How to Extend the Range of a Garage Door Opener and Remote: Practical Tips and Tricks

How do you extend a garage door opener’s range? That’s what many homeowners think when struggling to open a garage door as they pull into their driveway.

The garage door opener remote control works by transmitting a radio signal to a system inside the garage. And it is obvious that the console will not activate the door until you are within a certain range. If the battery is low, the remote may not work unless you are too close to the opener. And this is far from the only reason for the reduced range of the remote control and lowered opener performance.

However, all these problems, regardless of their cause, can be easily resolved if you know what to do.

In this article, we will find out how to extend the range of your garage door remote and how to extend the range of a garage door opener receiver. We will provide 9 easy steps and tell you how to make this process as safe, reliable, and affordable as possible.

WHY IS IT NECESSARY TO IMPROVE A GARAGE DOOR REMOTE’S RANGE?

First, this is a matter of safety and convenience. The variety of garage gate openers depends on different features, and the device will be unique for each construction. Remotes are responsible for transmitting a signal, which is translated by the opener’s receiver at a distance of at least 4–5 cars.

This is projected as a safety measure to preclude the functioning of the gate when the user is far away to ensure secure exploitation. The designers figured out the conventional safe viewing distance and engineered their constructions in such a way as to preclude serious injury. In addition, during development, they took into account the rules that limit the capacity of the devices, as well as the restrictions on the frequencies.

The receiver embedded into the garage door opener is capable of receiving only one signal at a time. Therefore, if an electronic device in the garage or somewhere near it transmits a signal, close to the frequency of your remote control, it will cause interference. If the garage door operator works by pressing a wired wall button but not the remote, the chances are good that you will have interference.

Increasing the signal range of the garage door opener will give you many benefits. Thus, if you increase the range on your garage door opener, you will be able to perfectly time the door to open as soon as you enter your garage or open the garage door when you are far away so the kids can take their bikes.

In addition, it is important to understand that with prolonged use of the garage door opener, the range of its action decreases, which annoys the owners of automatic garage doors. However, this can be fixed by sticking to our methods for improving garage door opener reception. So, how to increase the garage door remote signal range and maximize remote distance?

TIPS & TRICKS ON HOW TO EXTEND THE RANGE OF A GARAGE DOOR OPENER REMOTE

This is a guide for anyone who has asked themselves: “How do I extend the range of my garage door opener and how do I increase the signal strength on my garage door opener?”

1. UPGRADE THE BATTERIES IN YOUR REMOTE CONTROL

If you encounter a problem with a low remote signal, you should first check the age of the batteries in your garage door opener and replace them with new ones if necessary. This is the most readily affordable, cheapest, and easiest troubleshooting method. The battery life of the remote controller is from three to five years. If your batteries are older, they will significantly cut signal capacity.

Please note that you need to check the batteries, even if you have just purchased the remote control or just replaced the batteries with new ones. The consoles and batteries may be some years old at the time you purchase them. Batteries are cheap and can be replaced very fast. There are classic basic types of batteries in garage door remotes. They are CR2032 and CR2016. Some older systems may even work with a regular 9- or 12-volt battery.

How do you change the battery in a garage door opener remote? Most garage door remotes have two systems for removing the cover. You need either a crosshead screwdriver or a clamp. When you remove the cover from the remote control, take out the old battery, and insert a new one. The main thing is to install it correctly because the wrong installation will result in the remote control not receiving power.

2. TEST FOR INTERFERENCE

Some electrical devices may interfere with the signal more frequently than others. Therefore, if range problems are not consistently observed, it is possible that the interfering origin is being used at those times. If you notice that the remote controls are tending to lose range, consider if you recently installed a new device in your garage. Perhaps because of this, there are problems with the operation of the remote control. Especially if this has not happened before. Even the smallest changes to the electronic equipment of your house can reduce its signal and range. You should also consider the location and infrastructure. Safety-related objects in the vicinity can also influence the garage door opener signals.

So, take into account absolutely all the additions and changes in your garage, home, and even outside it. This also includes TV cable, satellite TV dishes, and battery chargers. Fluorescent & LED lighting can also interfere with the normal operation of remote controls and block their signals. To reduce these risks, choose popular, well-tried, and reliable brands of bulbs. Poor quality lighting can cause signal degradation.

3. CHANGE THE FREQUENCY OF THE REMOTE CONTROL

Changing the frequency (310 MHz, 315 MHz, 390 MHz) is one of the methods of improving the remote control signal. To do this, you need to install another logic board with new remote controls. It is also possible to install an external receiver that connects to the nearest outlet, transforming the garage door opener to receive a different frequency.

If your opener was released before 1993, and you observe difficulties with the remote control, then it is time to replace the system. Modern and advanced garage door openers operate in two and three-frequency bands. And the remotes automatically define the best signal to use.

4. REPLACE REMOTE CONTROLS

Contacts on consoles tend to wear out, regardless of how long garage doors last. To prevent signal loss, you can straighten the metal contacts that touch the battery. If your remote is more than 10 years old, you may notice that its buttons are in poor condition, and your remote is probably being held together with insulating tape. All of this suggests that it’s time to update your remote.

