A fish like that could only be caught by a master baiterLOL.
Like many of us, I am not a fan of the Gladiator keyfob. On top of it's size and the overactive switchblade key, my jeep logo is already coming loose, after a few months of use.
I have investigated the AJT fob and I am not a fan of that either. I made the decision to design a new fob.
I am designing the fob so the key is integral and slides out if needed. This is similar to many of the current fobs on the market.
I am posting this here because I am contemplating producing the fob once the design is complete. I have access to some of the most advanced additive manufacturing equipment available and can produce full-color, textured, customized fob housings. I figure if I am going to the trouble to make my own, I'd see if there are certain features or design considerations other people would like to see.
I will have alpha prototypes this week for fitment/function testing and then we'll dive deeper into the ergonomics, shape, and key action. At this point, I am planning to reuse the factory button cover.
If this interests you, please let me know what you'd like to see with a redesigned fob.
Cheers,
Carl
Thatās not far off the JT vs the Grand Cherokee fob which has the key internally.prototype is 75% of the length, 75% of the width, and 90% of the thickness of the factory.
without the key incorporated,
That looks smaller (thinner) than the GC fob I posted earlier, but probably because there is no key incorporated. I never took the key out of the GC fob, but suspect it is the same as the JT which makes me think you should put a minimal scabbard for the GC key on the back of yours - it would then have the key ring portion built in and still retain the overall smaller dimensions.Here is a quick update. These photos are of our alpha 2.1.
The alpha 2.1 is currently 75% of the factory fob in every dimension resulting in a volume reduction of about 55%.
We are refining the shape, button function, and assembly at this stage. The raised button markers are simple placeholders for functional testing.
This fob includes the passive RFID chip, so it includes everything but the key.
As we get through these alpha phases we'll start looking at water resistance. The final stages for the keyless version will be to design a simple key ring for the fob and a simple end for the key itself (to attach to a key ring).
Because that's most of what made the fob so big to start with. This is about making it look smaller while actually consuming more space.
I don't have that nailed down yet. The design I showed today is a minimum viable product intended to show the smallest possible size. We are refining the fob from here and the final version won't look like a coffin. The blessing and the curse of additive mfg are the endless possibilities and customization. I am focusing the effort so it converges to completion. In the next week, I will narrow the options and post another update to include the expected price for each option. The price will be similar to the alternative option(s) available.
Your lack of passion for this problem disturbs me. It's because of reasonable people like you that we have these problems. Seriously though, look up the other thread here about the fob, it's total hilarity.
Not sure if this was covered yet, but can you design it to have a quick disconnect from the key ring (keeping the physical key and key ring together if physical key present present)? So that when I lose my key somewhere and I have to steal my wifeās, I can just take the push button start fob and leave the rest of her gigantic janitor-sized key ring (and then forget to reattach the fob to the key and doom myself to feeling my wifeās wrath for taking her stuff and not putting back where it belongs)?
I didn't understand until I "stabbed" myself in the leg with the stupid key, after it inadvertently opened in my pocket. Now I patiently wait until this fix is available.
