What's the smallest Faraday key fob protecting pouch

[DCEV]

Okay so apart from the obvious tinfoil, Altoid box., and other homemade solutions, has anyone found a nice looking key fob protector that will fit a Model S key fob with a key ring and key with the lease amount of excess bulk? This is the best one I could find on amazon and I was wondering if anyone found one smaller:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GDD35GH/ref=sspa_dk_detail_0?psc=1

I want to protect the key fob signal with a nice looking pouch that is as small as possible while preventing the key fob signal from being amplified/transmitted.

 

[whitex]

The smallest solution would be to add a tiny switch to the fob which simply cuts the battery power. If you can't add a switch to the fob, you could add a keychain with the battery and switch, run some discrete wires to the fob.

 

[boaterva]

There used to be a fob-sized fabric one (I have it) but I think that company only makes a larger one for laptops and tablets now.

As for the battery switch, I’ve seen fobs have issues when batteries are swapped. Wouldn’t this cause the same thing? The pouch is the best answer if you still can find one.

 

[whitex]

As for the battery switch, I’ve seen fobs have issues when batteries are swapped. Wouldn’t this cause the same thing? The pouch is the best answer if you still can find one.

6 years, 4 Teslas, changed fob batteries myself (especially on my wife's MS, she often leaves the fob in the car while in the garage which drains it), never once did a battery change cause ANY issues. Last time I did a service, SC changed a battery in my fob and just left me a battery for the second one (which I didn't bring with me), so Tesla also doesn't think there are any issues with changing the batteries yourself. Out of curiosity, what issues have you encountered?

 

[boaterva]

6 years, 4 Teslas, changed fob batteries myself (especially on my wife's MS, she often leaves the fob in the car while in the garage which drains it), never once did a battery change cause ANY issues. Last time I did a service, SC changed a battery in my fob and just left me a battery for the second one (which I didn't bring with me), so Tesla also doesn't think there are any issues with changing the batteries yourself. Out of curiosity, what issues have you encountered?

Excellent, perhaps you’ve been lucky? As I’ve posted elsewhere, I changed one once and it wouldn’t recognize the fob and Tesla had to reset both of them in the car. They told me that’s why they do it as part of the annual maintenance, in case it ‘doesn’t work’.

Now, no idea where all that really lies with the elimination of annual maintenance?

However, I did another one recently and did it in the car. Perhaps that’s the method to keep the connection? Do it quickly and in proximity? You would think it wouldn’t matter but the first time it was definitely dead. They gave me some talk about ‘resetting the gateway’ which didn’t sound exactly right for a fob issue.

Now, the first time was a while back and the time it worked was recently so I’m also wondering if improved firmware could have helped with making this a more DIY thing?

Really interesting you never had an issue. Also wonder if there are S vs X differences but assume you have both?

 

[whitex]

Excellent, perhaps you’ve been lucky? As I’ve posted elsewhere, I changed one once and it wouldn’t recognize the fob and Tesla had to reset both of them in the car. They told me that’s why they do it as part of the annual maintenance, in case it ‘doesn’t work’.

Now, no idea where all that really lies with the elimination of annual maintenance?

However, I did another one recently and did it in the car. Perhaps that’s the method to keep the connection? Do it quickly and in proximity? You would think it wouldn’t matter but the first time it was definitely dead. They gave me some talk about ‘resetting the gateway’ which didn’t sound exactly right for a fob issue.

Now, the first time was a while back and the time it worked was recently so I’m also wondering if improved firmware could have helped with making this a more DIY thing?

Really interesting you never had an issue. Also wonder if there are S vs X differences but assume you have both?

I've only owned S'es, so can't speak to Model X. Model S 2013, 2015, 2017, and 2018 (new MCU). Always changed batteries out of the car in a room right above the garage so technically only a ceiling away from the car, but cars were off and locked. Last time I did it was less than a month ago on my wife's 2018 MS, when I tested it, I am not 100% sure but the very first click might not have worked, so I clicked it again and it opened the car just fine. I relocked it via the fob and my wife has been driving for a few weeks now, so it works. Maybe Tesla has a new and improved fob design for Model X - it wouldn't be the first time a new Tesla design has issues the old one did not.

 

[henleyregatta]

To the original point: I bought a pouch very similar (certainly in size) to the one originally linked. It worked great.... for about 6 months.

After which the key started getting recognised by the car even in the pouch with it closed. I think the shielding around the flap wears out with repeated open/closes so they don't have that long a life.

Having said that, my insurer sent me another 2 pouches of the same size and presumably similar design.... 4 months or so in to using one of *those* and it still works OK...

 

[boaterva]

I've only owned S'es, so can't speak to Model X. Model S 2013, 2015, 2017, and 2018 (new MCU). Always changed batteries out of the car in a room right above the garage so technically only a ceiling away from the car, but cars were off and locked. Last time I did it was less than a month ago on my wife's 2018 MS, when I tested it, I am not 100% sure but the very first click might not have worked, so I clicked it again and it opened the car just fine. I relocked it via the fob and my wife has been driving for a few weeks now, so it works. Maybe Tesla has a new and improved fob design for Model X - it wouldn't be the first time a new Tesla design has issues the old one did not.

