# garage opener is opening the neighbors door too



## wacor

I have a year old Sears garage door opener. It has the roving codes as I recall. All of a sudden the remote opener is also working on the neighbors door. But not always. I have no idea how this could happen. I thought the door changed codes each time it operated. I reset the codes and it did not operate the neighbors door at first but then the next time I used it the neighbors door also went up when I used my remote. The weird part is the keyless pad does not seem to effect the neighbors door.

I thought resetting the code would fix this but no luck so not sure where to go from here.


----------



## valis

I'm sorry. There's no way in hell I could even begin to assist here. I just think it's funny as hell and wanted to post.

Can I ask a question? What was the look on your fact like when you first figured it out?

Also, does it work both ways?


----------



## guy2

Ha my uncle had the same problem but our friend across the street just had the dealer or who ever do something to it? 

Call the manufacture quick because if something gets stolen and they find out that your opener works on their garage you can find your self in court. 

buy the way it's not hard to crack garage doors with computer software and little modification to the remote that's why i anchor my tool boxes to a large anvil.


----------



## wacor

valis said:


> I'm sorry. There's no way in hell I could even begin to assist here. I just think it's funny as hell and wanted to post.
> 
> Can I ask a question? What was the look on your fact like when you first figured it out?
> 
> Also, does it work both ways?


I had no idea it was happening. I got a note from the wife that one neighbor complained to another neighbor about it. As if it is only my problem to solve.

I have not asked them if their opener does the same thing.

The weird part is that it is inconsistent. I have been really sensitive to watch and make sure I don't leave there door up so I look every time.

I did not want to have to reprogram mine so I kept thinking when it was ok for a couple days that it was just a fluke. But then finally got fed up and reset the codes today and it worked once without affecting theirs and then the next time theirs opened.

With these controls that are roaming I have no idea why this is happening.


----------



## JohnWill

You need to reprogram the opener to your door, just start from scratch. This is not supposed to happen, if all else fails, I'd get on Sears for a solution.


----------



## wacor

JohnWill said:


> You need to reprogram the opener to your door, just start from scratch. This is not supposed to happen, if all else fails, I'd get on Sears for a solution.


I did reset the codes

Unless I did that wrong somehow. But I doubt it as the lights did what they were supposed to and the remotes did not work until I synced them.


----------



## Knotbored

This sounds more like your neighbors problem then yours.
If I found out my neighbors generic key unlocked my car door I would blame my car, not my neighbor and get my car fixed.


----------



## itsjusme

Agreed, it could be a receiver problem on his side rather than a transmitter problem on yours.


----------



## JohnWill

Maybe you should talk to him and try re-syncing his codes?


----------



## Koot

The problem lies with your neighbor's older garage door opener's receiver. There's nothing wrong with it per se, it just doesn't have the safeguards like the newer ones...and now your unit's roving codes (within the same frequency range sometimes matches your neighbor's code. And bingo - your remote opens your neighbor's garage door along with your garage door. 

Each time you use your remote control it seeds your receiver with new coding for the next operation. Your neighbor's receiver happens to randomly operate whenever your unit's coding matches your neighbor's much broader coding range. 

There are a few different operating frequency ranges for garage door openers and obviously you and your neighbor's door unfortunately operates within that same frequency range. But the problem is not the frequency operating range, though a different range would prevent what's happening, but instead your neighbor's older unit does not have the inherent safeguard that newer units have.

I would talk with an experienced tech at "any" garage door installer and ask what can be done. There are a number of national companies - Overhead Door Company is a good place to start.


----------



## JohnWill

Of course, you could replace your transmitter and receiver, but I can't see why you should have to do that when it sounds like the neighbor's rig is the problem.


----------



## paisanol69

JohnWill said:


> Of course, you could replace your transmitter and receiver, but I can't see why you should have to do that when it sounds like the neighbor's rig is the problem.


....would all depend on who had the oldest installation of the garage door opener. For example, if I had a garage door opener installed 6 years ago, working perfectly, and my neighbor installed a new one across the street from me, causing my garage door to open randomly, then it would definately be my neighbors problem, not mine since there was/is nothing wrong with my doors function. My neighbor would have to be the one to address the problem, not me.
The only time it would become my problem, is if I got robbed due to my garage door being opened when I was not at home, and I can assure you, that would SOON become my neighbors problem, since he/she was aware that their opener was/could leave my home unsecured when they operated their remote.

As a side point, I would be glad to know that the problem existed, since it stands to reason that if my neighbor can now randomly open my garage, so could anyone else driving by, with the same type of remote!


