Rants and Stupid shit in Orange County

[Grimmy23]

The price is surprising. It's perfect if you already have a car. The nearest is 20 miles from me for $4 an hour. There must be something wrong. I wouldn't want to rent out a clean and working car like that.

Yeah, $4/ hr doesn't sound right. I'm not sure I'd rent a car for that price. It would be even harder to explain why you got stranded somewhere in some car that you rented for $4/ hr than trying to explain why you were where you shouldn't be in your normal car. I find that most of them are something like $30 for half a day. If you happen to live or work near someone who has a car available, it's a heck of a deal and probably the best way to go. Unfortunately it's not as prominent down here as it is in the Bay Area but some people might still get lucky and find there are options available for them.

[James D 2004]

All good stuff that will definitely work. By the same token, putting a lot of effort into disabling shit on your expensive EV isn't going to be most people's cup of tea.

The solution I've found is the getaround app, where you can rent cars from other individuals for a few hours for cheap. Chances are there's someone nearby whom has a car available. Going rates are $20 -$30 for a 3 hour rental. There's also zipcar but that isn't as prominent in SoCal as it is in other parts of the state.

The price is surprising. It's perfect if you already have a car. The nearest is 20 miles from me for $4 an hour. There must be something wrong. I wouldn't want to rent out a clean and working car like that.

[Grimmy23]

If you don't pay for premium, the free standard connectivity still works for navigation for 8 years. Theoretically, it could still connect to cell towers and use triangulation to get the location. It's not difficult to disable the LTE antenna. For a hobby with a going rate of $300 to $800 an hour, everything is possible. Wrapping with plastic and then copper tape will work if you leave out the heat sinks for air.

A Tesla can get an internet connection via wifi from a phone hotspot. It can be set up permanently with a dedicated phone. Most junks should work on the Tesla; they just need a data connection.

The OP appears to be a parking problem. Indeed you have to hide the location of the car while traveling. So you can take out the GPS antenna too. There are many gadgets to plug into the USB or connect wirelessly for navigation. I used a single Android phone app to run Android Auto on the Tesla screen via a phone hotspot connected to the Tesla browser. It's pretty much the same as other Android autos. There are carplay apps too. You can also set it up with a dedicated phone. There's no possible way for the car to get the location from the app.

It's not difficult to disable the GPS antenna in the rearview mirror on and off. Just find something to cover up the whole mirror with metal, hard or soft, and stick a mirror in front of it.

All good stuff that will definitely work. By the same token, putting a lot of effort into disabling shit on your expensive EV isn't going to be most people's cup of tea.

The solution I've found is the getaround app, where you can rent cars from other individuals for a few hours for cheap. Chances are there's someone nearby whom has a car available. Going rates are $20 -$30 for a 3 hour rental. There's also zipcar but that isn't as prominent in SoCal as it is in other parts of the state.

[James D 2004]

Tesla uses LTE for navigation, live maps, music streaming, and internet connectivity. That is all part of the premium connectivity package that you pay $9. 99/ month for. You can of course skip that, but the car is virtually freaking worthless without it. Well ok, you can live with out it, but that big nav screen without connectivity is just wasted space, and if you're taking longer road trips that navigation is essential since it knows the state of your vehicle in real time and where the superchargers are.

Driving with faraday bags over the mirrors isn't very practical, especially if you're trying to do something on the sly. The only real solution is to disable the mobile connectivity when you're on one of your special field trips, but then again anyone with access to the app can see that you disabled it.

Best solution IMO is to just not take the car anywhere that would be incriminating if someone with access to your app found you there. If that means parking somewhere innocuous and taking an uber, so be it.

If you don't pay for premium, the free standard connectivity still works for navigation for 8 years. Theoretically, it could still connect to cell towers and use triangulation to get the location. It's not difficult to disable the LTE antenna. For a hobby with a going rate of $300 to $800 an hour, everything is possible. Wrapping with plastic and then copper tape will work if you leave out the heat sinks for air.

A Tesla can get an internet connection via wifi from a phone hotspot. It can be set up permanently with a dedicated phone. Most junks should work on the Tesla; they just need a data connection.

The OP appears to be a parking problem. Indeed you have to hide the location of the car while traveling. So you can take out the GPS antenna too. There are many gadgets to plug into the USB or connect wirelessly for navigation. I used a single Android phone app to run Android Auto on the Tesla screen via a phone hotspot connected to the Tesla browser. It's pretty much the same as other Android autos. There are carplay apps too. You can also set it up with a dedicated phone. There's no possible way for the car to get the location from the app.

