TLGator

If you're joking, then I'm the fool for responding here.

The reason the human body acts as an antenna is because it conducts electricity weakly. This is why lightening and electric outlets can be deadly - the electric current can pass through the body, destroying delicate nervous tissues and causing the heart to stop.

The skull and other bones are largely inert and do NOT contribute much to the antenna effect. Skin and body fluids are where the action is.

You have no doubt noticed that your body asks as a decent FM antenna.

However, people can't hear radio broadcasts just because they have fillings or metal objects in their heads. This is an urban myth. FM signals are just electromagnetic modulations. Unprocessed, it's just noise to the human body. It becomes sound when it is processed into an audio signal. Human bodies do not have the processor. Your stereo does.

I also doubt the keyfob transmitter stuff that started this thread. I don't doubt people are reporting honestly in this thread, I just think some other phenomenon must explain it. The human body is a decent antenna but a lousy transmitter. It absorbs, not emits, radiation. It is medically unsound to say that the electromagnetic signal from a keyfob transmitter could being amplified by the human body and therefore work better, no matter whether you place it on your chin or against your ear or up your butt for that matter. The concept simply doesn't have a scientific basis.

mastertl

It isnt really all that hard. The simplest answer, and usually the correct answer, is that the shape of your throat and your mouth is concave so that the signal becomes not only amplified but aimed towards the car as if the car was the loci. The theory about us acting as antennas and the brain thing seems off because as Gator mentions, you have to open your mouth. Opening your mouth does not make your "transmitting" powers any stronger nor does it give you more brain power. Opening your mouth simply gives the signal a place to bounce to and eventually, due to the shape of your throat and mouth, it will reach the car.

EDIT:

Observation 1: Lets put this in a way that anyone will understand and I will try to make it as logical as possible. The color red has the highest reflectivity amongst any color, which makes it the color of choice for optic mouses. Do you see a mouse in blue? Do you see a mouse in any color other than red? (dont include the ones you mod, i changed my light to blue once and it doesnt work as well as if the red light was in it). Now, what is the color of our throat? RED!.

Observation 2: Use a TV remote and aim it away from the TV and press power ON. Most likely, unless you are hitting an area where it is white or something due to your walls, the tv will stay off. Now place a piece of paper about 5-10 feet in front of the screen and stand next to it, point at the paper with the remote and press on. the TV should come on.

Conclusion: The redness of our inner body increases the reflectivity of the radio signal that our FOBs put out. It is not harmful because we are exposed to these every single day, every single minute, every single second. We simply increased the intensity of the beam as well as its focus towards the car.

TLGator

So you're saying that the keyfob signal is aimed more precisely towards the car by bouncing off the body? That sounds plausible to me. 04TLMan made similar comments earlier in this thread. Sounds reasonable. I just wanted to point out that what is definitely not reasonable is to think the body or skull or whatever is somehow amplifying the signal. Human bodies don't amplify electromagnetic radiation, they absorb it.

Keep in mind, though, that if this concept works because the signal is bounced off the body, the signal strength will decrease. Because, again, the body will absorb some of the signal. I guess it might be a trade-off of signal strength for signal aim.

mastertl

It isnt really all that different from 04TLMan's theory. You can read my edit if you want. Oh and we dont absorb everything. Like i siad in the edit, FM signals, tv signals, and wahtever you want to have signals for, is transmitting every single second. The reason your antenna recieves it, is because it is unobstructed and unabsorbed. Does it seem logical for the human body to absorb all the signals (think 6 billion people and think internatinal broadcasts) and still have things likt tv and radio working properly?

Think amplified not as in power, but in direction

mancur

At last...thanks TLGator.

To those who believe this works I would suggest the following experiment:

Stand in the same place. Try the transmitter from 3 locations.

1. At belt level (normal location).
2. Under chin with mouth open, etc.
3. Straight up in the air, over your head.

Let us know your results.

ITL

...and a new boyfriend



on a serious note, you can also hold it to your wrist if you're embarassed to hold your keys to your head. I've been using the chin method since I was 16 (7 years).

spidey07

and yet it works so exteremly well.

there is a gain happening somehow. Remember the human body makes a nice antenna (we big bags-o-salt water)

mastertl

Will no one read my posts :'(

silver25

I've seen this done before and the body isn't really acting as a transmitter per se. Instead, the head is acting as a reflector for the key fob (which in this case is the driven element of the antenna system). When the radio frequency energy from the fob reaches your head (or chin) some of it is absorbed as heat, but a portion is reflected back 180 degrees, right back to where you are looking (your car). This results in a slightly more powerful signal at the car.