----------



## Koot

paisanol69 said:


> ....would all depend on who had the oldest installation of the garage door opener. For example, if I had a garage door opener installed 6 years ago, working perfectly, and my neighbor installed a new one across the street from me, causing my garage door to open randomly, then it would definately be my neighbors problem, not mine since there was/is nothing wrong with my doors function. My neighbor would have to be the one to address the problem, not me.
> The only time it would become my problem, is if I got robbed due to my garage door being opened when I was not at home, and I can assure you, that would SOON become my neighbors problem, since he/she was aware that their opener was/could leave my home unsecured when they operated their remote.
> 
> As a side point, *I would be glad to know that the problem existed, since it stands to reason that if my neighbor can now randomly open my garage, so could anyone else driving by, with the same type of remote!*


That said, you may want to reconsider your position concerning whose problem it is!


----------



## paisanol69

Koot said:


> That said, you may want to reconsider your position concerning whose problem it is!


is just because my neighbore decided to upgrade/replace his garage door opener, do not mean that I should have to also.

Whats next? He/she decide to paint their house, so now I must follow suit?

That is/was the point of my last post!!


----------



## itsjusme

Koot said:


> That said, you may want to reconsider your position concerning whose problem it is!


Especially when you consider the FCC rules for most electronic devices of this type, it`s sorta straddle of the fence, but says:
1: This device may not cause harmful interference
2: This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.


----------



## paisanol69

itsjusme said:


> Especially when you consider the FCC rules for most electronic devices of this type, it`s sorta straddle of the fence, but says:
> 1: This device may not cause harmful interference
> 2: This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.


....is that if my name was Bill, and I was known around this website as the '" IPN " , I would be very worried that my neighbors house might be burgled in the near future, and that I might possably be blamed for contributating to that said burglery, since it is now well known by that neighbor, and other neighbors, that MY garage door opener can, and has opened his garage door.

even if it was/could have been caused by a "drive by burgler " I think it could get very messy for Bill, I sure do hope he gets along well with this neighbor!


----------



## Koot

I believe the people here who believe the problem lies with the owner of the newer garage door opener and remote transmitter may want to seriously reconsider their position. Just because a neighbor has gone for many years without someone elses remote transmitter opening their garage door - it does not mean the problem is with the newer unit. It is almost 100% certain that the culprit is because the neighbor's older unit simply lacks modern day, enhanced security features.

In all likelihood the neighbor's garage door opener is much older. You will find that most garage door opener manufacturers do not support products made prior to 1993, or even more recently made units. Newer units have enhanced safety and security features that comply with new UL safety regulations. Older units lack these security features and do not comply with current regulations. Thus, because older units do not have these safety features and do not comply with current regulations, it is strongly recommend by ALL garage door manufacturers that older units be upgraded.

Older garage door openers use transmitters that send a weak RF (radio frequency) signal within a certain [frequency] range. And the garage door opener's receiver receives the transmitted signal. This is where the problem lies. This old receiver is designed to receive a much broader transmitted signal than new models.

In the very early days of garage door openers, around the 1950s, the transmitters were extremely simple. They sent out a single signal, and the garage door opener responded by opening or closing. As garage door openers became common, the simplicity of this system created a big problem - anyone could drive down the street with a transmitter and open any garage door. They all used the same frequency and there was no security.

By the 1970s, garage door openers had gotten slightly more sophisticated. They began using a controller chip and a DIP switch. A DIP switch has eight tiny switches arranged in a small package and soldered to the circuit board. By setting the DIP switches inside the transmitter, you controlled the code that the transmitter sent. The garage door would only open if the receiver's DIP switch were set to the same pattern. This provided some level of security, but not much. Eight DIP switches provide only 256 possible combinations. That's enough to keep several neighbors from opening each other's doors, but not enough to provide any real security. With such a broad (receiver) range of frequency it's common for these older garage door openers' receiver to open a neighbor's garage door as often as - every time a modern, newer remote is used. Remote-entry transmitters and receivers have gotten a lot more sophisticated since then.

With the remote keyless-entry systems that you find used for garage openers and cars today, security is a big issue. If people could easily open other people's cars in a crowded parking lot at the mall, it would be a real problem. The same applies to garage doors. And with the proliferation of radio scanners, you also need to prevent people from "capturing" the code that your transmitter sends. Once they have your code, they can simply re-transmit it to open your garage door or car.

The controller chip in any modern controller uses something called a hopping code or a rolling code to provide security. For example, a new system that uses a 40-bit rolling code provides about 1 trillion possible codes. The transmitter's controller chip has a memory location that holds the current 40-bit code. When you push a button on the remote transmitter it sends that 40-bit code along with a function code that tells the garage door opener's receiver what to do (open the door or close the door). The receiver's controller chip also has a memory location that holds the current 40-bit code. If the receiver gets the 40-bit code it expects, then it performs the requested function. If not, it does nothing. Both the transmitter and the receiver use the same pseudo-random number generator. When the transmitter sends a 40-bit code, it uses the pseudo-random number generator to pick a new code, which it stores in memory. On the other end, when the receiver receives a valid code, it uses the same pseudo-random number generator to pick a new one. In this way, the transmitter and the receiver are synchronized. The receiver only opens the door if it receives the code it expects.

