It's not a spoofer, it's a RID receiver tester 😀

So if everyone hooked these up to their cars so it was always powered, it would overwhelm the system, making a drone as hard to locate as needle in a stack of needles.

Are remote ID serial numbers intended to be publicly available info? If so, the system has major security risk - if anyone can take that ID and use in a spoofing program to simulate your aircraft. No remote ID based evidence will ever hold up in court. Presume this could be the downfall of the whole system?

Gotta love Open Source! Good job Arduino dudes. Can’t wait to see how this evolves and it will! Set it out somewhere in the general area, but not near where you are standing.

The fact the esp can transmit the rid protocol gives me hope. Much cheaper than off the shelf modules to start, and I could see a variation of this project which shows the required rid information but with some obfuscated or filtered information - a happy medium between compliance and noncompliance perhaps?

I'm gonna find the nearest hornet's nest and set it as a ground station. 😁

JB, love your content. I am watching the evolution of RID. There is definitely going to be/is a market for Karen Countermeasures. That's all I will say, to go on, it would cut into hours of flying time.... Keep up the great content!

From what I've been seeing the RID modules only have a range of about 200 to 500 ft from the aircraft. I can see the ones with the 200 ft range becoming the best sellers.😎👍

This is a good first attempt. It can and should get a lot better than this. It would probably be worth them switching to ESP32 since they are more powerful. You can get ones with external antennas and there shouldn’t be any issues adding a GPS module to it. A potentially good board to use would be the XIAO with the ESP32C3. It has an external antenna and is tiny. If size isn’t important then any ESP32 board with external antenna would be a good option. ESP32 boards also have Bluetooth so you could create a phone app to alter settings like GPS coordinates, number of drones, etc if you wanted.

This is perhaps the most legally miachevious video ive ever seen you post. I love it.

ADSB isn't on a frequency set aside for private use like Bluetooth and Wifi are. I am pretty sure the reason you can't spoof ADSB legally is that you can't broadcast legally on those frequencies unless it is for ADSB, which has been blessed by the FCC as well as the FAA. The FAA does not own the frequencies at play here and likely has over stepped their authority by co-opting them for air traffic control.

You can easily run this off a solar panel & small battery and then put them in lots of places... Not like they cost a lot.

What a great use for all the esp’s I have left over from making slime trackers! Thanks

Sweet secret unlisted video here! Definitely doing this! Xoxoxo

Some people are commenting that this is definitely illegal. I'm not convinced. I'm not a lawyer, and you're probably not a lawyer either, and the person whose video you're probably quoting when you say it's illegal -- he isn't a lawyer either, and he's not even a U.S. resident. So let's all just take a big step back and think about this. Could this be illegal under some "interfering with a system" law? Yup. If the government wants to screw you over, they will find some law to charge you with. Look at what happened to Aaron Swartz (link: bit.ly/3ronrJB). But it's not a given that using the RemoteID spoofer is illegal. Consider this: intentionally jamming RF signals is illegal, right? Yes. If I were to get a microwave oven and put it in the middle of a shopping mall and turn it on with the express intent of jamming wifi in the mall, that would be illegal. But if I was making a cup of tea with that same microwave oven, that would not be illegal, because my intent is to make a cup of tea, not to interfere with the system. So any law that hinges on intent to interfere requires the government to prove your intent. In addition, the Spoofer does not prevent the RemoteID system from working. Legitimate RemoteID broadcasts are still transmitted and received, and all RemoteID systems work correctly. What if I was to do the same thing by buying 15 DJI Avatas and plugging them all in so they broadcast RemoteID information? Would that be illegal? What if I was to do the same thing by hiring 15 friends to come hover the DJI Avatas in the area while I fly? Is that illegal? Obviously not, even though the effect is exactly the same as with this RemoteID spoofer. My point is that there is no law that requires RemoteID trasmissions to be sent only be an actual SUAS (as far as I know). Any way that the gov tries to make this illegal will hinge on their interpretation of your intent, and intent can be difficult to prove if you just keep your mouth shut. BUT if you get into a situation where you have to defend your intent against the gov, you're probably already in deep shit, so better to just not get in that situation in the first place.

in theory, you have also given information on how to build your own RID module for legit purposes for those who wish to comply, but cant afford a certified device. Yes, it wont fit the letter of the law, but could get your local PD to simply walk away.

