any - bouncing remote signals off your head?

Honest John Back Room » General discussion ( non motoring )
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Mon 23 Dec 2019 23:46
any - bouncing remote signals off your head? - gordonbennet

Ok, you're going to think this is an early April fool, bit i promise you its a genuine question.

We have remote plippers to open gates/shutters, this all they are programmed for.

One of the shutters in the system sometimes responds sometimes it doesn't, a colleague who is in the yard all day suggested i place the plipper beside my forehead and try, now i naturally assumed he was pulling my leg, but amazingly it works, the remote operating better and from further away.

So, what the heck is going on here, apart from the signal frazzling the last remaining functioning part of what's left of my mind.

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Tue 24 Dec 2019 00:48
any - bouncing remote signals off your head? - nick62

It depends what type of signal is being transmitted, but assuming it was infra-red (i.e. light), you holding the remote at head height rather than just above waist height, might give a better line of sight for the beam?

Assuming it is radio frequency, placing it close to your body may amplify the transmitter signal, as your body effectively acts as a bigger aerial.

Edited by nick62 on 24/12/2019 at 00:51

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Tue 24 Dec 2019 09:10
any - bouncing remote signals off your head? - gordonbennet

It's frequency, and yes somehow it is amplifying the signal but if you hold it against your body it doesn't make any odds with one or several layers of clothes about the body, whereas its direct to the bonce...don't fancy stripping off to see if works the same against the body :-)

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Tue 24 Dec 2019 12:18
any - bouncing remote signals off your head? - thunderbird

It used to be common knowledge that this worked 20 or more years ago. Used it often on our Mondeo. Remotes must be better now since I have not needed to do it for many years on any car.

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Tue 24 Dec 2019 14:17
any - bouncing remote signals off your head? - Bolt

its because your head has fluid in it, which acts as a conductor, this can extend the signal range and depending on the amount of power in the remote battery determines the range extension of the signal from your head

something like that anyway...

reminds me of some portable FM radios that lost part of the aerial/in poor signal area, if you held on to the aerial you acted as the aerial and could listen to it.

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Tue 24 Dec 2019 15:33
any - bouncing remote signals off your head? - gordonbennet

Thankyou folks, i knew if the answer was to be found anywhere it would be here, quite what that says about this place i'm not sure, but glad its like it is all the same.

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Tue 24 Dec 2019 15:40
any - bouncing remote signals off your head? - Theophilus

Back in the day when I occasionally watched "Top Gear" I recall JC demonstrating this ... but I don't remember there being any explanation.

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Tue 24 Dec 2019 18:56
any - bouncing remote signals off your head? - primus 1

I do this as I turn into my road to open my garage door, sticking your tongue out also helps...lol

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Tue 24 Dec 2019 19:23
any - bouncing remote signals off your head? - elekie&a/c doctor
On a similar note, I used a way of testing the lambda signal back to the engine Ecu , by connecting one arm to the positive terminal of the battery and the other to the voltage reference wire . Then watch the lambda voltage fluctuate. All hi tech stuff.
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Tue 24 Dec 2019 23:02
any - bouncing remote signals off your head? - Chris M

"its because your head has fluid in it"

Proof, if further proof were needed GB, your head is full of fluid.

;)

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Wed 25 Dec 2019 09:17
any - bouncing remote signals off your head? - Bolt

"its because your head has fluid in it"

Proof, if further proof were needed GB, your head is full of fluid.

;)

Just think,:) and that alone might open your car just by thinking about it in years to come...

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Mon 30 Dec 2019 18:22
any - bouncing remote signals off your head? - badbusdriver

I remember this being demonstrated in the early years of Clarkson era Top Gear. He walked away from a car to the point where the remote key fob would no longer work, then walked about the same distance again, held the fob against his head and hey presto, it worked!.

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Thu 16 Jan 2020 10:14
any - bouncing remote signals off your head? - Andrew-T

"its because your head has fluid in it"

Proof, if further proof were needed GB, your head is full of fluid.

If fluid is the explanation, a large bottle of water might work even better?

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Thu 16 Jan 2020 12:28
any - bouncing remote signals off your head? - Bolt

"its because your head has fluid in it"

Proof, if further proof were needed GB, your head is full of fluid.

If fluid is the explanation, a large bottle of water might work even better?

Its been said that the skull/area could work as a transmitter similar to bone conduction transmits sound which some use like headphones to listen to music, I wouldn't rule it out due to the complex nature of the skull, where it gets complicated lol

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