Given a 40-bit code and up to 256 levels of look-ahead in the pseudo-random number generator to avoid desynchronization, there is a one-in-a-billion chance of your transmitter opening a neighbor's garage door...IF the neighbor also has modern equipment that provides them with security. When you take into account the fact that garage door manufacturers can use different systems and different frequency ranges, and that the newest systems use many more bits, you can see that it is nearly impossible for any given transmitter to open any other garage door...unless a neighbor's equipment is old and lacks the security new units have.

You can also see that code capturing will not work with a rolling code transmitter. Older garage door transmitters sent the same 8-bit code based on the pattern set on the DIP switches. Someone could capture the code with a radio scanner and easily re-transmit it to open the door. With a rolling code, capturing the transmission is useless. There is no way to predict which random number the transmitter and receiver have chosen to use as the next code, so re-transmitting the captured code has no effect. With trillions of possibilities, there is also no way to scan through all the codes because it would take years to do that.

The question that needs to be answered is - who's problem is this? Is it the problem of the owner that owns the new equipment, or is it the problem of the owner that owns the old outdated equipment?


----------



## JohnWill

paisanol69 said:


> is just because my neighbore decided to upgrade/replace his garage door opener, do not mean that I should have to also.
> 
> Whats next? He/she decide to paint their house, so now I must follow suit?
> 
> That is/was the point of my last post!!


You assume facts not in evidence. The reason your neighbor's opener affects your door could be because of a defect in the design or hardware of your receiver, or even a configuration issue. Trying to simply blame the neighbor because his installation is newer probably won't be very effective.

*Edit: I see I was preempted by the previous post in a much more complete manner. *


----------



## Elvandil

All used the same frequency? LOL. I really haven't heard anything so ridiculous in a long time. Thanks for the laugh.







There may be other gems, but no one is going to read that whole post, anyway.

In any case, the newer digital transmitters can conceivably send out an encoded signal at the same frequency as the receiver and make it respond even though it is not even digital.

But even those old ones had chokes to tune the frequency since they tended to drift with time. So he should be able to make a minor change to his.

(PS. Did you know that back then, everyone had the same telephone number, too? AND, the same address? You can't imagine the chaos it caused. )


----------



## JohnWill

I'm sure there's a resolution, it just depends on how technical the users are.


----------



## Koot

Elvandil said:


> *All used the same frequency? LOL. I really haven't heard anything so ridiculous in a long time. Thanks for the laugh.*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *There may be other gems, but no one is going to read that whole post, anyway.*
> 
> In any case, the newer digital transmitters can conceivably send out an encoded signal at the same frequency as the receiver and make it respond even though it is not even digital.
> 
> But even those old ones had chokes to tune the frequency since they tended to drift with time. So he should be able to make a minor change to his.
> 
> (PS. Did you know that back then, everyone had the same telephone number, too? AND, the same address? You can't imagine the chaos it caused. )


I assume you are talking about my post. The very old garage door transmitters did indeed use a single frequency. Each unit had its own frequency, but the manufacturers probably didn't use more than a couple dozen different frequencies within the [frequency] range. What is so ridiculous about what I stated? It's just the way it was... As garage door openers became more popular it was common to have numerous openers in the neighborhood using one of the same small number of frequencies. Also, with the receivers not having much signal rejection capabilities a signal that was transmitted close to the designed frequency oftentimes opened the garage door at a nearby neighbor's house.

I'm curious why you think no one will read my entire post. It's their loss if they want to learn what the problem is...and it's your loss since it's obvious that you're in way over your head!

Do you have anything to offer other than suggesting that someone should tune the chokes in the old unit's receiver? Are you suggesting the owner can do this? Are you suggesting that a garage door technician will remove components on the receiver's printed circuit board to isolate the receiver circuit and then use a DIP meter to fine-tune chokes to hopefully reject unwanted signals? Yeah, right!!! Tell me, what would cause a garage door opener receiver's tuned circuit to drift? Do you really think even a seasoned garage door technician has the knowledge, equipment or time to attempt to make an old garage door opener's receiver reject a signal it was [actually] designed to receive?

Thanks for the laugh!


----------



## Elvandil

Thank you.









Though I didn't read that massive post, I suspect that you are trying to "teach" something again. Thanks, but if I'm going to take the time to learn something, it would first have to be true. And I seriously doubt there is a single thing that I would like to know from you. So, look for other victims, I mean, "students", to impart your strange catechism to.

Editing your post to remove the funny parts was not fair at all.

Classic:


> he very old garage door transmitters did indeed use a single frequency. Each unit had its own frequency, but the manufacturers probably didn't use more than a couple dozen different frequencies within the [frequency] range.


Any idiot can cut and paste huge posts that no one will read. But you are a thief, pure and simple, and you have absolutely nothing to teach me.

