I recently installed the Ring Floodlight Cam on my garage. The floodlight has a motion detector. When triggered, it turns on the lights (at night) and activates the camera. The video feed go through my wifi network and gives me an alert on the phone. It is pretty awesome and works flawlessly.
However … it is seems to be interfering with my garage door opener. It is odd. If I pull up to the garage and hit the button in my car, the garage door opens without issue. But, when I open the garage, back out the car, and then try to close the garage using the button in my car, nothing.
This just started happening once I installed the RIng Floodlight Cam. A little on line research suggests this is common with older garage door openers and radio activated devices with motion detector cams. But, I don’t see any easy fixes.
Anyone else experience this? Any easy fixes? Do I need to get a new garage door opener (the one I have is at least 10 years old).
It sounds like simple interference that could be fixed with a new GDO receiver/transmitter. But, you can run an easy test to confirm before you spend any money.
Park in your driveway and try the remote several times with and without the other gadget plugged in.
Might try an aftermarket antenna extender thingamajizzerdoozle that could both shorten the range from driveway and also possibly move it out of a possible interference zone.
It sounds like simple interference that could be fixed with a new GDO receiver/transmitter. But, you can run an easy test to confirm before you spend any money.
Park in your driveway and try the remote several times with and without the other gadget plugged in.
I’ll look tomorrow, but, not sure I can do that. We have a detached garage with its own fuse box. The Ring Floodlight is hard-wired. So, I cannot unplug it. I’m not sure whether the Floodlight and the garage door opener are on the same circuit, but, I think they are. There are 3 breakers in the garage, so, I am hoping they are on separate breakers.
Assuming this is the issue, it is easy to replace the opener’s receiver/transmitter?
Might try an aftermarket antenna extender thingamajizzerdoozle that could both shorten the range from driveway and also possibly move it out of a possible interference zone.
It sounds like simple interference that could be fixed with a new GDO receiver/transmitter. But, you can run an easy test to confirm before you spend any money.
Park in your driveway and try the remote several times with and without the other gadget plugged in.
I’ll look tomorrow, but, not sure I can do that. We have a detached garage with its own fuse box. The Ring Floodlight is hard-wired. So, I cannot unplug it. I’m not sure whether the Floodlight and the garage door opener are on the same circuit, but, I think they are. There are 3 breakers in the garage, so, I am hoping they are on separate breakers.
Assuming this is the issue, it is easy to replace the opener’s receiver/transmitter?
Ease of replacing the transmitter/receivers depends on the GDO that you have. Most have the receivers integrated into the opener, so you may have to replace the whole thing. But, some have auxiliary inputs for stuff like remote keypads. So, you may get by with just adding new xmit/rcvs to the existing GDO.
Trails idea of a remote antenna is a good one. Another easy test if you can’t turn off the cam is to try closing the door repeatedly from exactly the same vehicle position and orientation where you open it. It’s possible that when backing out, that your transmitter is located in a receiver node and the signal isn’t reaching the receiver. Trail’s remote antenna widget should be able to fix this.
I would also look into why it seems to work when you arrive to open the door, but not when you are leaving and want to close the door from the car. What, if anything, is different between the two situations as far as the garage door opener/wireless motion sensor light/garage door opener remote?
If it always works when you arrive to open note what the system settings are: have you triggered the motion sensor and the camera is recording/light is on?
Just seems interesting that it works some of the time and not other times. Identifying the differences might aid when looking into the solution.
I would also look into why it seems to work when you arrive to open the door, but not when you are leaving and want to close the door from the car. What, if anything, is different between the two situations as far as the garage door opener/wireless motion sensor light/garage door opener remote?
If it always works when you arrive to open note what the system settings are: have you triggered the motion sensor and the camera is recording/light is on?
Just seems interesting that it works some of the time and not other times. Identifying the differences might aid when looking into the solution.
This is what is confusing me.
When I pull up to the garage, it works. But:
As I pull up, the Ring motion detector is triggered, so, it is transmitting the video.
The garage door is down, which should further block the radio signal, yet, it works every single time.
When I pull out of the garage, it does not work. But:
As I walk to the garage, the Ring motion detector is triggered, so, it is transmitting the video.
I can open the garage door either using the button in the garage or using the button in my car.
As I back out, the garage door sensor should trigger my car leaving and the Ring motion detector is again triggered by my car.
Now the garage door is open, so, the signal SHOULD reach the opener more easily. However, this is when it does not work and is the only time it does not work
I have a camera we use when we think predators are after the hens and it has an infrared sensor that switches on in lower light conditions.
Doesn’t matter. I have tried it in the morning and at night. It works every time when I pull up to the garage and open the door. It does not work when I back out of the garage and try to close it again.
I’m thinking I might get this -
MyQ Smart Garage Door Opener Chamberlain MYQ-G0301 - Wireless & Wi-Fi enabled Garage Hub with Smartphone Control
It is $80, which is cheaper than a new opener and a lot easier to install. Also, I would be able to check the door from my phone, which would be pretty cool. That should eliminate the radio frequency issue.
On the surface, it sure sounds like conditions are easier for the garage door opener when you are leaving. best of luck debugging it. I know I would prefer to understand what is causing it prior to simply trying a new more up to date garage door opener. Would hate to spend a couple hundred bucks and still have the problem.
My google investigation concluded that LED light bulbs may interfere with the radio frequency on the opener. Well … when I installed the Ring Floodlight, I also replaced the bulbs in the opener with LED light bulbs.
That would explain it. When I pull up to the garage, the LED light bulbs are not on, so, the garage door opener works. But, when I pull out of the garage, the LED bulbs turned on when I opened the door. So, the LED bulbs are turned on and the remote button does not work.
Tomorrow, I will remove the LED bulbs and update my result.
On the surface, it sure sounds like conditions are easier for the garage door opener when you are leaving. best of luck debugging it. I know I would prefer to understand what is causing it prior to simply trying a new more up to date garage door opener. Would hate to spend a couple hundred bucks and still have the problem.
See my response above. I think it is the new LED light bulbs I installed! I’ll try removing them tomorrow.
So, you’re experiencing problems with your garage door opener’s remote unit, but you aren’t sure why. Everything else seems to be in order, but the fact remains that sometimes the door works without issue, and sometimes it simply goes haywire.
If you can’t identify the culprit, consider the fact that it may be the presence of LED lights that’s complicating matters, and here’s why.
My google investigation concluded that LED light bulbs may interfere with the radio frequency on the opener. Well … when I installed the Ring Floodlight, I also replaced the bulbs in the opener with LED light bulbs.
Just to eliminate the easy stuff- are the sensors at the bottom of the door lined up? And do you have a vacation switch on the wall button? Either of those could cause it to open but not close.
