Re: Extreme RF Noise source locating

[ABLE1 <somewhere@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Sorry for the long read!!

On 9/25/2018 4:52 PM, ABLE1 wrote:
> Hey guys,
>
> Yesterday I was setting up some wireless window sensors and
> was having trouble after learning them in, could not get proper
> response unless I was very close to the receiver.  My thoughts
> were that I may have had a bad receiver, so I ordered another.
>
> Today I got a call from the customer asking if anything I did
> would have effected the garage door remotes.  He further explained
> that the remotes would only work when it was within 2 feet of the
> actual opener.  I said there is NO correlation but, just to be sure
> I had him power down the system by removing AC/DC so it was not powered.
>
> There was no change in the remotes to open the OH door from a distance.
> I suggested he relearn the remotes into the opener and or call
> the manufacture of the opener.  (Linear LD050)  He called back
> and said he was told by Mfg. that there was a large RF Noise
> source locally and he would need a Spectrum Analyzer to determine
> where it was located.
>
> Since then he has determined that a next door neighbor has the same
> problem with his remotes.  Also, another close neighbor had just left
> for two weeks to Europe yesterday.  And that another 3 houses away,
> the remotes worked just fine.
>
> Suspicion is that the vacationing neighbor turned on something upon
> leaving that is causing this RF Dead Zone.
>
> The reason I am posting here is to ask if anyone else has experienced
> this kind of issue??  And/or what household device could there be
> that would create this problem??
>
> Or does anyone have any hints how to find something that is putting
> out invisible STUFF??  It would be a lot easier if it would if it
> emitted a green ooze.
>
> Thanks for any input!!
>
> Les
>
>

Hey guys,

Remember this discussion from 2018 that the problem mysteriously went
away after two days??

WELL................  it came back!!  Yesterday the customer called and
said that he had a window sensor that was not working.  He then said
that they had some window cleaners in that cleaned the outside and
inside of the windows.  Thought that maybe the sensor was damaged.
We tried a couple of things over the phone, nothing helped.

So I got there a few hours later.  Yes, Guest Bedroom Window Right
was showing open.  I checked the battery and it was at 100%.
I checked the unit with another magnet and got no response.
I then removed the sensor from the Left Window.  Went to the keypad
and it shows that the zone was OK.  I had the transmitter in my hand!!

Puzzled I went to the garage and looked at the LED on the Opener.
It was Solid Red. I asked the customer if the remotes work for the
garage openers??  He said NO they haven't since yesterday and his
neighbor has the same problem!!  W-H-A-T!!!

I had bought a small RF Noise device after the past events but it is
on my desk in my office 10 miles away and the battery needs charged.
Not that it was going to find the problem but I didn't know.  Since
there was nothing I could do on site I told the customer I would
charge the unit and comeback tomorrow.

Last evening customer calls and says that the keypad was beeping
with a number of sensors "Lost".  All I could do was to dial
in to the system and turn off the wireless zones.  So I did.

Called him back and he said the beeping and trouble had stopped.
Which is should have.

I called him this morning and asked if anything changed.  He said
that after I "turned the system off" the Garage Doors Openers worked.

What??  I didn't turn the system off.  I just disabled the zones in
the system.  So I dialed back in and turned the zones back on.  System
showed zone 10 as being lost so I turned that one back off.

Anyhow I got there a few hours later and he said that the openers were
not working since I "turned the system back on".  ????????????????????

Went to the garage and the LED's were off. He then discovered that the
GFI in the garage was tripped and the openers had no power.  He reset
and the openers worked Ok.  He said that there was a big storm in the
morning and a lightning strike very close.  The GFI must of tripped.

As for the lost transmitter I turned it back on at the keypad and
checked the unit.  Found that the battery was out of its holder and
once I re-seated it, all worked as it should.

Once again at this time 12:23pm on 6/16/2022 all was working..... AGAIN!

Also once again do not know the source of the problem!!

Also once again do not know how to find the problem to make it not
happen again!!

Once again the customer thinks that this is my fault although he has not
used those words.

Sorry for the long read............ if you read this far, thanks!!
I needed to type out the story before I lost the memory cells.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.  I have re-read the thread from 2018.
I just don't know what else I can do or figure out.

MY BRAIN HURTS!!!

Les