Key Fob Follies

[SwampNut]

I use my phone for hunting maps, and for calling sounds. If it's off service, those things still work. And most of the time I can climb somewhere tall and maybe get a signal, say in an emergency. Best to keep it with me.

The option to use a phone won't eliminate or prevent using a fob right now. 10-20 years from now? Probably. I hope so anyway.

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[Empty Pockets]

JEEP Care spokespeople are regulars on this forum but I’m not surprised that they are avoiding this thread. The fob is indefensible.
I bought the leather holster with the little carabiner-like hook from Gibson. Beautiful, but it’s not for me. I’m active. Too much flopping around. I’m afraid, too, that I may snag it on something and pull my belt loop loose and loose the key. I just ordered the replacement cover from AJT to give it a try. Cool as it sounds, using a phone app to open and start the truck makes me think I’ll need to carry a back-up charger battery in case the phone dies. There’s no ideal solution to this crap, for sure.

 

[SwampNut]

The phone solution includes a backup/reserve power feature so it will work for hours after the phone dies (ten, I think, not sure). And with modern non-junk phones, they go all day with hard use anyway.

Man, I love seeing the creative ways that people find the worst possible problems for everything.

 

[eaglerugby04]

So you didn't test drive it, and they didn't put the keys on the desk as part of the sales process? I've bought a few new cars, keys always set on the desk. I thought it was a sales ploy to keep you excited to buy.

I just hang mine from a belt loop or on my bag if I'm going to the pool in swim shorts. Never in the way, easy to reach. I did this with my JK keys too, after one of those cut a hole in my pocket.

Lol I didn't test drive it. Sat in an overpriced overland at the dealership then custom ordered mine.

 

[DreamedofaJeepSomeday]

Engineers aren't real people, and therefore don't get to the same conclusions

OK, I are an ingineer, so maybe that's why I don't object to the fob.

 

[SwampNut]

I didn't test drive either, which really upset everyone. Apparently it's a "requirement" from the manufacturers to force a test drive, because some people complain when they decide they don't like it later. But the keys were sitting there on the sales desk while we wrote up the deal.

I'm just absolutely amused as hell how much people can whine about it.

WHO MOVED MY CHEESE!!!

 

[Jt-wrx]

The phone solution includes a backup/reserve power feature so it will work for hours after the phone dies (ten, I think, not sure). And with modern non-junk phones, they go all day with hard use anyway.

Man, I love seeing the creative ways that people find the worst possible problems for everything.

That's exactly what you're doing.

This what humans do, we often come up with the best solution first. A simple key, followed by electric locks, so now a small fob with an unlock button to make more convenient along with the simple key that is back up and always the fail safe reliable way....well, that's still not convenient enough, lets go rfid push button start with proximity, and the myriad of possibilities and problems far beyond just trying to get in and go with least amount of thought or action as possible because we are lazier than panda bears. Ya, we are brilliant, lets have care and control over entry and starting of our 2.5 ton death machines by thing air signal, solutions for dead batteries etc. you can drive away from this care and control and turn off said vehicle without it ...now your stranded.

What happened to electrical taping a key for water proofness and then zip tying up under the vehicle somewhere so you always could manually unlock a vehicle and get home if you ever lost your keys afield? What do you put under your vehicle now for this emergency back up for guys who spend days or longer afield in remote locations away from their vehicles...this is a jeep, not a cadillac so...we go to these places without cell service, that are cold and non battery friendly and we leave the damn vehicles for weeks at a time. Was any of that considered with the fob they have now? Really? Jeep...shame on you.

If you're going to do something do it right. Do it in layers for all the extra lazy people can have their cake and eat it too...give them auto-drive button also so they can have a nap on the way to work. For my Jeep, i'll just stick with a key and at most a lock unlock button...that can be overridden by a key....PLEASE!!!!

The amount of possibilities and things that can be done and or go wrong with the introduction of all this tech have not had the snowball effect amount of solutions correctly applied yet. Got nothing against this stuff so long as you layer it on top of the simple for those of use who still prefer the common sense minimalist approach to as many things in life as possible, especially a 2.5 ton freedom machine that we pilot anywhere we can, not just to the mall.

 

[eaglerugby04]

I didn't test drive either, which really upset everyone. Apparently it's a "requirement" from the manufacturers to force a test drive, because some people complain when they decide they don't like it later. But the keys were sitting there on the sales desk while we wrote up the deal.