What happens when one of these modules gets turned on inside an airport? Are they gonna call Bruce Willis out of retirement?

Finally a product related to RID I can get behind.

I like the way you think! Bless you! As a patriot, I subscribed immediately.

Install that on the aircraft, should increase the range if up in the air. The NodeMCU doesn't use much power and it's pretty small, power it from the flight battery, add an antenna.

I remember the wild west in 2013 with my Blade Qx 350 flying with that old gopro. No rules, pure fun .

the silent finger flicking at the end was great, haha.

If remote ID were anything NEAR constitutional, I wouldn't object. But CLEARLY it violates the first amendment freedom of press clause that means they can't infringe on public photography. Also it violates the fourth amendment. You do not have to provide ID if you are not doing anything illegal, so screw this law at the molecular level! All good wishes.

FYI, the Usage section of the readme shows how to enter your own GPS coords (as of the time of this writing.) TL;DR: within 2 minutes of turning on the device, go to a local URI and enter your coordinates. After 2 minutes, it starts spoofing.

The node is used in ws2811 pixels, too. Another hobby of mine. I could program and see if i could do two in one!

On a unrelated note, small 5v solar panels could probably output decent wattage...

Desolder the resistor right before the antenna and solder an sma cable to the empty pcb slot next to old resistor. Solder shield to ground. Use AT command to bump wifi module power up to 100mw. Use a high gain antenna or a better cp antenna. You will get pretty decent range. You can always add a cheap power Amp to the sma then your antenna on the other end of the Amp. Will carry a half mile to a mile plus on just a dipole and set to 100mw.

Man !!! I don’t understand half of what you explained but it sounds so cool !! All I understand there’s a way to get everybody’s nose off of my drone hobby, GREAT CONTENT my man !!! Keep it up cause I’m going to get to know your ideas and put them into practice . Thank you!!!

I'm going to have to put one of these onboard each of my drones. 😉 I have plenty of ESP8266 modules that have been just laying around waiting for a fun project.

This is only an educational video!! Lol awesome. Thanks JB

First of all, this is awesome. I'm an old guy, so i have already purchased the actual RID module ($140) But I'd love one of these because the park we fly at is filled with karens. Looks complicated for a guy that has difficulty resetting his microwave clock display. Someone needs to start selling testers/training devices so Karen can learn how to use the "drone finder app" on her phone. I bet Karen would pay $50 to help keep the world safe from fun. Nobody would ever use such a device to prevent Karen from her self-appointed duties. Probably important to be able to set altitude, speed and gps fence for the 'training drones' so the training app can ensure that Karen understands how to use her app.

There was an update to the code. It lets the ESP open own access point for wlan the first 30 seconds or so, where you can add own gps coordinates.

A nice 3 pack was just purchased... Thanks JB

You can buy ESP8266 boards with connections for external antenna ( Wemos D1 Mini Pro) I've only tested these over short distances though.

I have an ESP32 with BT 5. Let me try that for better range. Or is this broadcasted via pcb antenna? Then see if I can port that over to micropython.

Did Amazon already sell out of these in an hour?

I am a HAM radio guy and EE. The frequency spectrum is very carefully allocated by the FCC. Both Bluetooth and WiFi are open public parts of the spectrum. FAA can make all the rules they want but these are public frequencies. I see no way they can keep people from using them anyway they want, e.g. spoofing. I used to fly in a park in the Phoenix, AZ area. One side of it had a bunch of homes with WiFi in them. We would consistently get interference with video when flying near them. How is this different than this ESP32 project? The FAA is way out of it league on this. For another example of the FAA vs the FCC read up on the radio altimeter mess that full scale aviation is dealing with. The FAA tried force cell companies to abandon frequencies they had just paid big bucks for because of possible interference with poorly designed radio altimeters. After lots of posturing the FAA lost, the radio altimeters have to be updated to filter out the cell phone frequencies. This should have been the case from the start but the radio altimeter manufacturers wanted to save some $'s and did poor design. They got away with for a long time as no one was on the adjacent frequencies, now that has changed.

