jmasters@pcocd2.intel.com (Justin Masters ) (06/21/89)
I have a question for you folks out there. I just bought a home, which has a garage door opener by Genie. This has 9 dip switches, and has a frequency number of 390 (Mhz or Khz, I don't know). My realtor said that the controls hadn't been left by the previous owner who died (what an odd thing to take with him). I had him buy two more for me, since he told me that they were around somewhere. Well, he got one with the proper frequency (according to the package), but this has 12 dip switches. I tried setting three switches high and low, while setting the other 9, without a result. Has anybody taken a good look at these and seen if I can somehow alter the controllers so that they are compatable with the receiver? After pouring all this money into the house, I find it hard to pump another $60.00 for more controllers. I know many of you will say, "But get your realtor to get them". I moved in almost 3 months ago, stuffing all our stuff into the garage. There was no need to open it for the car until recently. Now, I'm SOL, unless someone out there knows if I can do anything about the controllers. Please email to me directly at jmasters@pcocd2.intel.com thanks in advance. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "This is the United States calling. Are we reaching you?" - Pink Floyd Justin Masters - jmasters@pcocd2.intel.com -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ploni.Almoni@mailcom.FIDONET.ORG (Ploni Almoni) (07/09/89)
Justin - the DIP switches set in a code for modulating the carrier, and the codes in the transmitter and the receiver MUST match. Genie has had two different systems of setting codes in the past 10-15 years. The first uses strips of punched paper/plastic with sets of holes. They are usually sold in sets of three - one for the receiver and two for two transmitters. From your description, you don't have that type. The other type which you appear to have is the one where you set a series of DIP switches in a pattern. Pull the cover of your receiver - the box with the 12" wire hanging from it. If there is a row of DIP switches, copy down the pattern, and then try it in your transmitter. Since there can be four different ways of "reading" the pattern, you may have to try it four times, unless the switches have LEGIBLE numbers - then you only have to try it twice, since you don't know whether "down" corresponds to "on" or "off". Hope that this can help. By the way, Genie is a particular brand - others may be different -- if you have a different number of switches in the receiver and transmitter -- you know that you have two different models or brands or both. If all else fails, call a garage door company - they have all the right stuff. Good Luck -=Ploni=- -- Via apple!mailcom, Fido 1:204/444
Ploni.Almoni@f444.n204.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Ploni Almoni) (07/09/89)
Justin - the DIP switches set in a code for modulating the carrier, and the codes in the transmitter and the receiver MUST match. Genie has had two different systems of setting codes in the past 10-15 years. The first uses strips of punched paper/plastic with sets of holes. They are usually sold in sets of three - one for the receiver and two for two transmitters. From your description, you don't have that type. The other type which you appear to have is the one where you set a series of DIP switches in a pattern. Pull the cover of your receiver - the box with the 12" wire hanging from it. If there is a row of DIP switches, copy down the pattern, and then try it in your transmitter. Since there can be four different ways of "reading" the pattern, you may have to try it four times, unless the switches have LEGIBLE numbers - then you only have to try it twice, since you don't know whether "down" corresponds to "on" or "off". Hope that this can help. By the way, Genie is a particular brand - others may be different -- if you have a different number of switches in the receiver and transmitter -- you know that you have two different models or brands or both. If all else fails, call a garage door company - they have all the right stuff. Good Luck -=Ploni=- -- ------------------------------------------------------------- FidoNet: 1:161/445 UUCP: sun!apple!bmug!<User.Name> INTERNET: bmug!<User.Name>@apple.COM or <User.Name>@bmug.fidonet.org USNAIL: BMUG, 1442A Walnut St. #62, Berkeley, CA 94709-1496 ------------------------------------------------------------- BMUG ARPANET ADDRESSES: Newsletter submissions: pub@bmug.fidonet.org Membership or business: biz@bmug.fidonet.org Information: info@bmug.fidonet.org Help Line Questions: help@bmug.fidonet.org
jwatts@hpihoah.cup.hp.com (Jon Watts) (01/04/91)
From: al@qiclab.uucp (Al Peterman) >I can't vouch for 7803's but I am using 7809's to run my garage door >openers in both cars. Never a problem. > >BTW - It's really neat having a working button on the dash to raise the >door. Ther's also the security angle that if you get power from a >source that turns on with the accessories, someone can't raise the >door by breaking into your car when it's parked in the driveway. Also >no need to think about opener batteries... > I have a couple of questions aboiut this since I've wanted to do something similar myself. Where did you mount the transmitter so that it can radiate effectively? Most of them are kind of wimpy and if you mount them in a typical out of the way place the car body would block off the signal pretty effectively. I thought of extending the antenna but it seems to be just a trace on the PC board and not easy to tap. Or did you find this is not a problem? Has anyone else tried this? > >-- >Alan L. Peterman (503)-684-1984 hm > cse.ogi.edu!qiclab!al Jon Watts 785-8181 jwatts@mothra.rose.hp.com
siegman@sierra.STANFORD.EDU (siegman) (01/06/91)
>>BTW - It's really neat having a working button on the dash to raise the >>door. Ther's also the security angle that if you get power from a >>source that turns on with the accessories, someone can't raise the >>door by breaking into your car when it's parked in the driveway. Also >>no need to think about opener batteries... > >Where did you mount the transmitter so that it can radiate effectively? Most >of them are kind of wimpy and if you mount them in a typical out of the way >place the car body would block off the signal pretty effectively. > >Has anyone else tried this? Some models of Dodge Caravan have an overhead console (on the ceiling between the two front seats) with map lights, a kind of door that drops down when clicked, with a case inside where you can put a pair of sunglasses, and another such door over an opening just big enough for a standard garage door opener control. You stick your regular control unit up into the opening, button side down, with a velcro strip (comes with the van) on the other side; the velcro holds the opener in place against a similar strip up inside the opening. Then close the door, which has a small ajustable stud on the inside positioned just under the opener button. Pushing up lightly on the door when it's closed triggers the garage door opener; pushing harder clicks the door open so you can remove the control unit. Works OK for me, after a little fiddling to get things positioned right.
al@qiclab.scn.rain.com (Al Peterman) (01/06/91)
In article <5910003@hpihoah.cup.hp.com> jwatts@hpihoah.cup.hp.com (Jon Watts) writes: >From: al@qiclab.uucp (Al Peterman) >>I can't vouch for 7803's but I am using 7809's to run my garage door >>openers in both cars. Never a problem. > >Where did you mount the transmitter so that it can radiate effectively? Most >of them are kind of wimpy and if you mount them in a typical out of the way >place the car body would block off the signal pretty effectively. I thought of >extending the antenna but it seems to be just a trace on the PC board and not >easy to tap. Or did you find this is not a problem? I've done this on 3 cars so far. In all cases, I installed the 7809 inside of the transmitter, and mounted the transmitter under the dash. I know this should give lousy performance, BUT it actually works swell. I get 2 block range with 2 of the cars, and 1 block with the Acura..which is still more than enough. I actually get more range out of the mounted units than from the identical transmitter which I use for the bicycle and motorcycle that runs on it's own battery. I suspect the battery typically is a bit below 9 volts under load (particularily since I don't replace the battery until it gets weak) and the regulated supply is easily able to output up to 1 amp. -- Alan L. Peterman (503)-684-1984 hm al@qiclab.scn.rain.com