It's not difficult to disable the GPS antenna in the rearview mirror on and off. Just find something to cover up the whole mirror with metal, hard or soft, and stick a mirror in front of it.

[Grimmy23]

The mirrors aren't that difficult to cover on and off using soft Faraday bags or paper / cloth bags on copper tape. The reason that the antennas are out in the mirrors in the first place is that a steel pan with a steel cover is excellent for blocking any signals. Putting the mirrors in bags as far as they go may work. I doubt if cars use cell signals and wifi to get locations because you have to pay for cell signals. You can also opt not paying for wifi in a Tesla.

It's not far-fetched to cover the whole car with a car cover. Either you use soft materials for the Faraday bags. A car cover and a roll of copper tape don't cost that much. The satellite GPS signals will certainly have trouble penetrating the ground. Park your car in a paid place to avoid people taking the cover off.

Tesla uses LTE for navigation, live maps, music streaming, and internet connectivity. That is all part of the premium connectivity package that you pay $9. 99/ month for. You can of course skip that, but the car is virtually freaking worthless without it. Well ok, you can live with out it, but that big nav screen without connectivity is just wasted space, and if you're taking longer road trips that navigation is essential since it knows the state of your vehicle in real time and where the superchargers are.

Driving with faraday bags over the mirrors isn't very practical, especially if you're trying to do something on the sly. The only real solution is to disable the mobile connectivity when you're on one of your special field trips, but then again anyone with access to the app can see that you disabled it.

Best solution IMO is to just not take the car anywhere that would be incriminating if someone with access to your app found you there. If that means parking somewhere innocuous and taking an uber, so be it.

[James D 2004]

In a lot of modern vehicles, finding the antenna isn't that easy, much less wrapping them in foil. Teslas use a combination of GPs, cellular, and WiFi for their navigation and location sharing. The cellular antennas are in the side mirror housings. The GPS antenna is in the front camera assembly which is in the rear view mirror on the windshield. WiFi antennas are also embedded in the side view mirrors. You'd pretty much have to wrap the whole car in foil to block anything, or use an illegal signal jammer. I'm not even sure how well those signal jammers actually work. I've never actually tried one.

The mirrors aren't that difficult to cover on and off using soft Faraday bags or paper / cloth bags on copper tape. The reason that the antennas are out in the mirrors in the first place is that a steel pan with a steel cover is excellent for blocking any signals. Putting the mirrors in bags as far as they go may work. I doubt if cars use cell signals and wifi to get locations because you have to pay for cell signals. You can also opt not paying for wifi in a Tesla.

It's not far-fetched to cover the whole car with a car cover. Either you use soft materials for the Faraday bags. A car cover and a roll of copper tape don't cost that much. The satellite GPS signals will certainly have trouble penetrating the ground. Park your car in a paid place to avoid people taking the cover off.

[Grimmy23]

Seems like a simple matter. If you can locate the antenna just wrap it in some tin foil.

Another idea is to go to a gym and lock your phone in the locker, then take off for recreation and come back. Possibly with a scooter or bike kept in the trunk.

In a lot of modern vehicles, finding the antenna isn't that easy, much less wrapping them in foil. Teslas use a combination of GPs, cellular, and WiFi for their navigation and location sharing. The cellular antennas are in the side mirror housings. The GPS antenna is in the front camera assembly which is in the rear view mirror on the windshield. WiFi antennas are also embedded in the side view mirrors. You'd pretty much have to wrap the whole car in foil to block anything, or use an illegal signal jammer. I'm not even sure how well those signal jammers actually work. I've never actually tried one.

[DarkRoomDaddy]

I've not heard that before (outside of Farrari), why would it be illegal to make any modifications to property you own? Especially if you own it outright (no finance, you have pinkslip).

People modify their cars all the time, it's a multimillion dollar industry. Engine, suspension, interior, electronics, if you can dream it, there is likely products out there to make it happen, why would modification of the GPS be any different?

Not trying to be an asshat, just curious as it's a new one on me.

Seems like a simple matter. If you can locate the antenna just wrap it in some tin foil.

Another idea is to go to a gym and lock your phone in the locker, then take off for recreation and come back. Possibly with a scooter or bike kept in the trunk.

