SMA Inverter and garage door openers

[bcroe]

A radio frequency filter might take care of the LED bulbs, possibly a shield would also
be required. Try snooping them with an AM portable radio. Bruce Roe

[SunEagle]

I never satisfactorily resolved this issue...until....

Recently a hinge broke on one of the door panels so I had it serviced and the hinge replaced. I asked the technician about the limited range of the remotes and he immediately asked if I'd replaced the lamps with LEDs. YES...I had done this and I probably did it around the same time I had the Solar PV installed due to wanting to be as efficient as possible. I removed and replaced the LED bulbs and believe it or not have not had a problem since.

This does seem a bit wacky as the bulbs are not actually on until the door is opening/open but it worked for me.

Most LED lamps have electronics that will generate harmonics which can cause electrical power issues on the line that feeds it.

They also may emit a radio frequency that can interfere with wireless devices.

[UkiwiS]

I never satisfactorily resolved this issue...until....

Recently a hinge broke on one of the door panels so I had it serviced and the hinge replaced. I asked the technician about the limited range of the remotes and he immediately asked if I'd replaced the lamps with LEDs. YES...I had done this and I probably did it around the same time I had the Solar PV installed due to wanting to be as efficient as possible. I removed and replaced the LED bulbs and believe it or not have not had a problem since.

This does seem a bit wacky as the bulbs are not actually on until the door is opening/open but it worked for me.

[bcroe]

There is a chance that faulty wiring is causing an arc that will kill everything. Otherwise some filtering on the down
leads could help. Sometimes ferrite beads will buy a few DB, but a (rather expensive) purpose built filter where the
micro AC feeds down would do better. I assume the problem goes away at night.

Perhaps your radio is built into the door opener? Lengthening the ant will not stop pickup close to the radio, you
would need to use a shielded feed line to a rather remote and optimum location ant. This is one of the reasons I
keep the radio completely separate from the opener, like another button. Running a dated 390 MZ AM system
here. This well located, directional radio-ant solved problems here. Bruce Roe

390MHZRadAnt.png

[mckenph]

It is a microinverter system installed by Affordable. I tried to extend the antenna but no luck. Of course with any antenna, it needs to be cut to the proper length but even so, I have to get right up on the extension, which is brought to outside the garage. SO there must be something really noisy. I may have to take a spectrum analyzer up there and see if I can locate it. I have a newer lift master and I looked and do see that it can be upgraded to a higher frequency. I

[bcroe]

What type of system is it, micro inverters, central inverter, optimizers? You could snoop around that equipment
and see if there is a bad radio noise spot. Opening attempt would be put the door radio with its antenna as close
to the vehicle and as far away from the solar noise as possible. Going to a higher frequency radio would help, as
would a directional antenna. The other method is use shielding or radio filtering on the solar equipment. Bruce Roe

[mckenph]

I just installed my system and now my garage door will not work during the day. I was going to try the pringles can idea but have no idea how to make the V he is talking about. I tried to extend my antenna but that has not effect. I know this is an old post but does anyone else have any ideas

Provided they're secured properly, the rubber linings on the bottom and edges of the automatic doors produce a weather proof perimeter, whereas the tightly designed connections between every panel arise well to severe wind and storms. the fabric of the panels themselves ar coated with weather proof glazing, creating them unconquerable to rain, sleet, and snow. they create glorious investments for householders and business house owners United Nations agency would like to gift the most effective attainable public face on a comparatively cheap budget.

MOD NOTE. Removed advertisement link. Do it again and you will be banned.

[azdave]

I had no garage door opener issues after going solar but I did have to move the base unit of my security alarm to a different area. The wireless sensors of my detached garage weren't always in range of the base unit. Just putting all those PV panels on the roof probably caused that, not just the inverter portion. I also had to re-adjust my over-the-air TV antenna in the attic because we don't use cable, dish TV or such.

[Amy@altE]

Brilliant!!!!

[SunPaige]

Thank you for the Pringles can idea ... I am hoping it is still working for you. We just installed part of our PV system with 10 panels w microinverters on garage roof, pretty much right over the garage door opener. No issues until today when it was really sunny out. Today in the bright sunshine I came home to no garage door remote controls working. At first I thought the power was out or the batteries died, but nope, everything was perfectly fine in the house and with the garage door opener and remote batteries - opener is a Chamberlain Liftmaster as well. It worked fine in the AM, no remote openers opening it mid day and by 3:45 when we returned home from work/school, it was opening via remote again. We have now eaten our Pringles and are headed out to strap the can up there. Hoping it works just as well! Glad you posted the picture. We chose a different flavor to enjoy. Never buy Pringles, but today it was a treat!

[bcroe]

I had a Sears branded garage door opener only for 10 years and one
day the main logic board went bad. I purchased a new one for $90 and installed it myself.

My garage door openers are so old they didn't have logic boards (or electric eyes); by using the button
connections I can use generic radio units independent of the door. My 56 unit started with buttons for
up, down, and stop with a 3 phase motor. I did add a logic board and a radio for more conventional
residential control, but if it ever fails, it will be a free home repair job. Been running here since the
70s, on my hit list for wasting 1 watt vampire. Bruce Roe

[SolarFamilyGuy]

I have an SMA inverter mounted inside my garage, about 8 feet away from my Garage Door opener. Since going live I've had issues with the door openers, all of them, 3 handheld remotes and 2 in card modern HomeLink systems. They all now work on a very intermittent basis and I typically have to get out of the car to close the door and to open it when I get home. With the addition of the Solar PV system I also have a powerline adapter providing LAN access to the SMA INverter and a Rain Forest Eagle, also plugged into a powerline adapter. I've unplugged both the those devices and notice no change so I'm blaming the inverter. I have not powered it off entirely to test that theory and I'll probably do that at some point to confirm it....simply haven't got around to it yet. Anyway, it's a total PITA and I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced this sort of issue before and if so what's the fix? Even if it is the inverter as I suspect, I'm not going to get rid of it, obviously so I do need to figure out a solution.

The Garage door is a LiftMaster and is about 5 years old and worked flawlessly previously...from a block away.

Thanks for any ideas.

Cheers
KIWI

I had a Sears branded garage door opener only for 10 years and one day the main logic board went bad. I purchased a new one for $90 and installed it myself. Just saying.

[inetdog]

[ATTACH]7708[/ATTACH]

A classic design.

Depending on the exact frequency of the RF, a larger radius can set farther back (1/4 wavelength) from the antenna might work even better, but there is no arguing with success.

I wish I could do something like that with my gate opener, but it has to work from inside and from two approach directions outside.
Best I could do would be to restrict the horizontal plane by going to a multiple wavelength antenna.

[UkiwiS]

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