Earlier in the month I speculated about the ATF, Project Gunrunner, and GPS tracking chips. My thoughts on the subject were spurred by comments made by Michael Bane in his Down Range Radio podcast. [More]This is the first I've heard of this speculation--no source I've communicated with has hinted at this. My initial reaction was to wonder if what we're really talking about is eTrace, but concede this may be a valid development to explore. I'd suggest finding out more about such chips, including specs, suppliers, etc., and seeing if any RFPs/competitive bidding/contract award docs can be discovered.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Tracking Revisited
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2 comments:
another possibility http://www.hkpro.com/forum/hk-handgun-talk/75748-hk-p2000-rfid-tracking-chip.html
The problem with GPS is largely size and power supply for the transmitter or transponder used. While some inventory control chips use very little power, the range is a few feet.
A full fledged transponder would discharge most NiMH 4 X AAA packs in less than 24 hours and be about the size of a stack of two or three large coin cells. Even a "dumb transmitter" would not be much better.
I suspect ATF tried a GPS transponder setup, discovered the limitations, and went ahead with Gunwalker despite the fact they could not track the weapons.
Which suggests an imperative need for the program.
Stranger
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