I just had the MOST weirdest twighlight-zone type experience with my two garage door openers.

Do any of you guys have any clue as to what just happened here???

I have two doors and three remote controllers.

Two for one side and one for the other side.
The garage is two cars deep on one side.

The door openers & controlles are all about 20 years old.
I try to remember to chamge the 9v batteries in each remote about yearly.

Anyway just now a few minuets ago I was about to leave to go out to dinner... so I got into the first car on the side with two cars deep and pressed the remote control to open the door. Well the red light on the controller lit properly but the door would not open.. Nothing!
So I figured there must be a problem with the opener motor. So I got out and pressed the wall mounted button that actuates he opener and the door opened and closed fine.
So I tried my remote once again... The LED lite lit but no action. So I then figured that the remote-receiver was probably not working or my battery was weak in the remote. So I decided to try the 2nd controller for that same door that is in the car behind it.
I got that 2nd remote out and tried it and.. NOTHING.
Same thing. The led light lights fine but the door doesn't open.

I couldn't believe that both remotes suddenly went bad so I came in the house and removed the battery from that first remote and measured it.. seems good. But I put a brand new die-hard in it anyway.
Then I put my scope probe near it and pressed the button and sure enough I could see some good RF hash on my scope screen each time I pressed the button so that gave me confidence that it is putting out RF.
So I go back to the garage to test it and it still does NOT work.
It gets more weird here:
I was just about to try to tear the receiver down off the door motor unit when I thought...before I make a big mess here maybe I ought to go out to dinner first and worry about this problem later.
So I go to the other side of the garage to take the car out on that side.
So I get in that car... press the remote control and NOTHING... same thing!!!!!
The led ligt ligts but the door does not open
I get out to press the wall switch and that works fine.
I try the remote control several times and nothing!!!

I get on the step ladder and hold the remote control right against the receiver antenna and the receiver box... and suddenly the door opens and closes ok.
But it only works if the remote is within 1 inch of the receiver!!
So I go back over to the other side of the garage and try dong the same thing there. I put that controller right next to the receiver and sure enough that works too.
BUT none of the 3 controllers will work to open either of the two door opener receivers at any normal distance!!

Now I use these doors everyday.. always works fine for 20 years!

The only thing common to both doors is the environment... and that it's a bit cold here today... but it's been cold for a few weeks. Besides that might only effect the mechanical parts, not the electronics.

What could possibly happen that weould effect two separate door openers and 3 separate controllers such that they will SUDDENLY not work unless they are placed dirctly NEXT to the receiver?????????

NOW here's the totally weirdest part:

So there I am standing in my garage like a real dope pressing each controller and seeing nothing happen... wondering how an intelligent man with electronics training can be standing there so stupified... trying to analyse this situation and being in total disbelief..
When all of a sudden I pressed the button and the door opened from a distance. Then I tried the other two controllers and they too started working... perfectly from any reasonable distance!!!

Now it is 10 minuests later and they are all still working agian with no problemm...
WHAT the heck just happened?

Did some kind of broad band RF signal from some foriegn peice of equipment somewhere in my neighborhood...just swamp out my area and block the signals being transmitted from the controllers?????

I have no clue and I am in total shock that it would come and go .... just like that?

I thought I was on candid camera or something.

Please Help me keep my sanity... what do you guys think happened here??

Peter, the only thing I can think of is that you're losing your mind.

But since you have been fairly rational, at least up to now, I decided to e-mail Rod Sterling to see if he would like to do a reprise of Twilight Zone. My Lord, I discovered that he's been dead for 30+ years!

doo-doo-DOO-doo.

