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CCP - Interferring with Garage Door?


JeffBlan

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Both of my wireless garage door keypads and car remotes quit working when I installed my CCBs on the roofline. I partially solved the problem by plugging the CCB controllers into channels on my regular LOR controllers. I start my show with a background animation that powers up the CCB controllers only while the show is running. Now I can use my garage door openers, except when the show is running. The Light-O-Rama Help Desk had this to say:

"If you disconnect the bulb strings from the controllers and power them up, does it still interfere with the door opener(s). If not, then it's unlikely that anything can be done to fix this. The data rate to the bulbs is 1MHz and the signal is regenerated by each bulb. The weak signal from a garage door opener transmitter is unlikely to be able to overcome this.

If the problem still exists with the bulb strings detached, it may be that the interference is being feed back from the power line side. In this case an X10 XPPF filter might work."

It would be nice if the produce documentation gave a warning that the CCB/CCP controllers cause radio frequency interference.

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wonder how many people have chamberlain garage door units.. I notice this same issue as well.. (almost no range) and have heard of issues with chamberlain door openers having range issues due to interference.. seems to be the biggest isse Ive heard is with this brand of door opener...

-Christopher

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Very odd. I have 16U of a different brand's Black series pixels near 3 Liftmaster (Chamberlain) openers, and I see them opening the doors from several hundred feet away routinely. I wonder if the pixel data rate is at an unfortunate ratio to the remote frequency. Or if it is something with the power supply design.

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My garage door works but the remote to lock/unlock on my Highlander needs to be really close to the car. Thought it was the radio transmitter, and tired turning it off, didn't help, and did not have the trouble last year. I did add CCBs this year. Strangely it affects the only Highlander and not the other car.

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I found that if I take the antenna (the little wire hanging out of the garage door opener) an exposed some of the wires, looped

it back up to touch the metal on the opener, I can get about 30' away now and open the door. Before that, I had to be right on the

door if it opened at all. Worked for me. Hope it helps others.

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  • 9 months later...

I know this thread is about a year old but has anybody come up with a solution.  I just started testing my new CCB and guess what, if they are plugged in to AC in the basement the garage door opener has a range of less than 10 ft.  Not good, the better half is not amused when she has to get out of the car, go in the front door and back out to the garage just to get to the garage door opener, then get back in the car to move into the garage, all in the rain.  I'm sure if she shoots me my lights will be on sale cheap :) 

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My solution last year was to put my CCPs on a timer. Turn them on about 30 minutes prior to lights on and turn them off about 15 minutes after the show completes.

 

On another note, during testing of some DMX props this year, I noticed the same issue with the DMX Listener running. I unloaded LOR and all worked well then. I haven't tried running anything with the wireless turned off yet. Next test, I'll try that.

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I found that if I take the antenna (the little wire hanging out of the garage door opener) an exposed some of the wires, looped

it back up to touch the metal on the opener, I can get about 30' away now and open the door. Before that, I had to be right on the

door if it opened at all. Worked for me. Hope it helps others.

I am having the same issues.  I tried what Jeff suggested, and at least for my car, it seems to have helped greatly.  CCPs still plugged in and I can still open the garage from the bottom of the driveway.  Just need to check the other cars.  Great suggestion Jeff. 

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I opened a problem with LOR on Monday and have heard nothing other than "will pass on to an engineer". 

 

I have thought about putting on an extender to my garage door opener antenna, that would run the antenna wire out through the front of the garage.  But it would be in the exact location of the CCBs over my garage door and I hate to buy and install something that "might work" and it may be no better that I have right now, which ain't much. 

 

Plus I am little upset that I buy CCBs from LOR, have about $500 invested and the new lights may be sitting in the box rather that be outside for all to enjoy.

 

Gary

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I had the same problem when I was testing my CCP's. I did extend the antenna wire to the front of my garage. Well to make a long story short. About a week after all this my opener stripped the gear so I popped for a new opener. It wasn't cheap ($380.00) with a contractor discount. Anyway, the range for the remotes are a lot farther than my old opener and the antenna is only about 3" long. It is encrypted. I was testing my pixel globe in the garage and thought I would see if I had any problems with the opener. Well, no problems with it or any of the remotes. So , I guess the high price opener I guess solved that problem. So I guess the newer openers may not react to the CCP's. Don't know if it is the brand or the new technology.

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SO what brand of garage door opener did they install, right now mine is a Craftsman 1/2 horse about 12 years old.

 

Gary

I had a Craftsman also. The new one is a Lift Master. It's also a lot quitter than my last one. It also has a backup battery.

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  • 1 month later...

My garage stopped working yesterday and I had no clue why, then it occured to me that I forgot to turn of my CCB controllers after testing. Turned them off, garage worked fine.

 

I am glad this thread exists, or I would have drove myself crazy.

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This year I mounted my CCB controller directly over the garage door.   Mistake!     Wife gave me the riot act.      I covered it with a galvanized sheet to block the signal and seems to be working. 

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I fixed my problem by plug the power cord into one of the channels of my regular control by creating a .las file and make it run as background.  So when my show is on, they are turn on and off when the show is off.

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We have a firmware update, which will have a general release in the near future, that will minimize the interference.  The firmware has passed internal testing, and has been released to a few users as a 'beta' test of sorts.  

 

Apparently, the new firmware does 2 things: 

  1. When there is nothing to display on the strings, data updates are suppressed.  That means you shouldn't have to hook them up to timers/etc so you can use your door during non-show times.
  2. The update clock frequencies have been changed to produce less RF harmonics at the Garage Door Opener frequencies.  Your range may be reduced while the strings are running, however you should be able to get through that interference.

We will let you know when the firmware is released.  Please do not eMail or open help desk tickets seeking the new code.

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We have a firmware update, which will have a general release in the near future, that will minimize the interference.  The firmware has passed internal testing, and has been released to a few users as a 'beta' test of sorts.  

 

Apparently, the new firmware does 2 things: 

  1. When there is nothing to display on the strings, data updates are suppressed.  That means you shouldn't have to hook them up to timers/etc so you can use your door during non-show times.
  2. The update clock frequencies have been changed to produce less RF harmonics at the Garage Door Opener frequencies.  Your range may be reduced while the strings are running, however you should be able to get through that interference.

We will let you know when the firmware is released.  Please do not eMail or open help desk tickets seeking the new code.

This is great news.  

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I look forward to trying out the firmware update.  I have 8 CCPs in my yard as part of a mega tree.  I also have 2 more in transit.  My neighbor is complaining that they can't use their garage door opener remotes - ones built into the car and the one that came with the opener.  We have also had problems with our car remotes when the pixels are plugged in.  I have ordered some ferrite chokes per the directions from LOR earlier in this post.  I will have to implement the timer if the firmware update doesn't help.  Fortunately, my neighbor is willing to work with me during the show times.  They are very supportive of our show.

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I look forward to trying out the firmware update.  I have 8 CCPs in my yard as part of a mega tree.  I also have 2 more in transit.  My neighbor is complaining that they can't use their garage door opener remotes - ones built into the car and the one that came with the opener.  We have also had problems with our car remotes when the pixels are plugged in.  I have ordered some ferrite chokes per the directions from LOR earlier in this post.  I will have to implement the timer if the firmware update doesn't help.  Fortunately, my neighbor is willing to work with me during the show times.  They are very supportive of our show.

 

I never even stopped to think if this could affect the neighbor's garage. How far does the "force field" extend out from the CCB typically?

 

Just out of curiousity, did your neighbor put 2 and 2 together that your xmas lights were causing their issues? If so, they must be detectives, lol.

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