Definitely could be the X fobs are the issue as we know they use an additional BT channel (I believe). Always thought you had an X from your name!

As for the fob pouch, mine also seems to be leaking sometimes. I bet it’s the same issue, with the ‘corners/edge’ of the flap.

I was looking at getting another one and the one mentioned above looks like the best one (ratings and costwise). I don’t think you want it much smaller as the constant opening and closing is what leads to the wrinkling problems that lead to signal leakage. Point is, you don’t want to be cramming the fob in or having to bend the cover flap to close it.

 

[BerTX]

I just put the fob in the same pocket as my phone. Works every time. Also the RFID tag for my gym makes the fob useless.

 

[Barry]

I just put the fob in the same pocket as my phone

So some bad guys are walking around with a clone of your phone, instead?

 

[DCEV]

I just put the fob in the same pocket as my phone. Works every time. Also the RFID tag for my gym makes the fob useless.

The reason I keep the fob in a different pocket is because the house key is attached to it so I don't want risk scratching the phone.

So it seems the fob pouch I found on Amazon and linked above is the best one to block signals when I don't want the signal intercepted. If anyone else has a better solution that is smaller and elegant, please share!

 

[Silicon Desert]

I just put the fob in the same pocket as my phone. Works every time. Also the RFID tag for my gym makes the fob useless.

Interesting thought. Any particular phone you are thinking about? I put my fob in the same pocket as my iPhone, yet still works.

 

[DCEV]

Interesting thought. Any particular phone you are thinking about? I put my fob in the same pocket as my iPhone, yet still works.

I think it depends on the phone. I've noticed if I put any magnetic parking tickets in the same pocket as my phone, they become unusable.

My Galaxy Note 8 has a feature where it is capable of creating a magnetic field to mimic a credit card. It's crazy technology where you can just place your phone next to a magnetic strip card reader and it will somehow generate a a magnetic field that communicated with the strip card reader just by placing your phone next to it.

I still think this all depends on the exact placement so a Faraday cage pouch is still better and more effective.

 

[BerTX]

Interesting thought. Any particular phone you are thinking about? I put my fob in the same pocket as my iPhone, yet still works.

Sorry, meant to be humorous.

 

[Silicon Desert]

My Galaxy Note 8 has a feature where it is capable of creating a magnetic field to mimic a credit card. It's crazy technology where you can just place your phone next to a magnetic strip card reader and it will somehow generate a a magnetic field that communicated with the strip card reader just by placing your phone next to it.

Uh, April Fools day was over a week ago

 

[Silicon Desert]

Sorry, meant to be humorous.

Thanks, I was going to guess that you might be suggesting harmonics or some other emf from the phone was over-riding the fob signal.

 

[BerTX]

Thanks, I was going to guess that you might be suggesting harmonics or some other emf from the phone was over-riding the fob signal.

Oh, my phone definitely does make the fob not function, as does my gym RFID fob. I don't think it is wise to rely on that to protect the fob from attack, if that is the desired outcome. And there is no indication that evil-doers couldn't still communicate with it -- it just doesn't communicate with the car.

 

[DCEV]

Uh, April Fools day was over a week ago

Yeah it is crazy technology.

 

[Silicon Desert]

Yeah it is crazy technology.

Oh wait a second. I think we are all aware about NFC technology. What confused me is that you were saying the phone had a a magnetic field that talks to magnetic strip card readers. No way. It is a different technology. Nothing talks to a magnetic strip reader except a card with a magnetic strip.

What your phone is doing is communicating with an NFC receiver that operates in the radio frequency band of about 13.5 MHz. Still neat technology. Just not as wide spread use as I would like.

 

[DCEV]

Oh wait a second. I think we are all aware about NFC technology. What confused me is that you were saying the phone had a a magnetic field that talks to magnetic strip card readers. No way. It is a different technology. Nothing talks to a magnetic strip reader except a card with a magnetic strip.

What your phone is doing is communicating with an NFC receiver that operates in the radio frequency band of about 13.5 MHz. Still neat technology. Just not as wide spread use as I would like.

My understanding is that this is not NFC as it works with ancient card readers way before NFC. My understanding is that the phone creates a magnetic field within the card strip reader to mimic a card actually being swiped. I've used this on super old card readers and it's amazing when it works. It's this technology that likely demagnetizes any parking tickets I put in the same pocket as my phone.

This is the key reason I use Samsung Pay as opposed to Google Pay as Google Pay is indeed based on NFC but Samsung Pay does generate a magnetic field to imitate a card swipe.

"Samsung calls this Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST), and it works by creating a magnetic field which mimics the swipe of a bank card on a payment terminal."

What is Samsung Pay and how does it work?