METUCHEN, N.J., and SAN ANTONIO, Jan. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Berkeley Varitronics Systems, Inc. (BVS), a leading provider of advanced wireless solutions and products to the domestic and international wireless telecommunications and security markets today announced that its PRO series handheld cell phone detector called the Wolfhound(TM)-PRO will be introduced at the American Correctional Association Winter Conference in San Antonio. The Wolfhound-PRO is the third in a line of BVS' advanced, award winning cell phone detection products and the most advanced in terms of sensitivity and features.

The Wolfhound-PRO alerts security and correctional professionals to nearby cell phone activity with a bright OLED screen and integrated vibration notification. The device runs on an internal Li-ION rechargeable power system for up to 4+ hours enabling security personnel to continuously scan for all cellular voice, text or data transmissions. The intuitive one-button illuminated trackball allows for simple operation.

Wolfhound-PRO can also be used in countries with a mixed set of frequencies, where US and EU frequencies are used in different geographic locations. Coupled with the Wolfhound-PRO is a multi-band DF (Direction Finding) Antenna that makes the unit the ideal tool for pin pointing the targeted cell phone.

Wolfhound-PRO Technical Specifications and Features

-- Receiver design boasts a dynamic range of -60 dB with user settable sensitivity -- Default sensitivity is set at -80dBm; user selectable up to -50dBm with a resolution of 2dB for detection in a noisy environment (typical of prisons) -- Selectivity rejection of at least 50 dB at 1 MHz from the uplink frequency bands provides high immunity from false triggering caused by base stations, personal communication devices and other sources of interference -- Integrated logging capability with built-in nonvolatile memory and real time clock allows the user to record and time-stamp the beginning and the end of each detected cell phone transmission -- A standard USB port for internal storage is provided to download the records to a PC for further analysis -- The user selectable mobile frequency bands allow the same unit to be used around the world; both USA and European mobile uplink bands are supported

The Wolfhound-PRO is the latest device in a family of cell phone detection products from BVS. The original Wolfhound was released in December of 2009 followed by the Wolfhound-LITE in June of last year. Combined, the devices are in use in hundreds of correctional facilities in both US and international locations.

With an estimated 5 Billion mobile phones around the globe it is no wonder they are showing up everywhere and often times used for conducting criminal activity. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), the use of contraband cell phones by inmates has risen as the U.S. prison population continues to expand.

For example, California correctional officers seized approximately 6,000 cell phones in the State's prisons and camps through July of last year. Maryland and other states have also seen a rise in the number of confiscated cell phones in their state prisons. In the past three years Maryland's Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services has recovered over 3,600 cell phones; and In Mississippi nearly 2,000 contraband phones were confiscated during the first half of 2010. Both Florida and New Jersey have passed laws making possession of contraband cell phones a felony rather than just a misdemeanor and Maryland is considering the same type of legislation.

In order to address this growing problem, the Wolfhound-PRO is designed to detect and locate contraband cell phones without using jamming technology that can interfere with authorized communication channels or 911 emergency calls. In fact, jamming is a violation of FCC rules and the CTIA, a leading wireless industry association, is on record as opposing jamming. Other solutions may require an entire network infrastructure of wireless sensors hard-wired throughout a facility that can be expensive and difficult to deploy. And canines can cost up to $10,000 each to train and maintain.

"General purpose cell phone detectors on the market today that typically originate from Asia do not work well as they are wideband and do not filter out unwanted signals. The Wolfhound-PRO on the other hand has sharp filters for the US/European cell phone bands and thus filters out the interfering signals. The high speed patent-pending receiver has a unique 'detection' algorithm that allows for quick detection and location of contraband cell phones," said Scott Schober, President and CEO of Berkeley Varitronics Systems. "Correctional institutions, federal facilities, courts, financial Institutions, and any organization looking to enforce a NO CELL PHONE policy will come to depend on the Wolfhound-PRO. Who says you cannot 'teach an old dog new tricks,'" adds Schober.

The Wolfhound-PRO is being 'unleashed' at theAmerican Correctional Association at the Gonzalez Convention Center San Antonio, TX, Jan 28-Feb 1, Booth 406.

About Berkeley Varitronics Systems

Berkeley Varitronics Systems, located in Metuchen, New Jersey, has been providing advanced wireless solutions and products to the domestic and international wireless telecommunications industry for over 35 years. Since 1995, BVS has introduced over 50 unique wireless test devices for a variety of applications including the popular Cellular, iDEN, PCS, CDMA, RFID, LTE, Mobile WiMAX, FIXED WiMAX, 802.11b/a/n/g & Bluetooth specifications. The past few years BVS has unleashed several niche cell phone detection tools used in the security industry. For more information visit www.bvsystems.com.