garage door opener

[tmike14400]

Hi all,

I have a Chamberlain Lift-Master 2000 series (model #65417) garage door opener and it came with the house when we moved in back in 1990. It has worked pretty much flawlessly except for the remotes. Now that I'm getting older, getting out of the car each time to use the keypad is getting to be a PIA.
I've tried new batteries and I remember way back when, I tried turning the little 'frequency tuning adjuster' thingie inside the remote while pressing the button, so I probably screwed that up.
Anyway, if I could get the remotes to work or replacement ones, I would keep this unit. Garage door companies in this area don't have parts for older systems like this or don't want to mess with them.
So, any ideas as to how to 'tune' the remotes, get them tested/diagnosed, fixed, etc?
Alternatively, I'm not opposed to replacing the whole system and if so, what do you recommend as a near drop-in replacement? This is a 1/3rd hp chain drive system and it lifts a huge (maybe 18-20ft) wood door that weighs a ton.
Thanks in advance.

 

[uncletater]

do you have the manual?

 

[tmike14400]

do you have the manual?

Unfortunately, no.

 

[yuk]

if your system uses regular 2 wire buttons, here is the system i replaced my original remotes with.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/DEI-519H-3-...7?pt=Garage_Doors_Openers&hash=item5d394b7a2d
it works perfect and i have an old car alarm/remote start on my car that uses the same series remote in a four button version so my alarm remote also opens the garage door.

another remote replacement that i have use in the past is made by Skylink.

 

[tmike14400]

I just got through talking to my neighbor who has lived here since the neighborhood was built and she has the same opener as I do and still has the paperwork, which she loaned to me.
It would appear that this system is from the late 1970's. According to the Chamberlain website, they no longer supply parts or any kind of support for any of their products pre-1993, so getting some new replacements are slim to none.
The remote ('command control' in Chamberlain lingo) is simply a signal sender and a separate receiver that control the on/off of the lift motor/mechanism itself.
So, if I could find just a coded signaling mechanism, I should be able to hook it up to my lift mechanism.

 

[upndown]

Don't waste your time and money on a 30+ year old opener.. time to replace!! If it's replaced by a reputable door co, they will adjust your door as needed..I know I do..

 

[p912s]

The last house we lived in had Chamberlain door openers that were quite old. I bought some generic openers from Lowes that said they were compatible, and they worked well.

 

[BD1]

i'm with upndown, doesn't waste your time and money. Replace and be worry free.

 

[Stuart in MN]

From your description it sounds like the opener is old enough that it uses a radio frequency rather than a digital signal. It is possible to adjust the transmitter so it matches the required frequency (which should be marked on the opener drive unit somewhere) but it requires an electronic signal analyzer - if you happen to know someone who works in an electronics lab they could do it for you but the best choice is probably just getting a new opener.

I had a similar opener years ago that wasn't working very well; I worked in a lab at the time so I took the transmitter to work and tuned it to the exact frequency, and afterwards I could open the door from a block away.

 

[yuk]

the 519h i posted the link for can work from up to a quarter mile.
i get about a thousand ft from it but i live in a rural area.

 

[tmike14400]

From your description it sounds like the opener is old enough that it uses a radio frequency rather than a digital signal. It is possible to adjust the transmitter so it matches the required frequency (which should be marked on the opener drive unit somewhere) but it requires an electronic signal analyzer -

I'm pretty sure it is. I've sent an email to the ebay seller that was recommended and hopefully. they will be able to tell me if their system will work with mine.

 

[Stuart in MN]

The eBay description sounds like it uses a digital code, which isn't compatible with the old analog openers, but hopefully they can provide something that will work.

 

[tmike14400]

At this point, I'm looking to bypass the factory remote system altogether. The receiver is the one that controls the up/down signal and just has two wires that lead from it to the motor mechanism.
I'm thinking that any remote system that can connect the circuit should work, but I may be wrong.

 

[Stuart in MN]

I went back and looked at the eBay system again - I should have read the ad more closely the first time, I thought it was just a universal remote that talked directly to the opener. However it appears to have a separate component with a relay in it that you just hook up to the pushbutton input on the existing opener, so it may well work for an older system.

 

[tmike14400]

The ebay seller responded and said he had no idea if his product would work with my system and since he offers no return policy, that option is gone.
That skylink company you mentioned has a few universal remotes (some with receivers) that I'm going to investigate.

 

[buremarey]

I just got through talking to my neighbor who has lived here since the neighborhood was built and she has the same opener as I do and still has the paperwork, which she loaned to me.