Electronic lock jammers.

Unread post by **myglaren** » 22 Sep 2010, 17:36

Surrey police are exploring the theory that a gang of car thieves are jamming central locking systems to make it easier to steal goods from cars.

The theory arose after one a witness reported that a man used an electronic device to prevent doors from locking when he parked his Lexus at a local Sainsbury's. Apparently the suspect was lurking in the car park and wearing unusual warm clothes for the season, something that made him stand out like a sore thumb, according to police. The motorist discovered that his car lock would not engage whereupon the suspect walked off seconds before the lock mysteriously started working again.

red_dwarfers · Unread post by **red_dwarfers** » 22 Sep 2010, 18:00

Very interesting.

Doesn't give me much confidence in those vehicles that automatically lock and unlock as you walk near them!
But it does show an advantage in infra red remote central locking

spider · Unread post by **spider** » 22 Sep 2010, 19:06

And an even better advantage of using a key in a lock

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 22 Sep 2010, 19:17

Basically, if you point enough RF at anything electronic it'll cough...

Way back when, the mob I worked for then ran a few of the BBC World Service Transmitting stations. One such was in Crowborough. We apprentices were sent down there for a week in 1976 to learn about high powered broadcast transmitters.

Down there, in those days, they had a 1MW (MegaWatt) medium wave transmitter that originally came on air to broadcast to Germany during the war. There were also a good few 100KW shortwave transmitters and a Napier Deltic (Basically a class 55 railway locomotive) for standby power in the event of a power cut.

Anyway, I digress. One of our number ran a Hillman Avenger and was proud of the electronic ignition he'd designed and built for it. It worked flawlessly.. Until he drove into the site and then it died, never to work again! The RF well and truly zapped it.

I've heard of law enforcement agencies toying with the idea of directing a beam of high power RF at a vehicle during a high speed pursuit to immobilize it. Less tyre damage than a traditional stinger I guess...

Unread post by **myglaren** » 22 Sep 2010, 21:39

Apropos that Jim, my dad worked at the Fylingdales BMEWS.
Since he retired they have removed the iconic golfballs and replaced them with a phased array pyramid.

There's a woman lives in Pickering who owns a shop in Whitby.
If she drives her own car (Lexus LS200) there is no problem but if she takes her husbands Imprezza, it dies within a couple of miles of the antenna and has to be towed away.

I'd mentioned my turbo being a bit shonky to one of our directors. They all drive Audi A4 diesels and he says that there is a point on the A66 that kills any of their cars but it is OK if they sit there for five minutes and then restart it

Makes you wonder what is hidden on the A66

I was down there last week with no ill effects - daughter just moved down there.

Odd that you should mention the Deltic.
They were the reason my dad left the railways, couldn't bear the thought of working on stinky diesels.
Moved to Whitby and became a marine fitter, working on diesels, of course.
Until he went to Fylingdales and got the easiest, cleanest and best paid job in his life - that he couldn't talk about

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 22 Sep 2010, 23:03

That is indeed odd on the A66 Steve. Bears some investigation.

Tell you what, the Fylingdales pyramid is nowhere near as nice-looking as the old golfballs were. I once read about the designer of them; one of the most unlikely of people to have done it really. I forget who it was now but it was with shock and amazement to discover that he or she designed it and it was a long, long time ago too. Back in the Victorian age I recall and started life as a revolutionary design for a tent or somesuch..

Ahh the Deltic

I'm afraid to say that engine started a life-long love affair with big diesels for me..

On that memorable week in Crowborough we were all led into the Deltic engine-house to see the beast up close and personal. Then..

"Hold on to your ears lads...."

It was started up for us to enjoy

Music, it was intoxicating and something I'll never forget, even down to the hurricane-force draft the blowers created...

Yes, it was a stinky and smokey old thing true enough, it was a two-stroke after all and all the better for it...

Bloody magical too...

That love of big diesels has remained and back in 2003 I took what I think was my last proper ride behind an old-school diesel locomotive when we boarded a train in the old St. Pancras to go to Wellingborough. I said to a couple of colleagues I was travelling with: "Hey, we're being taken home behind a Class 47!!!" perhaps rather too excitedly in retrospect. They looked at me with narrowed eyes and grave suspicion after that... Oh gawd no, he's a trainspotter....

Better not let on that I find the sound of an HST departing from a station rather good. It has a lovely turbo whistle as it approaches full power just before moving off...

KP · Unread post by KP » 23 Sep 2010, 08:21

Dont get too excited Jim but i sit in one of the offices for these people

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 23 Sep 2010, 08:50

KP wrote:Dont get too excited Jim

Don't worry Will

I'm not that much of a trainspotter! My interest is with the old-school diesels and the history of them, how they work and the railways they ran on. I love exploring disused railways, learning their history and looking for artifacts. Whenever I go somewhere new in the UK I always look around the area for signs of old railways. That dear old Mr. Beeching left me plenty to study

It all fits in with my wider interest in general industrial archeology..

KP · Unread post by KP » 23 Sep 2010, 08:54

why dont you put a bid in for one of their old rolling stock then?? plenty of locos up for grabs

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 23 Sep 2010, 09:05

KP wrote:why dont you put a bid in for one of their old rolling stock then?? plenty of locos up for grabs

I'm sure the neighbours would just love that

KP · Unread post by KP » 23 Sep 2010, 09:11

go for a chopper as i think i saw one in the list

Would make a nice genset if you wanted to make your own electric and use waste veggie oil

....

Reckon you might get a few mw out of one unit LOL

ACTIVE8 · Unread post by **ACTIVE8** » 24 Sep 2010, 13:09

spider wrote:And an even better advantage of using a key in a lock

Ah yes those were the days, when we lived the Ashes to Ashes lifestyle!

spider · Unread post by **spider** » 24 Sep 2010, 15:26

I think you might need something a bit beefier than an XUD to power a loco

davewithington · Unread post by **davewithington** » 01 Oct 2010, 16:53

If any of you are interested in railways, this will be good. I'm going on one of the steam days, if possible.

http://www.churnet-valley-railway.co.uk/mcr/index.html

ACTIVE8 · Unread post by **ACTIVE8** » 08 Oct 2010, 16:40

red_dwarfers wrote:Very interesting.

Doesn't give me much confidence in those vehicles that automatically lock and unlock as you walk near them!
But it does show an advantage in infra red remote central locking

Well that type of auto lock and unlock made me laugh when I first heard about when they first came out, as it might be convenient, but imagine the car being used by the type of person that walks back to check the car is locked, they would find it always open.

Then if they sussed it, and then thought I will leave the key a distance away from the car, so I can make sure it really is locked, and walk over to the car to check again, only to find a tea leaf has now pocketed the key, and walked off!

The combination of technology, and a member of Densa would be entertaining to watch!