For example:

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/remote-entry2.htm


----------



## Koot

Elvandil said:


> Thank you.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Though I didn't read that massive post, I suspect that you are trying to "teach" something again. Thanks, but *if I'm going to take the time to learn something, it would first have to be true.* And I seriously doubt there is a single thing that I would like to know from you. So, look for other victims, I mean, "students", to impart your strange catechism to.
> 
> Editing your post to remove the funny parts was not fair at all.
> 
> Classic:


Massive post! Probably less just a few minutes or reading...

You sound to me like someone that could stand to learn something about the topic instead of mouthing off rude comments to someone willing to share helpful and ACCURATE information. Much of the information I shared is available with a little Google searching.

I feel sorry for you that you cannot handle the truth. I also feel sorry for you that you are unwilling (or unable) to read a handful of paragraphs. But, you are all too anxious to ridicule others. Good work pal.


----------



## Elvandil

Use your time to look up the word "plagiarism". It is illegal, you know.

The majority of our members are honest people. We like it that way.


----------



## Koot

Elvandil said:


> Use your time to look up the word "plagiarism". It is illegal, you know.
> 
> The majority of our members are honest people. We like it that way.


Oh geez. Nice twist! You're a strange, strange fellow.


----------



## wacor

careful men or this will end up in CD


----------



## Koot

wacor said:


> careful men or this will end up in CD


There's no need for that to happen. Hopefully this thread can get back on topic.

I have stated my opinion that I believe your neighbor's garage door opener is old and prone to operate from other people's remote transmitters because the old unit lacks modern security standards. This opinion can be confirmed by an experienced overhead door technician "if" your neighbor is willing to request a service call...

Moving on - it may be interesting to discuss who is responsible for resolving the problem if repairing or replacing the neighbor's opener is required. Also, it may be interesting to discuss if you (or another neighbor) could be held liable for harm or theft caused by your (or someone elses) remote transmitter operating your neighbor's old garage door opener.


----------



## itsjusme

wacor said:


> garage opener is opening the neighbors door too..........................


You may have actually done your neighbor a favor, he now knows that his security could easily be compromised by someone with a transmitter like yours. As far as whose responsibility it is to fix it? I`m not 100% sure but i believe as long as your transmitter is operating in the specified band, within the specified frequency range for this type device, within the power output levels specified for this type device, not emitting out of band harmonics, and otherwise functioning as it was designed to, it is up to your neighbor to resolve the problem. Of course the average installer probably wont have the equipment or knowledge to check much of that. As far as the legal liability in the event of a break in, the FCC regulations i mentioned above would come into play there i imagine, who won would depend on who had the best lawyer if it came to that. LOL It may be possible to shield the side of his unit facing you with foil or sheet metal to try and block your signal, depending on his location in respect to your house(on your side or directly across the street?) Or experiment with which direction you point your remote to see if maybe some certain direction may open yours and not his. Good luck, it`s no fun fussing with neighbors, maybe ya`ll can work it out. But if you`re hearing about this from others and the neighbor hasnt approached you yet, .....well, good luck.


----------



## JohnWill

I remember when I was a kid in my teens driving around and just pushing the garage door opener button for every house, you'd be amazed at how many doors we opened!


----------



## itsjusme

JohnWill said:


> I remember when I was a kid in my teens driving around and just pushing the garage door opener button for every house, you'd be amazed at how many doors we opened!


LOL Yeah, i`m guilty too. Back then they operated on a frequency and had a receiver that was easily overridden. And we had a remote of sorts. If you had a CB with a big amplifier, you could open doors for blocks. LOL Most of those CB amps put out dirty signals with terrible harmonics, it would overload the receiver front end and drive em nuts.


----------



## wacor

JohnWill said:


> I remember when I was a kid in my teens driving around and just pushing the garage door opener button for every house, you'd be amazed at how many doors we opened!


Back in the mid 60's we had a tv that would once in a while turn on the neighbors garage door. And it was a long distance also.

I have tried the opener at different spots down the road. I also have fair luck if I close my door when part of the car is still inside the garage as I am backing up.

For now I will just make sure I don't open his door and wait till I see him and tell him I tried.


----------



## Koot

itsjusme said:


> LOL Yeah, i`m guilty too. Back then they operated on a frequency and had a receiver that was easily overridden. And we had a remote of sorts. If you had a CB with a big amplifier, you could open doors for blocks. LOL Most of those CB amps put out dirty signals with terrible harmonics, it would overload the receiver front end and drive em nuts.


I remember those days well even though I was just a child. The wide double harmonic (at +/- 54 MHz) would wipe out neighbor's televisions even without an amp. That brings back fond memories of the huge sunspot cycle in '58 about the time the FCC allotted 27 MHz to the CB band. Also, Eico, Johnson white face, Johnson black face, General MC-5, Browning radios. It wasn't long before I got into Ham radio and passed my novice test in Atlanta, and soon became an Extra Class. Talking about big amplifiers, I've designed and built some huge, monster amps over the years.

Sorry about the off-topic, but I couldn't resist...


