.
I only use throw away phones, can't be too safe these days.

If you had one of the original smartphones it may have been a possibility as the components would have been separate. As technology becomes more mature and widespread the manufactures start to incorporate new features on to the same chips internally to reduce cost/space/power requirements. Almost all smartphones have the GPS functionality incorporated nowadays.

Your best option would be a custom ROM without the GPS hardware drivers. Another option (depending on the hardware) would be to physically remove the GPS antenna from the handset. Although this wouldn't disable the GPS functionality it would certainly make it extremely difficult (but not impossible) for the handset to acquire a GPS lock.

The custom ROM is definitely to way to go and there are plenty of forums containing these. Just do a Google search for custom Android ROM...

HTH,
Chopper.

EDIT: Sorry JonnyB - I didn't see your post about the antenna trick...
Title: Re: Looking for cellphone diagrams to remove GPS on smartphones. Droids specifically
Post by: Sappaloth on February 06, 2013, 08:31 pm
You`re not tracked via GPS, you`re tracked via the cell(s) your phone is connected to. Disabling GPS doesn`t change anything. A cellphone tracking throught GPS only works at stupid TV shows like CIS:
Title: Re: Looking for cellphone diagrams to remove GPS on smartphones. Droids specifically
Post by: halleo on February 06, 2013, 08:45 pm
What Sappaloth said. You can be tracked with gps and tower reception.  They can track you pretty well using just the tower info.  Just make sure cell doesn't transmit any questionable data without encryption and you should be safe enough.  Its impossible to be 100% safe when dealing with potentially illegal activities.  The trick is in making the difficulty of busting you greater than your level of involvement.
halleo
Title: Re: Looking for cellphone diagrams to remove GPS on smartphones. Droids specifically
Post by: Jonny Bench on February 07, 2013, 12:16 am
Thanks chopper, I didn't know they made custom roms like that. Guess that will be my next move, I've officially fried this phone so off to get a new one and try again. I'll look into the roms first before I buy the next gadget.
I appreciate the response.
Sap, I know they use the stingray to ping off towers to track your cell's general vicinity but they have to be within distance of you (mobile surveillance vehicles usually). I know there's no 100% sure way to do this but I'm taking every precaution necessary to ensure it's as difficult as possible for them.
To include relaying calls off forwarded virtual numbers to virtual numbers. I figure if I do this and I keep my phones for only 1 month at a time (usually less), it should make it fairly difficult for them to track. It's a little expensive being as paranoid as I am but it's worth it in the end if it keeps me a free man.
Title: Re: Looking for cellphone diagrams to remove GPS on smartphones. Droids specifically
Post by: android465764E on February 07, 2013, 06:59 pm
Thinking about now, http://forum.xda-developers.com/  would be a good place to visit if you really do want schematics.
Title: Re: Looking for cellphone diagrams to remove GPS on smartphones. Droids specifically
Post by: Clyde on February 08, 2013, 05:21 am
Thinking about now, http://forum.xda-developers.com/  would be a good place to visit if you really do want schematics.

I agree with this, got my custom ROM from there.
Title: Re: Looking for cellphone diagrams to remove GPS on smartphones. Droids specifically
Post by: android465764E on February 08, 2013, 11:26 am
Thinking about now, http://forum.xda-developers.com/  would be a good place to visit if you really do want schematics.

I agree with this, got my custom ROM from there.


Rooting my phones gives me a warm feeling. And removing all those useless crappy bloatware apps is just such a joy.
Processing speed and battery life greatly improved.

Currently rocking a CyanogenMod variation. Galaxy S2. Brilliant Android handset.

*ALERT! Phon3 g33k in 4he ro0m*
Title: Re: Looking for cellphone diagrams to remove GPS on smartphones. Droids specifically
Post by: Sappaloth on February 08, 2013, 12:30 pm
Sap, I know they use the stingray to ping off towers to track your cell's general vicinity but they have to be within distance of you (mobile surveillance vehicles usually). I know there's no 100% sure way to do this but I'm taking every precaution necessary to ensure it's as difficult as possible for them.

For sure, they don`t track you by using the GPS.

Read a little bit about GPS and you´ll recognize it on your own :)
GPS doesn`t work bidirectional. To track you by using your GPS, someone has to get a software on your phone, that reads the GPS data and sends it to someone else. It`s much much easier to track you by using the cell network data. And it´s even more accurate, cause GPS doesn´t work well every time and every where.
Title: Re: Looking for cellphone diagrams to remove GPS on smartphones. Droids specifically
Post by: Best Dutch Drugs on February 08, 2013, 05:29 pm
Why not just use throw away SIM cards, throwing away phones is a waste.