Hi Everyone, This is my first foray into a discussion group so please bear with me. I am a full time residential remodeler in the Milwaukee, WI greater area.
I recently purchased a duplex in which I occupy one half of. My garage door remotes for both doors barely work beyond 10 feet from the motor. The opener is a “Lift-A-Dor” unit by Genie. I purchased new remotes with still no improvement in the range, I also tried changing the codes with no noticable difference.
Is there any simple method to extend the range of the remote signal other than buying a whole new garage door opener??
Replies
Find the "pick up" wire and extend or re-position it.
Welcome to BT - Aingel forgot to say that, but I know he really meant to.
edited for typos -
Edited 2/13/2007 6:08 pm ET by kate
Welcome to BT!
And to all youse guys... fill out your profile. We all like to know where everyone is coming from.
Just might be a gravitational anomaly in your area that reduces garage door signals. You might in that case need to paint some Kavorite on the bottom of the garage door to aide in it's lift.
Just MHO. 8)
I also had a problem with the range of a garage door opener. The antenna was a single wire that dangled beneath the unit. I read online, if there was a problem with interference, wrap the antenna wire around a pencil and form a pigtail. This helped a great deal with this opener. Please keep in mind that I did this to a 1997 genie opener and things probably have changed since then.
Thanks Rich, Along with extending the wire, I also pigtailed it and it dramatically increased my range.
i've got 3 new sears lifts. one won't hardly open when your sitting in front of it. i took a pc of 14 ga. wire and spliced on the antenna. helped some,gets out about 35' now. larry
hand me the chainsaw, i need to trim the casing just a hair.
It worked!! I spliced on some 14 ga. solid copper wire, pigtailed it and voila, I've now got a 20' range. Thanks, Roger
Change out the top panel with one that has glass in it.
Im glad you asked that question because I had a problem with the range on my remote also and the only answer the installer had for me except for playing with the direction of the antenna was that with the growth of remote controlled garage door openers over the years the company's have had to raise the amount of channels available to meet demand so that the remote codes don't overlap and that causes the signals to become weaker. so unless they change technology it will only get worst. I don't know if this is true or its just BS from is sales rep to shut-up clients like me who complain about the reduction of range over the years. But it did make sense. But I will try-out what some of the guys have mentioned about the 14gauge copper wire twisted like pigtail.
thanks
Another trick I read somewhere is to take your garage opener and put it right under your chin. Your body then becomes a huge antenna.
Try it, it works!
At my house, my opener has a range of 35ft and I was able to extend the range another couple hundred of feet.
No idea what type of effect it has on your body if you do this repeatedly.
I can understand why a garage door opener usually has limited range for a couple of reasons:
1. To make it more difficult for someone to drive by with some type of scanner to try to open your door.
2. For you to see if there is any obstruction (e.g, little kid) in the door path.