----------



## itsjusme

I never wanted to get the extra class license, once i got to general and found that most of the extra`s hung out on the general class portion because they were lonely. LOL I also have amps that will go way beyond the legal limit if i push em, but i seldom use them. I`ve talked around the world on 100 watts. And yeah, you could open some doors with a barefoot 4 watt radio if you were right in front of the house.


----------



## Koot

Yeah, that's true - on phone most of the action (rag chewing or DX) was in the general portion of the bands. On CW there was more activity that extras enjoyed in the lower portions. 

The biggest amp I built used two 3CX5000A7 in ground grid with a 3CX800A7 as a pre-driver. Early on I would build amps with a pair of 3-500s. But later on my favorite homebrews used 3CX800A7 tubes because they were so easy to drive. I've built them with two tubes all the way up to five tubes. The prettiest amp was built in a stripped out 30S-1 Collins base and upper cabinet using three 3CX800A7s. At one time I had a dozen Peter W. Dahl plate and filament transformers and dozens of vacuum caps for C1 & C2 laying around just waiting for the next one to be built. I used to enjoy talking to a bunch of friends about building amps on 75 meters. Lot of fun. 73s


----------



## valis

why is it that I now have this sudden urge to obtain a ham radio and fiddle with it for a bit?


----------



## Koot

valis said:


> why is it that I now have this sudden urge to obtain a ham radio and fiddle with it for a bit?


It "was" a better hobby years ago, but sadly the older Hams are dying off and there are very few kids taking up the hobby. Also, decades ago you could build your own equipment because parts were readily available, but not too much anymore. And there used to be a multitude of new Ham radios and equipment from various manufacturers, but it's very limited now. It's still a great hobby and a wealth of knowledge and experince can be learned along the journey - it's just not what it used to be...and never will be again.


----------



## itsjusme

valis said:


> why is it that I now have this sudden urge to obtain a ham radio and fiddle with it for a bit?


Didnt mean to get off topic, as if that hadn`t already been done in this thread. You can delete my post`s if you wish.


----------



## valis

heck no........this threads been meandering all over hell and back. Besides, wacor's the one driving, and I'll lay you ten to one that he will swear that he didn't have anything to do with this thread.


----------



## wacor

Ham radio operators are worse than born again christians. My best friend toyed with them in high school and then suddenly in his 40s got hooked again. Put up a 40' tower on property in northern MI on one of the higher pieces of land. It was so high and such a sturdy tower he was offered to rent it to the cell phone companies. Went on a trip to Tenn back 15 years ago and he spent the entire trip on his mobile rig that he put in my car. One fishing trip up in Canada he brought the mobile rig.

Yeah these people need to get a life.

Now that will be the end of such talk on this thread.

Thank you


----------



## itsjusme

> Yeah these people need to get a life.


ROTFL ! Yeah, i guess thats kinda like people that hang out on these forums that can accumulate 25-35k posts in just 5-6 years.

Do you know anyone that has a system and remote like yours that you could try to see if it also opens your neighbors door also?


----------



## valis

itsjusme said:


> ROTFL ! Yeah, i guess thats kinda like people that hang out on these forums that can accumulate 25-35k posts in just 5-6 years.


he does bring up a valid point.


----------



## wacor

valis said:


> he does bring up a valid point.


You obviously have never been stuck in a car driving over 6 hours with an obsessed ham operator 

Besides I can multi task quite well.

And work is just this stinking slow


----------



## valis

you at least got the work........I got laid off friday........

and no, I've not spent 6 hours in the car with a ham operator (is there any other type other than 'obsessed'?), so you get bonus points for that. 

I still wish I could have been there to see your face when both doors opened.......priceless......


----------



## wacor

sorry about the layoff V

that stinks

and yes obsessed to put it mildly. When he was on the fishing trip he made my buddy go to short at a particular time so he could fire up the radio to communicate with somebody back home. 

hearing dit, dit, dot, dot for hours on the road makes my blood curdle 

he is the obsessed type that has to also prove he is still up to speed on the morris code. 

oye


----------



## Koot

You're right that most Hams are obsessed with their hobby and are on the geeky side. That gets old very quickly - I know. However, I can honestly say that's not how I am. I've been far more obsessed with playing golf over the years than Ham radio. In fact, Ham radio is down the list a ways. There are a number of hobbies, including sports car racing and track events, that top the list ahead of Ham radio. Not all Hams are like your friend, but I agree that most are. By the way, it's Morse code - not Morris code!  Some may even call it "CW", which means "continuous wave".


----------



## itsjusme

> and no, I've not spent 6 hours in the car with a ham operator (is there any other type other than 'obsessed'?), so you get bonus points for that.


