wireless doorbells

Posted by Dennis M on October 13, 2009, 7:22 pm

I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with wireless doorbells. The
last couple of days mine has been ringing a couple of times on its own (no,
it isn't a pre-Halloween prank). I have some neighbors about 80 feet away
who have an electronic garage door opener, but there's a wooded area
between us and I don't think this could be causing it because it hasn't
happened until now. The main unit inside uses 4 "C" batteries, then the
actual doorbells (one on the front that has a two-tone ring; one on the
back that has a single ring) use some kind of weird tiny batteries. It's
the single ring doorbell that's been acting up, so maybe that's where the
actual problem is.

I'm wondering if wireless doorbells are like smoke detectors, in that
they'll start ringing out of the blue when their batteries start to go low.
The batteries have been in the main unit for about two years now, also
about the same for the actual doorbells.

Posted by RicodJour on October 13, 2009, 7:43 pm

On Oct 13, 7:22=A0pm, denni...@dennism3.invalid (Dennis M) wrote:

> I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with wireless doorbells. The
> last couple of days mine has been ringing a couple of times on its own (n=

> it isn't a pre-Halloween prank). I have some neighbors about 80 feet away
> who have an electronic garage door opener, but there's a wooded area
> between us and I don't think this could be causing it because it hasn't
> happened until now. The main unit inside uses 4 "C" batteries, then the
> actual doorbells (one on the front that has a two-tone ring; one on the
> back that has a single ring) use some kind of weird tiny batteries. It's
> the single ring doorbell that's been acting up, so maybe that's where the
> actual problem is.
> I'm wondering if wireless doorbells are like smoke detectors, in that
> they'll start ringing out of the blue when their batteries start to go lo=

> The batteries have been in the main unit for about two years now, also
> about the same for the actual doorbells.

Easiest thing is to swap out the batteries and see. That's probably
it. I have a wireless extender that has the transmitter attached to
the existing bell ringer, and the remote speaker is plugged into an
outlet upstairs. I get sick of replacing batteries all over the
place, so I eliminate them whenever I can.

R

Posted by Bill on October 13, 2009, 7:48 pm

Tiny bugs/spiders can crawl into outside electrical things and short the
contacts. Might want to inspect the rear door button and see if any
"critters" have invaded.

Also water can sometimes get in there and short things out.

I place fine mesh screen over electrical vent openings to keep the bugs out.
If heat is not a problem as it would not be with a battery operated doorbell
button, you may be able to seal any openings with a dab of caulk or caulk
around the back edges. (Get any bugs out first!)

If water is getting in there, maybe build a little covering over it?

BTW this is where the term "computer bug" came from. A bug was crawling
around on the wiring of one of the first computers and caused quite a bit of
trouble!

"Dennis M" wrote in message

> I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with wireless doorbells. The
> last couple of days mine has been ringing a couple of times on its own
> (no,
> it isn't a pre-Halloween prank). I have some neighbors about 80 feet away
> who have an electronic garage door opener, but there's a wooded area
> between us and I don't think this could be causing it because it hasn't
> happened until now. The main unit inside uses 4 "C" batteries, then the
> actual doorbells (one on the front that has a two-tone ring; one on the
> back that has a single ring) use some kind of weird tiny batteries. It's
> the single ring doorbell that's been acting up, so maybe that's where the
> actual problem is.
> I'm wondering if wireless doorbells are like smoke detectors, in that
> they'll start ringing out of the blue when their batteries start to go
> low.
> The batteries have been in the main unit for about two years now, also
> about the same for the actual doorbells.

Posted by Jeff Liebermann on October 13, 2009, 8:22 pm

On Tue, 13 Oct 2009 18:22:09 -0500, dennism3@dennism3.invalid (Dennis
M) wrote:

>I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with wireless doorbells.

Ummm... yes.

>The
>last couple of days mine has been ringing a couple of times on its own (no,
>it isn't a pre-Halloween prank).

Any particular maker and model number? Actually, what I would like is
the FCC ID number from either the remote or the receiver so I can
lookup the frequency. It's usually 418MHz(EU), 433.925Mhz, 315MHz,
320MHz, 335MHz, 350MHz, 2400Mhz, etc. The frequency might also be
inscribed on the device somewhere.

If it's on 433.925Mhz, so are weather station remote sensors, which
will cause some interesting interference, especially since both use
OOK (on-off keying) for data.

If your unspecified model doorbell has a user programmable security
code, you might try changing it.

>I have some neighbors about 80 feet away
>who have an electronic garage door opener, but there's a wooded area
>between us and I don't think this could be causing it because it hasn't
>happened until now.

