how close do u have to be for ur fob to work? (1 Viewer)

[Riley]

Riley - with the chin thing, it's not height that does it...it's actual contact with the chin that's required. I've tried holding the remote high, low...all around. It makes no difference. I've tried under the chin without actually pressing against the chin -- no dice.

I think it's using the body (chin/head) as an extended antenna of sorts.

Wow that's really weird. I'll have to show that to our antenna engineers here at work. Probably need the ground plane effect. Can't wait to bring this up at the lunch table.

 

[Bruneti]

I use the same remote for 2 vehicles - One programmed to each button. I can arm the car accidentally from inside the house, but for the LX I have to be practically touching the drivers door with it. It sometimes doesn't even work from against the passenger side door. Definitely seems like an antenna wire problem. More info on this wire location would be appreciated. I'd love to fix this POS.

I also had my LX beep at me one morning about two weeks ago when I unlocked it. It's only ever done that once. I'm considering turning that feature on so I know when it's locked/unlocked for sure. I've also unlocked it, opened the driver's door, and had the alarm go off several times. What's that all about? If it unlocked the doors, why is the alarm still active? After reading Shahram's post, I'm starting to worry about my doors and hatch all being locked and my alarm getting wiggy (technical term).

 

[alstaz]

My range can vary quite a bit. If I am higher than the vehicle it tends to work better. There is nothing that makes you feel dumber than walking away from your truck, only to realize that you forgot to arm it, and having to walk almost all the way back to it to set it. Grrrr...

 

[Arya Ebrahimi]

I can get it from about 30-40 yards. Haven't tried the chin thing though. This is the stock fob from our old '97 Camry. It's the same style fob, my brother just lost the one for the Cruiser and we had the old one from the Camry and no more Camry, so I reprogrammed it...

Ary

 

[sjcruiser]

Riley - with the chin thing, it's not height that does it...it's actual contact with the chin that's required. I've tried holding the remote high, low...all around. It makes no difference. I've tried under the chin without actually pressing against the chin -- no dice.

I think it's using the body (chin/head) as an extended antenna of sorts.

100% agreed!

Is it only me (from all the jokes & rolling eyes on the followed up posts) who think that others don't take your words seriously?

 

[OZCAL]

100% agreed!

Is it only me (from all the jokes & rolling eyes on the followed up posts) who think that others don't take your words seriously?

It's just that it sounds so much like when I was little and my uncle told us we could catch a sparrow by shaking salt on its tail...

 

[NorCalDoug]

100% agreed!

Is it only me (from all the jokes & rolling eyes on the followed up posts) who think that others don't take your words seriously?

Could be. Their loss...the chin thing is the real deal.
Lest I be struck down like a pre-pubescent-private-boys-college-bound-lad-from-the-suburbs-of-Atlanta...I do not post BS as fact in Tech.

 

[Arya Ebrahimi]

It's true! Just tried it when I ran out for dinner. The chin thing really does work. Got an extra 20-30 yards out of it!! Damn, I'm excited! ;p

Ary

 

[rgsiii]

I think it's using the body (chin/head) as an extended antenna of sorts.

Sort of like my favorite Martian.

 

[LX_TREME]

It's true! Just tried it when I ran out for dinner. The chin thing really does work. Got an extra 20-30 yards out of it!! Damn, I'm excited! ;p

Ary

And tomorrow take shower first make sure your chin nice and smooth and it'll probably can reach extra further 15 ft away... lol

 

[Riley]

I've discussed this chin thing with one of our senior RF engineers here at work. He's pretty interested in this and commented that he thinks the human body resonates at around 300 to 400 MHz. He's "off the cuff" theory is that the body is likely acting as a large antenna.

We plan to test this whole thing out by observing/measuring the transmission power on a spectrum analyzer in our antenna chamber to get some controlled results. We plan to try this during lunch time one day. Hopefully I will be able to post some plots from the spectrum anaylzer showing the increased radiated RF power when using the human body as an antenna. We should also be able to show that just holding the fob in your hand doesn't create the external antenna effect.

Stay tuned.

 

[OZCAL]

"Stay tuned".

Heh, heh, heh!

 

[MLX450]

I also do the "chin" method! One question , My alarm sometimes beeps whenever it wants to. You know the lock - single flash with a beep.... unlock double flash with two beeps.... Does anyone know whats up?

 

[Romer]

Sometimes my red light gets stuck on and I have to bang it against something to get it to go off. It's useless then. Has happened on both remotes.

Mine only works close. I'd be interested in knowing the antenna fix

 

[Riley]

Mine only works close. I'd be interested in knowing the antenna fix

Come on Ken, use your head......... ......... I'm mean chin.

 

[LX_TREME]

Sometimes my red light gets stuck on and I have to bang it against something to get it to go off. It's useless then. Has happened on both remotes.

Mine only works close. I'd be interested in knowing the antenna fix

Ken:

That exact samething happened to mine before, replace the remote.Those remote its not good anymore(Its internal part), get it from CDan. He can get LX parts without no problem. I myself ordered LX parts from him.Once you got new remote you just need to reprogram it.Come'on its 8yrs already..
what do you expect from it? Last forever??

 

[kixtand]

New fob, not better

I recently got a new fob for my '97 LX, expecting major improvement. Much to my disappointment, the new fob was no improvment at all. I, too, would be interested in some more info on the antenna fix.

Thanks--

Kix

 

[Romer]

Ken:

That exact samething happened to mine before, replace the remote.Those remote its not good anymore(Its internal part), get it from CDan. He can get LX parts without no problem. I myself ordered LX parts from him.Once you got new remote you just need to reprogram it.Come'on its 8yrs already..
what do you expect from it? Last forever??

FWIW Last night I took the remote apart and cleaned the circuit board and all parts with ISP Alcohol. Put it back together and it works from 20 feet away. Now to see if that lasts . . . Don't if it was the cleaning or just the act of taking it apart and putting it back together.

 

[T Y L E R]

Didn't guys with the stock setup go thru this yrs ago? I thought the outcome was that it was discovered the improvements were gained by tweaking the layout of the antenna in the vehicle...


TY

 

[sjcruiser]

I also do the "chin" method! One question , My alarm sometimes beeps whenever it wants to. You know the lock - single flash with a beep.... unlock double flash with two beeps.... Does anyone know whats up?

There's a foam wrapped buzzer piezzo (round cylinder with approx. 1" diameter) bundled into the wirings under the brake master cylinder that's normally the culprit. (fairly common problem on these trucks) Get a new one (cheap) if you prefer to keep the beeps.