:I just had the MOST weirdest twighlight-zone type experience with my two garage door openers.
:
: Do any of you guys have any clue as to what just happened here???
:
:I have two doors and three remote controllers.
:
:Two for one side and one for the other side.
:The garage is two cars deep on one side.
:
:The door openers & controlles are all about 20 years old.
:I try to remember to chamge the 9v batteries in each remote about yearly.
:
:Anyway just now a few minuets ago I was about to leave to go out to dinner... so I got into the first car on the side with two cars deep and pressed the remote control to open the door. Well the red light on the controller lit properly but the door would not open.. Nothing!
:So I figured there must be a problem with the opener motor. So I got out and pressed the wall mounted button that actuates he opener and the door opened and closed fine.
:So I tried my remote once again... The LED lite lit but no action. So I then figured that the remote-receiver was probably not working or my battery was weak in the remote. So I decided to try the 2nd controller for that same door that is in the car behind it.
:I got that 2nd remote out and tried it and.. NOTHING.
:Same thing. The led light lights fine but the door doesn't open.
:
:I couldn't believe that both remotes suddenly went bad so I came in the house and removed the battery from that first remote and measured it.. seems good. But I put a brand new die-hard in it anyway.
:Then I put my scope probe near it and pressed the button and sure enough I could see some good RF hash on my scope screen each time I pressed the button so that gave me confidence that it is putting out RF.
:So I go back to the garage to test it and it still does NOT work.
:It gets more weird here:
:I was just about to try to tear the receiver down off the door motor unit when I thought...before I make a big mess here maybe I ought to go out to dinner first and worry about this problem later.
:So I go to the other side of the garage to take the car out on that side.
:So I get in that car... press the remote control and NOTHING... same thing!!!!!
:The led ligt ligts but the door does not open
:I get out to press the wall switch and that works fine.
:I try the remote control several times and nothing!!!
:
:I get on the step ladder and hold the remote control right against the receiver antenna and the receiver box... and suddenly the door opens and closes ok.
:But it only works if the remote is within 1 inch of the receiver!!
:So I go back over to the other side of the garage and try dong the same thing there. I put that controller right next to the receiver and sure enough that works too.
:BUT none of the 3 controllers will work to open either of the two door opener receivers at any normal distance!!
:
:Now I use these doors everyday.. always works fine for 20 years!
:
:The only thing common to both doors is the environment... and that it's a bit cold here today... but it's been cold for a few weeks. Besides that might only effect the mechanical parts, not the electronics.
:
:What could possibly happen that weould effect two separate door openers and 3 separate controllers such that they will SUDDENLY not work unless they are placed dirctly NEXT to the receiver?????????
:
:
:NOW here's the totally weirdest part:
:
:So there I am standing in my garage like a real dope pressing each controller and seeing nothing happen... wondering how an intelligent man with electronics training can be standing there so stupified... trying to analyse this situation and being in total disbelief..
:When all of a sudden I pressed the button and the door opened from a distance. Then I tried the other two controllers and they too started working... perfectly from any reasonable distance!!!
:
:Now it is 10 minuests later and they are all still working agian with no problemm...
:WHAT the heck just happened?
:
:Did some kind of broad band RF signal from some foriegn peice of equipment somewhere in my neighborhood...just swamp out my area and block the signals being transmitted from the controllers?????
:
:I have no clue and I am in total shock that it would come and go .... just like that?
:
:I thought I was on candid camera or something.
:
:Please Help me keep my sanity... what do you guys think happened here??
:
:

Now that everything is working you need to get a remote locator for your remote. They make them and sell them a Fleet Farm for $9.95. You mount a blinker/sounder on your remote (or whatever else you want to locate when you lose it). The you use the remote for the remote to push.The blinkersounder goes of and on on the actual remote. Then you wife will be able to come find the exact spot you put your remote and bring it to you.

This can be attributed to F.E.P.

I run into F.E.P. every now and then with the myriad of electronic devices around the house.

F.E.P. (Freakin' Electronic Phenomena)

Wish I had a better answer for you but it's all just too wierd.

