What did you do to your NBS GMT800 Tahoe/Yukon Today?

[Fless]

"Alexa, open the garage" No hassle at all!

We had so many customers just splice a wire to the antenna and stick it out the door. Most times, it greatly reduced the remote range.

Effectively lengthening the antenna, disturbing the wavelength. I would think some kind of coaxial port and antenna (similar to a wifi router connection and antenna) would allow extension by coaxial cable to an external mount for the short antenna.

 

[Scottydoggs]

Some overhead door techs are just assholes, and I'm qualified to say that.

I suggest LEDs in operators since the vibrations kill standard bulbs. In my day, we had to suggest "rough service" bulbs. But, they're pricey and that was before LEDs were common.

guy might just be an *******. but got to say, he does one hell of a clean install. all new trim top and sides with seals, the ground is uneven and he actually cut the bottom panel to seal tight. doors actual smooth and rather quiet now when the opener is in use. unlike the old pos door and tracks and shot rollers ect ect lol
i put two new normal bulbs in, if they dont last a couple years ill try some led's.

 

[iamdub]

Effectively lengthening the antenna, disturbing the wavelength.

Precisely. They're changing the tuning frequency of the antenna.

I would think some kind of coaxial port and antenna (similar to a wifi router connection and antenna) would allow extension by coaxial cable to an external mount for the short antenna.

You nailed it! As an example, Liftmaster has this universal receiver:





It uses a standard RG-6 male on the housing and that antenna is just a stiff wire for the core/center conductor with the outer female coupler (under the black vinyl cap). You can screw the antenna directly to the receiver or use an extension kit if needed:





I have this receiver on my shop's door operator. I don't have the extension kit, or even that antenna. I screwed a length of coax to the receiver and routed it out through the peak of my shop, above the door. I stripped off the insulation and shield to expose the core the same length that the antenna is. A friend that still did doors at the time gave me the measurement. Remotes work great!

 

[iamdub]

Effectively lengthening the antenna, disturbing the wavelength. I would think some kind of coaxial port and antenna (similar to a wifi router connection and antenna) would allow extension by coaxial cable to an external mount for the short antenna.

The problem with the residential operators is that the antenna is just a length of wire soldered directly to the control board. The newer ones don't even have that. You could solder something like this: to the PCB and run a coax to wherever you wanna put an antenna.

 

[Fless]

Precisely. They're changing the tuning frequency of the antenna.




You nailed it! As an example, Liftmaster has this universal receiver:

View attachment 371307



It uses a standard RG-6 male on the housing and that antenna is just a stiff wire for the core/center conductor with the outer female coupler (under the black vinyl cap). You can screw the antenna directly to the receiver or use an extension kit if needed:

View attachment 371308



I have this receiver on my shop's door operator. I don't have the extension kit, or even that antenna. I screwed a length of coax to the receiver and routed it out through the peak of my shop, above the door. I stripped off the insulation and shield to expose the core the same length that the antenna is. A friend that still did doors at the time gave me the measurement. Remotes work great!

Now if the coaxial connector was integrated into the GDO and the antenna was removable, I'd have the option of using the antenna directly at the GDO or using a coaxial extension to move it closer to the outside so the metal door wouldn't shield the signal. Mine's a Sears belt drive that is probably 12 years or so old. I should look at it to see if I could integrate an F-connector like that. Weird though that it would be RG6 (75 ohm); usually this type of application is RG58 (50 ohm).

Knowing the transmitter frequency would make it easy to calculate the 1/4 wavelength for the antenna length. For a receiver antenna an inch or two wouldn't make a lot of difference.

 

[Fless]

The problem with the residential operators is that the antenna is just a length of wire soldered directly to the control board. The newer ones don't even have that. You could solder something like this:View attachment 371309 to the PCB and run a coax to wherever you wanna put an antenna.

I found the instructions that show stripping the insulation off the end of the integrated antenna, and how to extend that with coax and the external antenna in the kit. Looks kinda hacked to me but it probably works better than what I have now. Having the connector on the opener would be a solid mod.

EDIT: My GDO is a 2002 Sears model, so Liftmaster. I must have bought it right after I moved into this house.

 

[iamdub]

Now if the coaxial connector was integrated into the GDO and the antenna was removable, I'd have the option of using the antenna directly at the GDO or using a coaxial extension to move it closer to the outside so the metal door wouldn't shield the signal. Mine's a Sears belt drive that is probably 12 years or so old. I should look at it to see if I could integrate an F-connector like that. Weird though that it would be RG6 (75 ohm); usually this type of application is RG58 (50 ohm).

Knowing the transmitter frequency would make it easy to calculate the 1/4 wavelength for the antenna length. For a receiver antenna an inch or two wouldn't make a lot of difference.

Should be 433MHz if it's newer than 2005-2006ish. Sears/Craftsman has usually, if not always been a re-labeled Lifmaster (Chamberlain). They usually just had the motor head turned sideways and a multi-piece rail for packaging purposes whereas the professionally-installed models had a one-piece rail.

 

[iamdub]

I found the instructions that show stripping the insulation off the end of the integrated antenna, and how to extend that with coax and the external antenna in the kit. Looks kinda hacked to me but it probably works better than what I have now. Having the connector on the opener would be a solid mod.

EDIT: My GDO is a 2002 Sears model, so Liftmaster. I must have bought it right after I moved into this house.

Good lawd that's old!

Those have a different frequency. The details are quite fuzzy to me, but the gist is they caught interference from military plane radios and often lost their remote functions. Somewhere around '05, all GDOs were forced to use 433MHz.


At least you didn't do like a handful of past customers did: They thought that wire dangling out the back of the operator was to tie up that pesky rope that hangs from the trolley. We'd get a call for remotes not working and find the antenna wire hanging from the manual release rope.

 

[Fless]

Good lawd that's old!

Those have a different frequency. The details are quite fuzzy to me, but the gist is they caught interference from military plane radios and often lost their remote functions. Somewhere around '05, all GDOs were forced to use 433MHz.


At least you didn't do like a handful of past customers did: They thought that wire dangling out the back of the operator was to tie up that pesky rope that hangs from the trolley. We'd get a call for remotes not working and find the antenna wire hanging from the manual release rope.

Yea, 390 MHz. The garage had the OE 16-ft wooden door (17 YO at that point), not primed on the inside, and would get super heavy when the humidity rose. When the first spring broke I had an insulated metal door put in and adjusted properly, and have had it adjusted a time or two. There's really not much work for the opener to do now, so I hope it'll last a long time.

 

[iamdub]

Yea, 390 MHz. The garage had the OE 16-ft wooden door (17 YO at that point), not primed on the inside, and would get super heavy when the humidity rose.

Humidity- we have it. Down here, wood doors "smile". They soak up moisture and sag in the center. The ends, hanging by the counterbalance system (usually torsion springs), get pulled upwards. All the sections curve. Here's a mild example:

When the first spring broke I had an insulated metal door put in and adjusted properly, and have had it adjusted a time or two. There's really not much work for the opener to do now, so I hope it'll last a long time.

So many homeowners don't understand this. lol
When their operator breaks and they try to open the door manually and it's really heavy, they often assume they just need a stronger operator.