[CrazyOrc]

On Kenneth Martin's website, the Ohio-based attorney advertises that he represents clients in prostitution and solicitation cases. Now, 72-year-old Martin, of Macedonia, has been caught in a sex sting, according to Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. "It's sometimes the people you'd least expect who drive the demand for human trafficking," Yost said in a news release. Martin responded to an advertisement set up by undercover agents on a human trafficking website, the attorney general said. He agreed to pay $180 for sex and arrived at "the agreed-upon location" with the cash in hand, Yost said. He was arrested and charged with engaging in prostitution and possessing criminal tools on Feb. 22, according to court records. "A lawyer should know better – don't buy sex in Ohio," Yost said.

Read more at: https://www.sacbee.com/news/nationwo...285943886.html#storylink=cpy.

[James D 2004]

There are gps spoofing apps on both iPhones and Android.

You can setup call and message forwarding if you leave the phone somewhere you are not. There are legit apps like teamwork to control the phone remotely like sending a message.

[Grimmy23]

I've not heard that before (outside of Farrari), why would it be illegal to make any modifications to property you own? Especially if you own it outright (no finance, you have pinkslip).

People modify their cars all the time, it's a multimillion dollar industry. Engine, suspension, interior, electronics, if you can dream it, there is likely products out there to make it happen, why would modification of the GPS be any different?

Not trying to be an asshat, just curious as it's a new one on me.

I think it has more to do with jamming signals than modifying the vehicle. Signal jammers are illegal as hell. Modifying a vehicle may void the warranty but isn't illegal.

[Taws6]

The GPS signal is rather easy to jam. But it's highly illegal. You can buy from overseas but you have to find one supplier to trust.

I've not heard that before (outside of Farrari), why would it be illegal to make any modifications to property you own? Especially if you own it outright (no finance, you have pinkslip).

People modify their cars all the time, it's a multimillion dollar industry. Engine, suspension, interior, electronics, if you can dream it, there is likely products out there to make it happen, why would modification of the GPS be any different?

Not trying to be an asshat, just curious as it's a new one on me.

[Oc Amper]

We have family location tracking on our iphones turned on as well. When I go on a field trip I turn that off and it's easy to explain that away as a glitch, but it wouldn't be easy to explain both the phone and the car tracking having glitches at the same time. This is the downside of technology. The benefits greatly outweigh the downsides though, at least in my situation. I'm not missing gas stations, oil changes, or any other engine maintenance one bit.

One idea on the family tracking on the iPhones, get another burner iphone, no service, just wifi. With that burner, use that for location services. If you're at the office, just leave the burner there, and nothing to explain.

I work from home, so have no place to leave a burner, hmmm, maybe the gym. You get the idea, make the burner the locatable phone, then just blame Apple for the glitch.

[Grimmy23]

You can also just use the keycard to unlock and drive the car.

Last week Tesla had an outage and Maps w / traffic updates was disabled, also I wasn't able to remotely turn on the climate control or check the cameras remotely. I spent some time troubleshooting the car, rebooted, etc. Finally submitted a service request as advised by the troubleshooting steps. Got a message later letting me know there was an outage. I mentioned that they should have broadcasted a text message so we don't waste our time trying to figure out what's wrong.

Wow, I didn't even know that. I've owned one Tesla for a year and a half and just got the second one this month and have never seen an outage like that. I was in Europe last week so I missed it.

Once again, the thing with turning off mobile access is that the app indicates that mobile access has been disabled. If your SO looks at the app she might wonder why access has been disabled and try to figure out where you are. We have family location tracking on our iphones turned on as well. When I go on a field trip I turn that off and it's easy to explain that away as a glitch, but it wouldn't be easy to explain both the phone and the car tracking having glitches at the same time. This is the downside of technology. The benefits greatly outweigh the downsides though, at least in my situation. I'm not missing gas stations, oil changes, or any other engine maintenance one bit.

[SCJohn]

Mobile data access is disabled but you can still use phone as a key via bluetooth. It's only when the phone is out of bluetooth range, is the mobile data access unable to remotely control and open the car.

You can also just use the keycard to unlock and drive the car.

Last week Tesla had an outage and Maps w / traffic updates was disabled, also I wasn't able to remotely turn on the climate control or check the cameras remotely. I spent some time troubleshooting the car, rebooted, etc. Finally submitted a service request as advised by the troubleshooting steps. Got a message later letting me know there was an outage. I mentioned that they should have broadcasted a text message so we don't waste our time trying to figure out what's wrong.