jimrockford

My keyless entry transmitter (RS3000) has about a 15 foot range. Does anyone have any ideas for increasing the range, besides replacing it with an aftermarket unit?

I had an Ultra Start Remote Starter on my '91 4Runner. They advertised a 1200 foot range-and meant it. 15 feet is pathetic. Would new batteries make much of a difference?

anthraciterunner

yeah...point the remote up under your chin. It works really well. I swear. I wonder if I have any tumors?

96LtdYota

i agree with the up under the chin shot... it helps by atleast 75 feet

Bob_98SR5

jim,

i've tried just about everything. the range on the rs3000 simply sucks ass. two things I tried:

- physically soldered FM stereo antenna wire and ran it along the length of the entire 4runner driver's side. increased range by...eh...20-30 feet

- soldered a 20 (or 22?) awg wire to the diversity (love that name) antenna that is located on the passeger side rear cargo window. its still like that. range increase of about 20 feet.

the best thing i've found is to keep that battery fresh and use the chin method. i've thought too about somehow connecting hte receiver wire to the taco whip antenna but i just gave up. maybe in the future.

...or maybe you can run w/ that idea and let us know how it goes?

bob

BajaRunner

Wow, I never knew about the under the chin trick. What the heck ... that is so weird. Turns your brain into a transmitter, or what?

96LtdYota

exactly.. no leads to cancerous growth, so im cool with it

SLC Punk

I have tried the same thing as Bob and have had no success. Now i just look like a dork and point the remote to my chin to arm/disarm my alarm. :pat:

bamachem

change the battery. when my batt gets low, it only works from 15-20' away. when it's new, i can get 40-50'.

Mad Chemist

How the hell does pointing it at your chin increase the range? If it is focusing the radiowaves, you'd have just as good results by taking your free hand and cupping it behind the transmitter making a "dish" to focus it at the vehicle....

PoBoy

...but that would look stupid.


Dont know if that actually works as good or not...but the chin thing definitely works and is easy to do.

Bud

The chin thing does work on clifford/cobra alarms on my older vehicles but not on my newer tacoma.

I did a search and came up with this

BruceTS

I just touch mine to my cheek bone, it turns your body into a extended antenna, that's why it works......

AgRunner06

Sorry for the quick question. I've got the TDS alarm and was wondering if I will have to reprogram it if I change the battery. I've lost the instructions so I guess I would have to make a trip to the dealer if it needs to be reprogrammed.

Thanks

96LtdYota

"The key and the body act like the two plates of a capacitor separated by an electrical insulator. When an electric charge flows into or out of one of the plates, the electrostatic effect drives a similar charge into or out of the other. Although no charge actually crosses the insulator, a current appears to flow for a while until the capacitor is fully charged. Applying a varying current to one plate means that the capacitor never gets fully charged and a current appears to flow indefinitely through the second plate."

4RUNR

Just opened the keychain transmitter and there does not seem to be an antenna in it. Not even on the circuit board, except for some tiny wire wound thingy. There's plenty of space, soldering on a piece of wire inside should help the distance.

Somebody should do a write-up on which body part or orifice gets the maximum range

Rugby10

Good Article Bud. That phenomena was always strange to me. So I just press the remote to my and let it rip?

jimrockford

And I thought anthraciterunner was just being a wise ass. But, I'll be darned, it does seem to work.

EDIT: Well, except when trying to amaze and befuddle my kids. Naturally, the range was actually lower when I showed them. Maybe I pressed the button too many times to show it wouldn't work from the range I was at.

jimrockford

I'm a little interested in this technique. My diversity antenna is disconnected due to the installation of an aftermarket head unit. Where is the stock antenna located for the RS3000 and how hard is it to access? 20 feet is 20 feet.

BajaRunner

So I just tried the chin thing today...all day.

Didn't work!

I still have to be within 5-8 feet of my 4Runner to get it to work...and I just put in a new battery 2 weeks ago.

Rugby10

Try my method. Its called the thing, and it works. Let it rip at 10ft, 100ft, or 500ft it doesn't matter. Guaranteed to work!