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restoring old garage door opener-receiver/transmitter

hevans1944

Hop - AC8NS
Jun 21, 2012
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Here is a side note that may or may not interest you. I bought my first house in Dayton, Ohio, about thirty-something years ago. It came with a detached two-car garage and an automatic garage door opener. The door opener was based on a tone-encoded Citizens Band transmitter and, IIRC, a vacuum tube receiver. The remote control transmitters were missing. So a quick trip to Sears secured a new chain-driven door opener mechanism with solid-state electronics. A significant upgrade, but still pretty much obsolete, or verging on obsolete, because remote controls (mainly for automotive key-less entry systems) were beginning to use so-called "rolling codes" to prevent unauthorized reception and copying of the "code" the end-user (me) selected to transmit and operate the remote control mechanism. A patient thief could park outside my garage and try every possible code combination, selected by a few three-position slide switches on my Sear remote, until they found the one that worked. Not very secure, but I had almost nothing of value stored in the garage anyway.

Rather than spend money on a better-encoded transmitter/receiver pair, I simply decided to turn the whole system off every night when I got home. That meant the garage was vulnerable during the day to anyone with the "right" code to activate the receiver. I don't recall that ever being a real problem however. Now that we have moved to Florida, the Genie garage door system seems fairly sophisticated. There is a "training" mode that allows each remote to be synchronized with the mothership. So far, so good. Plus this is a "stand your ground" state, which tends to take the sand out of most trespassers.
 

noquacks

Jun 26, 2013
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73's de Edd

Aug 21, 2015
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Sir noquacks . . . . .

GREAT SHADES ! . . . . . of deja vu . . . . . haven't out paths crossed in the past ?

Read the post of . . .

https://www.electronicspoint.com/forums/threads/old-remote-control-repair.290618/#post-1781901

Where I go into detail on that HEATHKIT unit of yours.

It operates on the 27 Mhz Citizens band and all of its options of different crystal frequencies + an additional choice of multiple modulated tones for system security.
See the ORANGE square mark up of that freq selective inductor.
The relay that shorts across your outer terminal boards connections, for cycling the lift mechanism, is being the GREEN square mark up.
It is a muuuuuuuuuuuuulti turn, fine wire wound solenoid with a center core mounted HEAVY DUTY reed relay switch, which the coil magnetically activates.


If you want to get rid of that "umbilical cord " wall wart that you are using for power presently .
The receiver unit HAS 12VDC inside on the power supply of the original receiver.
It is shown on my markup as being in the RED marked up electrolytic area.
Two wires connected to those points and run out to your new receivers power terminal block should get internal power for you.

Aside Observation . . . . . . . Heath must have been sleeping in Multi Elmacs bed, to fullfill their Garage Door Opener marketing ventures.
Since, in early times, Multi Elmac was a major player in that product, along with a lesser known entity of manufacture . . . . . .that being remote transmitters and receivers for model aircraft.

REALLY RELEVANT REFERENCING . . . . .

upload_2019-10-16_7-21-46.png





73's de Edd . . . . .


My wife oft complains that the road to our house is TOO long and muddy, but what to do, as if it was any shorter, it wouldn't reach the house.

.




.
 
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noquacks

Jun 26, 2013
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Wow, I never would have known, Edd! You even provide a schematic of my ancient receiver! Thanks! Yes, we have crossed paths before! I just never connected your advice to this newer project. I must have been blind somehow, to your language. You were right.

Anyway, thanks again! This forum is great.
 

noquacks

Jun 26, 2013
122
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People,

I now have a failure in opening the garage door. It has been about 4 years since the repair. So, I click the remote control, and nothing happens except a quiet "click" on the motor/unit that opens the door. I checked the battery voltage and it is still good. I also tried it with the OTHER remote button, and same thing happens- just a click at the motor (or transmitter- cant really tell).

What would you suspect 1st? The transmitter? Any way to do some testing for that? I guess I could just buy a new one(?).

Advice much appeciated!
 

ChosunOne

Jun 20, 2010
480
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I suspect the "quiet click" you're hearing is the relay in your receiver---the thing that your remotes transmit to. If that's so, then the remotes & receiver are probably working.

If you're going to ask us to help troubleshoot, provide us with more info. Does the opener work with the hardwired button?
 

73's de Edd

Aug 21, 2015
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Sir noquacks . . . . .

GREAT SHADES !
. . . . . of deja vu . . . . . " H e e e e e e's B a a a a a ck ! "

So o o o o o o o o you actually have the WHOLE NEW receiver unit being used and . . . . it has now failed you.

AN INSPECTION . . .

