GDO range of operation

[Tango Charlie]

As I'm doing my last EOC on the way home, I'd like to coast all the way into the garage. If I'm lucky (and with a new battery), sometimes my GDO will activate far enough away that I can slip under the door as it's still going up. But it's too close for comfort.

Anyone know how to extend the range of a GDO?

Extending the antenna to the outside would probably help, but I think I'd have to use shielded coax. I don't want to change the effective length of the antenna wire, right?

I need about 350 feet of range.

[Tango Charlie]

anyone?
anyone?

[dremd]

Have you taken apart either the transmitter, or the receiver to see what sort of antenna is on either end?

If you are lucky the receive end will be an F connector with a stubby antenna attached, then you could extend that out . . . ..


Edit: if you always approach from the same direction you could consider a reflector behind the unit, sort of a low tech dish arrangement . . . .. .

[Tango Charlie]

I'm pretty sure the receiver antenna is just a wire hanging out, but I'll take a closer look tonight.
The reflector idea would be easy to try. What would work, aluminum tinfoil?

[dremd]

Originally Posted by Tango Charlie

The reflector idea would be easy to try. What would work, aluminum tinfoil?

Tinfoil would be easiest, at least temporarily . . . .

Do we know what the operating frequency of the system is?

[Tango Charlie]

This is the receiver mounted on the ceiling of the garage.
It says 'freq. 390' on the side of it.


this is the guts of one of the tx's. The white cylinder with the wire wrapped around it is the antenna, right?

[Tango Charlie]

I made a quick 'n dirty reflector with tinfoil stuck to part of a cardboard box.



I walked outside with the opener to test for range. It stopped working when I got about halfway along the divisional island at the entrance of the subdivision. That's about half of what I'd really like. So it's showing promise.