Technical Note Pseudo Detectors (PSEUDO)

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Pseudo Detectors (PSEUDO) The CBRNE Tech Index team had identified a unique category, which we have dubbed “pseudo detectors,” in order to alert users to the numerous fraudulent devices previously or currently available on the open market. The team found a total of 11 fraudulent detectors, but variants of these products are likely to continue to emerge as vendors attempt to confuse buyers and evade critical reviews. Virtually all of the pseudo detectors described in this survey claim to operate on some type of “ionic resonance” “positive molecular detection”, “molecular detection”, or magnetic attraction. Vendors typically claim that their products can detect trace levels of chemical, biological, radiological, and explosive compounds from distances ranging from a few meters to kilometers. The majority of these products appear to operate like a dowsing rod - the operator holds a handle on which a metallic antenna is mounted and the device signals the presence of the target chemical as the antenna swings toward the target. The figure depicts some of the fraudulent detectors in use and the table below lists current known pseudo devices. These devices are not based on accepted scientific theory and have never been experimentally validated to operate as advertised. All such devices should be considered unsafe and should not be used for detection of threat materials. Listing of Identified Pseudo Detectors No. Product Name Manufacturer 1 ADE-651 ATSC 2 ALPHA 6 COMS Trac 3 AL-6D DiodeBell 4 GT-200 Global Technical Ltd. 5 MOLE Global Technical Ltd. 6 H3 H3 Tec 7 PSD-22 ISCC UK Ltd. 8 Quadro Tracker Quadro Corp. 9 HEDD-1 Unival Group 10 SNIFFEX ® PLUS Unival Group 11 TR Araña Technical Note

Transcript of Technical Note Pseudo Detectors (PSEUDO)

Page 1: Technical Note Pseudo Detectors (PSEUDO)

Pseudo Detectors (PSEUDO) The CBRNE Tech Index team had identified a unique category, which we have dubbed “pseudo detectors,” in order to alert users to the numerous fraudulent devices previously or currently available on the open market. The team found a total of 11 fraudulent detectors, but variants of these products are likely to continue to emerge as vendors attempt to confuse buyers and evade critical reviews. Virtually all of the pseudo detectors described in this survey claim to operate on some type of “ionic resonance” “positive molecular detection”, “molecular detection”, or magnetic attraction. Vendors typically claim that their products can detect trace levels of chemical, biological, radiological, and explosive compounds from distances ranging from a few meters to kilometers. The majority of these products appear to operate like a dowsing rod - the operator holds a handle on which a metallic antenna is mounted and the device signals the presence of the target chemical as the antenna swings toward the target. The figure depicts some of the fraudulent detectors in use and the table below lists current known pseudo devices. These devices are not based on accepted scientific theory and have never been experimentally validated to operate as advertised. All such devices should be considered unsafe and should not be used for detection of threat materials.

Listing of Identified Pseudo Detectors

No. Product Name Manufacturer

1 ADE-651 ATSC 2 ALPHA 6 COMS Trac 3 AL-6D DiodeBell 4 GT-200 Global Technical Ltd. 5 MOLE Global Technical Ltd. 6 H3 H3 Tec 7 PSD-22 ISCC UK Ltd. 8 Quadro Tracker Quadro Corp. 9 HEDD-1 Unival Group 10 SNIFFEX®PLUS Unival Group 11 TR Araña —

Technical Note