Crappy Garage Door Opener -> Good Garage Door Opener
Wednesday, December 28. 2005
Update - I got a better camera and recreated the experiment
I recently acquired a garage parking space with a remote opener. It's been about ten years since I've had such a luxury, so you can imagine my (slight) disappointment when I found out what horrible range my remote had. I had heard stories of people extending the internal antenna, but that's no fun, and it increases the range that your opener will receive a signal from, which is never good. I decided that the same antenna extension technique must be applicable to the remote just as much as it is to the actual device.
What I found was actually much simpler than I expected, and depending on your remote type, this might just work for you too. Once the unit was open, it had the usual bunch of diodes and such, but there was one strip of copper that didn't seem to serve a function, so I thought logically is must be the antenna, but I wasn't about to get started until I was sure.
Every device in America that transmits a signal must be approved by the FCC and issued a FCC ID. Using this FCC ID I tracked down two models of my opener. One was manufactured in 1989 (which is mine) and the other was made in 2001. Unfortunately the schematics for the 1989 version were unavailable, but the 2001 version was fully documented, and to my delight it was the exact same circuit board manufactured by a different company. I'm sure the software in the chip may have changed, but that antenna was clearly labeled, and just where I originally guessed it was. Off to work!
For my antenna extender I thought I should be safe and get a hold of material that had already been used as an antenna, and was made of copper just like the antenna on the circuit board. So I cut off a 4" piece of flexible radio antenna from an unused stereo system, stripped the plastic coating, and I had my extension.
The first try at soldering proved unsuccessful. I won't go into detail, but at one point a bead of liquid metal was cooling on my thumb. For the second round I decided to play it safe and get glasses and a clamp (something I should have started with).
The second try was a charm and I had my extender. I proceeded to re-assemble the unit, but first I decided to carefully coil the extension around a plastic support column on the outer chassis. This should increase range, and provide a secure spot away from the other circuitry.
Before I had started this project I tried testing the remote from two walls thickness with no result. After it was completed, the same test resulted in success. I have yet to test the extent of the remote's range, but I am definitely pleased with the results.
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another and I think easier range extender is to place the remote pressed under your chin and use your body as an antena. It also works with car lock key fobs.
It works try it.
-m13
It works try it.
-m13
I second that, putting those things under your chin works wonders. My car FOB is a POS and only works when i put it under my chin (and yes it has new batteries)
Yeah i love doing that with my radio. Who would have thought that you could use yourself.....
Focus?
Seriously. You can barely make out anything with these images.
Seriously. You can barely make out anything with these images.
Be kind, those are just appropratly soft focused pictures of the "nude" circuit board. Don't want a "HR" moment with the boss peeking over your shoulder. 
i use the caralarm remoet pressed against my forhead to extend the range quite significantly if you feel that itÂŽs rumor just ask your neibour to lemd you his or you mom and try
What also works is extending the recieving end of the opener antenea to the outside of the garage door. Just drill a small hole through the door stop and extend the length of the wire as needed.
Did you actually try it? The antenae length is dictated by frequency, changing it will probably cause it NOT to work.
I agree, focus would be really nice. Even if my opener is different and the pictures wouldn't help anyways, it's hard to look at the screen with such off focus shots.
Just posting to say... you have the exact same garage door opener that my family had growing up. For 14 years, we lived in that house and used that same opener. Ah, thanks for the nostalgia.
Man, those photos are laughable. I thought it was just a bit of web page art. Then I realised that they were actual shots of the procedure. I couldn't ever imagine posting such bad photos!
What a bunch of pricks. Who cares about the pictures? This is pretty cool!
Dude, you know the little picture of a flower on your digital camera? That's called macro. Push it, it allows you to take close-up pictures.
yeah, stop being assholes, it's not about the quality of the pictures, although they are prety blurry..
Check out the band aid on his finger, must have been a painful experience... you need better photos dude. Other than that, a great article
Wow, i'm taking alot of shit for bad pictures. I thought it was good enough to see what was going on, but if you guys want i can try to get a better camera and do this again, i've got another remote. Also, yes i tried replacing the battery.
Adam
Excellent work Mate well done all I need now is a garage door ...
who needs the pics when you explained your
Idea clearly anyway
Well Done
Excellent work Mate well done all I need now is a garage door ...
who needs the pics when you explained your
Idea clearly anyway
Well Done
I LIKE PICTURES TO HELP EXPLAIN STEPS IN A PROJECT. ADAM WAS TRYING TO SHARE INFORMATION AND ALL YOU GUYS WANT TO DO IS COMPLAIN ABOUT PICTURE QUALITY. BE THANKFUL FOR THE ABILITY TO SHARE INFO LIKE THIS.GET A LIFE. IT SEEMS THE MORE SOPHISTICATED OUR TOYS BECOME AND THE EASIER THEY MAKE LIFE THE MORE PEOPLE BITCH ABOUT THESTUPID STUFF.
Wow, I've never seena bunch of people cry so much over pictures that are slightly out of focus. You can still understand what is being done and if you couldn't understand his explanation, then you might want to consider not trying this at home anyways. For those commenting you can extend the range of the receiver, there isn't an unlimited amount of frequencies and if your neighbor three streets over opens your garage when he opens his... not good. The thing about putting them under your chin is interesting, I'll have to try that at some point. As for the original story, thanks man, although it's common sense I like the fact you too the time to write it up at all. Don't worry about all the unhappy people who have been bashing, they would never even have begun doing this themselves, but are quick to omment because they feel inferior because you took the time to do it.
fuck you all, I used this same setup for my dildo and it worked fine, fuck you all
First of all Fred is right, you people are sick, whinning about pictures when you came here for help, The man provided help and you got to complain about the pcitures? You would expect that from a child, it shows! Good job taking the time to create this page, as far as the body creating a better signal, its not you body that produces a higher signal, since you body is a extemely high amount of resistance (you can actual test this via a multi meter) It is the signal being passed of (bounced of your body, so yes it may gain you better signal it would depend on many conditions and may not produce a better outcome! Thanks again! If you people would like a great page to see and start on RF, or microcontrollers you should check out parallax.com!
Good job on the project. I added a ground plane antenna to my Genie. Next is to broadcast it from my car from my car computer with 802.11B to a wireless bridge to serial. (symbol24). With a Cisco Yagi (21 dBi)I can see my door open up with binoculars and still have 4 min to get there. The door also reports if it failed to close and reissues a close. So you see you got me starting to think. HAve a great day!!
Here's a cheap trick I set up last week. Instead of buying the company's addtional remote or another wired switch, I simply installed a door bell button in the garage door frame, and ran wires from it to the two screws on the back of the garage door opener. now I don't need to remember to open the garage door if I'm going outside to the yard, and then wish to get into the garage. simply push the discretely places door bell button and the garage door opens. Door bell button is cheap, about $4, and I had some lamp cord already, but you could use thinner wire for sure, like 18 gauge or so.
Good luck!
Good luck!
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