Signal Triangulation Techniques

Discussions center on using triangulation, trilateration, or multilateration to locate radio signal sources like phones or devices, questioning effectiveness, accuracy, and potential countermeasures.

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Keywords

RF C2 TDOA OFDM WiFi wikipedia.org MLAT GPS NOSS ESP32 signal towers location radio receivers sensor strength wifi transmitter arrival

Sample Comments

lsaferite Apr 28, 2015 View on HN

Would triangulation of the signal not be effective?

ROARosen Jan 5, 2021 View on HN

Doesn't this triangulation assume the other user is in one location the entire time of manually going to these places to triangulate them?

ufo Mar 21, 2018 View on HN

How does a more sophisticated radio avoid having its position triangulated?

t0ughcritic Mar 27, 2020 View on HN

Carriers know where we are, are you referring to triangulation?

slx26 Jan 12, 2021 View on HN

Wouldn't they be easy enough to triangulate quite precisely anyway?

brador Feb 28, 2016 View on HN

How hard is it to simply triangulate the signal and find the exact location of origin?

chankstein38 Sep 14, 2023 View on HN

That's pretty neat! You're basically using ping triangulation!

noizejoy Oct 3, 2021 View on HN

Possibly more accurate, due to triangulation between multiple towers.

npsomaratna Nov 9, 2025 View on HN

I have no understanding of the physics involved, but could the broadcast location be reverse engineered? (With triangulation and clever math?)

dublinben Jun 21, 2014 View on HN

Trilateration, actually. The towers aren't measuring your angle, but your distance.