[LeonM]

There is nothing 'mysterious' about this, this is just how radios work. Neither does it have to be malicious.

Most car key fobs work in the 433MHz range, if there is something in the area transmitting at said frequency, it will cause the relatively weak signals from keys fobs to be blocked. This it why we have electromechanical compatibility (EMC) certification for any electrical devices being sold.

With the market being flood with cheap electronics from foreign manufacturers who do not care about getting certified, a single misbehaving weather station, 'smart' door bell, or baby monitor can cause disruptions to other wireless devices.

[JosephRedfern]

Still sounds pretty mysterious to me. This kind of event is rare, and the source of the interference is (currently) a mystery. I’d love to pop by with a HackRF and directional antenna if I lived anywhere near-by!

[LeonM]

It's not that uncommon actually.

Even at my car dealership this is a common problem. A couple hundred cars with the same keyless entry system parked in the same lot. All those cars are actively scanning for their key fob, which causes all sorts of RF collisions. I've gotten used to having to use my physical key when picking up my car at the dealership.

[mbg721]

I guess that's the opposite failure case from 30 years ago, where there was a decent chance that your physical key would unlock another car of the same make/model.

[barbegal]

What brand of cars are these? It's not an issue in any car park I've been to.

[LeonM]

Lexus / Toyota

[177tcca]

My money's on Volkswagen.

[moonbug]

the cars are transmitting? are you quite sure?

[LeonM]

For keyless entry, cars are always transmitting. They look for a response of a key. In case of my car, if a keys comes close enough, it lights up the doors and doorhandles.

[kevin_thibedeau]

Unless you want to recharge your fob every week it has to stay passive as much as possible. The car has a bigger battery.

[harg]

Some older fobs do recharge when in the car’s ignition. My old bmw did this and it was recommended to swap the keys from time to time to make sure they didn’t run out off battery. I guess this can’t be the case with the “keyless” keys though

[bondarchuk]

Could be a challenge-response scheme where all cars are sending their challenge at the same time, after the initial signal from the keyfob.

[jsmith99]

Great way to get lynched by angry drivers assuming the person with the gear is the culprit.

[netrus]

Just wear a safety vest and a safety helmet, people will recognize you as the problem-solver you are!

[dredmorbius]

Don't forget the clipboard.

[globular-toast]

It's in Britain. We're not like that.

[jsmith99]

The shame of being angrily tutted at is comparable.

[globular-toast]

That is indeed a cause for concern. Donning a yellow fluorescent jacket should prevent any tutting, though.

[ljm]

We'll just say it's not a problem and then have the hypothetical argument we wanted to have when we're back home.

[tomxor]

This is the way

[177tcca]

I mean, it certainly beats the boat ride to America, but, have to say it's starting to feel like neither ended up being the place to be.

[basicplus2]

Not that rare for me or the people next door.. key fobs dont work frequently at my home.. have to use the physical key and operate the fob from within the car to disable the immobiliser

[nom]

It feel like it's getting more and more common. There is so much cheap no-name hardware imported where they just slap on FCC and CE logos.

My bet is that it's a cheap power supply, they are the worst offenders.

[Nextgrid]

I bought a couple capacitive touch 433Mhz light switches to use for a home automation system on AliExpress. Turns out they were very prone to detecting “ghost” touches and would sometimes end up stuck in the “touched” position forever, which would cause the same issue. Ended up binning them and going back to “push button” switches which are more reliable and are more likely to fail into the “off” position should they fail.

[Nanite]

The “China Export” logo is a blatant but subtle imitation of the actual CE logo. Quite frankly insidious...

https://support.ce-check.eu/hc/en-us/articles/360008642600-H...

[tomxor]

hmm?

> In 2008, a logo very similar to CE marking was reported to exist and alleged to stand for China Export because some Chinese manufacturers apply it to their products.[14] However, the European Commission says that this is a misconception [... ...] despite the Commission's assurance that it is without foundation, this urban myth continues to be available on many websites.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CE_marking#China_Export

[dfn43589]

The wikipedia article is contradicting it's own sources and links to the incorrect mark, the China Compulsory Certificate mark. The European Commission hasn't confirmed the existence of the China Export mark, but claims that it is illegitimate if it does exist. The EC is "...in constant discussion with Chinese authorities..." and intends for Member States to potentially "impose sanctions".

>The Commission ... considers that the mark [China Export (CE)] ... constitute the CE marking as foreseen in the European legislation without, however, respecting the dimensions and proportions prescribed therein.

>...the Commission deems it necessary to establish a comprehensive Community legislative framework in order to ensure coherent market surveillance ...

>...It also provides for the legal basis for Member States to impose sanctions in the case of misuse which should serve as a deterrent.

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getAllAnswers.do?refere...

[throw0101a]

Counter:

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CE_marking#China_Export

[geomark]

I believe you meant eletromagnetic compatibility (EMC).

[LeonM]

Yes, you are right. That was a typo