Peter,
Notice any strange rotating lights or saucer shaped objects in the near vicinity to your house. UFO's recharge their batts from many forms of AC, whether low, high or UHF freqs because it propagates itself through the air. May have been re-directing most of the radiated RF from your remotes for their own purposes. Lucky you though, didn't make your electric bill go through the ceiling. Can you imagine the energy required for an inter-stellar spacecraft. US Air Force did same thing many years ago, unintentionally of course, somewhere in the midwest I think, but as I recall the results were even more weird. They were testing a high power RF transmission system to modify weather patterns which I think later operated on the tundra somewhere in Alaska for a short period, but was shut down by eviro-whackos or someone. Just watched History channel last nite about USO/UFO's, but of course that took place farther north in Sag Harbor. (Nova Scotia I believe) Could have paid you a short visit for a recharge though, on the way out of town/space. lol

marv

:I just had the MOST weirdest twighlight-zone type experience with my two garage door openers.
:
: Do any of you guys have any clue as to what just happened here???
:
:I have two doors and three remote controllers.
:
:Two for one side and one for the other side.
:The garage is two cars deep on one side.
:
:The door openers & controlles are all about 20 years old.
:I try to remember to chamge the 9v batteries in each remote about yearly.
:
:Anyway just now a few minuets ago I was about to leave to go out to dinner... so I got into the first car on the side with two cars deep and pressed the remote control to open the door. Well the red light on the controller lit properly but the door would not open.. Nothing!
:So I figured there must be a problem with the opener motor. So I got out and pressed the wall mounted button that actuates he opener and the door opened and closed fine.
:So I tried my remote once again... The LED lite lit but no action. So I then figured that the remote-receiver was probably not working or my battery was weak in the remote. So I decided to try the 2nd controller for that same door that is in the car behind it.
:I got that 2nd remote out and tried it and.. NOTHING.
:Same thing. The led light lights fine but the door doesn't open.
:
:I couldn't believe that both remotes suddenly went bad so I came in the house and removed the battery from that first remote and measured it.. seems good. But I put a brand new die-hard in it anyway.
:Then I put my scope probe near it and pressed the button and sure enough I could see some good RF hash on my scope screen each time I pressed the button so that gave me confidence that it is putting out RF.
:So I go back to the garage to test it and it still does NOT work.
:It gets more weird here:
:I was just about to try to tear the receiver down off the door motor unit when I thought...before I make a big mess here maybe I ought to go out to dinner first and worry about this problem later.
:So I go to the other side of the garage to take the car out on that side.
:So I get in that car... press the remote control and NOTHING... same thing!!!!!
:The led ligt ligts but the door does not open
:I get out to press the wall switch and that works fine.
:I try the remote control several times and nothing!!!
:
:I get on the step ladder and hold the remote control right against the receiver antenna and the receiver box... and suddenly the door opens and closes ok.
:But it only works if the remote is within 1 inch of the receiver!!
:So I go back over to the other side of the garage and try dong the same thing there. I put that controller right next to the receiver and sure enough that works too.
:BUT none of the 3 controllers will work to open either of the two door opener receivers at any normal distance!!
:
:Now I use these doors everyday.. always works fine for 20 years!
:
:The only thing common to both doors is the environment... and that it's a bit cold here today... but it's been cold for a few weeks. Besides that might only effect the mechanical parts, not the electronics.
:
:What could possibly happen that weould effect two separate door openers and 3 separate controllers such that they will SUDDENLY not work unless they are placed dirctly NEXT to the receiver?????????
:
:
:NOW here's the totally weirdest part:
:
:So there I am standing in my garage like a real dope pressing each controller and seeing nothing happen... wondering how an intelligent man with electronics training can be standing there so stupified... trying to analyse this situation and being in total disbelief..
:When all of a sudden I pressed the button and the door opened from a distance. Then I tried the other two controllers and they too started working... perfectly from any reasonable distance!!!
:
:Now it is 10 minuests later and they are all still working agian with no problemm...
:WHAT the heck just happened?
:
:Did some kind of broad band RF signal from some foriegn peice of equipment somewhere in my neighborhood...just swamp out my area and block the signals being transmitted from the controllers?????
:
:I have no clue and I am in total shock that it would come and go .... just like that?
:
:I thought I was on candid camera or something.
:
:Please Help me keep my sanity... what do you guys think happened here??
:
:

What you are describing sounds like external interference.

