Finding the frequency for an old garage door opener

[Lucian Smith]

We just bought a house with old garage door openers, and the previous
owners had long since lost their remotes. The openers are old Stanley
V-76 models with 8 dip-switches on the receiver. We got a new universal
remote (the 'Clicker'), which claimed that Stanley models had 10 dip
switches, so presumably our model is so old that Stanley changed the
number of switches they used since they made ours.

My question is: presumably, the nice little dangly antenna on our garage
door opener will respond to the right frequency, and our new remote could
be made to reproduce that frequency. But how can I match up the two?

I did read that the FCC reduced the spectrum of possible garage-door
frequencies in the 90's due to UHF interference or some such, but if it
was just reduced, there'd presumably be some dip-switch setting I could
find on my the opener that would be in the new range. Anyone? Or anyone
know of a better newsgroup on which to ask? Thanks!

-Lucian

 

[Charles Schuler]

We just bought a house with old garage door openers, and the previous
owners had long since lost their remotes. The openers are old Stanley
V-76 models with 8 dip-switches on the receiver. We got a new universal
remote (the 'Clicker'), which claimed that Stanley models had 10 dip
switches, so presumably our model is so old that Stanley changed the
number of switches they used since they made ours.

My question is: presumably, the nice little dangly antenna on our garage
door opener will respond to the right frequency, and our new remote could
be made to reproduce that frequency. But how can I match up the two?

I did read that the FCC reduced the spectrum of possible garage-door
frequencies in the 90's due to UHF interference or some such, but if it
was just reduced, there'd presumably be some dip-switch setting I could
find on my the opener that would be in the new range. Anyone? Or anyone
know of a better newsgroup on which to ask? Thanks!

I don't think changing the DIP switches has any effect on the carrier
frequency. I think the switch selects different modulation sequences.

 

[NSM]

| We just bought a house with old garage door openers, and the previous
| owners had long since lost their remotes. The openers are old Stanley
| V-76 models with 8 dip-switches on the receiver. We got a new universal
| remote (the 'Clicker'), which claimed that Stanley models had 10 dip
| switches, so presumably our model is so old that Stanley changed the
| number of switches they used since they made ours.
|
| My question is: presumably, the nice little dangly antenna on our garage
| door opener will respond to the right frequency, and our new remote could
| be made to reproduce that frequency. But how can I match up the two?
|
| I did read that the FCC reduced the spectrum of possible garage-door
| frequencies in the 90's due to UHF interference or some such, but if it
| was just reduced, there'd presumably be some dip-switch setting I could
| find on my the opener that would be in the new range. Anyone? Or anyone
| know of a better newsgroup on which to ask? Thanks!

The dip switches set the binary 'secret' code for the opener. There are
instructions on how to set the 'extra' switches for an 8 bit code.

N

 

[cmdrdata]

From my experience with older screw drive system, the 8 dip switch will

work with the 10 dip switch remote by leaving the two lower or uppper
switch in the off position (match the 8 and leave two highest or two
lowest to off. if it still doesn't work try the two highest/lowest to
both on). If this still doesn't work, then you probably have the wrong
RF transmitter frequency. The ones I've dealt with are typically 300 or
320 MHz. There may be a label on the master unit saying what RF it is
set to. And yes, the DIp switch does not affect RF setting. the switch
is the pulse modulated signal that is sent to the receiver.

 

[Kim]

You can purchase replacement remotes, and receivers that replace the
existing units. They work by closing the contacts of the hard wired
pushbutton switch that is usually mounted by the door leading from the
garage to the house.

Kim..."A Man Of True Frankenstinean Proportions"

 

[Lucian Smith]

: Charles Schuler wrote:
: > : > > We just bought a house with old garage door openers, and the
: previous
: > > owners had long since lost their remotes. The openers are old
: Stanley
: > > V-76 models with 8 dip-switches on the receiver.

: From my experience with older screw drive system, the 8 dip switch will
: work with the 10 dip switch remote by leaving the two lower or uppper
: switch in the off position (match the 8 and leave two highest or two
: lowest to off. if it still doesn't work try the two highest/lowest to
: both on).

Yay! I got it to work using this technique. I think my original problem
was that the label on the old receiver said 'open' instead of 'on' or
'off' and I interpreted it wrong ('open' turned out to mean 'off').

Thank you!

-Lucian