First off this uses WiFi+Bluetooth and I believe we are for the most part free to broadcast anything we want in those bands as long as the transmit power level restrictions are followed. And keep in mind its not just WiFi and Bluetooth that operate in these frequencies, other devices such as microwaves, cordless phones, ZigBee are among the list of things that operate in this frequency ranges and this is by no means a complete list and the ability to regulate that is not up to the FAA but actually falls under the FCC.

This seems like a good way to get the FCC involved in cracking down on FPV pilots too

Adding a GPS is a pretty easy change. You need half a dozen lines of c code to pull the location out of the GPS data and drop it in the existing location definition. My guess is it will take you a couple hours of googling to figger it out. Everything else you need to do I've seen you do in previous videos. One tip if your up for trying it, Drone people always say UART whereas Arduino people nearly always say serial port but their the same thing.

Okay so why do we have to have the remote ID thing on the drone.. couldn't that be handled with a gps sending coordinates back to the controller, then the controller hooks up to like your phone or something?

Tomorrow Joshua, omg there's 10 million drones over my house!🤣

I have used the ESP8266 and ESP32 boards for some IOT projects like temperature and humidity sensors. They are dev boards similar to Arduino boards. I'm pretty sure you can get a GPS module that would communicate with these boards. It's also possible to modify the code so that you could configure the GPS coordinates on a webpage, instead of having to recompile the program to change the coordinates. I would think it would be illegal to spoof ADS-B data, but it's just an unencrypted data packet, so it wouldn't be hard to do.

I have an ESP32 with BT 5. Let me try that for better range. Or is this broadcasted via pcb antenna?

Wonder if the flipper zero could have an addon bord made for this

since i quit flying FPV i just ike to chime in for hummor ELRS is the viagra of flying . they make it real hard . still love watching you guys keep going

All of those files JB has blurred out are all AI generated NSFW Images😅

so I bought the boards and have done eveything as mentioned but no drones show up on drone scanner at all! Im also seeing a different sketch where do put in lat and long numbers

Stupid question, but couldn't we just make the esp8266 node mcu work AS a RID if we wanted??? Not saying I want to comply, or will, but might be nice to make one for $10 ;)

It would be nice if the FAA makes it mandatory for those people monitoring pilots on their phones to broadcast their location and ip address. This doesn’t solve the problem but it would also make them worried about monitoring drones. We don’t want them to know our location neither do they. It should add to our safety a little bit.

Love your videos! Very informative. Just subscribed !

ESPs are so amazing... There r some fun home assistant stuff, WLED for controlling led strips, and SO MUCH MORE

Every modeler and FPV pilot should walk around with these on their keychain. Flooding the remote ID system would be the best way to protest the law!

I have to say that I truly love your videos, they have become an important part of how i learn and relax, but this is the first one where I actually let out a genuine maniacal laugh, which is something that I almost never do! Thanks for bringing this to our attention, I had heard about this from a different channel but you got us the plans and details. In you video yesterday you said that it is unclear if this is illegal, after all they never said "dont broadcast RID content..." and I think most of us know how well that kind of crap seems to hold up when in court but still, why are they messing with my hobby? ?? Keeps me busy, keeps my mind active, keeps my imagination flowing, keeps me getting out of the house, keeps me from lots of bad stuff... I noted that rc was the center of my childhood and it truly got me through some tough times giving me something that couldn't be taken from me as my imagination of what i could do and would do one day was as big a part of the experience as anything. Is all of this for clear airspace for drone deliveries? Or drone taxi's, well we must be super close to having those after all why else ruin the fun for millions of people, right now, today, right?!??? This is truly sad, I do hope that clearer heads prevail and soon.

also, this code might be possible to run on elrs module, so I think it's theoretically possible to use updates to spoof/comply remote ID using ratio or even reciever.

