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Re: [RE]Garage door opener vs. Tesla coil

Original poster: Mike <megavolts61@xxxxxxxxx>
Unlike a tv remote(or similar), a garage door opener cannot use IR transmission as that requires line of sight, which is not possible with the door down. It has to actually receive a radio signal. Given the size of the the remote, the receiver must be quite sensitive. I rather imagine you hit a harmonic when firing your coil (esp if it's a spark gap coil) that overloaed the IC chip that detects the signal and/or amplifies it. I would expect the thing to be grounded, but there is at least one part that is open in order to receive the signal from the remote. Perhaps making a makeshift Faraday cage to put over it while running would be the solution. Heck, all you might need to do is cover it with aluminum foil. I bet you can devise some kind of Faraday cage for it pretty cheaply, and I suppose make sure the metal frame of the door is grounded. Might also want to make little Faraday cages for the electric eye interlock system as well, Or a least make sure the wires dont get hit. I know a guy who fried his stereo system with a strike to a speaker cable. 
Mike


Original poster: otmaskin5@xxxxxxx

I looks like my coil murdered my garage door opener. While running
the coil in the garage, the garage door opened on it's own & then
died. I now have to open & close the door manually. I was careful to
position the coil far enough away so that no arcs could strike the
opener or anything connected to it, and it still seems to have
succumed to the coils effects somehow.

My question is, other than unplugging the opener, are there any
preventative measures I can take to protect the garage door
motor/receiver? Or is there just no safe way to run the coil indoors?
I imagine the repairs won't be cheap so I'd like to avoid a
repeat. Thx for any advice. Dennis Hopkinton MA
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