Wireless Apple CarPlay Interference (Probably not Mach-E Specific)

[Lloydian]

I live in Surprise, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. My daughter lives in Mesa (the east end of it, so it's over a one hour drive). My path home from her house on Sunday evenings when I often visit has me taking Loop 303 north from I-10. I always use Apple CarPlay wirelessly in my car. It's map is giving me directions home. The music player is playing music I love. But every time I get to the Walmart distribution center on the east side of Loop 303 south of Glendale Avenue, the music cuts out for a few seconds. It's consistent. I've observed it at exactly this location at least a half dozen times.

Short of using a wired connection, I'm sure this is just an annoyance to accept, but man, is it annoying.

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[JohnnyForensic]

I live in Surprise, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. My daughter lives in Mesa (the east end of it, so it's over a one hour drive). My path home from her house on Sunday evenings when I often visit has me taking Loop 303 north from I-10. I always use Apple CarPlay wirelessly in my car. It's map is giving me directions home. The music player is playing music I love. But every time I get to the Walmart distribution center on the east side of Loop 303 south of Glendale Avenue, the music cuts out for a few seconds. It's consistent. I've observed it at exactly this location at least a half dozen times.

Short of using a wired connection, I'm sure this is just an annoyance to accept, but man, is it annoying.

I’ve got the same thing a block from my Costco in a Virgina suburb. There’s something that disrupts the WiFi frequencies used by wireless CarPlay. It’s a thing.

 

[azerik]

My kids school actually has a short distance cell signal forker upper that they turn on during pick up and drop off. It pretty much scrambles the signal or makes it just not function at all within the parking lot. They did it to keep parents off phones while picking up kids. It just barely reaches the gate, so whoever set it up did a fantastic job. It used to cut my phone off from data in my FFE. Oddly in my MME it keeps working on LTE, 5g still drops though. It's been a pretty good reason for me to hang up on those Zoom calls I'd rather not be on. "Oh hey guys I'm picking up my kid so my signal may." :click:

 

[kdonnel]

My kids school actually has a short distance cell signal forker upper that they turn on during pick up and drop off. It pretty much scrambles the signal or makes it just not function at all within the parking lot. They did it to keep parents off phones while picking up kids. It just barely reaches the gate, so whoever set it up did a fantastic job. It used to cut my phone off from data in my FFE. Oddly in my MME it keeps working on LTE, 5g still drops though. It's been a pretty good reason for me to hang up on those Zoom calls I'd rather not be on. "Oh hey guys I'm picking up my kid so my signal may." :click:

I'm reasonably sure they are violating federal law.

 

[jgcom]

This is indeed "a thing." There was a road construction site on I-10 that used (probably) illegally-boosted WiFi for their own purposes; driving through it every day, I found the effect reproducible. I stopped using wireless carplay and only use a USB-C cable now. As an additional plus, the phone charging this way keeps it cooler.

 

[azerik]

I'm reasonably sure they are violating federal law.

Or they were able to get it done when a teacher and student were hit in the parking lot.

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

Or they were able to get it done when a teacher and student were hit in the parking lot.

Cellphone signal jammers are violation of Federal Law. There are no exemptions for any reason including schools. Local law enforcement agencies do not have the authority to use them. Federal law enforcement agencies have extremely limited circumstances that allow their use.

With that said, you can find such things all over the internet. It’s also illegal to advertise them in the U.S. or to import them here. Or to sell them here. But the companies importing such things for your use elsewhere in the world will include specific instructions on what not to do if you buy one and have one in the USA so you won’t accidentally turn it on and accidentally set it to jam USA cellphone signals. To keep you out of trouble of course.

 

[kdonnel]

Or they were able to get it done when a teacher and student were hit in the parking lot.

Their intentions may be noble, but their actions are illegal.

