What programming a remote does
A garage door opener ignores any remote it has not stored. Dominator's manuals for its current openers each say the opener only runs from remotes programmed into its memory, and that up to 64 can be held. Programming, which people also call coding, syncing or pairing, is simply putting a new remote into that list.
There are two ways to do it. You can code the remote at the opener itself, with a button under its cover, or you can copy it across from a remote that already works while you stand within range. Dominator's manuals give both. The buttons, the timings and the signals that tell you it has worked change from one model to the next, so the model number matters more than the brand.
Dominator's manual says the model is printed on the rear of the opener, and its manuals page tells owners to check the model number to find the correct manual. Read the label before you press anything.
What you need before you start
- The opener's brand and model, read off its label
- A remote made for that opener's system, such as Dominator's Tri-Tran+ remotes or Garador's TrioCode 128 range
- A good battery already in the new remote
- A ballpoint pen, if you are copying from a remote that works
- Power on at the opener, and a clear doorway for the test run
Coding at the opener: Dominator's sectional door openers
Switch on and take the controls cover off
This is how Dominator's manual for the Smart Pro (DSO-4V3), Smart (DSO-3V3) and Secure (DSO-2V3) begins. The buttons you need are underneath.
Press MODE until the remote LED lights
Press it repeatedly and watch the row of LEDs. Stop when the remote one is lit.
Hold two buttons together for 3 seconds
Choose the opener button for the job you want that remote button to do. Hold it and the remote button at the same time until the opener flashes and beeps.
Let go, refit the cover and try it
Release both, put the cover back on and press the remote with the doorway in view.
Other models do it their own way
Dominator's Select (DSO-1V3) manual follows the same MODE pattern. Its Excel (RDO-1V4) roller door opener does not: there you press and release the code set button, then press and hold the remote button for 3 seconds and let go, and do that hold a second time before testing.
That is two models from one maker with two different routes, which is why we don't give one set of steps for every opener. For Merlin, B&D, ATA and the gate makers, go to the guide for your make further down.
Copying from a remote that already works
Stand within range of the opener
Dominator's manual for the DSO-4V3, DSO-3V3 and DSO-2V3 sets this method out, and nothing on the opener needs opening. Press a button on the remote that already works.
Use a pen in the coding hole for 2 seconds
Press and hold the button inside the working remote's coding hole until the opener flashes and beeps.
Hold the new remote's button for 3 seconds, twice
Press and hold the button you want on the new remote, let go, then hold it again.
Wait for the opener to go quiet
It stops flashing and beeping once the new remote is stored. The Excel (RDO-1V4) manual gives the same coding hole method, with the same 2 and 3 second holds.
Keep the doorway in sight for every test
Test a newly coded remote from where you can see the whole opening, with nobody under the door. Dominator says only responsible adults should operate a garage door and that remotes belong out of children's reach, which counts double for a spare remote left lying around while you code it.
Why a new remote won't pair
The memory is full. Dominator's Smart Pro, Smart and Secure manual says the main light and beeper give 4, go off, then give 4 more when there is no room left. ATA's manual for the GDO-6 V4 EasyRoller says it stores 64 TrioCode 128 four-button transmitters, and the limit differs on other models. Making room means deleting old remotes, which the reset guide covers.
The opener isn't listening. Dominator's Excel (RDO-1V4) manual says remote coding is switched off while the opener runs on battery backup, while its service indicator is on, or while it is showing that a blocked safety beam stopped the door. Its sectional door openers also have a vacation mode that locks remotes out, and the remote status LED flashes while it is on.
The remote doesn't suit the opener. B&D NZ says its Tri-Tran+ remotes are multi-frequency and use 128-bit AES encryption, and that its Trio-Code models cut interference on 433MHz systems. Systems like these are built around their own remotes, so match a spare to the opener's model before buying it.
How to program a gate remote
Electric gate remotes follow the same idea, but the receiver sits in the gate motor's control box. Dominator says its gate openers can run from the same remote as a Dominator garage door opener, so one handset can work both.
FAAC's page on its XT 433 SLH LR remotes copies a new one from a stored one. Press P1 and P2 together on the old remote and let go so its light flashes, then within 8 seconds press and hold the stored button so the light stays on. Hold the two remotes face to face and press the new remote's button until its light flashes twice. Release everything, then press the new button twice in a row.
BFT's manual for its MERAK BT A control board, used on the Deimos Ultra BT B 400 and 600 and the Ares, lets you add a remote near the control panel while the protection level is still at its default of 0. Press the hidden button and then a normal button (T1 to T4) on a saved remote, and within 10 seconds do the same on the new one.
CENTURION Systems gate motors are supplied in New Zealand by Aero NZ, which says end users usually work through its installer network.
Step-by-step guides by maker
For garage door openers: Merlin remote programming and ATA remote programming. Dominator's steps for every current model are on the Dominator page. Garador, like Dominator, is a B&D NZ brand, and the manual for your Garador model has its steps.
For electric gates: CENTURION Systems gate motors, BFT gate remotes and FAAC gate remotes. Each page keeps to that maker's own manuals and names the model every step belongs to.
Lost a remote, or just moved in?
Coding a new remote leaves the old ones working. If one has gone missing, or you have bought a house and have no idea who still holds a remote, clear the opener's memory and code back only the remotes you keep. Merlin's MT3850EVO manual gives the same answer when a neighbour's remote opens your door: erase the memory, then reprogram your own. The guide to resetting an opener sets out the erase step.
What to tell the door specialist
- The opener's brand and model, and whether it runs a door, a gate or both
- How many remotes you want coded
- What the opener did when you tried: flashes, beeps or nothing
- Whether any remote is missing or the house has changed hands
- Whether you want a wall keypad or phone control added
What you can do, and what to leave
You can
- Code a remote using the manual for your model
- Copy a new remote from one that works
- Fit a fresh battery before you start
- Test with the doorway clear and in sight
Leave to a door specialist
- An opener that refuses every remote
- Erasing codes when you have no manual
- Anything inside a gate motor's control box
- Travel limits and closing force
What we would do
Photograph the label on the back of the opener and keep the picture on your phone. It answers the first question any shop or door specialist asks about a new remote, and it tells you which manual to download next time. While you are up there, note whether the cover lifts off easily, because that is where the coding button usually lives.