Frequently Asked Questions

FORSYTE Lite is a portable SDR-based RF detection platform for Android. It helps users scan configured bands, detect persistent signal activity, and view alerts and signal history through a mobile interface designed for fast field use.

FORSYTE is intended for passive signal detection and situational awareness. It can be used for lawful monitoring, testing, training, security, and research scenarios where users need better visibility of nearby RF activity.

RF stands for Radio Frequency. It refers to the part of the electromagnetic spectrum used for wireless communication and sensing. These radio waves travel through space at the speed of light and allow devices to transmit information without wires.

RF signals are used by many everyday technologies, including radios, mobile phones, Wi-Fi, GPS, satellites, drones, and two-way radios. Each system operates within specific frequency bands so that different technologies can share the spectrum without interfering with each other.

An SDR (Software Defined Radio) is essentially a combination of a radio and a small computer.

Traditional radios are built to listen to one specific type of signal, such as FM radio or aircraft communications. An SDR works differently. It captures raw radio signals and sends them to software, which can then analyse those signals in many different ways.

Because the behaviour of the radio is controlled by software, the same SDR device can be used to monitor many different types of radio activity simply by changing the software that processes the signals.

FORSYTE uses compatible SDR hardware (such as HackRF-based devices) to receive radio signals across wide frequency ranges. The app then analyses this data in real time to detect unusual signal activity.

FORSYTE step-scans configured frequency bands using SDR hardware and evaluates signal power over time. Rather than reacting to one-off spikes, it uses adaptive thresholding, noise-floor tracking, clutter compensation, and persistence-based confirmation logic. In wide sweeps, it can qualify a candidate signal and then retune to a narrower window for tighter confirmation.

No. FORSYTE works from scalar power readings, but detections are not based on a single raw threshold crossing. It applies smoothing, adaptive thresholds, persistence checks, baseline-aware filtering, and lock-on confirmation logic to reduce false positives and produce more useful detections.

There is no single fixed detection range. FORSYTE is a passive RF detection tool, so performance depends on the signal source, the SDR and antenna used, the frequency being monitored, and the local radio environment.

A high-power military jammer might be detected from several kilometers away, while a low-power “privacy plug” in a cigarette lighter might only be detected within a few hundred meters. Think of it like a human ear: you can hear a jet engine from miles away, but you can only hear a whisper if it’s right next to you.

FORSYTE’s GPS interference monitor uses compatible SDR hardware to watch the GPS L1 band in real time and compare current RF conditions against a learned baseline. Rather than reacting to a single spike, it looks for sustained abnormal power or spectrum behaviour before raising an alert.

The monitor can also use device-side GNSS health data, such as degraded satellite conditions or unusual position behaviour, to provide additional context. Alerts are presented through a simple status workflow so the user can quickly see whether the environment appears normal, degraded, or actively interfered with.

No. FORSYTE Lite RF detects RF activity in the bands you choose to monitor, but it does not identify specific emitters, platforms, or drone models from RF energy alone.

The built-in threat library is a curated set of practical scan bands and categories, not a signature-identification database. An alert means the system has detected activity in a monitored band — not that it has confirmed a particular device or platform.

Where supported, separate features may decode standards-based broadcasts such as Remote ID beacons, but that is distinct from the RF scanning engine itself.

No. The current RF scanning engine is designed to detect and track RF activity, not to classify modulation types or identify emitters from waveform analysis alone.

Yes. Confirmed detections are logged as sessions and tracked over time, including timing and signal-history context, so users can review activity rather than relying only on one-off alerts.

FORSYTE Lite RF requires a compatible Android device and supported SDR hardware. RTL-SDR Blog V4 receivers are supported with a FORSYTE Lite licence. Advanced SDRs such as HackRF Pro and SDR-BRK Mini v3 are supported with FORSYTE Plus and unlock multi-target detection on compatible hardware.

Smartphones are not designed to directly receive most RF signals used by drones, radios, or other wireless systems. An SDR acts as a specialised receiver that can capture signals across a wide range of frequencies.

By connecting an SDR to your Android device, FORSYTE can scan and analyse RF activity that would otherwise be invisible to a phone alone.

Yes. You can source compatible SDR hardware independently, or request fulfilment through Cypher Tech where available.

Yes. FORSYTE is designed for offline-first use. Core signal detection and interface functionality run on-device. Internet access may still be required for licence purchase, activation, updates, and support-related actions.

Yes. FORSYTE is designed to integrate into the TAK ecosystem to enhance situational awareness. It can automatically export live RF detections and GPS interference alerts as Cursor-on-Target (CoT) events.

Integration: Supports CoT output over UDP to a specified host and port.

Alert Types: You can configure alerts to appear as Map Markers (placing a pin at your location when a threat is detected), Chat Messages, or both.

Workflow: This allows remote team members or a central Command Post to see real-time RF threats on their own TAK maps as they happen.

Yes. FORSYTE is designed to talk to the operator, not just display data. In high-stakes environments, looking at a screen isn’t always an option. FORSYTE can provide audible, spoken-word notifications for critical events, ensuring you maintain 360-degree situational awareness.

FORSYTE Lite supports up to 3 RTL-SDR targets, including custom RTL-SDR target frequencies. Lite also unlocks RTL-SDR direction finding for RTL-SDR Blog V4 receiver setups.

Interference Monitor, wideband scanning, HackRF/APEX manual tuning, and HackRF/APEX multi-target workflows require FORSYTE Plus and compatible hardware.

FORSYTE Plus unlocks HackRF/APEX workflows, including wideband scanning, Interference Monitor, multi-target detection on compatible hardware (HackRF-class and other multi-target-capable SDRs), and manual tuning. Plus also includes TAK / CoT integration.

Plus is the operator tier for users moving beyond RTL-SDR into HackRF/APEX-class hardware.

Unless otherwise stated at the point of sale, a FORSYTE Lite or FORSYTE Plus licence lasts 5 years from first successful activation on the bound device.

Yes. FORSYTE licences are intended for one device activation unless otherwise stated. Transfer, reassignment, and reset terms are set out in the legal documentation.

FORSYTE Lite is $30 USD. FORSYTE Plus is $200 USD. Both are one-time purchases with a 5-year licence and no subscription. The free tier of the FORSYTE Lite RF Android app is available on Google Play with no licence purchase required. See the Pricing page for the full comparison.

Prices are shown in USD. Stripe may display local payment options at checkout where available.