Looking a its marked up-blow up below.
We see the large BLACK THX cable being its receive antenna, with some multi-directionality being imparted by its folded square shaping.
It then goes into the complete RF receiver in a daughter board at the RED rectangle. The detected audio then comes out from it to be directed to two op amplifiers at the ORANGE SQUARES to then have one amplified audio (digital waveshape cluster burst) go into the BLUE rectangle DECODER chip. In case of a neighbor . . .within receive range . . . . having a like unit, the DOUBLE GREY DIP switch lets you set in a different code.
The decoders output goes to one of the PINK relay driver transistors under the relays . That transistor activates its relay above it and the contact closure within the relay passes up either the BROWN or YELLOW set of wires to your garage door hefty motor unit.
Whichever relays output, you opted to use / connect into can probably be triggered manually with one of the VIOLET circled push buttons.
SOOOOOOOO . . . . . . . initially press each of them to see if a relay clickee-clickee and your lift motor works.
No luck ?
Then concentrating on the relay that you actually wired into . . . . place a temporary . . .hand held . . .wire short across that set of screws to see if the lift motor works. ( Thus eliminating possibility of an arc oxidized set of contacts inside of that BLACK SONG ME relay that are actually not making electrical inter connection on mechanical closure )
If no lift motor action go over to it and see if a push button circuit breaker on the motor case has popped out. ( Due to motor strain from un lubricated and binding rail rollers after 22 11/17ths years of neglected maintenance / use. )

BE HOLD !
1697011961368.png
Thaaaaaaassssssit.

73's de Edd . . . . .


Father -son quips . . .
I told my friend you can make a dad joke out of every country's name. He said, "No one will Bolivia."
Son: I am Hungary.
Dad: Why don't you Czech the fridge?
Son: OK, I am Russian to the kitchen.
Dad: Hmmm.. may be you will find some Turkey.
Son: Yeah but it's all covered in Greece. yuck!!
Dad: There is Norway you can eat that.
Son: I know, I guess I will just have a can of Chile.
Dad: Denmark your name on the can.
Son: Kenya do it for me?
Dad: OK, I am Ghana do it.
Son: Thanks, I am so tired, since Iran for an hour today.
Dad: It certainly Tokyo long enough !
Son: Yeah Israelly hard sometimes.
I laughed, like a Brazilian times at all of these.
Then . . .
I bought my daughter a handbag from Iraq.

She said 'thanks for the Baghdad.'
 
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noquacks

Jun 26, 2013
122
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122
I suspect the "quiet click" you're hearing is the relay in your receiver---the thing that your remotes transmit to. If that's so, then the remotes & receiver are probably working.

If you're going to ask us to help troubleshoot, provide us with more info. Does the opener work with the hardwired button?
Yes, opener works with original buton, on the wall. Much other info is also in above posts from 2019......
 

Martaine2005

May 12, 2015
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Father -son quips . . .
I told my friend you can make a dad joke out of every country's name. He said, "No one will Bolivia."
Son: I am Hungary.
Dad: Why don't you Czech the fridge?
Son: OK, I am Russian to the kitchen.
Dad: Hmmm.. may be you will find some Turkey.
Son: Yeah but it's all covered in Greece. yuck!!
Dad: There is Norway you can eat that.
Son: I know, I guess I will just have a can of Chile.
Dad: Denmark your name on the can.
Son: Kenya do it for me?
Dad: OK, I am Ghana do it.
Son: Thanks, I am so tired, since Iran for an hour today.
Dad: It certainly Tokyo long enough !
Son: Yeah Israelly hard sometimes.
I laughed, like a Brazilian times at all of these.
Then . . .
I bought my daughter a handbag from Iraq.

She said 'thanks for the Baghdad.'
Brilliant as usual Ed!):
 

crutschow

May 7, 2021
839
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Messages
839
Do you have a meter to check the voltage across the relay contacts connected to the opener?
It should drop to zero when the relay is activated.
 

73's de Edd

Aug 21, 2015
3,613
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With your given answer to our most honorable and esteemed Chosun One. . . . sure seems that BLACK relay being used is not actually electrically connecting internally on its mechanical activation.
Awaiting the screw terminals forced shorting across. . . . . .expecting a RUNNING . . . since the Chosun test confirmed the integrity of the heavy door lift cycling.
If the door lifts on that shorting across. . . .
THE FIX. . . .
Move your two wire set over to the pristine other relays connection and use that relay and associated transmit button for yet another suspected 5 or so years !

The people at Heathkit said that it is near end of life.


WHAT !. . . . . In year 2019 . . . . . Wasn't, HEATHKIT itself . . . . .already at EOL zero?
 
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noquacks

Jun 26, 2013
122
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Jun 26, 2013
Messages
122
Sir noquacks . . . . .

GREAT SHADES !
. . . . . of deja vu . . . . . " H e e e e e e's B a a a a a ck ! "

So o o o o o o o o you actually have the WHOLE NEW receiver unit being used and . . . . it has now failed you.

AN INSPECTION . . .

