To buy a faraday box?

[stopmefeelingsick]

For my car keys to protect them from thieves intercepting the signal and stealing my new car?

I don't really want one (would look a little out of place by the door and we're on a frugal living push so avoiding unnecessary expense) but it would be interesting to know if other people use them and just how widespread this type of car theft is?

Once they arrive though how are they removed from the container and used? Can they make duplicate keys? Or like reset the program on the car? Are they just used for scrap?

A microwave is basically a faraday cage. Test it with your phone because they’re sometimes a bit leaky, and obviously don’t microwave your keys.

I am the sort of forgetful person that would 100% microwave my keys if that’s where I kept them. Probably more than once. I think that’s the worst advice I’ve ever seen on here for me personally.

I live in a small village with hardly any crime. Someone from here posted a video on the local FB group of a couple of days ago showing some would-be thieves scanning the front of the house, trying to find the signal for his car fob, whilst their mates tried the car doors. They didn't succeed in taking it (the key fob was in a pouch away from the doors).

Secure your keys!

The police round here have been handing them out for free.

I agree with this.

Definitely better not to own a Range Rover, Mercedes etc.

i remember a burglar breaking into our house when i was about 12. I’ve never really wanted to own much since.

We have these and are small enough to have in my handbag or my dhs pocket
Faraday pouch for car keys
My dh also bought a wheel lock as a deterrent. We know these things won't prevent it being stolen but it might slow them down enough.

Dh also has put in a tracker which he gets text updates on. You can set what you want alerts for, we just have for when the engine is started. It's free, just sues a phone sim which he got a cheap top up for every few months or so.

Get a good one. If you put a mobile in it and it rings when you call it the bag/box is not secure enough

@EmmaEmerald thank you for replying.

she was sold to me as 'keyless', as in I don't need to put a key in a hole in the door, just press a button. I wouldn't be without the facility! (I'm always carrying too much!!)

but she's not 'keyless' as in opens if the key fob is near her.

🤷🏻‍♀️

I don't know how far I could drive? I just assumed as far as the petrol would take me, but I wouldn't be able to start her again if I stopped.

I thought I didn't as she doesn't open without pressing buttons in the fob???

Yeah it really defeats the object that for the “convenience” of keyless entry to my car I now have to retrieve my key from an inconvenient location in the house and fanny about with a steering lock every time I want to use the car. What wonderful progress!

@BlueMongoose

im less surprised they're being given away, than I am that you actually see police in the flesh. We used to have a station in the village, nearest one now is mikes & mikes away, and it shows!!

@JingleSnowmanTree

Car tech has come on a lot so I don't know how to keep up with it.

Mum's neighbour with a Range Rover can only drive a mile or so without the key fob. I think that's a so called security measure that got shoved in when people started driving off with them by pressing a button. They will be stopped by the car itself. To me that's useless. they'll have it on a tow truck round the corner.

I suppose some people see the risk/benefit as being you don't get broken into by someone looking for your car key.

But for those with ordinary cars, wouldn't many of us prefer an ordinary key?

Re pressing buttons on the fob - that's the mechanism that gets hacked.

Re microwave, if I did that, the risk would be forgetting to put the keys back in the microwave! So I always had a fob.

@MadeOfAllWork

thank you for your reply.

That was part of my consideration too.

shes worth about £6000, so not really worth their while taking a risk for. But she's my baby & I cannot work without her. She's security cleared etc & getting all that redone in a rental then a new car is a massive pain the arse!!

I just thought because she doesn't open without pressing buttons on the fob, she wasn't the sort they could intercept & open/drive off.

I have a box where my keys get put, I could swap that for a small tin, if I knew I needed to, but it requires 2 hands instead of just throwing the keys in. Needing 2 hands is an ache when I'm always loaded up on departure/arrival, so I just wanted to be sure it's necessary.

@EmmaEmerald

I think most people would just walk back for the key, rather than get towed.

mines only gone off (to say no key) when one of the kids has taken my keys to go back into the house for something, so never tried driving off.

as I said in another post, no I wouldn't prefer a manual 'proper' key as I'm always laden down with stuff so the fob is MUCH easier AND it allows me to check it's locked from a distance.

I don't have a microwave (tiny kitchen & I prefer the worktop space)

im good at putting my keys in one place now, i trained myself after not being able to find them when trying to leave for work!

@JingleSnowmanTree No, I mean the thieves will have the car on a tow truck after driving the short distance they can with the Range Rover.

Range Rovers are the top stolen car in my area. The insurance cost alone is really high now, at least round here.

a car going any distance without a key is baffling to me, huge security risk. I have no idea what car companies are thinking though. They even proudly advertise a screen that shows your twitter feed or whatever.

Out of interest, if metal boxes work then this should work? Lot cheaper than the proper wall faraday boxes if they do.
I've tested DH's pouch earlier and it failed, but a metal tin we have worked, so I've put his keys in that for now, but considering buying one of these.

Regular metal boxes work. But there is more money to be made by marketing something as a faraday box.

im not convinced that is actually true. I think there has to be a non conductive lining between the keys and the metal mesh. So if you use a metal box with the metal keys touching it it acts as an aerial and will conduct the signal, not block it. I think.

You could maybe line a metal box in plastic or bubble wrap or something.

Our car was stolen with a signal relay, and then a year later neighbours as well. So yep - a pouch, as far away from the door as possible .

Pop them in your microwave essentially it’s a faraday cage

A microwave oven uses a partial Faradayshield (on five of its interior six sides) and a partial Faraday cage, consisting of a wire mesh, on the sixth side (the transparent window), to contain the electromagnetic energy within the oven and to protect the user from exposure to microwave radiation.

Does no one else use their microwave a lot? 😂

I just use a metal biscuit tin or stick my keys in the microwave (of course you have to be in the habit so you don't switch your microwave on with your keys inside!)

Remember to put the spare in a pouch too!

I have a 50k car on order after bangers too. I'm getting the pouch/box, a security camera from Amazon and one of those steering locks that cover the whole wheel. Even thinking of penguin bollards.

4 cars were stolen from the street our cul de sac comes off in December - all fancy pants cars and the guys were on loads of cameras, even went in back yards.

Porsche told me they would never move away from the physical key. Something to do with a racing feel. That was in 2019 so I have no idea now.

I can't stand driving around wondering where my sodding key is or having to move it to use the drinks holder. It makes sense to put the key in, know it's in and you have all your stuff plus you can definitely turn your car off and start it again. Why fix it if it isn't broken?!