One is certain... look around before you use this technique!

yano_jl

Go Gator!

spyfish007

I too have been doing this for well over 10 years. I've been showing people to do it for about that long too. It easily doubles your remote distance.

boltjames

Just found out that Acura is releasing the chip that will allow the TL to get realtime traffic reports just like the RL.....it's coming out on Monday morning at all Acura service locations across the US!

I'm going to camp out at Smithtown Acura on Long Island starting at 9pm Sunday night. Anyone want to come and be the very first to have a realtime traffic integrated TL?

BJ

ramilford

I use my chin and it almost always works. 2001 TL had longer range.

moeronn

You obviously never watched the original Survivor type reality show called Gilligan's Island. There was one day when Gilligan received immunity because he was able to process radio signals after the "Professor" did some dental work on him. How much more proof do you need?

As for the FOB transmission, even with using the chin method (which I have used for a couple of years) the range of the FOB is pretty weak. Also, you can put your FOB next to another large metal object (i.e. another car or stairway handrail, etc.) to extend the range.

spidey07

heh, also AM is simple amlitude modulation. one could "hear" radio if the signal vibrated his teeth.

FM - NO.
AM - absolutely

NsX Pilot

I never said it was true that they could hear transmissions only that there were reported cases of it.

mancur

Holding the FOB to your chin does increase the apparent range of the transmitter. But why?

Occam's Razor: Plurality should not be posited without necessity. Otherwise stated: The simplest explanation tends to be the correct one.

So what is more likely?

1. That the human body becomes a transmitter, an antenna, a reflector, or a brain wave booster?

2. That you've raised the FOB above the sheet metal that surrounds your target (the TL) allowing the signal to more easily pass through the glass?

If you doubt this, hold the FOB at head level an arms length away, pointed at the TL.

In any event, the chin technique is more discreet, which I suspect is why people employ it over holding the FOB over their head.

edavies

This is as old as the hills, your body acts as an antenna, works with all key fobs and all makes of cars.

SouthernBoy

I learned to do this with the key fog for my '02 Altima SE. What I do is hold the fog along side of my left jaw while pointing the fog and my face towards the car. Two weekends ago, I measured off 188 feet to open my trunk doing this.

spidey07

tried it tonight - get about an extra 15-20 feet by holding it to my chin. just raising above my head yields little to no improvement.

chin works!!!!

Eduardo

Err, wow. Three pages worth of replies.

automophile

It is POSSIBLE that the RF output of the transmitter can couple to the body a little, as the body is slightly conductive. The body is certainly NOT a reflector, etc.

It is also POSSIBLE (and more likely) that simply holding the transmitter differently is causing the increase. It is guaranteed that the RF output of the transmitter is stronger is some directions than others.

I did some quick testing with an RF Field Strength meter, and I found that the strongest output seems to be straight out the back, keeping your fingers off the bulge. This was about twice as strong as directly out the end. This alone could cause the difference.

This occurs because the output of such a simple PC board antenna is relative to the cross-sectional area you are looking at. You can obviously "see" more of the antenna looking straight on than looking at it from the edge.

It doesn't work when you wrap your hand around it because the body is a poorer conductor of RF than the air, so it actually causes a drop in signal strength.

Natismati

wow, dumbass

Tuetatesu

Hehehe... you guys are funny. I like to see those goofy people in the parking lot who point their key fob at the car to use it. Hello... it's a radio transmission not a directional beam of light.

It is true that you get better range when placeing it on your body. The reason why it gets better range is because like grabing the ole rabbit ear antenna on your TV to get a better signal (if you can remember those days before cable) it uses your body as an extension of the antenna thus producing longer range. One more tip... radio frequency is best received by a vertical antenna so if you hold the key fob verticly instead of parallel to the ground you should get slightly better range as well.

Anyhow... one saftey tip for you all. Security experts say when approaching your car, have your keys ready and in your hand. Be aware of suspicious looking people or vehicles in the area. If you have a key fob, wait until you are close to the car. Too many people push the range of their remotes and opening their car from to long of a distance such that a criminal can get to their car before they can.

OH and... if you get braces installed on your teeth you can get an extra 20 feet of range! JK... hehe

¿GotJazz?

As I've said for years:

"Electrical Engineering is pure magic for anyone who's not an Electrical Engineer. RF is pure magic for Electrical Engineers who's not an RF Engineer." - ¿GotJazz?

And, this thread tends to prove it.

Waveguides and RF stuff (Radio Frequency) are weird and sort of unpredictable. In some ways it's a mixture of both art and science. Thus, I'm not surprised that just holding the fob in your hand can have a very different RF characteristic than holding the fob in the same hand and touching it to your chin.

