Home security breach

[T-shooter]

Another method is to have 2 remotes. The 1st turns the power on to the garage door opener and the second is the door opener. Some remotes will transmit 100' and are about $25. Get one with at least 2 remotes, one for the house and one in each vehicle.They are easily programmed or extra remotes added.

If you don't have an alarm system, these are great and inexpensive, $15 at Harbor Freight. They have up to a 400' range. I have 2 in my garage and if only one goes off, it's something like a bug on the sensor, but if they both do, it's more serious. There is a plastic shield over the sensor inside with a slit in the middle to limit the sideways view. That's easily cut off and then you have a full 90° angle of view. One in my garage is 50' from my back door and if the garage door is open and I step outside, it immediately goes off. I have a couple in the house with the narrow field of view. in the hall which anyone would have to go by to get to the bedrooms. Pets don't set it off and since the wife is a foot shorter, it's above her head. If it alarms, I most likely have an intruder. If you use these, put a little piece of tape like electrical tape over the LED light in the sensor so no one will know where it is. The alarm only rings in the larger unit and only as long as there is movement detected. You can even set the sensor inside a vehicle.

 

[IdahoSharpshooter]

I had that happen to me about four years ago. I had the Overhead Door Company recommend a Lift-Master Deluxe. It automatically recycles the door combination every time the door opener in my truck opens or closes it. Randomly, out of twenty-million possible codes.

 

[carlsbad]

There have been warnings re: just this type of thing occurring. Thieves drive around with several garage door openers and hit them and here and there a door will open, then if it looks all clear, no movement in house, etc. they enter and go through the garage and home.

While this may have happened, I'm sure it hasn't happened nearly as many times as garage door salesmen have posted it on the internet.

 

[Capt. Oblivious]

As I remember the older radio garage door openers/transmitters/receivers had a small bank of switches (0's 1's) that could be set in matching orders for transmitter & receiver. I remember seeing a limited number of switches - either 4, 5 or 6. Given that limited number it would not be difficult to get the same make transmitter and cruise the neighborhood with multiple receivers set at different positions then reset then cruise again. For older transmitters the number of possible combinations is not that large. The newer openers coordinate codes automatically with a huge number of possible combinations.

Back then, if I had 4 transmitters I could cruse thru a neighborhood 4 times and open every garage door of the same make and type of system provided they all had had 4 switch settings.

Garage theft is becoming more & more common - sort of like a sport in some communities. Prosecution is lax. Goes along with vehicle prowling & porch pirate stuff.

Auto garage doors are stupid things, my previous house al 3 my garage doors would randomly open during the days and night with the night times being allot of fun when the dog walks into the garage and all the alarms goes off when he "trips" a beam.

The Security company said that with all the radio signals around us allot of the auto doors and even gates would just open randomly because of what fyrewall said where all the receivers/transmitters only had a small bank to choose from and with so many different installers installing the same things you are lucky if no one in your area opens your front gate by mistake when he opens his garage door

After a while I would just use the override "lock" on the wall panel to lock the door when I closed it and then when I get home go through the house, unlock door to open it before I could get the door open. Pain in the back but it was better than having 10 calls from the security company every day telling me my garage doors are open.

 

[Texas10]

In my experience there are two common problems that will cause this to happen.

First is your down force setting on the opener. This sets the force the unit senses that makes it reverse direction when closing. This is to protect people from being squashed.

If you had backed out of the garage that day, and did not visually confirm the door had closed and not opened back up (who does?) it might be this setting.

As temps drop in the fall, the garage door frame will shrink slightly, and this seems to change the stopping force. Try resetting the close force. Also make sure the obstruction sensing lights are properly set and securely attached. They tend to be mounted to easily bent arms and loosely attached. Many times they are the culprit.

The other issue is the frequency the unit is set on. Lately a bunch of similar channels were awarded to cell phone companies. Your unit might be on one of those channels making it susceptible. Try changing channels.

If you have a really old unit, it may be operating on CB channels, and the new rise in popularity of CB might be causing the issue. In that case, a new unit is in your future.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

Closing force changes hit my double garage door about every other winter, a couple days each spring/fall Sun light hits the safety sensor and door will reopen. Biggest problem in my county, thieves drive around looking for a unlocked car and use the garage opener remote to gain access. Day or night even has been some around supper time, sooner or later actors will enter the wrong house.

 

[T-shooter]

In this area they knock on the front door. If no one answers, they go around and kick the back door in.

Surprise, meet Mr. 12 gauge!

 

[shoot4fun]

Many, many years ago my neighbor's garage door opened when the cordless phone rang.
Humorous story, my ex called me at work in a panic one morning. I did my best to calm her down and tell me what was wrong. She said "I was getting out of the car at work and accidentally hit the garage door opener". So, I ask, what is the problem? She says "well the garage door is gonna be open and no one is home!" Thinking it was at least 12 miles from remote to door a very simple solution occurred to me. Yup, told her to just go back to her car and hit the opener again to close the door. Never did clue her in on the reality there.

 

[Rsadams]

This is exactly why a home security system is so good to have... And don't put the little signs on your windows or in the yard... Like concealed carry , let it be a surprise....

 

[AckleymanII]

TAJ, wife should have had the phone in one hand, revolver in the other when she called. Pastor of our church learned this lesson the hard way.

 

[Shooter13]

I purchased Arlo from Costco, no monthly fee works off wifi and come directly to my phone & computer and my wifes so if I'm mowing grass she can watch me circle the house!! ;-) Every package that is delivered is recorded.

One note, do not put ferns or flags where the camera picks up!!! It will wear you out if you have wind!

 

[GSS]

This is exactly why a home security system is so good to have... And don't put the little signs on your windows or in the yard... Like concealed carry , let it be a surprise....

And on the flip side of that thought,,

The signs in your yard and a window or two may work as a deterrent even if you don't really have an alarm system

 

[shoot4fun]

And on the flip side of that thought,,

The signs in your yard and a window or two may work as a deterrent even if you don't really have an alarm system

Not! A member decided to put signs up at our hunting cabin. Never been broken into before, just a "bright idea". By the next weekend some bast@@d broke in and cleaned us out.

 

[Kevin Taylor]

Older garage door openers are easily hacked. A cheap RF receiver allows a bad person to intercept your remote’s transmission. I had a cop tell me that I should replace my garage door opener for this very reason.

Oh, and 6.5 Creedmoor.

6.5 Creedmore makes a garage door opener?

 

[Tommie]

6.5 Creedmore makes a garage door opener?

No, but that keeps my post about garage door openers “on topic”

 

[Kevin Taylor]

We have enough of a problem with open garage door theft that the local PD will stop to tell you to close your garage door.

 

[Rsadams]

And on the flip side of that thought,,

The signs in your yard and a window or two may work as a deterrent even if you don't really have an alarm system

Yes it could but if you do have a system you're telling a decent thief what he needs to bypass it.... With the invention of you tube even a child can get some serious information on cracking locks , safes etc....

 

[GSS]

Yes it could but if you do have a system you're telling a decent thief what he needs to bypass it.... With the invention of you tube even a child can get some serious information on cracking locks , safes etc....

Well then there's the Smith and Wesson option

 

[Rsadams]

Well then there's the Smith and Wesson option

Only works if somebody is home , but yes its siren is very loud...lol

 

[divingin]

I remember years ago (70's? 80's?) the Navy was testing some new shore based radar system near the East SF Bay (no idea where it was located.) For the 2 or 3 days they were operating, garage doors were randomly opening and closing, and TV's were randomly changing channels. Luckily, this was before crime had become a more-common-than-not thing.