alarm

[colin loach]

Hi all.

 

I normally load my van up the night before I drive to the boat so I can get away before the traffic starts, but just lately my alarm wont work so I have to load up on the day which means I get away late. If I move the van away from my house the alarm works properly and sometimes it woks on my drive to. Has anyone got any ideas. Thanks Colin

[Bobbybass]

Hi all.

 

I normally load my van up the night before I drive to the boat so I can get away before the traffic starts, but just lately my alarm wont work so I have to load up on the day which means I get away late. If I move the van away from my house the alarm works properly and sometimes it woks on my drive to. Has anyone got any ideas. Thanks Colin

 

Here's an 'idea'

It is common knowledge...amongst theives..so I'm not giving anything away.

If you buy some of the radio keys from B&Q or Homebase..the ones used for garage door openers..and other types ...they will jam car electronic locking and alarms.

There has been a spate of thefts from vehicles..becuase people become complacent with locking up..and don't actually check that the vehicle HAS locked. The next day...they find the vehicle ransacked...and can't figure how the thief got past a sophisticated alarm system and electronic coded...or rolling code locks.

The thief watches...and presses his coded transmitter as you get out of the car. You walk away...and press your locking transmitter...and 'assume' that the car has locked...and alarm is set.

If the car has received a confused signal because there is a second code/radio signal..it won't lock...but you are so used to it always locking that you don't check. In some cases..it will lock the doors...but confuse the alarm electronics.

 

Not that I'm suggesting that somebody..is waiting for your van to be full of 'nickable' stuff...but may be worth keeping an eye on it.

Its strange..that it happens in your home vicinty.

I suggest that everyone using central locking keys...always watch the car and make sure it actually locks.

 

bob

Edited September 1, 2011 by Bobbybass

[Guest]

Hi all.

 

I normally load my van up the night before I drive to the boat so I can get away before the traffic starts, but just lately my alarm wont work so I have to load up on the day which means I get away late. If I move the van away from my house the alarm works properly and sometimes it woks on my drive to. Has anyone got any ideas. Thanks Colin

 

It is not unknown for alarm remotes to be affected by things such as wireless routers and DECT digital phones.

[Supertramp]

Other causes include TV transmitters and mobile phone masts, do you know if a new mast or upgrade has happened near your home? - some of the GSM transmitters are mounted on street lights - the bulbous sections at the top are a giveaway...

[sueb]

The clock on my phone stops at night in our house. It is fine all day and everywhere else. It renders the alarm useless.

Sue

[Paringa]

Other causes include TV transmitters and mobile phone masts, do you know if a new mast or upgrade has happened near your home? - some of the GSM transmitters are mounted on street lights - the bulbous sections at the top are a giveaway...

 

The alarm on my motorcycle was affected by a mobile phone mast. I had parked near to one and put the immoboliser on as usual, came back plipped it off and nothing, bike wouldn't start. A phone call to the local bike dealers told me "Roll it around the corner and hold down the alarm fob button and it will re-synch itself. The radio transmitter has swamped the signal and the alarm is out of synch with the fob". Sure enough it worked...

[davidc]

Hi all.

 

I normally load my van up the night before I drive to the boat so I can get away before the traffic starts, but just lately my alarm wont work so I have to load up on the day which means I get away late. If I move the van away from my house the alarm works properly and sometimes it woks on my drive to. Has anyone got any ideas. Thanks Colin

 

Not so long ago I had a problem with the immobilizer on my car and it turned out to be a sensor on the steering column and it also only happened now and again. So I would check with someone who knows you make of you van but of course not the dealer

[colin loach]

Thanks all, looks like i have some investigating to do.

[Nickhlx]

Thanks all, looks like i have some investigating to do.

 

In amateur radio circles it is a well known phenomenon...

 

One of the most common alarm frequencies is 432.920 MHz which is right in the 70 cms amateur band which runs from 430 to 440 MHz. The repeaters and beacons operate around 433.000 Mhz, so if you happen to be within range of these, and your alarm happens to be particularly sensitive as well, the milliwatt or two that the remote transmits would be dwarfed by the tens of watts ERP that are being used by other users in the area (region ?).

 

However I am still a bit surprised and would suspect something in the house or a neighbour's house.... These days the absolute worst offending by illegally creating interference to many users is" PLT" . This is a criminally thought out and fudged through the regs concept to get on the market and allow through the mains transmission of data. This usually only messes up radio reception from Medium wave, short wave and up to and past VHF ( including DAB ) but newer models apparently go even higher in frequency. Emergency services, the Aircraft band and MoD are all affected but Ofcon have been making all sorts of excuses why its "alright", no doubt through bigger bribes or stick waving from big industry players ( including BT ). It has a range of up to a 1/4 mile or so and whilst Ofcon will investigate if your radios are affected, they claim there has only been a "handful" of complaints nationwide ( which is Bo!!*cks) and have managed to get away with it so far...

 

If anyone is interested there are loads of demonstrations of what it sounds like and does on You Tube....

 

Nick