It would appear that by placing your remote locking car key close to your head, (placed in the ear gives optimum signal)that the effective operating range is greatly increased.!!!!
Just wondered if any medical experts on the forum could offer an explanation, as it definitely seems to work.!!!
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Jeremy Clarkson pointed this out years ago.
No idea how or why it works though!
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Jeremy Clarkson pointed this out years ago.
For radio remotes, yes indeed, and I've been using this trick ever since if I have kids or others in front of me wanting to get in to the car. For my V70, with line of sight between me and the car, it more than doubles the range. No discernable difference occurs with the exact location relative to my head, so long as it's close enough or usually, touching.
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Also seems to work with my TV remote cotrol when I am passing the signal through the sender from another room and it goes a bit dodgy. But then - same technology I guess...
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I always press them to my chin.
Works anywhere there is bone close to the surface (the RF signal from the remote couples to the skeleton, which acts like an aerial).
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The bones in your hand are close to the surface and couple to the skeleton (usually) - why don't they act as an aerial ?
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My dad has a 98 Honda Civic and ever since he got it about 3 yrs ago we realised that you cant lock/unlock the car from more than 2 feet from the Cabin glass using the Fob...We tried a new battery in the Fob(sep. to Key) twice but it made no difference?
Does anyone know how I could find out if its the Fob or some sort of receiver in the car that is faulty??? Anyone know how much Honda charge for replacement Fobs?
Clouddz
PS I tried the method in this thread and I still doesnt work! :(
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Typo! "It" still doesnt work
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I fitted a remote locking unit to my car,the unit has a piece of wire coming out of it that is the aerial.I found I had to play about with the position of this to get optimum reception.I presume factory fitted units would work in the same way,so maybe if you can find the unit you could do the same.
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My dad has a 98 Honda Civic you cant lock/unlock the car from more than 2 feet from the Cabin glass using the Fob
I suspect it's an infra-red plip if it's only got a limited range. Is there an LED on the plip that doesn't actually light up and looks similar to the one on your tv remote control?
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>>I suspect it's an infra-red plip if it's only got a limited >>range. Is there an LED on the plip that doesn't actually light >>up and looks similar to the one on your tv remote control?
DD it has 2 buttons and a small light on the top front which goes green/red to unlock/lock and there is a clear "LED" that the tip of the Fob that i havent seen turn to any colour at even when working???? But yes it does look like a remote control LED.
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Cloudz -- a thought. Is the battery by any chance 20mm in diameter? These batteries are the types known as, for ecample, 2032, 2016, etc. The figures represent the dimensions -- 20mm diameter and either 3.2 mm thickness or 1.6mm thickness in these cases.
If someone had somehow managed to substitute a 2032 for what should have been two 2016s on top of each other (ie in series), the result would be a halving of the voltage. Most unlikely, and you probably don't even use these batteries, but check that you have the correct type of battery and not just the correct physical size.
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>>> should have been two 2016s on top of each other (iein series), the result would be a halving of the voltage.
Putting batteries in series doubles the voltage. Putting them in parallel leaves them the same voltage.
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Putting batteries in series doubles the voltage. Putting them in parallel leaves them the same voltage.
Precisely, DD. That's my point. The 2032 and the 2016 have the same nominal voltage, but the 2016 is half the thickness, allowing two be stacked in series, in some applications, in place of a single 2032. Now if we mistakenly put in a single 2032 -- because it fits -- instead of two 2016s then we get half the intended voltage, like worrasaid. QED.
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and there is a clear "LED" that the tip of the Fob that i havent seen turn to any colour at even when working???? But yes it does look like a remote control LED.
In that case it sounds very much like an infra red plipper, which is why the range is limited. If you have a digital camera, point said LED at it. If you see the LED flashing on the LCD screen of the camera, then that confirms it's infra red. Failing that, hold it near a portable radio that is tuned to am and you'll hear beeps coming out the speaker if it's infra red.
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>>In that case it sounds very much like an infra red plipper, >>which is why the range is limited. If you have a digital >>camera, point said LED at it. If you see the LED flashing on >>the LCD screen of the camera, then that confirms it's infra >>red. Failing that, hold it near a portable radio that is tuned >>to am and you'll hear beeps coming out the speaker if it's >>infra red.
Your right Dave its Infrared oh well I guess we'll have to live with it! Cheers
Clouddz
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and it helps to have your mouth open pointing at the car - it acts like a microwave dish
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Yes, it's the effect of the human body acting as a radio aerial here.
For the greatest range try putting the metal part of the key on your tongue when pressing the button. The tongue, being wet, increases the range of the remote still further.
Alternatively, if you don't fancy doing that (I've done it myself many, many times, and I'm still here to tell the tale!), just wet one of your fingers and hold the metal part of the key onto it. The effect will be similar.
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I dont have a key.....
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Perhaps you should try swiping your card between your cheeks...
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Yes, it's the effect of the human body acting as a radio aerial here.
If we ignore tuning, directivity, gain (or lack of) and the fact that it is not necessarily electromagnetic but infra-red.
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Except all the new ones are RF (not me)
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Have we considered other possibilities? That ear 'ole level may be the optimum height for example? The Badgermobile has the sensor above the rear-view mirror -- point too low and it doesn't work. At the right height it works from the other side of town.
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>>and it helps to have your mouth open pointing at the car - it acts like a microwave dish
No really! RF, why not change your name to 'parabollick mouth'??
I remember being wowed a few years ago at the science museum in the kiddies play area. (Cambridge lab of postgraduates busmen's day out to said museum. Best bit we found was the kiddies play area, particularly the two parabolic dishes, a long way apart. Person 1 stands at focus of the first dish & whispers. Person 2 at focus of second dish - which is a loooong way away can hear every word. Wow!)
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With both our Landcruiser and Omega you have to be fairly close, around 6ft, before you can activate the remote locking.
However on our Yaris the range is amazing - I've managed to activate the RCL from as far as 80 yards, yes 80 YARDS (where 1 stride is approx 1 yard).
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My Landcruiser works from a long way away. Far enough away in fact so that you can't actually walk to it before it automatically locks again.
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Wife uses hers to locate car in large shopping centre car parks by walking around with it above her head, as she frequently forgets exact location. so far she hasnt come home with the wrong car....
WTM
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Wife uses hers to locate car in large shopping centre car parks by walking around with it above her head...
If I press the button on mine too many times while not within range of the car, it refuses to function until the key has been used in the lock again. It's a security device to prevent a would-be thief doing exactly what your wife does to identify the correct car!
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...which is exactly what happened to my f-i-l. Keys pinched from coat in building, thief just points and presses and his prize flashed back at him...
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