And I can even run it on an esp8266? My favorite microcontroller ever? That's the icing on the cake 😎

It would be sick to have this installed on the EPS32 module from the HDZero googles, broadcasting some fake pilot positions evry time I turn them on.

Interfereing with a law enforcement investigation is the first of many charges you would be facing. I'm sure then the FAA would come up with some of their own and then call the FCC and then they would charge you with broadcast violations. You could end up in a heap of trouble.

Nice I bought one years ago and now I have a use for it! Lol

Do not even own a drone, but this is awesome

JB: Like for example the Rotor Riot office, we're gonna right click and we're gonna get the GPS coordinate, put that right here.... Somewhere in Florida: FAA!! DREW CAMDEN YOU'RE UNDER ARREST!!

for anyone interested, there's special watch with this module.

Thanks JB. Great first arduino project. Everything worked as expected including the successful upload. Then nothing after the "Hard RST reset" message. No blinky blue light. No indication power is connected. OpenDroneID detects my actual RemoteID, but no spoofed ones show in the list. Anyone got any thoughts?

ESP should be able to connect to your phone via Bluetooth or WIFI (if not this very board/processor in particular, then there are different ones with different capabilities). So depending on some specific details you should technically be able to share your phone's location via one of those protocols instead of soldering any GPS module. I didn't look at the code or specs yet, but here are possible limitations: - It may need to stop broadcasting during the setup. Depending on the board/processor it may be able to keep only one connection up - not exactly sure at the moment. - It may require a bit of extra work. Especially when using Bluetooth, there may be a need to create a separate app or come up with another solution. The ESP processors have a nice webserver feature, they also let you set up a custom WiFi access point, so you could connect to it's own WiFi, open a website (you can even give it a meaningful name e.g. spoofer.local/) on your phone, and it will serve you the settings page. I'm pretty sure webpages can request location from your phone. You can also set it up so it connects to your phone's WiFi whenever it's on and your phone is broadcasting an SSID. The code should work just fine on other ESP processors with some minor changes maybe. Well, basically I wanted to say that there are some solutions that are likely simpler and cheaper than soldering in a GPS module! Anyways, really cool content, as always! Happy I'm based in Europe, but EU often looks at what the US do with regulations, so who knows for how long we're going to stay clear of such solutions.

Aaaaannnnnd just like that, several hundred thousand non existent drones appear. Good luck tracking all those 😂

Couple things I learned today.... First, the github is updated, as is the code. It now has a WAP and web page where you can enter the Gps coordinates so you can do it "in the field". Second... I can't see it with my iPhone... Apps on the iPhone for getting "local" Remote ID that is broadcast with WiFi only, iPhone doesn't let an app have access. So, if you do use Remote ID, and want to have fewer people snooping, use one that only does WiFi type signals, and not Bluetooth.

Can't wait for the lawsuits. I guarantee the FAA will cry about this.

Called it! Told a friend two days ago it wouldn't take a dev/coder long to come out with this.

6:47 : im quite sure you can get board with a ufl connector so you can put any antenna you want on it

I could see this leading to ban of fpv in general...

Yeap. That what I was talking about. And those modifications aren't that hard either. Anyway, thanks, Joshua! 😊 Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

Can I use this to Make *my* UAV's RID always be below 400 feet and within 100 yards (LoS) of me? 😏

Make a spoofer like this and set the location on your favorite zone... altitude 50 meters high.. (you wont see the drone anyway). Broadcast from your car and fly the drone. Maybe it is even possible to putt your info in the spoofer... exploitation number etc etc... And you got a legit drone with a legit remote ID ( but maybe a mile off track).

FYI* RID is a global trend, not just US - Taiwan to require remote ID for all commercially sold drones - Remote Identification (Remote ID) was proposed to address the identification problem and has been put on CAAs’ agenda of UTM system development.Changsha, China - This paper is the first stage of public consultation on the potential introduction of Remote ID requirements for drones in Australia. - 30 Mar 2023 - European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) supports drone ... Be aware, that almost all drones must be equipped with Remote ID feature.

