Garage Door Opener RFI Kit, Low Freq (150 KHz-10 MHz) for AM Broadcast or High Freq (1-300 MHz) for Ham Radio or Commercial RFIProduct DetailsBrand: Palomar EngineersUPC: Does Not ApplyMPN: RFI-GDO-LF or RFI-GDO-HFType: NewCountry/Region of Manufacture: United StatesRFI-GDO Garage Door Opener RFI Kit
This RFI-GDO kit is specifically designed to cure most garage door opener systems triggered by Radio Frequency Interference problems. The kit contains ferrite ring toroids (“Donut” shaped ferrites) for the AC power supply protection and “Snap on” ferrite beads for door sensor (2) lines and one manual on/off opener switch.
The ferrites kits are selected to eliminate RFI from in one of two ranges, Either Low Frequency (150 KHZ-10 MHZ) and part# RFI-GDO-LF or High Frequency (1-300 MHZ) with part# RFI-GDO-HF. The ferrites are easy to use, don’t require modification of the protected equipment and work in almost all cases.
What causes RFI?
Strong signals from nearby amateur radio, CB, military, AM/FM and other “transmitters” (such as microwave ovens, cell phones, computers, wireless phones, HDTV systems, home automation systems/light dimmers, variable speed motors, etc) that are picked up by long wires (“antennas”) running through the house electric power wiring or device sensor wires. These “antennas” feed the interfering signals into garage door opener causing it to halt operation or act intermittently.Note: Some of the new Garage door controls use DC motors and a Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) speed controller which can generate RFI into other electronics nearby. Use the RFI kits below to help suppress RECEIVED RFI and RFI TRANSMITTED by your garage door opener.
How to cure RFI
RFI can be stopped by suppressing the signal from the radio “transmitter” or suppressing the signal on the receiving “antenna” feeding the affected device or eliminating the RFI path between the source and victim devices. With the RFI-GDO kit, you run the wires entering the opener through ferrite cores right next to (or inside) the controller box. Ferrites do not affect the signals going through the wires but they resist the passage of common mode RFI keeping the RFI signals out of the opener and stopping the RFI from falsely triggering the opener. Some sensor lines may require multiple ferrite toroids to be most effective. Also the more turns around the toroid, the more effective the RFI filter.
Sometimes you may also have to change frequencies of your GDO to avoid interfering frequencies. Many Chamberland(Whisper Drive, etc)/Craftsman/Liftmaster GDO’s use 280-390 MHz or 315 MHz which may be be close to interfering transmitters. The RFI kit will help to suppress the interference common to all lines including AC and DC driven motors.LED lights or LED light dimmers interfering with Garage door opener: Some brands of LED bulb circuitry operates from 30 – 300 MHz and may cause RFI to the opener. Best bet is to try different LED light brands or remove LED lights from garage and surrounding area. (read: problem is not with the LED lights but the LED circuitry within the LED bulb)Wireless/wired Security Camera Systems can cause RFI - use the RFI-GDO kit to suppress AC induced RFI into the opener.
If the RFI is severe, you may also try placing an aluminum foil “tent” around the sides of the GDO (leaving the “front toward the door open so the antenna can still receive your remote signal).
What is included in the kit?
The RFI-GDO kit is meant to be used with an AC powered (possibly through an AC wall wart or inline dc power supply battery backup) alarm system with up to 3 input/output signal lines and a single power supply line coming into the device. Note: a standard 3 prong AC power plug will go thru the ring ferrite 3-4 times as the ring has an inner ID of 1.4"
TECH NOTE: We also stock RFI kits to protect effected devices such as garage door openers, computers (laptops, desktops), dsl/cable routers, ethernet hubs and many more devices. Remember there is always a “transmitter” and a “receiver” of RFI and the quest is to find and choke the “path” the RFI has selected – you need to add ferrites to both the transmitting side and the receiving side to eliminate RFI problems.
The RFI kits on this page only helps suppress RFI on the receiving side.Christmas lights or yard lights with switching DC power supplies are often the RFI source and a clamp on ferrite bead on the AC AND the DC side feeding the lights is needed to help suppress the switching power supply RFI noise. We have also had reported wireless HDTV boxes causing RFI to garage door remote openers.
Snap on ferrites on the power cord supply and/or switching the coax cable interfaces to CAT5 cable may also help solve the problem. Obvious Tech Note: make sure your remote batteries have enough energy to activate the GDO or the signal they transmit may not be large enough to over ride the RFI signal, but a fresh battery may be able to overcome the weak RFI source and allow the GDO to operate correctly.
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RFI-GDO Garage Door Opener RFI Kit
This RFI-GDO kit is specifically designed to cure most garage door opener systems triggered by Radio Frequency Interference problems. The kit contains ferrite ring toroids (“Donut” shaped ferrites) for the AC power supply protection and “Snap on” ferrite beads for door sensor (2) lines and one manual on/off opener switch.
The ferrites kits are selected to eliminate RFI from in one of two ranges, Either Low Frequency (150 KHZ-10 MHZ) and part# RFI-GDO-LF or High Frequency (1-300 MHZ) with part# RFI-GDO-HF. The ferrites are easy to use, don’t require modification of the protected equipment and work in almost all cases.
What causes RFI?
Strong signals from nearby amateur radio, CB, military, AM/FM and other “transmitters” (such as microwave ovens, cell phones, computers, wireless phones, HDTV systems, home automation systems/light dimmers, variable speed motors, etc) that are picked up by long wires (“antennas”) running through the house electric power wiring or device sensor wires. These “antennas” feed the interfering signals into garage door opener causing it to halt operation or act intermittently.Note: Some of the new Garage door controls use DC motors and a Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) speed controller which can generate RFI into other electronics nearby. Use the RFI kits below to help suppress RECEIVED RFI and RFI TRANSMITTED by your garage door opener.