 

[Mach-Lee]

My kids school actually has a short distance cell signal forker upper that they turn on during pick up and drop off. It pretty much scrambles the signal or makes it just not function at all within the parking lot. They did it to keep parents off phones while picking up kids. It just barely reaches the gate, so whoever set it up did a fantastic job. It used to cut my phone off from data in my FFE. Oddly in my MME it keeps working on LTE, 5g still drops though. It's been a pretty good reason for me to hang up on those Zoom calls I'd rather not be on. "Oh hey guys I'm picking up my kid so my signal may." :click:

Yup, highly illegal and the FCC would be on that like a dog. Only military and federal agencies like the FBI, CIA, NSA, etc can use cell phone jammers.

It's a great idea to improve safety, but at the same time somebody could sue if they weren't able to call 911, etc which is why it's illegal.

 

[kodiakng]

I live in Surprise, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. My daughter lives in Mesa (the east end of it, so it's over a one hour drive). My path home from her house on Sunday evenings when I often visit has me taking Loop 303 north from I-10. I always use Apple CarPlay wirelessly in my car. It's map is giving me directions home. The music player is playing music I love. But every time I get to the Walmart distribution center on the east side of Loop 303 south of Glendale Avenue, the music cuts out for a few seconds. It's consistent. I've observed it at exactly this location at least a half dozen times.

Short of using a wired connection, I'm sure this is just an annoyance to accept, but man, is it annoying.

had same issue in that same stretch of Loop 303 last year during Spring Training (using wireless Android Auto, different vehicle). my guess is a high power wifi link aimed across the Loop.

 

[Ev Blau]

This is indeed "a thing." There was a road construction site on I-10 that used (probably) illegally-boosted WiFi for their own purposes; driving through it every day, I found the effect reproducible. I stopped using wireless carplay and only use a USB-C cable now. As an additional plus, the phone charging this way keeps it cooler.

I’ve been concerned about how hot my iPhone gets while wireless charging - guess I’ll get a USB-C cord. Good to know this is a “thing” and not my phone.

 

[Jack Roberts]

I live in Surprise, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. My daughter lives in Mesa (the east end of it, so it's over a one hour drive). My path home from her house on Sunday evenings when I often visit has me taking Loop 303 north from I-10. I always use Apple CarPlay wirelessly in my car. It's map is giving me directions home. The music player is playing music I love. But every time I get to the Walmart distribution center on the east side of Loop 303 south of Glendale Avenue, the music cuts out for a few seconds. It's consistent. I've observed it at exactly this location at least a half dozen times.

Short of using a wired connection, I'm sure this is just an annoyance to accept, but man, is it annoying.

I have a spot in Kennesaw GA about a mile from my Costco on a cut through with minimal traffic that has a drop out for about 50 feet. It’s an industrial area with mostly small businesses. I had a BMW with wireless car play that I traded on my MME that did the same thing also SiriusXM drops at the same place.

 

[liamnorton]

My kids school actually has a short distance cell signal forker upper that they turn on during pick up and drop off. It pretty much scrambles the signal or makes it just not function at all within the parking lot. They did it to keep parents off phones while picking up kids. It just barely reaches the gate, so whoever set it up did a fantastic job. It used to cut my phone off from data in my FFE. Oddly in my MME it keeps working on LTE, 5g still drops though. It's been a pretty good reason for me to hang up on those Zoom calls I'd rather not be on. "Oh hey guys I'm picking up my kid so my signal may." :click:

I sometimes experience my Bluetooth disconnecting briefly in certain places, but I haven't encountered a situation where the connection is completely jammed. I wonder why they do this. I think it's likely illegal.

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Bluetooth has become a kind of 'mustang' for wireless capabilities, although, as we can see, there are sometimes issues with it. I think I'll check out some examples on https://edubirdie.com/examples/problem-solution-essays/ and write my own story about it. Maybe it will be helpful to someone later on.

 

[MachA]

I can contribute that this is not a US/NA only phenomenon. On my daily commute, there are exactly two spots where this happens consistently. One is near an airport, the other in the middle of nowhere. I have also noticed this happening at other specific spots, with no rhyme or reason, but repeatable as well.

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