Infrared Remote Control Watch Used to Unlock Your Car?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the potential use of a Casio CMD-40B watch, which functions as an infrared remote control, to unlock car doors. Participants explore the feasibility of adapting the watch for this purpose, considering the technology involved in car remote systems.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Technical explanation, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant inquires whether the watch could be used to lock/unlock car doors using the car's electronic door popper frequency.
  • Another participant asserts that the watch operates on infrared signals, while car door remotes typically use radio signals, suggesting incompatibility.
  • A different participant recounts a past experience where they successfully used the watch to unlock a friend's car, indicating that some cars may have used infrared technology at that time.
  • There is mention of the need to be within a certain distance to learn the infrared signal, and the participant shares anecdotes of using the watch in various social settings.
  • Some participants express uncertainty about the existence of infrared car door controls, noting that most modern cars appear to utilize radio signals.
  • Concerns are raised regarding the security of radio signals compared to infrared, with speculation about the potential for encryption or modulation in radio systems.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally disagree on the compatibility of the watch with car door systems, with some recalling past successes with infrared while others assert that modern systems predominantly use radio signals.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights a lack of consensus on the types of signals used in car door remotes and the security implications of infrared versus radio technology. There are also uncertainties regarding the specific capabilities of the watch in relation to car unlocking.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in remote control technology, car security systems, or those exploring unconventional uses for consumer electronics may find this discussion relevant.

Alma
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Hello,

I have purchased a Casio CMD-40B watch. It functions as a remote control for your TV and Cable boxes. How it works is, you look up the specific TV's "code", tell it to the watch, and your watch now acts as the TV's remote control.

Here is the Watch Manual
http://parsetext.com/0/files.nsf/0/b45a0d96b3011d82882577aa00713fa7/$FILE/qw1174.pdf

My question is, could this watch somehow be used to lock/unlock your car's doors using your cars electronic door popper frequency? Seems like a fun project.

Thanks!
 
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It looks like that watch is for infrared devices. Car door remotes use radio signals. So it won't work for that.
 
Hello. I used to have one of these and can confirm it did work on my friends car about 10-15 years ago. Using the learn function we successfully broke into my friends car one morning at collage.

I can't remember the type of car he had, and other cars (which used infrared) that we tried didn't work.

You need to be within about 3 meters of the original infrared beam to learn it. You can have loads fun changing the channel in pub's, bars and private residences as you walk past. Turning up the volume on stereo's in shops. And stopping the videos in your class.

The çodes it uses arn't limited to the manufacturer. So you may find the Sony (or other) code will work on different branded devices.

Those watches are great!
 
I hadn't realized they made infrared car door controls. Googling it seems to indicate a large majority of modern cars use radio, though.
 
fleem said:
I hadn't realized they made infrared car door controls. Googling it seems to indicate a large majority of modern cars use radio, though.

Yeah it was quite a while ago when we did it.
I don't really know, but i imagine radio is more secure as you can encrypt or modulate the signal (or something like that :confused:). Don't if that's possible with infrared. I wouldn't be surprised if all modern systems use radio.
 

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