Garage door opener interference

Hello,

I installed a few stick up cams and one spotlight cam all wired as well as 3 battery operated smart lights and a ring alarm system to my house. Since installation, my garage door opener has been working intermittently. I tried to trouble shoot as I called support and one support person told me that it should not interfere as it’s RF for the GDO. The second person said that if the camera is on the same circuit as the GDO, there might be interference. It needs to be on a separate circuit. So I then attempted to replug the camera into a different outlet and still interference. I’m at a loss, spent money getting the system installed and now closing in on the return within 30 days. Please help if anyone has any suggestions?

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Hello @rbad ,

More and more homes are becoming “smarter” as we purchase new additional wireless devices. And with so many of these new devices, we see a much more higher trend for even more wireless Wi-Fi devices, and faster Wi-Fi speeds as usage hungers for the higher increase bandwidth for heavy Wi-Fi data-streams than we’ve ever seen before.

You’ve just added a bunch of wireless devices! You have several Ring cameras that use 2.4GHz Wi-Fi of large data-streams (audio & video). And added an alarm system (with plenty of alarm sensors) and smart lights that use Z-Wave frequency. Although these are on different Radio Frequencies (RF) than your Garage Door Opener (GDO), they still all add to the interference that can effect your GDO. Also, remember your neighbors are all contributing to increasing RF “interference” while they make their homes “smarter” with their additional devices and Wi-Fi routers too!

Especially if you have an older GDO, it is very susceptible to RF Interference (RFI), which wasn’t too much of a issue before this explosion of new high-tech devices . There are so many numerous devices that can effect your GDO, and we continue to add more of these in and around our homes. To just name some things that can generate RFI would include:

  • Power lines & Cell phone towers.
  • Appliances, even while they are turned off.
  • Plug-in transformers, laptop chargers, USB chargers, & cordless power tool chargers.
  • Wireless doorbells and security cameras.
  • Computers using Wi-Fi, including Wi-Fi wireless printers & connected mobile phones.
  • Active Motion detectors.
  • Energy saving lights, especially LEDs, Fluorescent Lights (FL), CFL (Compact FL), and Halogens.
  • Electric motors of small appliances.

So basically, almost anything that uses electricity can generate RF interference (RFI)! So you basically have two choices: Either you can attempt to reduce some of these devices that generate problems and do without those devices (probably not what you want to do, nor can you inhibit your neighbor’s device purchases), OR you can concentrate your efforts on your reducing your GDO’s susceptibility to these increasing interferences.

GDO Remotes typically use 300MHz to 390MHz. As GDO are becoming more effected with so much competing RF energy that contributes to the 'background RF noise", newer manufactured GDOs are dual-band or dual frequency (even triple freq-band) to help “hop” to the least effected frequency, to reduce experiencing interference. I also see more garage door conversion/upgrade “Kits” or devices to make your current existing GDO better able to cope with all the increasing RFI.

https://store.geniecompany.com/blogs/genie-blog/garage-door-opener-remote-reduced-range-or-radio-frequency-interference

Some RF reducing interference devices are filters that will reduce GDO RFI that may be coming through power lines, such as high-tech surge protectors for your GDO. Some devices work on the ‘antenna’ part or reception for your GDO to cut down on the increasing RFI. Also, newer compatible GDO Remote Controls utilize a narrower frequency-band to help cut through RFI background noise.

http://thedoorworks.com/garage-door-openers-a-short-history-part-ii-rfi-radio-frequency-interference/

I would recommend ‘googling’ online for what your current GDO manufacturer might have available to upgrade your current GDO (kits or improved remote controllers) to be more RFI resistant. Or look for other ‘after-market’ GDO kits or devices that also can reduce GDO RFI. You can even find GDO Antenna ‘extenders’ to help it better receive the signal from your remote.

There are also other online techniques/hints to help, such as insuring your GDO antenna (the short little wire typically hanging out of your GDO) is not all curled up like a pig-tail, but rather hanging down and nice & straight. Insure the battery in your remote is new and full, to make your remote’s signal strength is as strong as it can be. Or if you decide, it may be time to replace your old GDO, while looking for the best model to handles RFI.

All these new improved GDO devices/kits are becoming more common in this age of increasing RFI, from the high-tech devices that we are purchasing and enjoying.

I hope you find this information useful :slight_smile:

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