48x39x14 shop build

[ovrszd]

I've got both fluorescent and LED lights, they both mess with AM & FM radio reception. I've never put 2 and 2 together about my chitty performance on my 8500? liftmaster remotes although 99% of the time the doors are used during daylight hours so the lights are out.

edit, In fact I was just talking to my electrician cousin this past weekend, he was telling me about all the rf interference that they have to deal with now, don't remember if wifi is another source.

I haven't given up yet but I'm running out of ideas.

I think I'll take down a couple lights and haul them to my current shop and turn them on. Then see if they kill that opener. It currently has a range of 200ft with/without lights on.

 

[ovrszd]

Do you have a power strip with line conditioner or isolation transformer to try? My tool battery charger causes FM radio to loose signal, plugged charger into power strip and issue went away with the radio while charging batteries. Are lights, wall outlet and openers on same 110 leg?

Dave

Dave, I turned off all the breakers in the shop. Hot wired a line to the hot side of the main disconnect. Powered a single light thru that and killed my openers.

I am reluctant to buy a set of different lights and end up with the same problem.

My openers are on a circuit by themselves. They are on the opposite leg as the lights. I even tried swapping legs

 

[geblackwell]

Maybe something like a smart phone remote like MYQ-G0301. They are available at HomeDepot

 

[hawkeye08]

I wonder if the opener could be shielded from the lights somehow, I'm thinking some 12" wide metal flashing in "U shape" around back of opener (enough to give you some range)? or is there a wire for antenna on opener that could be extended to outside the shop? That is assuming that the interference is RF and not noise on electrical line. You could eliminate the electric line noise if you ran light on separate power (for example generator) just to confirm it is RF and not noise on the electric line. I suspect it is RF, but just throwing out the electrical noise problem as a grasping at straws..

 

[BrinkME]

perhaps you can try a ferrite ring (core, magnet) on the power wires of a fixture. Even though the lights are on a separate circuit/leg than the openers, the "noise" created by the fixture could still overpower the signal no matter what you try. Since you've run tests with just one fixture and get the same results, perhaps try it using a ferrite ring since they're fairly cheap. If it works, you can add one to each fixture ... not sure if you'd get the same results by adding it to the opener's power wires.

worth a shot?

forgot to add a link to what I was talking about .... McMaster-Carr

 

[cycle_gator]

See if you can find a radio frequency interference filter and add it to where the lift gets power for the reciever.. It seems the more efficient the fluorescent the more RF it produces. I have not tried to find one for you, but the filters are fairly inexpensive.

 

[ovrszd]

Maybe something like a smart phone remote like MYQ-G0301. They are available at HomeDepot

My electrical guy suggested that. Liftmaster offers a device that allows your phone to control the doors. Might end up there.

 

[ovrszd]

I wonder if the opener could be shielded from the lights somehow, I'm thinking some 12" wide metal flashing in "U shape" around back of opener (enough to give you some range)? or is there a wire for antenna on opener that could be extended to outside the shop? That is assuming that the interference is RF and not noise on electrical line. You could eliminate the electric line noise if you ran light on separate power (for example generator) just to confirm it is RF and not noise on the electric line. I suspect it is RF, but just throwing out the electrical noise problem as a grasping at straws..

I tried Liftmaster antenna extenders which runs the antenna outside, no help.

Tomorrow I'll wrap my opener will aluminum foil and see what happens.

 

[ovrszd]

perhaps you can try a ferrite ring (core, magnet) on the power wires of a fixture. Even though the lights are on a separate circuit/leg than the openers, the "noise" created by the fixture could still overpower the signal no matter what you try. Since you've run tests with just one fixture and get the same results, perhaps try it using a ferrite ring since they're fairly cheap. If it works, you can add one to each fixture ... not sure if you'd get the same results by adding it to the opener's power wires.

worth a shot?

forgot to add a link to what I was talking about .... McMaster-Carr

Never heard of them. Worth a try at that cost. Thanks!!!