My brother gave two remote control cars to my sons last Christmas, one each working on different frequencies. The one set at 27Mhz worked fine. The second one at 49Mhz didn't worked. The remote started working only within a foot or so.

Took me a few minutes to figure that one. I have a baby monitor upstairs...Guess what the frequency is ? 49Mhz. Turned it off, both cars work flawlessly.

Maybe a neighbour is using a remote control car, a remote extender for the TV or something similar working on the same basic frequency as your garage opener ?

Z-

:What you are describing sounds like external interference.
:
:My brother gave two remote control cars to my sons last Christmas, one each working on different frequencies. The one set at 27Mhz worked fine. The second one at 49Mhz didn't worked. The remote started working only within a foot or so.
:
:Took me a few minutes to figure that one. I have a baby monitor upstairs...Guess what the frequency is ? 49Mhz. Turned it off, both cars work flawlessly.
:
:Maybe a neighbour is using a remote control car, a remote extender for the TV or something similar working on the same basic frequency as your garage opener ?
:
:Z-

Peter , you are not losing your mind , the exact same thing happed here in mid michigan to about a 50 mile radius just before christmas, apparently the goverment tested some new signal for homeland security ????, everybody reported the same thing garage door remotes all died , ours used to work a couple driveways away , not anymore we almost have to be on top of the door to make the remote operate it now , this even made the local news here as people wondered if this had something to do with that test or a H.A.R.P. test ... the goverment had no comment ... check around your neiborhood to see if others have the same problem.
E.

Elton:
OMG... is that true?!!!
holy cow!
well... I guess it's entirely possible...No?
... but I wish the FCC or Aljezeera or somebody ought to at least give us some fair warning indicating suspicious problems on or about the day of testing. don't you think?

see,.. it's those freaking, towel-headed, garage door terrorists again... I knew it.

:Elton:
:OMG... is that true?!!!
:holy cow!
:well... I guess it's entirely possible...No?
:... but I wish the FCC or Aljezeera or somebody ought to at least give us some fair warning indicating suspicious problems on or about the day of testing. don't you think?
:
:see,.. it's those freaking, towel-headed, garage door terrorists again... I knew it.
:
Peter , is totaly true , we had to go out and buy a new remote as we could'nt get it to work more than a few feet from the door , we thought it was just a problem with our door , but a few days later it was in the newspaper and on the local radio that alot of people experianced the same thing!!!dead door remotes !!. Crazy huh,.
E.

I just found this news article confirming the problem

http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2005/12/03/garage-door-openers-go-crazy-over-new-military-radio-system/

Boy!.. Z:
.. I sure do hope that is all it is!

It's got to be something simple like that right?

well I'll cross whatever fingers I have left and hope you are right... lol
i don't want to think I'm loosing my mind...;-)

Homeowners up in arms:
U.S. military frequency jams hundreds of garage doors
ASSOCIATED PRESS - By Robert Weller - December 3, 2006 -- DENVER -- What do remote-control garage door openers have to do with national security? A lot, it seems.
A secretive U.S. air force facility in Colorado Springs, Colo., tested a radio frequency this past week that it would use to communicate with first responders in the event of a homeland security threat.
But the frequency also controls an estimated 50 million garage door openers, and hundreds of residents in the surrounding area found their garage doors had suddenly stopped working.
"It would have been nice not to have to get out of the car and open the door manually," said Dewey Rinehard, pointing out that the outage happened during the first cold snap of the year when temperatures fell well below freezing.
Capt. Tracy Giles of the 21st Space Wing said air force officials were trying to figure out how to resolve the problem of their signal overpowering garage door remotes.
"They (military officials) have turned it off to be good neighbours," he said.
The signals were coming from Cheyenne Mountain Air Station, home to the North American Aerospace Defence Command, a joint U.S. and Canadian operation set up during the Cold War to monitor Soviet missile and bomber threats. ...

see.. ????? I TOLD you it was F.E.P. !!!!

