I have a 2002 250 XLT. My wife has a 2000 taurus. Her Keyless remote will unlock the doors about 3 times as far as mine. At certain angles, it seems that I have to be 10-15 feet away from the truck. Most of the time it is like 25 feet away that it will work.

I would like to increase the distance. Since I have 3 different fobs programmed on the truck, I am going to assume that it is not that. Any Idea where the antenna is so that I can lengthen it?

 

Be careful making the antenna longer. Doesn't the length of the antenna correspond to the signal frequency? You could make it worse.

 

You can tune the antenna for the frequency, but it depends on the frequency. I dont think that a piece of stranded wire is tuned much anyway. That is what most aftermarket companies use, dont know about OEM stuff.

 

The only thing the antenna provides is the right bandwidth to receive and transmit a signal. The transmitted power and directivity of the antenna/Key FOB (output) deterimes the distance for picking-up/sending the signal. A stranded wire is omni-directional di-polar antenna, you waste up to 99% of your transmitted energy by sending the signal in a 360 degree hemispherical circle. Only the line of bearing from you to the truck is actually usefull to the keyless entry system. A parabolic dish is the most receptive but you would always have to be facing directly at the car. Not to mention that a parabolic dish would be hard to get into your pants pockets.

Look to see that your recieving box isn't obstucted by anything obvoius. New batteries in the key FOB will help improve range but not by much. Many companies have resorted to a much shorter range on their systems to help defeat crooks that use random code generators used in Key Fobs. the generators throw out hundreds of signals a second in the hopes that one will trigger someone's alarm. These "black boxes" can trigger a vehicle's alarm from up to 400+ feet. The theives merely have to listen for a chirp or lights, drive over, then drive off. The boxes can be had for under $500.00 though mail order.

 

Any idea where the reciever is? I dont want to tear the whole dash apart looking for it. That was sort of the main theme of this post.

As far as the antenna goes, I want to increase the gain of the antenna and/or put it more in line of sight so that I can get some more range out of the puny transmitter. If it terminates under the dash, I may extend it so that it runs up to the a pilliar, therefore increasing the range that it will work and improving the directional shortcomings.

 

The box is usually located up under your dash near the computer. The easiest way to increase your signal gain would be to place a powered signal booster somewhere between the antenna and the keyless entry's computer. Any Radioshack should be able to help you in this. This may all be a moot point as I believe that the antenna in question is actually soldered onto the printed circuit board inside the black box. You're talking about a signal in the upper Megahertz range, so the antenna wire could be wound up making it smaller than a pencil eraser. In would look something like a small capacitor or diode (but different color) affixed to the board.

Easiest route would be to get an aftermarket alarm system.

 

I've somehat experemented with mine...
and strange as it sounds mine responds much further out if I hold it under my chin while pushing the button :-)


Course my wife says my voice has changed now from the radiation....

And the ufo's JUST left, so I can;'t ask them....

but really - it works !

 

I was going to suggest the exact same thing. The tech who installed my first alarm (a Clifford) many years ago showed me that trick, and it really does work.

 

Holding it under your chin is the same as having your children hold on to a set of rabbit ears to improve TV reception. Your using your body as a wave amplifier.

But the best way to ignore the aliens is to just wrap tin-foil around your head.

but he is right about using your chin as an amplifier.

 

My '04 fob will work over 100 yards away!!!

I love to freak people out from across the softball field....

 

I tried the under the chin thing and I noticed no difference.

Jlower: You like amps dont you? The reason that most people get a boost from holding and antenna or sticking a fob under you chin is that your body acts as a high gain antenna. Not an amp. You increase the surface area of the antenna and you get more signal into the reciever or out of the transmitter.

I was still hoping that someone knew exactly where the antenna was located or the reciever so that I can attempt to get a greater distance.

 

My receiver is mounted under the steering column. A little black box about 4 inches square...

 

Hllon4whls Hllon4whls , I'm into amps but not the type your thinking of. I said wave amplifing not power amplifying. A signals waveform can be greatly amplified by first being trapped or conducted through an water intense organism (your body). As long as it can escape before being absorbed then you've helped increase the signals waveform. This increase in waveform can increase the range that it will travel while still maintaining the right signal characteristics to be accepted by the entry system. Your are basically turning your body into a very weak hetrodyning transmitter.

Try slighlty opening your mouth and pointing at your truck while doing the chin theory. Nothing is guaranteed to help, a lot of enviromental and electronic variables still play into this equation.

But since you asked, my life just so happens to evolve around electromagnetic communications and data signal transmission. I've been working at DoD and NSA for the last 13 years. I'm currently a High Band Frequency jamming operator aboard the EC-130H communication jamming platform nicked-named "Compass Call". My overall job title is Electronic Signals Intelligence Exploitation Analyst ELINT/SIGINT. Basically I eavesdrop on a signal, reverse engineer it, then figure away to kill it or exploit it. With multi-million dollar signals analyzing and processing racks you'd be surprized what we can get into. You can see my career fields motto in my signature block.

Compass Call

Pictures of my "Ride" to work

And You thought your truck was hard to park.....

 

I'm glad that I'm not the only person walking around with their remote stuck to their jaw, trying to open the doors a few feet further

It also worked great w/ the garage door opener before I got the Homelink working..

Russ

 

It's amazing the slieght of hand you go thru in restaurants so you don't LOOK like your sticking your remote under your chin.....

And NOW we have to open our mouths too :-)
My wife will punch me !
but she never complains about the truck being cool by the time we walk thru this north texus heat !