 

[ovrszd]

See if you can find a radio frequency interference filter and add it to where the lift gets power for the reciever.. It seems the more efficient the fluorescent the more RF it produces. I have not tried to find one for you, but the filters are fairly inexpensive.

I'll investigate that as well. Thanks for the suggestion.

These ideas are what I'm looking for. No clue what you guys are talking about. I'll try anything.

I also expect the fix to be something simple.

 

[Rustyiron]

Tomorrow I'll wrap my opener will aluminum foil and see what happens.

I got an aluminum foil hat I'd loan you to try out.

 

[dstig1]

Try ferrite choke (not core) on the lights as noted, but not the one shown from Mcmaster. You see these on a lot of power cords for electronic devices. Digikey or Mouser or one of those type places.

ferrite core cable - Google Search

This should look familiar to you. The round thing on the cord is what you should try.

 

[B7510HSD]

I use the snap on ferrites to cure my problems when I operated on my HF radio I would turn the light on as well as open the door at times! Solved the problem!
https://www.amazon.com/Parts-Express-Ferrite-Noise-Suppressor/dp/B0002MQGEK

 

[ovrszd]

I got an aluminum foil hat I'd loan you to try out.

I'm almost to that point Eric.

Sadly, if I simply turn off the lights every time I exit the building everything is fine.....

 

[fordmantpw]

I tried Liftmaster antenna extenders which runs the antenna outside, no help.

I was going to suggest that, but if that didn't help, it has to be some interference with the opener itself. Getting the antenna outside should essentially shield it from the interference from the lights (one would think anyway).

Tomorrow I'll wrap my opener will aluminum foil and see what happens.

Ahh, the old tin foil hat trick!

 

[JHurt]

Jarid has the same openers, metal ceiling. Not sure what lights he's gonna have though. Anxious to see how his works.[/QUOTE]

Just got off the phone with my builder about the location of my lights on the south side. We both agreed the best location for light with the door up or down are going to be right beside the opener. I’m definitely a little apprehensive about it considering the issues that Richard is having, but really don’t have much of a choice. My lights are led fixtures, so it will be interesting to see how it plays out. Hoping to have the openers operational next week, so time will tell.

 

[truckdiagnostics]

Consider going Wifi. We had similar issue.
the below is a 13 dollar relay that runs on your WiFi network.
https://www.amazon.com/WHDTS-Moment...TF8&qid=1544917705&sr=8-3&keywords=wifi+relay
getting it on the network was easy.
then we used this app on our phone. It is EWelink
eWeLink - Apps on Google Play
you need 12 volt power supply, I used one I had laying around.
There is one draw back. You can only have the device on one account. You can have on more than one phone. But when you you use it it logs logs say your wife off her account. She than has to put the password in.
I just installed another in parallel. So, now we both stay logged in and no big deal.
Works slick!

 

[ovrszd]

Consider going Wifi. We had similar issue.
the below is a 13 dollar relay that runs on your WiFi network.
https://www.amazon.com/WHDTS-Moment...TF8&qid=1544917705&sr=8-3&keywords=wifi+relay
getting it on the network was easy.
then we used this app on our phone. It is EWelink
eWeLink - Apps on Google Play
you need 12 volt power supply, I used one I had laying around.
There is one draw back. You can only have the device on one account. You can have on more than one phone. But when you you use it it logs logs say your wife off her account. She than has to put the password in.
I just installed another in parallel. So, now we both stay logged in and no big deal.
Works slick!

I hope we don't get to that, but maybe.

 

[goeduck]

Sadly, if I simply turn off the lights every time I exit the building everything is fine.....

Well I guess that settles it. :thumbsup:

 

[aczlan]

Have you tried something like a LiftMaster 365lm? I have an older garage door opener that I got for free, but the receiver board appears to be bad. I installed one of those up next to it and it works well. If you where to put it further away from the lights such as by the door, or perhaps even up in the soffit it might do what you want to do without replacing any of your garage door hardware.

https://www.amazon.com/Liftmaster-365LM-Security-Receiver-315Mhz/dp/B00283OBS4/

Aaron Z