LOL

I support the troops 100%, but distrust the military when it comes to things like this.

How about the Navy experiment in Philidelphia in the late 1940s where they made a U.S. destroyer disappear? Hmmm? Hmmm? The Navy is still denying that one, despite all the documented evidence!

Peter, for God's sake, please call into Art Bell about all this (or whoever is replacing Art Bell).

:Homeowners up in arms:
:U.S. military frequency jams hundreds of garage doors
:ASSOCIATED PRESS - By Robert Weller - December 3, 2006 -- DENVER -- What do remote-control garage door openers have to do with national security? A lot, it seems.
:A secretive U.S. air force facility in Colorado Springs, Colo., tested a radio frequency this past week that it would use to communicate with first responders in the event of a homeland security threat.
:But the frequency also controls an estimated 50 million garage door openers, and hundreds of residents in the surrounding area found their garage doors had suddenly stopped working.
:"It would have been nice not to have to get out of the car and open the door manually," said Dewey Rinehard, pointing out that the outage happened during the first cold snap of the year when temperatures fell well below freezing.
:Capt. Tracy Giles of the 21st Space Wing said air force officials were trying to figure out how to resolve the problem of their signal overpowering garage door remotes.
:"They (military officials) have turned it off to be good neighbours," he said.
:The signals were coming from Cheyenne Mountain Air Station, home to the North American Aerospace Defence Command, a joint U.S. and Canadian operation set up during the Cold War to monitor Soviet missile and bomber threats. ...
:

George Noorey is on Monday through Friday. Art Bell is on Saturday and Sunday.

:I support the troops 100%, but distrust the military when it comes to things like this.
:
:How about the Navy experiment in Philidelphia in the late 1940s where they made a U.S. destroyer disappear? Hmmm? Hmmm? The Navy is still denying that one, despite all the documented evidence!
:
:Peter, for God's sake, please call into Art Bell about all this (or whoever is replacing Art Bell).
:
:
::Homeowners up in arms:
::U.S. military frequency jams hundreds of garage doors
::ASSOCIATED PRESS - By Robert Weller - December 3, 2006 -- DENVER -- What do remote-control garage door openers have to do with national security? A lot, it seems.
::A secretive U.S. air force facility in Colorado Springs, Colo., tested a radio frequency this past week that it would use to communicate with first responders in the event of a homeland security threat.
::But the frequency also controls an estimated 50 million garage door openers, and hundreds of residents in the surrounding area found their garage doors had suddenly stopped working.
::"It would have been nice not to have to get out of the car and open the door manually," said Dewey Rinehard, pointing out that the outage happened during the first cold snap of the year when temperatures fell well below freezing.
::Capt. Tracy Giles of the 21st Space Wing said air force officials were trying to figure out how to resolve the problem of their signal overpowering garage door remotes.
::"They (military officials) have turned it off to be good neighbours," he said.
::The signals were coming from Cheyenne Mountain Air Station, home to the North American Aerospace Defence Command, a joint U.S. and Canadian operation set up during the Cold War to monitor Soviet missile and bomber threats. ...
::

Peter,
Here's a more down to earth theory. Couple years ago, I repaired a neighbors opener with a similar random failure. Their explanation of the failure seemed to coincide with wet/damp/cold weather. Under a magnifying glass I found a few questionable (cold) solder joints on the receiver board, which I reheated to a clean shiny appearance. Got a bottle of good brandy for my effort, and no failures since.

