I’ve always thought that if crime is going to continue to exist, the best kind of criminals to hope for is the dumb kind. There’s a good chance such hoods might not be able to pull off a theft in the first place or keep from getting caught even if they were capable of completing the act.
Unfortunately, there are crooks out there who are smart enough to invest in sophisticated equipment. The newest device is a little black box called a “power amplifier”…which can unlock your Jeep without setting off the alarm, allowing thieves to get their hands on your valuables.
Boris Danev, a wireless devices specialist and a founder of 3db Technologies, a security company based in Switzerland, offered the following explanation to a writer for the New York Times who was almost the victim of this type of theft: “In a normal scenario, when you walk up to a car with a keyless entry and try the door handle, the car wirelessly calls out for your key so you don’t have to press any buttons to get inside. If the key calls back, the door unlocks. But the keyless system is capable of searching for a key only within a couple of feet.”
A power amplifier lengthens the distance a vehicle can search, potentially enabling the vehicle to communicate with a key fob that’s in a building, such as your house. Several forum members over at one of our sister sites, Corvette Forum, aren’t convinced this is a genuine problem, partially because the signal from the fob back to the car would have to be amplified as well.
However, I don’t think it’s impossible for a piece of electronic gear to be able to search a general area for a key fob putting out the signal the car is seeking, pick it up, then amplify it enough for the car to receive it and unlock itself.
Watch the video below and let us know your thoughts on this issue. Are you concerned about this new trend in car thievery or is your insurance coverage enough to give you peace of mind?
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