You can check the power of the signal using special devices. In addition, such machines can also fix problems in the garage door opener system. Another way to check the signal quality of the remote control is to look at the indicator light. In most cases, it lights up red when it is broadcasting a signal. Note that if the indicator does not light up, the remote control is most likely out of battery, worn out contact points, or damaged. Any of these issues indicate that you should consider replacing your remote.

5. IMPROVE YOUR GARAGE DOOR ANTENNA AND SET ITS EXTENSION

Almost all garage door openers have an antenna that must necessarily hang directly under the opener. This arrangement is necessary so that the antenna has a free way to connect with the remote control. Although it is long enough to receive a signal, you can better it by installing a garage door antenna extension.

6. MOVE THE ANTENNA AWAY FROM SOURCES OF INTERFERENCE

If you don’t want to shift the garage opening or safety system, there are several solutions.

• Disconnect the gate opener from the socket.
• Make sure the garage door is closed so no one gets in your way.
• Find the external antenna wire that hangs down from the operator.
• Take off the back opener cover and check the antenna connection. Before removing the antenna, remember its initial position.
• Meter the distance between the opener and the facade of the garage, then cut an RCA cable of that length.
• Strip the outer layer of insulation on the end you wish to join the operator.
• Detach internal insulation and braided wire shield.
• Solder the center wire to where the initial dangling wire was affixed to the PCB.
• Solder the shielding wire to the nearest grounding point on the board.
• On the other end of the RCA cable, cut the wire shield so that only the center insulation and wire are visible.
• Connect the original wire to the center conductor.
• Attach the wire to the ceiling of the garage door.

7. CONDUCT POWER OUTAGE TROUBLESHOOTING TEST

• Find your automatic switch.
• Turn off all circuit breakers except the one that powers the garage gate opener.
• Check the signal radius of your remote control. If the radius of action increases, it means that the electrical device causing the interference is outside the garage structure. Otherwise, the source of interference is likely to be inside.
• Turn on gradually one switch at a time, checking the distance range each time.
• Now you can track which circuit is causing the electrical interference. If, for example, the distance range gets worse when you turn on a lamp in a bedroom, turn off all devices in that room.
• Now connect one device at a time while continuing to check the remote control range.

8. TROUBLESHOOTING TEST OF MULTIPLE GARAGE DOOR OPENERS

If you have more than one garage door opener and only one of them shows poor signal range, test both the operator and the remote control.

• Disconnect an opener with a good range.
• Test a bad range opener.
• If the bad opener reappears in a good range, then another device is interfering. You will need to replace the light bulb and/or motherboard.
• Now check out consoles. If one of them has a good range and the other doesn’t, then the problem is in the remote. You will need to replace it.

9. ENHANCING RANGE WITH ADDITIONAL DEVICES

When you’ve tried it all and nothing works, you still have one more option that might be the easiest and the most efficient one to boost your garage door opener’s range — adding an extra device. You have two choices here:

• Installing an antenna booster: Your opener unit is most likely equipped with an aerial to receive the signal from a remote transmitter. A quick and straightforward method to enhance signal reception up to one hundred feet is to get an antenna extension kit. Those boosters come in numbers and are a breeze to fix, so you won’t have a problem getting one;

• Getting a Wi-Fi garage door remote: If you wonder how to extend the range of an automatic garage door opener receiver, the smart remote control is the answer. It’s a wireless Wi-Fi-enabled device compatible with most opener units. The best thing is that it will let you close and open your garage door using your smartphone. So, the operation range is unlimited. Besides, most models are compatible with virtual assistants, thus, allowing you to use voice commands and open your garage in a hands-free manner.

If you are thinking about how to extend the range of your garage door opener remote, how to improve garage door opener reception, or how to increase garage door opener range, STI Garage Door’s experienced technicians will help you to solve all these issues. Use professional services and extend the range of a garage door remote and opener as efficiently and reliably as possible. STI Garage Door experts will do it professionally, at an affordable price, and with the best results.

IF YOU DON’T HAVE TIME TO INCREASE THE RANGE OF YOUR GARAGE DOOR OPENER, CONTACT STI GARAGE DOOR

One of the best ways to increase your garage door remote signal and improve the garage door remote range is to seek professional services. STI Garage Door is an advanced and versatile garage door repair and service company that specializes in garage door opener repair and replacement, high-tech garage door opening system installation, the extension of the range of garage door openers, and so on.

Get a free pre-commissioning assessment, advanced services, affordable prices, complete solutions, and quality assurance. Whatever the reason your garage door opener loses range, our technicians will find it and fix it as soon as possible, within budget, and with guaranteed satisfaction. We also provide installation services and can advise you on other matters, like is garage door insulation worth it. STI Garage Door offers proven expertise, a first-class team, complex solutions, and an individual approach.

Contact our qualified specialists for advanced and complete services and find out how to extend the range of remote garage door openers in Maryland, how to increase the garage door opener range in Washington, and how to improve garage door opener reception in Virginia.

Consider STI Garage Door your reliable and trusted partner.

STI Garage Door

Operating in the garage door industry for over 25 years, STI Garage Door is dedicated to quality service and excellence in everything.

The company is a proud partner to the top brands in the field — LiftMaster for commercial door openers and Amarr and Clopay for residential and commercial doors.