First world problem: Universal door remote that works on 2 frequencies?

[Rudy1818]

Disclaimer: this is a first world problem. Please read on with this understanding.

I am in the process of converting an old barn into a garage. It has 2 levels. The lower level has a double swing out door that we have added an electric opener to which comes with a pair of nice 4 button remotes like the one on the left. As far as I can tell from Google it is a 433.92MHz rolling code device.




The upstairs level has sliding doors with a completely different opener (I have 4 of those remotes) also with 4 buttons and as far as I can tell operates on 922MHz rolling code. Now, I have 9 (soon to be 10) cars that I intend to park in this barn and I'd like every car to be able to open either door so I'd love to find a single aftermarket 2 button unit that can work both devices (and therefore on dual frequency bands). The alternative is purchasing 8 more clones of the lower level remote and 6 more of the upper remote and carrying two remotes in each car, each with 4 buttons, 75% of which do nothing and that bothers my OCD.

Appreciate any suggestions (even if those suggestions are to take a xanax and deal with a extravagance of extra fobs and buttons to open 2 simple doors. And no, I am not comfortable with assigning each car a particular spot or level - I'm all about flexibility and snap decisions....

For visual reference - lower level (ignore my 4 year old rolling around on the ground):




And upper level - both still under construction:

 

[inphx]

Can't you locate a opener device that is Google Home or Alexa compatible.. then any smart phone can operate the doors. i was going to use a raspberry PI for for my four doors and gate but am thinking to go with a device i can reg on google home. BTW nice place!

 

[Rudy1818]

Can't you locate a opener device that is Google Home or Alexa compatible.. then any smart phone can operate the doors. i was going to use a raspberry PI for for my four doors and gate but am thinking to go with a device i can reg on google home. BTW nice place!

Interesting idea but I have weak wifi signal upstairs and none on the lower level - barn is 75 ft+ away from house and thick stone walls are not good for wifi.

 

[PassnThru]

If you cannot find a universal remote that will handle both then look into this:
Universal Receiver
I put this in my garage when I had trouble with the range on the existing receivers due to LED lights. Basically you mount it in one place and then you run wires to the current openers in the place where a manual push button would be. In my case I put it in the attic and now I can hit the button pulling into the driveway and the door goes up. Before you had to practically touch the door with your bumper before it would open.
Then add some Liftmaster remotes and you can train each button to the receiver station. I picked up their universal remote and was able to program it to our attached Craftsman garage door opener also. You don't have to do anything or change anything on the opener - you just stop using those remotes although they will continue to function if you want to use them.

 

[Joe Reed]

Sorry I can't add anything constructive, but I just wanted to say that your barn is beautiful!

 

[Fixr]

I use these for my garage door and gate, which are from different manufacturers, on different frequencies and are of very different ages. https://www.amazon.com/stores/XIHADA/page/38736A25-70E7-411F-B96F-4F84BD6EEED0?tag=atomicindus08-20

Best I can tell, they are all the same guts in different styles and colors of cases. It's been years, but IIRC, there was some little thing about programming them that wasn't obvious, but was covered by instructions in the Amazon product page photos or maybe video.

 

[tez929rr]

I changed the transmitter/receivers on two gate openers so I could use the Homelink in my cars. It was a lot easier than I expected. There are some places on the web that sell all kinds of openers and remotes that might be able to help.

 

[bwringer]

Are you in the US or Europe (or Canada, etc.)?

The remote on the right mentions an "FFC" ID, not "FCC" as in the US (I have no idea what the "FFC" might be.), and there's nothing listed on the left remote.

Anyway, wherever you are in the first world, radio frequency devices are regulated, and that will affect what's available.


And yes, those are gorgeous spaces!

 

[mike93lx]

Holy ****! Nice shop

 

[P0234]

If you are handy with electronics there are tons of simple projects that will make those remotes integrate with your home automation system of choice.

I'd do it with an ESP8266, some optocouplers and Home Assistant.

 

[Captain Spaulding]

If you are handy with electronics there are tons of simple projects that will make those remotes integrate with your home automation system of choice.

I'd do it with an ESP8266, some optocouplers and Home Assistant.

X2

My first thought was a standalone Homelink receiver with switched outputs. Like this one https://topens.com/products/hlr01-h...e-door-opener-transmitters-remote-control-kit. You can use the switched outputs to actuate the button on the existing remotes or a manual open/close button inside the building. The advantage of the Homelink is that any vehicles you have with factory Homelink capability will work too.

