[Sparky7]

Hi:
Thanks in advance to anyone able to help. I've got an unusual problem to solve, there's a bluetooth hacker in my neighborhood. Several neighbors have banded together but we can't find him. He can operate our Bose 700 around the ear headphones (US) remotely even when they're used with a wire. Using them with a wire is supposed to turn Bluetooth off but apparently not.

In the meantime, two of us would like to install a hard switch between the BT antenna and the BT chip or SOC. Can you tell me where that antenna is located? We disassembled a pair, looked for the long wavy or folded traces on the circuit boards but couldn't find 'em. We've got basic soldering skills and we don't care what it this looks like when we're done as long as it works.

 

[Shabda]

Wow! Crazy problem to have, sorry i cant help but that’s gotta be so so so annoying

 

[Sparky7]

Nah, doesn't bother me at all. It's just an interesting problem to solve and along the way I'll learn something new.

 

[Roseval]

Care to describe what is happening in more detail?
I’m asking this because the range of Bluetooth is rather limited (10 m for the 700 according to Bose)
So this “hacker” must be pretty close by.

 

[Sparky7]

Thanks for your reply Roseval. This attacker is able to adjust the volume, turn ANC on/off, turn ambient sound on/off and disconnect the headphones from a device. It seems that he can manipulate any feature controlled by software. So a good test would be to limit Bluetooth range to zero, plug a wire in and see if these symptoms continue. My question is, where is the bluetooth antenna located?

I've opened these headphones up and found the system on a chip which contains the bluetooth circuitry. Seems to make sense that the antenna would be located close by on that board but I don't see the usual copper traces. Here's a picture.