Is there any way that I could do this with my flipper zero.

love this. I'm curious if maybe getting an ESP32 with onboard Bluetooth you could then show the board your location via your phones Bluetooth and it could create the Shadow drones based off of that? would it need an app to support? Just spit balling, thanks for the video.

It's worth noting that while this will work, it uses wifi, and Apple doesn't allow apps to use wifi properly to pull the info. This means that yes, this device will work - but if you're on iOS, none of the apps will pick it up.

Josh, this video has a big blank-ish section on the end.

The guy whos Github is linked in the description has just ordered an ESP32 and hopes to bring support for that as well!

I'm reminded of a Judas Priest track... Anyways, thing to remember, a lot of signals are line of sight, so broadcasting the spoofed information from your location won't be as good as simply putting the spoofer on the drone. Also, rather than putting it in your car. Building small units that could be solar powered and placed up high in trees or on buildings to cover a region would be a more effective use than putting it in your car.

jjshoots just released a new revision of the sketch. He integrated a small webserver. Coordinates can now be added, and modified via the web UI. On a side note: I've been dealing with arduino since the dawn of the multiwii series of flight controllers. This sort of thing always gives me the giggles.

Whats the app that you can see the location of the drones?

love the vids

Thank you for your explanation. What is the name of the smartphone app (to test the device) ?

… think of this of a “radar detector” … yes, In some states they are “illegal” when being used… RID is gonna have a hard enough time locating “gps drones”.. trying to locate a small “module” sending spoofing info among all other things.. Local LEO are not going to bother Now… we just need to make sure this “info” stays available to us..

Any reason we can't use an app on our phones to generate the signal? They all have GPS and the ability to communicate two way via WiFi and Bluetooth. Wifi hotpots use the 2.4 band just like the RID network too. I believe that if we don't add in a GPS location roughly matching the radio signal source, they could easily filter out the signals that don't tie into the GPS locations.

Awesome. Jb I loved the mastermind laugh 😂 mwah ha ha ha ha👏🏻

4:20 there’s gonna be a ton of people flying off the coast of Africa at 0 lat lon 😂

well knowing the FAA they will next want to know where you are flying your flight simulator plane so this device might be good for helping out with that.

Perhaps I am being Naive, but for 57 y/o me with my hanger of old planes, don't I just need to set this thing off at the house before Ieave? Enter the coordinates of where I'll be flying? Would a vpn be enough of a shield?

Something tells me that the penalty for using a system like this is much greater than just not complying with RID regulations. And I'm sure that if you're caught, whomever catches you is going to be a lot less lenient with writing you up than if you just weren't complying.

What I don't understand is why you would do through all these steps instead of just not complying at all? Just don't buy a module in the first place. I've been reasonably convinced that FPV drones weren't the FAA's main concern to begin with. The vast majority of FPV pilots don't comply with existing regs and rules (spotters, registration, Trust Test, etc) why would this be any different?

Great content and fun to see this tech so available but I'd say just don't comply with RID. I'd rather be found out not having a RID module than an active spoofing device. Much easier to plead ignorance if you are not actively trying to undermine the system. This might even get some interest from the FCC.

could have it scan for remote id and figure out gps from that, or have it open a ap/webserver and connect to it from your phone and do a quick gps update...

Your Video was very goo until after installing the Arduino There is nor file to copy and paste for the ESP8266 board???

VERY IMFORMATIVE!! Sending it to others!!!😜

I will definitely never use spoffing.🙂 And it will start sending fake drones as soon as you plug it in?

How would one power this? With usb portable charge bank or 2/3/4/6s battery? For educational purposes, of course. Is it possible to "name" the drones like "Karen B Gone" "Karen B Gone 2" "Never Gonna Give It Up 4"? Thank you for being awesome Joshua.

Wait, so if I want to be compliant with the law, can I just strap this to my drone (after I figure out how to power it) and use this instead of the $100 option?

Loving this video. Thanks Joshua! 😂