Keyless car theft is a growing concern for many vehicle owners. The idea that thieves can simply amplify your key fob signal from outside your house and drive off with your car is unsettling, to say the least. So, naturally, the thought of creating a DIY solution to block these signals pops into your head. Like many, I wondered if a homemade Key Fob Box could actually work. The internet offered two main approaches: specialized RFID-blocking fabric, often used in commercially available pouches, or the surprisingly low-tech option – tin foil. Skeptical, especially about the tin foil method, I decided to put it to the test.
The RFID fabric approach seemed legitimate, with some products even boasting about multiple layers for enhanced protection. But tin foil? It sounded too simple to be effective. Armed with this doubt and a roll of kitchen foil, I embarked on a mission to build a DIY key fob box. My materials were basic: cardboard and, of course, tin foil. I fashioned a small cardboard box, meticulously lining it with two layers of tin foil. To be honest, even as I was building it, I wasn’t convinced. My wife, witnessing my somewhat improvised engineering, definitely had that “are you serious?” look.
The moment of truth arrived. To test my foil-lined key fob box, we used my phone as the stand-in for a car key. The test was simple: if my phone rang when placed in the box and called, the box failed. If it remained silent, it worked. And if it worked on the first try, I jokingly promised myself a set of beadlock rings – a long-standing automotive desire fueled by 15 years of marriage and shared history since ’96.
So, the call was placed. My phone rang. Defeat. But upon closer inspection of my creation, I spotted a tiny flaw – a small gap in the tin foil seam, about 2 centimeters long and barely a millimeter or two wide. Could this be the culprit? I carefully closed the gap, ensuring a complete seal, and we tried again.
This time, silence. No ring. My wife, initially amused by my DIY attempt, was genuinely surprised, even impressed, that my “hair-brained idea” actually worked. However, with a hint of playful vindication, she pointed out that the initial failure meant no beadlock rings for me just yet. Perhaps Uncle Sam needs to increase pensions, or maybe inflation needs to take a break if I’m going to afford those rings myself!
Despite my personal automotive desires remaining unfulfilled for the moment, the experiment was a success. A simple, completely sealed tin foil box effectively blocked the phone signal, demonstrating the principle of signal blocking. While my DIY box was a fun experiment and proof of concept, for everyday use and reliable key fob protection, commercially available pouches designed specifically for this purpose are likely a more practical and durable solution. In the meantime, we’re looking into purchasing some professional key fob pouches to hang conveniently from our existing key holder.
