NGC I need garage door .. FIXED

[fotoguzzi]

Actually I’m using a garage door opener to drive my chain link gate with a big bicycle wheel. It works by hand good and I used an older sears lift to prove that it works. That one doesn’t have any remotes.
So, I have 2 others.. both by Chamberlain  .. I have programmed the remotes to the one in video.
This is crazy it only travels the short distance and back. I verified wiring is right on YouTube how to videos. But I can’t find any info on line with my specific problem. The sensors are pointed and working.
Any help greatly appreciated!
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/2t5vZEmBKKk

[DirtFarmer]

https://youtu.be/CQpBUQ-ZSKw?si=L5pK9LYpN4vLhQCL

[Mike Craven]

Only took 7 minutes for someone with a great solution.  LMAO.  (Sorry foto...)
Seriously, is there a limit switch somewhere that you've neglected?  Chamberlain has a help/trouble shooting page for "...opener that fails to travel fully"

[StuCorpe]

This youtube video shows how to adjust limits on one type Camberlin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUvxzO2c_Jw

[fotoguzzi]

I have the limits adjusted. The motorcycle opening to door is way off base from what I’m asking.
I want to know why the motor isn’t running the full distance.
Here’s the other opener working as a proto type.

https://youtu.be/eoRoq1PaOPs

[Mike Craven]

But this title seems to match what happened in the video you posted:
Garage Door Only Travels a Little Way and Then Reverses
https://support.chamberlaingroup.com/s/article/GDO-Door-only-travels-a-little-way-and-then-reverses-1484145517136

[fotoguzzi]

Yes, thanks Mike. The last part about a/c motors might be something to look at but the same symptoms happens on 2 different openers. Too dark now, I’ll look into it tomorrow.
BTW this is a 2006 model.

[n3303j]

My openers have a torque limiting adjustment for both open and close. These stop the door from squashing anything you don't want it to squash. They are controlled by potentiometers on the control board. Possibly your gate movement effort varies and the opener thinks the increase in effort is beyond the safety limit potentiometer setting?

[AZRider]

Looks like the safety is engaging. It’s traveling in the direction that the mechanism believes is towards closed, then reversing back to fully opened. The newer model opener has a few safety features to keep it from closing upon someone or something. Your original tester might be old enough to not have all the safeties. I can only remember two right now but I think there’s a third safety. Anyway, if any safety trips, the door is supposed to go back to open.
1) the optical sensors might be getting blocked/mis-aligned for an instant
2) the motor load might be exceeding the threshold for a moment or dropping below the threshold for a moment, which is what the operator thinks means the door has run into something. There’s an adjustment to accommodate heavier doors, usually a potentiometer on the circuit board.

[John Croucher]

The sensor are very sensitive to sunlight.  I had to put shields around the one on my garage that faces the south west in the morning during the fall, winter, spring months.  Put a cone over the sensor about 6 inches long.

[Mike Tashjian]

I have a old craftsman opener and I know it has manual adjustments for pressure along with limits on travel.  Assuming you have no issues with the sensor lights, the next step would be to see if the limit and pressure adjusts are sensitive to the unit being on it's side.  That may affect their operation.  Easy enough to pull the cover and see what you are dealing with.  And easy to make a link to run the unit in the upright position. Also the chain should only be that loose as the unit would be holding a door down or gate shut.

[FarmallA]

My door opener was being cantankerous, so I took the two light beam sensors and screwed to a board looking at each other from six inches apart. I hung the whole thing in the rafters up by the motor.  That fixed that. 

It sounds like your problem might be related to the motor load safety features though

FarmallA.
Steve

[fotoguzzi]

Already mounted the sensors right next to each other to no effect.
I might have made a discovery, there are two little black things I’ll call magnets and a plastic rotor with 4 cut outs that spins between the “magnets” I was able to get the thing traveling down the rail for a couple runs by bending the holder of the two magnets toward the spinning rotor but now can’t duplicate that.



The brass band on the rotor might be part this, at least looks like it should be in line but is not quite there. The drive gears were replaced and the washers, spacers etc on the shaft look right but may be keeping the rotor with brass band from seating far enough onto the shaft?.. I like the challenge but sooner or later might have to put the old craftsman back up and try some universal remotes.

[n3303j]

What you are calling magnets looks like a photo interrupter. That device appears to be counting pulses produced when the slotted cup spins. It is a way to determine distance or rate of travel.

The device circled in green is the adjustment for the end stops of the device travel.

[SIR REAL ED]

The sensor are very sensitive to sunlight.  I had to put shields around the one on my garage that faces the south west in the morning during the fall, winter, spring months.  Put a cone over the sensor about 6 inches long.

Excellent point!

Valid for a lot of remote controlled devices.

[Mike Craven]

Backtracking a bit... Have you eliminated a 'force' adjustment issue?  Are you able to run it 'unloaded' i.e. without the chain?

"I like the challenge..."  Ha ha, Guzzi content.

[fotoguzzi]

I got another opener free on CL and all is good, it works nice and smooth . I’ll try to remember to post a video tomorrow. I believe it was a problem with the rpm circuit board.

[fotoguzzi]

I’ve proved to myself the concept works so I’ll be building it out to perfection.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofbINFb7GVw&feature=youtu.be

[drdwb]

Cool. I’m thinking big Erector Set stuff here. Rube Goldberg would be proud. However your contraption has a functional purpose, that being you not having to yell for your wife or grandkids to open or close the gate to the bat cave.