I'm looking for an rfid detector. Not a reader, but a device that detects the presence of both active and passive rfid tags of varying frequencies. That way when I buy a shirt or new watch or new laptop, for example, I will know if it is embedded with an rfid tag. I don't want any permanently embedded rfid tags on my stuff. I will carve them out with a sharp knife. I've googled "rfid detectors", "detecting rfid tags", etc. and haven't found much. Perhaps an rfid reader could be used as a detector but the generation 2 readers are really expensive and they probably read only one of the frequency ranges used for rfid transmission. Since rfid technology works using simple rf, I would think you could probably even make your own rfid detector from home. Wireless camera and microphone detectors are cheap and easy to find. The way these detectors work is probably more simple than the way an rfid detector would work because unlike a wirless camera detector, an rfid detector would need to send out a signal in order activate an rfid tag which would in turn detect its presence.

This website may be of interest -- J.W.

Thanks for the link. I like the way they call the place where RFID readers are stationed
“Interrogation Centers” That seems very appropriate. Once more people know about
RFID tags they will probably change the name to something more palatable like
“Convenience and Security Stations” kind of like when they scrapped the name Total
Information and Awareness and changed it to whatever banal name it has today.

Putting whatever it is in the microwave on high for about 30 seconds should take care of the problem.

FWIW I understand the business/commerce benefits of being able to track goods/inventory, however, just like you, I have major concerns about follow-on or "extra" uses of RFID tags. I am not comfortable at all with the idea that (potentially) almost everything you buy, use, carry, or hold might eventually contain one of these chips, and that in parallel, a network of sensors could be built out to detect them, and by extension, an individual person. That's a whole other discussion though. -- J.W.

I think I found what I'm looking for...kind of. And it runs on Linux!

http://www.rf-dump.org/

"RFID technology originally was designed to be completely open"

"RFDump is a tool to detect RFID-Tags and show their meta information: Tag ID, Tag Type, manufacturer etc. The user data memory of a tag can be displayed and modified using either a Hex or an ASCII editor. In addition, the integrated cookie feature demonstrates how easy it is for a company to abuse RFID technology to spy on their customers. RFDump works with the ACG Multi-Tag Reader or similar card reader hardware"

I need to install the sofware and get an "ACG Multi-Tag Reader or similar card reader." This may take time. In case anyone is interested I will report back on my progress. I also found a very interesting web site regarding this kind thing http://www.none-o-your.biz If anyone has/gets this software to work or has any musings/comments on rfid technology let me know.

I've been looking around for an "acg multi-tag reader or similar" to buy but nothing seems to be available. It looks like you have to be a business in order to get one of these things. Ebay doesn't even list any RFID readers although I did find an RFID Livestock Ear Tag. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...515558840&rd=1

And I found this thing:

"With WaspTime Time and Attendance Premium you can enjoy the benefits of an automated time and tracking system with the convenience of a RFID time clock. Employees simply swipe their badge near the clock and the RFID reader automatically captures the incident. Need a way to track when employees arrive, take lunch, depart? Tired and frustrated with the debate that can occur around an honor or paper system? Spending hours upon hours manually entering employee time? Now, with WaspTime - Time and Attendance Premium you can gain control of your company's most precious asset - employee time...."

http://www.techonweb.com/products/pr...aspx?id=B32141

In case anyone is interested....I gave up for now on trying to find an rfid reader (unavailable or too expensive) but I did find a couple things on the market that are probably going to be illegal in the not too distant future.

One is called RFIDwasher http://www.freedomisslavery.info/index.php?p=840 And the other is called Tagzapper http://www.tagzapper.com/

None of these products are available yet but I went to the RFIDwasher web site and "registered" which will allow me to get an email telling me when the product will be available. I hope its not a scam.

Thanks for the update foodhater. I likewise have an interest in this -- J.W.

If you look at this frequency chart you can see that most operate around or under 900mhz. Now, I really need to do a lot more research on RFID tags, but from what I know the sensor don't use much power. You could then get a handheld ham radio (they are easier to get if you have a license) and I have seen some hardware hacks that allow them to transmit over a huge frequency range (outside of ham frequencies). Anyway, conceivablly you should be able to just turn one on running a handheld high power setting of about 5 watts and jam a tag. You would need to get a broader specturm spread though to ensure the particular tag isn't a little bit higher or lower in frequency that what your radio is transmitting at. You could also hook up an amp in your car at about 30 watts
They harder part is the 2ghz stuff because most radio's don't receive that high on the specturm, let alone transmit on it but with enough effort one could probably be made

Again, I don't know if any of this would actually work because I'm just a ham radio operator, not an RFID specialist.

Here is something that might be of interest
http://www.tradewindtek.com/ but it's still not cheap.

I came across the ACG site but can any of you electronics wizards explain what similar might refer to? Did find a list of items here but the prices seemed a little steep. The archives for rfdump.org seem to have been removed or their mail server is screwed up. Have browsed their site however and their blackhat slides showed a couple of links at the end of the presentation.

Man, if someone would provide a Radio Shack How To on building your own reader and hooking it into rfdump.org we'd be in a happy place

Yo everyone is this discusion over ? Anyone found a reader that works with rfdump, im trying to find one that works with 14443B iso. Tell me if you have found one. Peace.

I think it was over. It was a two year old thread.

All I can think of so far is this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonline...ction_detector