Garage door remote control constantly transmitting??

[noblehouse]

My condo building has a gated underground garage. All owners have a
remote control to open/close the gate. We have been having an
intermittent problem with the gate opening repeatedly. That is, it
closes a couple of feet, the opens again. It will do this constantly,
for hours if we let it -- sometimes it will stop on its own, sometimes
someone will put a piece of tape over the beam so that it just stays
open. .

The repairman tells us his theory is that someone's remote is "stuck".
If this is indeed the problem, he has not been much help in tracking it
down. One of our homeowners is eager to enact a plan where we take
turns monitoring the garage, note which cars are there, who comes and
goes when, and correlate this information to when the opening problem
occurs, thereby tracking down the offender. This seems overkill to me.
Surely there is an easier way to detect where a signal is coming
from??

1. If we go to the garage when the problem is happening and
temporarily change the remote code, then if the problem continues,
wouldn't that tell us that the problem is NOT a stuck remote, but
something else triggering the opening. (Like something is interfering
with the beam so it "thinks" there is an obstacle and it reopens the
door)?

2. Is there something else we could use as a receiver, set it to the
same frequency as the gate opener, then change the gate code. If the
door stops opening, but the second receiver gets a signal, then that
would tell us that someone's remote is transmitting. Couldn't we then
use that to somehow track down the source?

I'm not knowledgeable about electronics and whatever technology makes
garage door openers work, but it seems there must be some way to track
down the source of the problem short of tracking the comings and goings
of our neighbors.

Thanks,

[Dave Houston]

I doubt it's a stuck remote. It sounds more like a bad limit switch.

The remotes should have an FCC ID number on them. You can use this to
determine the RF frequency at the FCC web site.

https://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/oet/cf/eas/reports/GenericSearch.cfm

Then, depending on the frequency, you can perhaps get an inexpensive RF
receiver module that you can use to tell whether anything is continuously
transmitting.

Are you near a military base? There have been frequent incidents of military
transmissions that interfere with garage doors in a radius of several miles.

"noblehouse" <noblehouse53@hotmail.com> wrote:

>My condo building has a gated underground garage. All owners have a
>remote control to open/close the gate. We have been having an
>intermittent problem with the gate opening repeatedly. That is, it
>closes a couple of feet, the opens again. It will do this constantly,
>for hours if we let it -- sometimes it will stop on its own, sometimes
>someone will put a piece of tape over the beam so that it just stays
>open. .
>
>The repairman tells us his theory is that someone's remote is "stuck".
>If this is indeed the problem, he has not been much help in tracking it
>down. One of our homeowners is eager to enact a plan where we take
>turns monitoring the garage, note which cars are there, who comes and
>goes when, and correlate this information to when the opening problem
>occurs, thereby tracking down the offender. This seems overkill to me.
> Surely there is an easier way to detect where a signal is coming
>from??
>
>1. If we go to the garage when the problem is happening and
>temporarily change the remote code, then if the problem continues,
>wouldn't that tell us that the problem is NOT a stuck remote, but
>something else triggering the opening. (Like something is interfering
>with the beam so it "thinks" there is an obstacle and it reopens the
>door)?
>
>2. Is there something else we could use as a receiver, set it to the
>same frequency as the gate opener, then change the gate code. If the
>door stops opening, but the second receiver gets a signal, then that
>would tell us that someone's remote is transmitting. Couldn't we then
>use that to somehow track down the source?
>
>I'm not knowledgeable about electronics and whatever technology makes
>garage door openers work, but it seems there must be some way to track
>down the source of the problem short of tracking the comings and goings
>of our neighbors.
>
>Thanks,

[Jack Ak]

Make sure the obstacle beam "windows" are clean and the
beam is properly aimed at the sensor on the opposite side of
the door opening. The problem symptom is typical for
dirty beam sensor windows.

Depending on the design of the housing for the sensing device,
disassembly may be required to clean both sides of the beam windows.

"noblehouse" <noblehouse53@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:1139613829.613274.71970@g47g2000cwa.googlegro ups.com...
> My condo building has a gated underground garage. All owners have a
> remote control to open/close the gate. We have been having an
> intermittent problem with the gate opening repeatedly. That is, it
> closes a couple of feet, the opens again. It will do this constantly,
> for hours if we let it -- sometimes it will stop on its own, sometimes
> someone will put a piece of tape over the beam so that it just stays
> open. .
>
> The repairman tells us his theory is that someone's remote is "stuck".
> If this is indeed the problem, he has not been much help in tracking it
> down. One of our homeowners is eager to enact a plan where we take
> turns monitoring the garage, note which cars are there, who comes and
> goes when, and correlate this information to when the opening problem
> occurs, thereby tracking down the offender. This seems overkill to me.
> Surely there is an easier way to detect where a signal is coming
> from??
>
> 1. If we go to the garage when the problem is happening and
> temporarily change the remote code, then if the problem continues,
> wouldn't that tell us that the problem is NOT a stuck remote, but
> something else triggering the opening. (Like something is interfering
> with the beam so it "thinks" there is an obstacle and it reopens the
> door)?
>
> 2. Is there something else we could use as a receiver, set it to the
> same frequency as the gate opener, then change the gate code. If the
> door stops opening, but the second receiver gets a signal, then that
> would tell us that someone's remote is transmitting. Couldn't we then
> use that to somehow track down the source?
>
> I'm not knowledgeable about electronics and whatever technology makes
> garage door openers work, but it seems there must be some way to track
> down the source of the problem short of tracking the comings and goings
> of our neighbors.
>
> Thanks,
>

[doordoc@prodigy.net]

The intermittent problem you describe sounds like a stuck remote button
to me & is a quite common occurance. The eyes won't tell the gate to
close & if they thought something was blocking them the gate would
simply stay fully open the same way as putting tape over them. The most
likely reasons it stops on its own sometimes is the stuck transmitter
leaves the bldg or because the transmitter battery will go dead quite
quickly when the button is stuck.