One thing that crosses my mind in this is that you are forming a loop when the fob is on your chin: arm-to-fob-to-chin-throat=shoulder-arm, and the loop will tend to be vertically aligned with the direction of the car (since you'll be walking towards it).

GOTTA TEST THIS OUT ... GOTTA TEST THIS OUT ... GOTTA TEST THIS OUT ...

Also, I'm going to have a chat with Orville (an RF Engineer that I've worked with in the past) - I should have asked him about this years ago.

PS: As mentioned earlier, just holding the fob up higher has almost no noticable effect on distance. At least, not for me. Fob-to-chin always works, though.

mancur

GotJazz, you have it exactly correct. Judging from this and your past work on the ELS sound system, I suspect you're an EE as well (or at least show the diligence of an engineer). Nice to meet you.

I'm an EE also. I'm in the RF end of the business. I test RF transceivers and PAs for a living -- i.e. the chips used in cel phones, WLAN cards, cordless phones, bluetooth devices, etc.

That said, antenna theory is yet another wing in the building.

Here was my experiment the other night:

Stood 150-200 feet from the car (hood facing me), pressed the unlock button on the FOB at waist level. Nothing. 20 more times. Nothing. Held it to my chin, FOB pointed upward. Unlocked instantly. Hmm. Held it up high, pointed upward. Nothing! Held it up high, pointed at the car. Unlocked instantly.

What does this prove? My experiment only proved that the height of the FOB has an effect on the distance from which you can unlock your car. Also, that there is some element of directionality present, whether it results from chin reflection or from part of my hand blocking the transmitter, I can't yet say. To absolutely prove that height is the only factor, I would have had to back away from the car until one or both of the techniques stopped working.

I find this interesting and will try a few more experiments.

cpurick

May have something to do with rx antenna location -- a line-of-sight issue involving the car's own sheetmetal.

dtpjigzer

yeah this trick is old!!! puttin it against your chin does help! but i don't know if its necesssary to open your mouth!!!

moeronn

Just be careful you don't press it over 256 times when you are out of range. This will cause your fob and receiver to become out of synch.

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/remote-entry2.htm

georgeny

I treid under chin while hopping on right foot, works great. Only question I have is that when I do that I keep getting some disrted transmission. Something about WE COME IN PEACE, we are your Martian borthers? Anyone else recieving that?

SlayerGTR

lol i tested thsi in my room, my accord was goin off according to my dad, but i didn't hear anything so i guess it works (signal went thru 3-5 walls, and far enough that when car beeps u cant hear it)

Zeuser

My observations:

1 - Fob to chin really does work
2 - Fob to chin with mouth open works better

But I got the best range when I put the fob to my chin, opened my mouth and yelled at the top of my lungs. Yelling seems to "propel" the radio waves even futher.

In case you didn't notice, I'm just being a dumbass. ROFL!!!!

ONAGER

well well well.... so i want out to put this "trick" to the test and although it worked in increasing the range over where i normally hold the fob, when i simply held the fob over my head it extended the range as well.... do you think that height (as in how hi you hold it) has anything to do with its range?

and yes my brother in law was laughing his ass off while im standing in my front yard counting off how far i was from my car and holding it to my, throat, chin, over my head.... i think "youre such a tool" was one of his exact comments

rlustre

Best.....thread.....ever!!

Ron A

Which proves you can't keep a good thread down. Three months without hearing a peep from it, and it rises from the ashes, resurrected.

I was here when it started and everybody laughed at it until they found out it works.

Now it not only solves problems, it entertains. What more can you ask from a thread.

So far it's been good, but let's not get too far off topic with our replies.

MrGQDieselNY

Been doing this trick for 15 yrs, I thought it was common knowldge, guess not.

Still have no idea how it works.

Also, if you hold the fob up to your elbow and press lock/unlock and from a far distance the horn will beep, I really have no idea how this stuff works but Im not gonna complain.

SpecialFX

I'm going crazy here because I really want to try this. Unfortunately I can't find my keys anywhere. Last time I saw them they were on the couch. I sat down to watch Jerry Springer and when I got up they were gone. Now every time I pass wind the trunk opens.

KBOM

Sounds like a good subject for the T.V. show Mythbusters on the Discovery Channel.

BTW........ It has worked for me for several years.( I'm a believer )

ludachrisvt

iTrader: (2)

hold the fob to the underside of your wrist and open ur palm toward the car ... that works as well

snax

Try swallowing it... Hmmm Tasty!