What is happening with my car key, and my doorbell?

Question

Here's my problem.

1. My car key has stopped working outside my house, when I press the button on it to unlock, it doesn't work.

2. My doorbell doesn't work. It's a wireless one, it transmits a radio signal to make another thing go ding dong.

I had the Idea that something near my house must be jamming the frequency of these things.

To prove this, I drove my car about 50 feet down the road, and the key worked. It works at the shops, it works anywhere away from home.

I took off my doorbell and walked down the road, and hey presto it worked.

The only logical explanation I can think of for this is that they are being jammed somehow. Can anyone give me any info on this?

Answer 1

    Install fresh batteries,that increases the signal strength.

Answer 2

You are probably right about the interference.  I suspect that you live near a store that has a theft detection system that is not working properly.  These systems are notorious for faulty operation and they jam car door fobs and other things working on the same frequency.  Usually the local store security people or managers are not smart enough about how it works to detect and fix the system.  One problem is that the store people will typically just blow you off and try to ignore the problem if they can.  They don't/won't care.  You will have to be persistent.  For instance, after the same problem you described was discovered by some ham radio operators in Philadelphin it was found that the dpeartment store (Kohls as I remember) had a large number of similarily defective theft detection systems throughout the nation.  If the problem persists in the vicinity of the store after you locate the suspect and report the problem to them i.e. the store doesn't do something to remedy the problem, then send a letter to or report it to the FCC on their web site.  These systems routinely violate the law and need to be taken out of service.  The stores think they are special and have priority over other users and they do not.  All low power part 97 (the governing FCC rules) users have equal standing.