1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Anyone use a garage door opener signal repeater?

Discussion in 'Fred's House of Pancakes' started by TheForce, Aug 22, 2011.

  1. TheForce

    TheForce Stop War! Lets Rave! Make Love!

    Joined:
    May 30, 2005
    3,461
    537
    0
    Location:
    Wheelersburg, Ohio
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Has anyone used a repeater for a garage door opener to get more range? I'm talking about a 315Mhz repeater kind of like what I found here.

    Signal Repeater Enhance wireless range 300-1000m 315Mhz | eBay


    The reason I ask is because for some reason over the past week or two I have not been able to open my garage door from my cars when outside of the garage. I tried to eliminate all RF from the garage like my WiFi router and Lawnbott transmitter but I still cannot get the door to open.

    My garage is a metal garage so it acts like a Faraday cage but I've always been able to open the door from the edge of my driveway. Now for some reason it wont open at all from the outside and I'm trying to find a solution to fix the issue.

    I'm thinking the link above for the 315Mhz repeater would work if it just repeats the signal but I'm wondering if anyone here can confirm this will work or can recommend something else.
     
    #1 TheForce, Aug 22, 2011
  2. Southern Dad

    Southern Dad Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 21, 2011
    350
    212
    58
    Location:
    Monroe, GA
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Have you changed the batteries in the remote?
     
    #2 Southern Dad, Aug 22, 2011
  3. xs650

    xs650 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 2, 2010
    4,539
    1,433
    9
    Location:
    Northern California
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    II
    That was my thought, even though he said "cars".

    Another approach is to find someone with a radio scanner that will tune to 315 mHz, find the transmitter on the scanner to be sure the frequency is right on, then use the scanner to check for interference in the garage.

    3rd possibility is that the receiver on the garage door opener is getting tired.
     
    #3 xs650, Aug 22, 2011
  4. TheForce

    TheForce Stop War! Lets Rave! Make Love!

    Joined:
    May 30, 2005
    3,461
    537
    0
    Location:
    Wheelersburg, Ohio
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I have homelink in the Prius which is built into the rear view mirror and a standard remote in the Insight. Both dont work outside the garage. They do work if the door is open or if the cars are inside the garage.
     
    #4 TheForce, Aug 23, 2011
  5. sipnfuel

    sipnfuel New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 21, 2011
    1,080
    174
    0
    Location:
    So. Cal.
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    II
    mine has an antenna wire that you can extend
     
    #5 sipnfuel, Aug 23, 2011
  6. TheForce

    TheForce Stop War! Lets Rave! Make Love!

    Joined:
    May 30, 2005
    3,461
    537
    0
    Location:
    Wheelersburg, Ohio
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Well I think I found the issue. After using my scanner I found noise on about 315.005Mhz to about 315.015Mhz. The noise was concentrated around my security cameras. So I did a test by unplugging them and then I was able to open the door.

    Here is the kicker. The only change I made in the past few weeks is moving a camera from the inside of the garage to the outside. Everything else is the same.

    I'm still looking into getting a repeater in hopes that it can repeat the door opener signal.
     
    #6 TheForce, Aug 23, 2011
  7. fjpod

    fjpod Member

    Joined:
    Jul 29, 2009
    419
    72
    0
    Location:
    New York
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Can you extend the antenna on the door opener to the outside?
     
    #7 fjpod, Aug 24, 2011
  8. TheForce

    TheForce Stop War! Lets Rave! Make Love!

    Joined:
    May 30, 2005
    3,461
    537
    0
    Location:
    Wheelersburg, Ohio
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I tried extending it but it did not work.

    I found out that the camera that I moved was the one causing the issues. Its also partly broken for some reason. Its stuck in IR mode. I have disabled that camera and all is back to normal.

    I got a reply back on that repeater and was told it would not repeat the signal from my remote. So now I'm going to buy another better camera to replace the one and see what happens.

    It still would be nice to be able to open the door from a greater distance.
     
    #8 TheForce, Aug 25, 2011
  9. xs650

    xs650 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 2, 2010
    4,539
    1,433
    9
    Location:
    Northern California
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Consider using a dipole antenna on the outside of your garage.
    Dipole antenna - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

    Maybe one of the Hams here will join.

    I think you could run some standard co-ax from the receiver with the center connected to the antenna terminal or as close to the receiver as you can connect it. And the ground shield of the connected to the receiver ground as close as you can get it to the ground. Run the co-ax to the outside at a window. Total length of the actual antenna at the other end of the co-ax would be 143/315=.45 meters = 17.7 inches (see figure near top of linked article) so you wouldn't be dealing with a bulky antenna. The dipole could be made of any wire.

    Standard co-ax isn't the ideal antenna lead for this type of dipole but I don't think it would hurt performance enough to matter. I would set up the dipole horizontally, approximately broadside to a direct line from your car to the antenna. You might also try a vertical orientation and see which works best.
     
    #9 xs650, Aug 25, 2011
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)