Why Your Garage Door Opener May Have Problems Monday

🔴 The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is extending the range of its communications system to 10 miles

🔴 Testing of the system begins Monday

🔴 It could have an impact on your garage door opener system

On Friday, the Shipyard announced that it will be expanding its Enterprise Land Mobile Radio (ELMR) communications system to an approximately 10 mile radius of the shipyard in Kittery, which could also affect your garage door opener.

The first phase of the ELMR's use will be testing that continues until the end of August.

"The ELMR communications system dramatically improves communications between military security and fire department organizations, while simultaneously providing for direct radio communication between Department of Defense (DoD) and civilian first responders," the base said in a statement.

The expanded use also allows for upgrades to new mobile radio systems on and around military bases.

It may also render your garage door remote useless, as it uses the same radio frequency reserved for use by the Department of Defense and other federal government organizations.

Map showing an approximate 10 mile radius from the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery (Canva)

When ELMR was first used at the Groton Submarine Base in New London, Connecticut, in 2012, homeowners reported their garage door openers would not work unless they were standing right in front of the door, according to a report by the Daily Mail.

Under FCC rules, as long as government communication systems are not interfered with, it's legal.

"Because garage door openers are unlicensed devices, they are not offered any protection from interference by licensed users in the same frequency band," the Shipyard said in its statement." In response to increased communication needs, the DoD now must make more use of these frequencies to upgrade new mobile radio systems on and around military bases."

The Shipyard suggested having their garage door opener be retrofitted by the manufacturer which could come at cost.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNH

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