LOL Yes, there are lots of us that arent obsessed, just like theres lots of computer enthusiasts who arent obsessed with posting in forums. If you REALLY want to talk about obsessed, think CELL PHONE. Some people on those are much more irritating than any radio operator i can think of. In fact, cell phones arent even really phones, they`re in essence ,radios that operate in the microwave band, and they`re linked to the phone system via a microwave repeater. They are handy talkies, so you are in effect yaking on the radio. LOL


----------



## JohnWill

itsjusme said:


> ROTFL ! Yeah, i guess thats kinda like people that hang out on these forums that can accumulate 25-35k posts in just 5-6 years.


Gee, I wonder who he's talking about?


----------



## valis

itsjusme said:


> LOL Yes, there are lots of us that arent obsessed, just like theres lots of computer enthusiasts who arent obsessed with posting in forums. If you REALLY want to talk about obsessed, think CELL PHONE. Some people on those are much more irritating than any radio operator i can think of. In fact, cell phones arent even really phones, they`re in essence ,radios that operate in the microwave band, and they`re linked to the phone system via a microwave repeater. They are handy talkies, so you are in effect yaking on the radio. LOL


couldn't have put it better myself. I used to teach golf in Oregon, and I cannot tell you, with all honesty, how many foursomes I've excused myself from as a walk-on singleton because some dipwad has his freakin phone in his bag.

I know me. I know that it's either I excuse myself and either let them play ahead or me play through, or that friggen' thing is magically going to get hit repeatedly with a 5 iron, then throw itself into the lake. And if the owner doesn't like it..........this is why I excuse myself from the situation.............

gad....cell phones......worst invention ever............


----------



## valis

and JW, not one peep about how I really feel. 


we should hold a poll for that............worst invention ever........maybe actually get JayDub to post over in CD for a few.

enjoy.


----------



## Koot

Since we've butchered up Wacor's thread (temporarily solved I think) and some of the discussion has been about Ham radio, I'll share some pixs...










Here's a picture from the early 90s of my Ham Shack showing some of the radio equipment.




























This is one of many homebrew linear amplifiers I designed and built.










This is the beginnings of another homebrew amp I was building.










This was taken back in the mid 80s of me in a CW Worldwide DX contest.










And I cannot leave out a picture of some of my golf trophies stored in the attic.


----------



## itsjusme

JohnWill said:


> Gee, I wonder who he's talking about?


LOL Yeah, i saw your 100,000 mile marker in the headlines. You`re bumping 14k a year.


----------



## itsjusme

valis said:


> and JW, not one peep about how I really feel.
> 
> we should hold a poll for that............worst invention ever........maybe actually get JayDub to post over in CD for a few.
> 
> enjoy.


That would make a great topic for discussion or poll. Don`t want to get that started here, but cell phone would have to be in the top 10. :up:


----------



## JohnWill

valis said:


> and JW, not one peep about how I really feel.


----------



## valis

Koot said:


> And I cannot leave out a picture of some of my golf trophies stored in the attic.


yup, that seals it......we're gonna meet sometime......you probably still play with persimmon, too, correct?


----------



## Koot

valis said:


> yup, that seals it......we're gonna meet sometime......you probably still play with persimmon, too, correct?


No, but I sure played a ton of different "wood" woods! The game got a lot easier when they became history.


----------



## valis

ahhhhhhhhhh jeeze pete.........hell, I still got _my_ old persimmons.........still have the spike with the nice little aprons over the laces too..........


----------



## wacor

Back on topic you dipsticks.

I finally got a chance to talk to the neighbor.

_I start out by asking if he reset the codes on his?_ *Nope*

_Then I asked how old his was?_ * 6 months * (mine is a year old)

_So how long has this been acting up?_ *6 months

*

Oye............. Yeah this has been going on ever since he installed his new opener. 

They are not the same make either. How in the heck with roving codes this could happen is beyond me. 

And his opener does not effect my door


----------



## Koot

wacor said:


> Back on topic you dipsticks.
> 
> I finally got a chance to talk to the neighbor.
> 
> _I start out by asking if he reset the codes on his?_ *Nope*
> 
> _Then I asked how old his was?_ * 6 months * (mine is a year old)
> 
> _So how long has this been acting up?_ *6 months
> 
> *
> 
> Oye............. Yeah this has been going on ever since he installed his new opener.
> 
> They are not the same make either. How in the heck with roving codes this could happen is beyond me.
> 
> And his opener does not effect my door


Wacor, I totally agree with you - we are all dipsticks!  Especially that Valis fellow with his old persimmon wood golf clubs and rusted and rotted metal-spiked golf shoes with those cute little aprons covering his shoe laces. 

That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. With two new garage door openers you would have a better chance of winning the lottery 20 straight times for every one time your remote opens anyones garage door in your entire hometown trying every second of the day around the clock in five lifetimes.

Now that you know your neighbor's garage door opener is newer that should take the onus off you. Since his problem only started when he had the opener installed six months ago it should be him that seeks out the solution. He had no problem with your remote opening his door before - therefore his new opener appears to be the culprit, not yours.

But I have to admit, I would love to know what the problem is - because it does not make any sense whatsoever...