How to cure RFI
RFI can be stopped by suppressing the signal from the radio “transmitter” or suppressing the signal on the receiving “antenna” feeding the affected device or eliminating the RFI path between the source and victim devices. With the RFI-GDO kit, you run the wires entering the opener through ferrite cores right next to (or inside) the controller box. Ferrites do not affect the signals going through the wires but they resist the passage of common mode RFI keeping the RFI signals out of the opener and stopping the RFI from falsely triggering the opener. Some sensor lines may require multiple ferrite toroids to be most effective. Also the more turns around the toroid, the more effective the RFI filter.
Sometimes you may also have to change frequencies of your GDO to avoid interfering frequencies. Many Chamberland(Whisper Drive, etc)/Craftsman/Liftmaster GDO’s use 280-390 MHz or 315 MHz which may be be close to interfering transmitters. The RFI kit will help to suppress the interference common to all lines including AC and DC driven motors.LED lights or LED light dimmers interfering with Garage door opener: Some brands of LED bulb circuitry operates from 30 – 300 MHz and may cause RFI to the opener. Best bet is to try different LED light brands or remove LED lights from garage and surrounding area. (read: problem is not with the LED lights but the LED circuitry within the LED bulb)Wireless/wired Security Camera Systems can cause RFI - use the RFI-GDO kit to suppress AC induced RFI into the opener.
If the RFI is severe, you may also try placing an aluminum foil “tent” around the sides of the GDO (leaving the “front toward the door open so the antenna can still receive your remote signal).
What is included in the kit?
The RFI-GDO kit is meant to be used with an AC powered (possibly through an AC wall wart or inline dc power supply battery backup) alarm system with up to 3 input/output signal lines and a single power supply line coming into the device. Note: a standard 3 prong AC power plug will go thru the ring ferrite 3-4 times as the ring has an inner ID of 1.4"
TECH NOTE: We also stock RFI kits to protect effected devices such as garage door openers, computers (laptops, desktops), dsl/cable routers, ethernet hubs and many more devices. Remember there is always a “transmitter” and a “receiver” of RFI and the quest is to find and choke the “path” the RFI has selected – you need to add ferrites to both the transmitting side and the receiving side to eliminate RFI problems.
The RFI kits on this page only helps suppress RFI on the receiving side.Christmas lights or yard lights with switching DC power supplies are often the RFI source and a clamp on ferrite bead on the AC AND the DC side feeding the lights is needed to help suppress the switching power supply RFI noise. We have also had reported wireless HDTV boxes causing RFI to garage door remote openers.
Snap on ferrites on the power cord supply and/or switching the coax cable interfaces to CAT5 cable may also help solve the problem. Obvious Tech Note: make sure your remote batteries have enough energy to activate the GDO or the signal they transmit may not be large enough to over ride the RFI signal, but a fresh battery may be able to overcome the weak RFI source and allow the GDO to operate correctly.
Sometimes you need a high power common mode choke that is super effective and the Super-Choker™ products fill this need very well. All Super-Choker™ chokes use multiple turns through ferrite cores for higher choking impedance compared to our multi-bead sleeve chokes which only use one turn through multiple cores. Different ferrite mixes and turns ratios are used to optimize choking impedance in the selected product frequency range.
Super-Choker™ chokes are manufactured with 1/2″ 52 ohm coax cable (rated for full amateur radio legal limit of 1500 watts continuous (or the capacity of the coax cable at the selected frequency – good for over 5KW on 4 MHz into a matched load for example) with PL-259 connectors that can be connected to your coax feed line with simple double female barrel connectors.
Super-Choker™ chokes are ideal for high power stations and are very effective for keeping common mode current off the feed line on verticals, dipoles, and loop antennas at their feed point and also for choking coax lines at the station input to reduce common mode noise picked up by the outside of the coax braid between the feed point and the station entrance.
Ferrite core kits are available separately if you want to supply your own coax feed line.
Super Choker™ Case History:
I run an 80 meter loop antenna about 30 feet in height and have previously been using a coaxial balun common mode choke of 25 turns of RG-213 on a 6 inch form attached about 6 feet under the corner feed point of the loop (configured in a triangle). Using a Dentron 3000 antenna tuner I was able to tune all the ham bands and the lowest SWR was about 1.4 on most bands. The antenna feed line was led away from the corner of the loop and was not under the loop. Feed line length was about 105 feet as measured on the Aim 4170-TDR function.
I first placed a Super Choker™ 8010 at the antenna tuner leaving the coaxial balun in place. As I retuned the antenna tuner, the first thing I noticed was that I could now tune down to 1.1:1 on 80, 40 and 20 meters and I could not do that before. The noise level which had been running about S7 on 40 meters during the day had dropped to about S6 on my TS-870 receiver. I was pleased that the reflected power was now almost nil and the noise level was lower.
I then took the next step and replaced the coaxial balun and Super Choker 8010 with a Super Choker™ 16040 in series with a Super Choker 4010 for maximum choking power from 80-10meters. The antenna tuning was about the same but now the SWR was 1.0:1 on 80-10 meters and the noise level on 40 was down to S5. I tuned up on 20, 15 and 10 meters and worked a couple of JA’s and noticed that the noise level on 10 and 15 was not even S1 – something I had not experienced before on the 5 acre plot of land we call home.
What a welcome relief to find such a simple solution to RF feedback I had experienced and I got a lower noise level to boot!
Now to plan that 160 meter loop! I wonder what Krusty ole Kurt would use?
Bob, AK6R