Walk 80.0ft and talk to the neighbors. Have them bring their garage
door opener remote over to your house. Do some testing.

>The main unit inside uses 4 "C" batteries, then the
>actual doorbells (one on the front that has a two-tone ring;

Have you tested the batteries? If you don't have a tester or DVM to
measure them, just replace them and see if it fixes the problem.

>one on the
>back that has a single ring) use some kind of weird tiny batteries.

Button cell batteries? They do have a part number.

>It's
>the single ring doorbell that's been acting up, so maybe that's where the
>actual problem is.

Do you have two receivers, one for single ring, and one for the
unspecified other ring?

>I'm wondering if wireless doorbells are like smoke detectors, in that
>they'll start ringing out of the blue when their batteries start to go low.

No. They tend to go comatose when the battery goes low. Range
decreases dramatically so it's unlikely that your neighbor is causing
more problems now. If this has been going on for several days, it's
unlikely to be a dying battery because it would have totally quit by
now with all the ringing.

>The batteries have been in the main unit for about two years now, also
>about the same for the actual doorbells.

Well, if the C batteries were originally new and good quality alkaline
cells, they should not be dead in 2 years unless you use the doorbell
excessively. My guess(tm) would be 1 to 5 years with good batteries,
and maybe a year or two with junk batteries. Get out the DVM and
measure the battery voltage for a clue. Anything under about 1.1VDC
is a near dead alkaline battery.

--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

Posted by hr(bob) hofmann@att.net on October 13, 2009, 9:12 pm

> On Tue, 13 Oct 2009 18:22:09 -0500, denni...@dennism3.invalid (Dennis
> M) wrote:

> >I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with wireless doorbells.

> Ummm... yes.

> >The
> >last couple of days mine has been ringing a couple of times on its own (=

no,

> >it isn't a pre-Halloween prank).

> Any particular maker and model number? =A0Actually, what I would like is
> the FCC ID number from either the remote or the receiver so I can
> lookup the frequency. =A0It's usually 418MHz(EU), 433.925Mhz, 315MHz,
> 320MHz, 335MHz, 350MHz, 2400Mhz, etc. =A0The frequency might also be
> inscribed on the device somewhere.
> If it's on 433.925Mhz, so are weather station remote sensors, which
> will cause some interesting interference, especially since both use
> OOK (on-off keying) for data.
> If your unspecified model doorbell has a user programmable security
> code, you might try changing it.

> >I have some neighbors about 80 feet away
> >who have an electronic garage door opener, but there's a wooded area
> >between us and I don't think this could be causing it because it hasn't
> >happened until now.

> Walk 80.0ft and talk to the neighbors. =A0Have them bring their garage
> door opener remote over to your house. =A0Do some testing.

> >The main unit inside uses 4 "C" batteries, then the
> >actual doorbells (one on the front that has a two-tone ring;

> Have you tested the batteries? =A0If you don't have a tester or DVM to
> measure them, just replace them and see if it fixes the problem.

> >one on the
> >back that has a single ring) use some kind of weird tiny batteries.

> Button cell batteries? =A0They do have a part number.

> >It's
> >the single ring doorbell that's been acting up, so maybe that's where th=

> >actual problem is.

> Do you have two receivers, one for single ring, and one for the
> unspecified other ring? =A0

> >I'm wondering if wireless doorbells are like smoke detectors, in that
> >they'll start ringing out of the blue when their batteries start to go l=

ow.

> No. =A0They tend to go comatose when the battery goes low. =A0Range
> decreases dramatically so it's unlikely that your neighbor is causing
> more problems now. =A0If this has been going on for several days, it's
> unlikely to be a dying battery because it would have totally quit by
> now with all the ringing.

> >The batteries have been in the main unit for about two years now, also
> >about the same for the actual doorbells.

> Well, if the C batteries were originally new and good quality alkaline
> cells, they should not be dead in 2 years unless you use the doorbell
> excessively. =A0My guess(tm) would be 1 to 5 years with good batteries,
> and maybe a year or two with junk batteries. =A0Get out the DVM and
> measure the battery voltage for a clue. =A0Anything under about 1.1VDC
> is a near dead alkaline battery.
> --
> Jeff Liebermann =A0 =A0 je...@cruzio.com
> 150 Felker St #D =A0 =A0http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
> Santa Cruz CA 95060http://802.11junk.com
> Skype: JeffLiebermann =A0 =A0 AE6KS =A0 =A0831-336-2558

I would replace them if they are under 1.3 V.

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