----------



## itsjusme

wacor said:


> Back on topic you dipsticks.
> 
> I finally got a chance to talk to the neighbor.
> 
> _I start out by asking if he reset the codes on his?_ *Nope*
> 
> _Then I asked how old his was?_ * 6 months * (mine is a year old)
> 
> _So how long has this been acting up?_ *6 months
> 
> *
> 
> Oye............. Yeah this has been going on ever since he installed his new opener.
> 
> They are not the same make either. How in the heck with roving codes this could happen is beyond me.
> 
> And his opener does not effect my door


Well, he says his is new and he`s only had it 6 months, but is it new technology, or did someone pawn off an older unit they had leftover from days gone by that may in fact be new? Have you seen it, or has the discussion progressed that far? Just a thought, but a possibility.


----------



## wacor

He said he took a look to changing the code and it does not have the switches.

And yes this is totally baffling. His has to be relatively new technology though because one of his cars he can not reprogram but the other one he can. Same with my 2001 Durango which will not program to my opener. Even the 5 year old keypad entry I had to replace on mine. The old one was not compatible.


----------



## valis

itsjusme said:


> Well, he says his is new and he`s only had it 6 months, but is it new technology, or did someone pawn off an older unit they had leftover from days gone by that may in fact be new? Have you seen it, or has the discussion progressed that far? Just a thought, but a possibility.


that was my kneejerk reaction too......can't flip a coin and have it come up heads that many times........


----------



## valis

Koot said:


> Wacor, I totally agree with you - we are all dipsticks!  Especially that Valis fellow with his old persimmon wood golf clubs and rusted and rotted metal-spiked golf shoes with those cute little aprons covering his shoe laces.


damn straight skippy...........even have a hogan 1 iron.........use that off the tee to great esteem..........fecks with the others heads enough to make 'em think I'm actually good at the damn game.........


----------



## wacor

when I was a kid my favorite club was a hickory stick 7 iron. 

Best driver I had was a $30 metal one back 15 years ago. That head is so tiny I would have trouble hitting it now a days.


----------



## Koot

valis said:


> damn straight skippy...........even have a hogan 1 iron.........use that off the tee to great esteem..........fecks with the others heads enough to make 'em think I'm actually good at the damn game.........


Hahahaha!!!


----------



## Koot

wacor said:


> *He said he took a look to changing the code and it does not have the switches.*
> 
> And yes this is totally baffling. His has to be relatively new technology though because one of his cars he can not reprogram but the other one he can. Same with my 2001 Durango which will not program to my opener. Even the 5 year old keypad entry I had to replace on mine. The old one was not compatible.


I doubt you can answer this but - do you know what he meant by saying; "it does not have the switches"? What switches?

Is he talking about DIP switches, like was used to program old garage door openers? Or is he referring to push buttons when he says switches? All the newer garage door openers use a "Learn" button on the opener for programming remotes very easily to the unit.


----------



## valis

wacor said:


> when I was a kid my favorite club was a hickory stick 7 iron.
> 
> Best driver I had was a $30 metal one back 15 years ago. That head is so tiny I would have trouble hitting it now a days.


best 'driver' you ever had is the one betwixt thine ears, me bill old boy. There's an adage in golf; 'you can put draw on it, and you can put fade on it, put you can't put straight on it.'. That adage, incidentally, I have proven incorrect with just a dab of vaseline and complete and utter disregard for the PGA rulebook.

Gimme a jar of brylcream and I'll paste one 320 down the pipes for ya, every time. 

but as far as the sticks go? Ever heard of Moe Norman?

One of two dudes to own his swing.

the other being my idol, hogan............


----------



## wacor

Koot said:


> I doubt you can answer this but - do you know what he meant by saying; "it does not have the switches"? What switches?
> 
> Is he talking about DIP switches, like was used to program old garage door openers? Or is he referring to push buttons when he says switches? All the newer garage door openers use a "Learn" button on the opener for programming remotes very easily to the unit.


Yes the DIP switches I was referring to. His has the learn button.


----------



## wacor

valis said:


> best 'driver' you ever had is the one betwixt thine ears, me bill old boy. There's an adage in golf; 'you can put draw on it, and you can put fade on it, put you can't put straight on it.'. That adage, incidentally, I have proven incorrect with just a dab of vaseline and complete and utter disregard for the PGA rulebook.
> 
> Gimme a jar of brylcream and I'll paste one 320 down the pipes for ya, every time.
> 
> but as far as the sticks go? Ever heard of Moe Norman?
> 
> One of two dudes to own his swing.
> 
> the other being my idol, hogan............


Back then I practiced quite a bit. I hit one drive 300 yards. Averaged over 240 yds with a lot over 250 yds.

Not bad for somebody well over a foot shorter than the stork eh 

When I was 12 years old I had a 12 handicap. If I could have learned how to putt back then I would have been around a 6 hdcp. I had many a round shooting in the low 80's with over 36 putts.