I'm just absolutely amused as hell how much people can whine about it.

WHO MOVED MY CHEESE!!!

I haven't test driven any of my last 3 cars. I just made sure the seat worked and was done. lol

But I agree, before I signed I was given that monstrosity. I did make them give me a new key ring though before I left. The one that came with it wasn't capable of holding the weight of that key.

The key randomly flipping out was a fun easter egg I found out later.

 

[Clendennan]

I didn't test drive either, which really upset everyone. Apparently it's a "requirement" from the manufacturers to force a test drive, because some people complain when they decide they don't like it later. But the keys were sitting there on the sales desk while we wrote up the deal.

I'm just absolutely amused as hell how much people can whine about it.

WHO MOVED MY CHEESE!!!

I dont doubt what you say, my experience was i bought it over the phone and they delivered it to my place of work. I never test drove it and they never asked me if I wanted to. It was delivered on a Thursday, and I didnt get in it to drive it until Saturday, which is the day i took the key back out of the desk. My only thought regarding the key was "this seems rugged."

 

[Rubicon Bob]

I just clip my keys to a belt loop. Here is a question for all, has anyone manage to accidently lose the key fob? It is big enough that you would quickly notice if it was lost. Maybe it is a good thing that is is so big.

 

[Jt-wrx]

Engineers arent real people, and therefore dont get to the same conclusions

I envision a room full of engineers sitting arund a table, all thinking this was a great idea

lmao...this has to be what happened

 

[REDBEAST]

Here's proof they could have made it a lot smaller. The Trackhawk key also has an additional function.

 

[Clendennan]

lmao...this has to be what happened

I handle consumer complaints for a medium sized company, meaning they flow through my Regulatory department. I cant tell you the number of times a product has some major flaw that happens when normal people use it, but it was never seen by the engineers in development just because they never think like the rest of society. Its funny, but they think differently. Theyre very smart people, but they never consider that a lab tech isnt going to finely mist something with bleach water as the instructions say. The lab tech is going to douse it in bleach because more is better. The engineers respond but the instructions say to finely mist .... the whole time im thinking "yes, but have you ever met normal people?" Its like where a freshwater river meets the ocean, both water but different.

 

[Jt-wrx]

I use my phone for hunting maps, and for calling sounds. If it's off service, those things still work. And most of the time I can climb somewhere tall and maybe get a signal, say in an emergency. Best to keep it with me.

The option to use a phone won't eliminate or prevent using a fob right now. 10-20 years from now? Probably. I hope so anyway.

and for many hunters the last thing they want near them hunting is a phone, no bluetooth, no nothing, on top of that, in places i hunt, it's one of the most useless pieces of gear for me due to cold weather performance and cell service, i will use tech that works, i do have a spot satellite device to call for help or send ok messages via satellite for family peace of mind as i'm usually alone, i will use a gps instead of a map from time to time with similar programs to show boundaries if i'm hunting a boundary, gps also only works with satellite signal...my phone can only be relied on for taking pictures here and there and only if kept against leg or close to body under jacket as they have shown to be awful in the cold and shut down when trying to get field photo's done and they don't tripod mount well as a digital camera and often i'm with tripod, for spotting scope, bino work, and field photos an older digital camera works better and tripods better, it will still require to be kept warmer but it will also stay on longer on the tripod getting things done...the phone is useless in most of my hunting situations

so once again, while you keep saying you don't need or want the simpler solutions, you seem to be suggesting that what you think should be good for everyone else? like no one is different from you, or their needs are different from yours? can you not acknowledge the scenarios i've been mentioning? that people are wildly different in how they live their lives, regionally or otherwise, and therefore come to wildly different requirements and asks of their gear?

there is a simple is best group of people, we like things mechanical and minimalist and streamlined as possible, no extra fat, you seem to be at the opposite end of this spectrum...all tech, all easy, all the time...that's fine, don't be forcing your idea of how it should be done on everyone else...capiche?

Jeep...give us more options please, there was no need for this fob grossness. There's plenty of argument that lots more people driving solid axle jeeps that are more minimalist and simple and mechanical and or lifestyle oriented...so makes sense to offer similar tech and options for these people.

 

[WhatExit?]

The fob is indefensible.

there was no need for this fob grossness

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