 

[inphx]

Regarding weak wifi... a wifi extender is cheap, you'll get utility out of it and maybe some of your cars need an Over The Air (OTA) update and can use the wifi... so if you have weak wifi from the house the extender upstairs would solve that for the barn.

 

[P0234]

Regarding weak wifi... a wifi extender is cheap, you'll get utility out of it and maybe some of your cars need an Over The Air (OTA) update and can use the wifi... so if you have weak wifi from the house the extender upstairs would solve that for the barn.

Yep plus it's always good to have a computer in the shop for looking things up.

 

[Rudy1818]

I use these for my garage door and gate, which are from different manufacturers, on different frequencies and are of very different ages. https://www.amazon.com/stores/XIHADA/page/38736A25-70E7-411F-B96F-4F84BD6EEED0?tag=atomicindus08-20

Best I can tell, they are all the same guts in different styles and colors of cases. It's been years, but IIRC, there was some little thing about programming them that wasn't obvious, but was covered by instructions in the Amazon product page photos or maybe video.

Hmmm.. I wonder if that would work given these controllers are listed as different frequencies. These aren't typical chamberlain/liftmaster/whatever garage door openers - one is basically a residential swing out gate opener and the other is an industrial size dual slider opener. The upper level barn doors are HUGE.

You can see both in these pictures (lower level first and upper level second):

Are you in the US or Europe (or Canada, etc.)?

The remote on the right mentions an "FFC" ID, not "FCC" as in the US (I have no idea what the "FFC" might be.), and there's nothing listed on the left remote.

Anyway, wherever you are in the first world, radio frequency devices are regulated, and that will affect what's available.


And yes, those are gorgeous spaces!

I am in the US - in the Philly suburbs.

Regarding weak wifi... a wifi extender is cheap, you'll get utility out of it and maybe some of your cars need an Over The Air (OTA) update and can use the wifi... so if you have weak wifi from the house the extender upstairs would solve that for the barn.

I have an extender and it gives me acceptable wifi in the upstairs part but the lower level is basically a thick stone wall bunker and nothing gets through. That said, I happened to notice a coax cable tucked away in the ceiling area and it is possible it is a run from the house - if that is the case (and I ordered a tester from Amazon) I will be able to add a FiOS router down there which would be great!

 

[Rudy1818]

This is the barn from above for reference for those who are curious.

 

[Git]

I don't know if you want to get into something like Z-Wave, but they make a 'multi relay' that has 3 dry contacts for things like garage doors. There are numerous ways to activate the device, and you hard wire it to your garage doors openers so it is basically like you pushed a button inside the garage.

If your thinking about getting into any type of home automation, definitely take a look at it, otherwise it may be too complicated for what your after

Zooz ZEN16 MultiRelay – ZOOZ

www.getzooz.com

 

[PassnThru]

These aren't typical chamberlain/liftmaster/whatever garage door openers - one is basically a residential swing out gate opener and the other is an industrial size dual slider opener. The upper level barn doors are HUGE.

It doesn't really matter - with rare exceptions they all operate on a NO connection. If you have a manual push button that will open them then they are operating on a NO state - when you push the button you turn it to closed and it acts. That's what the receiver does that's embedded in the opener.
You can have a very fancy controller for the opener on your wall but at the end of the day it probably just functions exactly like your doorbell button.

 

[P0234]

. That said, I happened to notice a coax cable tucked away in the ceiling area and it is possible it is a run from the house - if that is the case (and I ordered a tester from Amazon) I will be able to add a FiOS router down there which would be great!

You don't need to get another router. You can use coax as network cable with a set of mocha adapters.

 

[Fixr]

Hmmm.. I wonder if that would work given these controllers are listed as different frequencies. These aren't typical chamberlain/liftmaster/whatever garage door openers - one is basically a residential swing out gate opener and the other is an industrial size dual slider opener. The upper level barn doors are HUGE.

I bought them for just that reason. The US Automatic swing gate opener is on one frequency and the antique Overhead Door opener is on a different one. Both openers use DIP switches for programming, so I have no experience with rolling code systems, but the Amazon reviews seem to indicate that they should work with those as well.

 

[Rudy1818]

You don't need to get another router. You can use coax as network cable with a set of mocha adapters.

These are what I have in the house (4 of them) - they work on Ethernet, MOCA or wireless mesh (poorly - I have them all hardwired but in a combination of ethernet/coax). I think I'll just get another one of these if it turns out I do have a continuous coax line I can use from house to lower level of the barn.

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