I admired Hogan too but Arnie was my guy. Bobby had the sweetest swing of em all though. Hands down the best golfer of all time IMO


----------



## valis

dang..........36 putts? any day I walk off with more than 30 is a bad day for me.......and I've got a 1982 K-Mart special putter in my bag..........that and a bamboo shafted 1923 MacGregor 10 iron.......again, I tend to play more with the heads of the competitors than I do with the course itself........


----------



## Koot

wacor said:


> Yes the DIP switches I was referring to. His has the learn button.


Wacor, He won't find any DIP switches since he has a new unit. All he needs is the instruction manual and that Learn button on his operator and he can reprogram his unit, which is somethig he should try. But it still remains a complete mystery what is happening...because it should not be happening in a zillion years.


----------



## wacor

valis said:


> dang..........36 putts? any day I walk off with more than 30 is a bad day for me.......and I've got a 1982 K-Mart special putter in my bag..........that and a bamboo shafted 1923 MacGregor 10 iron.......again, I tend to play more with the heads of the competitors than I do with the course itself........


I literally could not make a putt over 3' in length. I had one round where I was 3 over par and was on every green in regulation. (9 hole round) I still am terrible at long putts. I am pretty deadly from 5 foot in and make a lot of 10-15 footers though. I am all feel and I cut my putts. Drives people nuts trying to read my putts


----------



## JohnWill

Have you neighbor relearn all the remotes and reset his sync between the transmitters and receivers. My guess is this will solve the problem.


----------



## Drabdr

wacor said:


> careful men or this will end up in CD


If it does, you can't claim you had nothing to do with it....


Geeze all.... calm down. It's just a garage door.


----------



## Drabdr

Hey, Koot! Just noticed you're a Plano boy. We ought to meet up in Dallas sometime.


----------



## Drabdr

Ok, this thread is like a CD thread. Don't have time to read all the posts. 

Another thing is if the garage doors are operated by the openers that come with them, or if the remote buttons on the vehicle are programmed for the doors. Just something to consider.


----------



## valis

wacor said:


> I literally could not make a putt over 3' in length. I had one round where I was 3 over par and was on every green in regulation. (9 hole round) I still am terrible at long putts. I am pretty deadly from 5 foot in and make a lot of 10-15 footers though. I am all feel and I cut my putts. Drives people nuts trying to read my putts


sound like my dad. He's got 50 odd putters in his garage, still haven't convinced him it's not the damn puttER's fault, it's the puttee.

One summer (of course I measured it, I'm an engineer) I tracked, for 3 months I track his game. I had him write down everything; tee to green, green in reg, putts, fairways hit, etc.....at the time he had just retired, so it was the summer he was 55, maybe 56.......

over that 3 month span, I compared him to the Senior (now called Champions or Legends or some equally politically correct term for 'old fart') Tour _average_ for a similar span that played on similar length courses. Of course, I couldn't get the handicaps to match and all that garbage, but I got a great rough estimate of where he sat.

Tee to green, he was a shade under the average, something like .43 or .44 strokes better.

putts, he was something like 7 or 8 strokes worse than the average. Literally. Never have I seen so many 74's turn into 82's via 3' lipouts, pulls, or flat out misses.


----------



## Arbalest

Koot said:


> ...the people here who believe the problem lies with the owner of the newer garage door opener and remote transmitter may want to seriously reconsider their position.


Even though this is an old thread I just signed up so that I could reply to this. Koot, thanks for this informative and useful post!

I suspected this sort of thing in my situation where all 5 remotes (for our 2 opener garage) opens and closes 1 opener of our neighbor's 2 opener garage. The opener in question was made before 1993 and none of his remotes effect his other opener or any of our openers. No other openers along our dense urban alley is effected by our remotes.

I also agree that Elvandil, did not bother to think before posting his rude replies. The idea of any of billions of codes being transmitted on the same frequency (or range) is lost on him. I received my EE degree over 30 years ago and the idea of transmitting a unique frequency for every device would have been considered old-school-archaic (and silly) even back then.


----------



## Koot

Arbalest said:


> Even though this is an old thread I just signed up so that I could reply to this. Koot, thanks for this informative and useful post!
> 
> I suspected this sort of thing in my situation where all 5 remotes (for our 2 opener garage) opens and closes 1 opener of our neighbor's 2 opener garage. The opener in question was made before 1993 and none of his remotes effect his other opener or any of our openers. No other openers along our dense urban alley is effected by our remotes.
> 
> I also agree that Elvandil, did not bother to think before posting his rude replies. The idea of any of billions of codes being transmitted on the same frequency (or range) is lost on him. I received my EE degree over 30 years ago and the idea of transmitting a unique frequency for every device would have been considered old-school-archaic (and silly) even back then.


Arbalest,

You are very welcome. I'm happy to hear that my information was helpful. I appreciate the kind words...

Best regards,
Koot

PS - I see this was your first post. Welcome aboard!


----------