Looking a its marked up-blow up below.
We see the large BLACK THX cable being its receive antenna, with some multi-directionality being imparted by its folded square shaping.
It then goes into the complete RF receiver in a daughter board at the RED rectangle. The detected audio then comes out from it to be directed to two op amplifiers at the ORANGE SQUARES to then have one amplified audio (digital waveshape cluster burst) go into the BLUE rectangle DECODER chip. In case of a neighbor . . .within receive range . . . . having a like unit, the DOUBLE GREY DIP switch lets you set in a different code.
The decoders output goes to one of the PINK relay driver transistors under the relays . That transistor activates its relay above it and the contact closure within the relay passes up either the BROWN or YELLOW set of wires to your garage door hefty motor unit.
Whichever relays output, you opted to use / connect into can probably be triggered manually with one of the VIOLET circled push buttons.
SOOOOOOOO . . . . . . . initially press each of them to see if a relay clickee-clickee and your lift motor works.
No luck ?
Then concentrating on the relay that you actually wired into . . . . place a temporary . . .hand held . . .wire short across that set of screws to see if the lift motor works. ( Thus eliminating possibility of an arc oxidized set of contacts inside of that BLACK SONG ME relay that are actually not making electrical inter connection on mechanical closure )
If no lift motor action go over to it and see if a push button circuit breaker on the motor case has popped out. ( Due to motor strain from un lubricated and binding rail rollers after 22 11/17ths years of neglected maintenance / use. )

BE HOLD !
View attachment 61006
Thaaaaaaassssssit.

73's de Edd . . . . .


Father -son quips . . .
I told my friend you can make a dad joke out of every country's name. He said, "No one will Bolivia."
Son: I am Hungary.
Dad: Why don't you Czech the fridge?
Son: OK, I am Russian to the kitchen.
Dad: Hmmm.. may be you will find some Turkey.
Son: Yeah but it's all covered in Greece. yuck!!
Dad: There is Norway you can eat that.
Son: I know, I guess I will just have a can of Chile.
Dad: Denmark your name on the can.
Son: Kenya do it for me?
Dad: OK, I am Ghana do it.
Son: Thanks, I am so tired, since Iran for an hour today.
Dad: It certainly Tokyo long enough !
Son: Yeah Israelly hard sometimes.
I laughed, like a Brazilian times at all of these.
Then . . .
I bought my daughter a handbag from Iraq.

She said 'thanks for the Baghdad.'
Wow, so great, Thanks for the detailed steps! I will try these ideas and get back to you asap!!
 

noquacks

Jun 26, 2013
122
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Messages
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Do you have a meter to check the voltage across the relay contacts connected to the opener?
It should drop to zero when the relay is activated.
Yes, I have a meter. Will try that, if I can determine which are the contacts. Gotta be either yellow-yellow or brown -brown, on 73's diagram. Right?
 

noquacks

Jun 26, 2013
122
Joined
Jun 26, 2013
Messages
122
With your given answer to our most honorable and esteemed Chosun One. . . . sure seems that BLACK relay being used is not actually electrically connecting internally on its mechanical activation.
Awaiting the screw terminals forced shorting across. . . . . .expecting a RUNNING . . . since the Chosun test confirmed the integrity of the heavy door lift cycling.
If the door lifts on that shorting across. . . .
THE FIX. . . .
Move your two wire set over to the pristine other relays connection and use that relay and associated transmit button for yet another suspected 5 or so years !

The people at Heathkit said that it is near end of life.


WHAT !. . . . . In year 2019 . . . . . Wasn't, HEATHKIT itself . . . . .already at EOL zero?
Right-Heathcliff does not KNOW me. I should get an award from them, good advertising! Anyway, Let me get in there, and do these tests you guys have suggested........Gotta get the car out first. Motor is on TOP of car.
 

noquacks

Jun 26, 2013
122
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Messages
122
You guys arent gonna believe this, but the thing now works! WHAT THE HELL???!! Why?!!

I climbed up there on a ladder, with remote, voltmeter and flashlight and screwdriver, unscrewed the cover, peeked inside and noticed a tiny red light ON. That was a good sign, I figured. So After inspecting visually for obvious signs of corrosion/spider webs/roaches, I decided- what the heck, let me just click the remote within 12" or so of the receiver. The door closed! Then it opened!

I repeated this at 20', then 30' or so. All works great! WHY? Why did BOTH remotes not work before, and now work ok?

I did nothing spectacular to "fix" this.
 

Delta Prime

Jul 29, 2020
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What's the temperature in your garage? It was never broke! ;)
What a classic!
1697067065089.png
These things happen!
 
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noquacks

Jun 26, 2013
122
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Messages
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What's the temperature in your garage? It was never broke! ;)
What a classic!
View attachment 61019
These things happen!

Hmm, like temp really matters in a garage in FL? In the morning when it did not work it was about 8o deg F. Why? It has worked for 4 years, from 45 deg F to 94 deg F. But I am so glad it was never broke, as you say. So wierd.
 

Delta Prime

Jul 29, 2020
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Exactly Why? A valiant effort I will admit. a fancy way of shotgunning especially given the difficulties of not being there to take the measurements.
The help given to you is top-notch but it simply cannot be ruled out that nothing was wrong with it in the first place but I do admit it is a good feeling to stand on the shoulder of giants.The end result is clear & successful.
 
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