marv

:I just had the MOST weirdest twighlight-zone type experience with my two garage door openers.
:
: Do any of you guys have any clue as to what just happened here???
:
:I have two doors and three remote controllers.
:
:Two for one side and one for the other side.
:The garage is two cars deep on one side.
:
:The door openers & controlles are all about 20 years old.
:I try to remember to chamge the 9v batteries in each remote about yearly.
:
:Anyway just now a few minuets ago I was about to leave to go out to dinner... so I got into the first car on the side with two cars deep and pressed the remote control to open the door. Well the red light on the controller lit properly but the door would not open.. Nothing!
:So I figured there must be a problem with the opener motor. So I got out and pressed the wall mounted button that actuates he opener and the door opened and closed fine.
:So I tried my remote once again... The LED lite lit but no action. So I then figured that the remote-receiver was probably not working or my battery was weak in the remote. So I decided to try the 2nd controller for that same door that is in the car behind it.
:I got that 2nd remote out and tried it and.. NOTHING.
:Same thing. The led light lights fine but the door doesn't open.
:
:I couldn't believe that both remotes suddenly went bad so I came in the house and removed the battery from that first remote and measured it.. seems good. But I put a brand new die-hard in it anyway.
:Then I put my scope probe near it and pressed the button and sure enough I could see some good RF hash on my scope screen each time I pressed the button so that gave me confidence that it is putting out RF.
:So I go back to the garage to test it and it still does NOT work.
:It gets more weird here:
:I was just about to try to tear the receiver down off the door motor unit when I thought...before I make a big mess here maybe I ought to go out to dinner first and worry about this problem later.
:So I go to the other side of the garage to take the car out on that side.
:So I get in that car... press the remote control and NOTHING... same thing!!!!!
:The led ligt ligts but the door does not open
:I get out to press the wall switch and that works fine.
:I try the remote control several times and nothing!!!
:
:I get on the step ladder and hold the remote control right against the receiver antenna and the receiver box... and suddenly the door opens and closes ok.
:But it only works if the remote is within 1 inch of the receiver!!
:So I go back over to the other side of the garage and try dong the same thing there. I put that controller right next to the receiver and sure enough that works too.
:BUT none of the 3 controllers will work to open either of the two door opener receivers at any normal distance!!
:
:Now I use these doors everyday.. always works fine for 20 years!
:
:The only thing common to both doors is the environment... and that it's a bit cold here today... but it's been cold for a few weeks. Besides that might only effect the mechanical parts, not the electronics.
:
:What could possibly happen that weould effect two separate door openers and 3 separate controllers such that they will SUDDENLY not work unless they are placed dirctly NEXT to the receiver?????????
:
:
:NOW here's the totally weirdest part:
:
:So there I am standing in my garage like a real dope pressing each controller and seeing nothing happen... wondering how an intelligent man with electronics training can be standing there so stupified... trying to analyse this situation and being in total disbelief..
:When all of a sudden I pressed the button and the door opened from a distance. Then I tried the other two controllers and they too started working... perfectly from any reasonable distance!!!
:
:Now it is 10 minuests later and they are all still working agian with no problemm...
:WHAT the heck just happened?
:
:Did some kind of broad band RF signal from some foriegn peice of equipment somewhere in my neighborhood...just swamp out my area and block the signals being transmitted from the controllers?????
:
:I have no clue and I am in total shock that it would come and go .... just like that?
:
:I thought I was on candid camera or something.
:
:Please Help me keep my sanity... what do you guys think happened here??
:
:

Marv:
I'd like to think it could have been something like that too... except it effected two totally independent receivers at exactly the same time and it cleared up on both instantly at the exact same time.

I wrote to my local newspaper last night asking them for some insight.
Perhaps when I read my email in a few minuets I'll find out what they have to say about it.

Peter,
My first post was indeed referring to H.A.R.P, but had forgotten the acronym. In response to your response, its highly unlikely that 3 would fail simultaneously with identical faults, except in a rare circumstance of the same mfr, same model, mfr same day and SAME QA INSPECTOR WITH A HANGOVER.

marv

:Marv:
:I'd like to think it could have been something like that too... except it effected two totally independent receivers at exactly the same time and it cleared up on both instantly at the exact same time.
:
:I wrote to my local newspaper last night asking them for some insight.
:Perhaps when I read my email in a few minuets I'll find out what they have to say about it.
:

Here's a bunch if formal announcement info from the FCC
http://www.aaaremotes.com/fccpunoforga.html
http://www.aaaremotes.com/racoupki.html
http://www.aaaremotes.com/misimayjamga.html