I just bought a house with a detached garage with a very old garage door opener system. The unit has to be at least 30 years old with the straight bar system. I'll grab a make and model when I get home. I'm looking for an adhoc wireless garage remote to add so I don't have to get out of my car to open or close it. Anyone know how I could make this work without buying a whole new system?
Adhoc wireless system with 30 yr old opener
- Thread starter Tcanuth
- Start date
I would imagine that all you need is a temporary closed switch connection to trigger the door up or down. If you're comfortable tearing apart certain things you could get a cheap wireless transmitter from target for Christmas lights and wire the relay inside to the door switch. A old car alarm would work too but you'd need a 12 volt source and not 120. Might be easier to get a new/used opener.
bad_idea
Well-known member
i know it is completely unrelated and useless to this thread, BUT.... your question reminded me of a funny thing I saw at the Habitat Store the other day. Saw a box for a garage door opener on the shelf labeled 79.99. Opened the box to see a 70s lime green Sears garage door opener. It was very vintage looking....
nehog
Well-known member
IIRC Sears carries replacement receivers. They are basically universal, should adapt easily.
Cars&Classic
Well-known member
I have a pile of old opener remotes listed on ebay get the model I may have a remote for it
View media item 15144
View media item 15144
Well, i do know it is a genie, i didnt have a flashlight handy and the plate has been pretty weathered but i should be able to read it with the proper lighting. will update you guys further when i get home tonight.
This beast is old enough that i believe it was produced before wireless units were even envisioned lol.
If i had to resort to the
light remote...how exactly would i go about doing so?
This beast is old enough that i believe it was produced before wireless units were even envisioned lol.
If i had to resort to the
light remote...how exactly would i go about doing so?Jagmandave
Well-known member
I went thru this, there are pretty much two types, the older ones operate on a different frequency, and use dip switches to set the code, very simple to use. Newer ones use a different radio frequency and usually a rotating code.
You most probably need the earlier type, just open up the receiver up on the opener head (the receiver may be a small box mounted off to the side of head unit, with a wire dangling down - that's the antenna) and see how the little white 2 position toggle switches are set, then set the remote the same way - it should then work. Buy one of those from C&C, put a new battery in it, set the switches and off you go...
We had a garage door opener in the early 50's, even then they used remote transmitters and receivers.
One of those grey ones in the top row in C&C's pic will probably be the right one, he can open it up and see how many switches are in it, you want the same number - usually 5, IIRC
You most probably need the earlier type, just open up the receiver up on the opener head (the receiver may be a small box mounted off to the side of head unit, with a wire dangling down - that's the antenna) and see how the little white 2 position toggle switches are set, then set the remote the same way - it should then work. Buy one of those from C&C, put a new battery in it, set the switches and off you go...
We had a garage door opener in the early 50's, even then they used remote transmitters and receivers.
One of those grey ones in the top row in C&C's pic will probably be the right one, he can open it up and see how many switches are in it, you want the same number - usually 5, IIRC
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Jagmandave
Well-known member
Does it have the receiver?
If so, you're good to go with just getting a transmitter like I wrote above.
If so, you're good to go with just getting a transmitter like I wrote above.
How old are you if you don't mind my asking.
The reason I ask is 30 years ago was 1982, they definitely had wireless garage door openers then. That doesn't seem like that long ago to me
I bought a wireless receiver made for Christmas lights. When you turn the receiver on I hear a relay click inside. I'm assuming that it closes the loop using the relay and directs current to the outlet output on the receiver. This is all pure speculation as I haven't cracked one open but you would isolate the relay from the ac power and connect your door switch wires to each end of the relay. A potential problem would be that the receiver isn't momentary. It's on and off. So depending on your opener, it may not like the fact that the switch stays closed instead of just being a pulse.
Like I said, it would be much easier to just get a new model.)
Like I said, it would be much easier to just get a new model.
)clkimmel
Well-known member
You should be able to find a remote for your Genie opener, have you tried to google the model??
nehog
Well-known member
Why try to 'recover' the original wireless bits? They are insecure, and should be retired. As I mentioned, get a new receiver, they attach to the wires to the 'manual' open/close switch, take about five minutes to install, and are much more secure.