You stated that it is the repairman's "theory", which sounds like the
door works fine while he is there. If it wasn't he would be able to
prove whether it was fact or fiction. So if the gate works fine when he
is there, either the stuck transmitter isn't in the building or it has
a dead battery. Obviously a repairman (or anybody else) can't find a
transmitter that isn't in the building & the only way to find one w/ a
dead battery is to open every car and check every transmitter.

It may also be more then one transmitter that is causing the problem at
different times & there are some brands of remotes that stick more
easily then others.

Yes you could change the code to determine if that was the problem or
you could simply disconnect one of the receiver wires. However in
either case nobody will be able to open the gate at all during that
time, so you won't be able to leave it that way for very long.

Yes there is hand held electronic equipment that could find the stuck
transmitter by showing the signal strength as you walk around the
building but obviously the transmitter has to be there to find it.

It's probably not going to matter which cars were in the building
before the problem occurs. When it occurs, the problem source will be
in the car that just entered the building. However, personally instead
of watching the comings & goings of your neighbors (infringing on
privacy) I would recommend that you put out a memo (as in newsletter,
email, etc that you normally use) or something to the owners stating
the problem & explain that if they are chaning their remote battery
quite often then their transmitter is probably causing the problem. You
should then ask them to bring in the remote so it can be checked to see
if it can be repaired or if it needs to be replaced.

Doordoc

[Robert L Bass]

> My condo building has a gated underground garage. All owners have a
> remote control to open/close the gate. We have been having an
> intermittent problem with the gate opening repeatedly. That is, it
> closes a couple of feet, the opens again.

Most power gates have a sensor to detect if the gate is hitting
an object, such as a person or car. If there's too much
resistance as the gate slides or swings it will reverse.
On modern gate operators there's an adjustment to set the
sensitivity of the sensor. Chances are all you need to do is
adjust it a bit.

Note: If it was a stuck remote, the thing would not respond to
any other remote at the same time.

--

Regards,
Robert L Bass

Bass Burglar Alarms
The Online DIY Store
http://www.BassBurglarAlarms.com

[Beachcomber]

>
>Note: If it was a stuck remote, the thing would not respond to
>any other remote at the same time.
>

Stuck remotes are unpredictable and difficult to diagnose. I lived
in a condo building with a common door that was permanently stuck.
The culprit turned out to be a stuck remote in a parked car.

Some remotes will transmit continuously when stuck and others will
send their salvo of coded pulses and then either shut off or send
continuous carrier which can sometimes jam the receiver.

We had a big issue of one crabby owner who refused to let us check the
inside of his car for a stuck remote, which contributed greatly to the
problem.

Beachcomber

[Frank Olson]

Robert L Bass wrote:
>>My condo building has a gated underground garage. All owners have a
>>remote control to open/close the gate. We have been having an
>>intermittent problem with the gate opening repeatedly. That is, it
>>closes a couple of feet, the opens again.
>
>
> Most power gates have a sensor to detect if the gate is hitting
> an object, such as a person or car. If there's too much
> resistance as the gate slides or swings it will reverse.
> On modern gate operators there's an adjustment to set the
> sensitivity of the sensor. Chances are all you need to do is
> adjust it a bit.

There are two different methods for reversing an overhead door or gate
when it hits an obstruction. They're distinctly separate. One employs
a strip down the underside of the door/gate that causes it to reverse if
it hits something, and the other employs a resistance sensor at the
motor that accomplishes much the same thing but isn't as effective (it's
used on older model doors and most single family homes because it's
"cheaper"). A second safety device using an infrared beam detector will
prevent the door from closing if anything is parked or blocking the
beam. Have a qualified door installer check the travel of the unit from
full open to full closed. He'll do this with the shuttle disengaged
from the door. Sometimes one of the rollers gets jammed which may cause
enough resistance during the closing cycle to engage the sensor or the
spring may require adjustment. Both will cause the door to cycle as you
describe. A stuck remote won't (at least it doesn't with my five
Craftsman openers).

[Bill Kearney]

> I would recommend that you put out a memo (as in newsletter,
> email, etc that you normally use) or something to the owners stating
> the problem & explain that if they are chaning their remote battery
> quite often then their transmitter is probably causing the problem. You
> should then ask them to bring in the remote so it can be checked to see
> if it can be repaired or if it needs to be replaced.

Get a few spare remotes, ask people to come trade in their remote. Rotate
them out and see which one(s) cause the trouble. Dunno if it's possible but
see if you could rig-up a second RF receiver and use a new code. That way
you could configure all the rotated-out remotes with a new code and shut-off
the old one after some set (and notified) period of time.

-Bill Kearney