Review on 🚪 LiftMaster 850LM: The Ultimate Universal Gate and Garage Door Opener Receiver by Joshua Follansbee

I purchased the 850LM to solve a reliability/stain coverage issue with the receiver that was built into my circa 2002 Chamberlain model 8220 garage door opener. With the Homelink built into our 2017 RAV-4, the remote sometimes didn't work from the driveway, but sometimes it worked fine from three houses down the street. It took several tries to get a good configuration. The easiest way to install is to connect the 850LM to your existing garage door opener. I couldn't find a detailed Opener/850LM compatibility guide. To connect you need a connecting cable and nuts. The voltage levels look okay, but the 850LM responds to the buttons after I turn the unit on. I disconnected the power cords and connected the power to some computer peripherals. The 850LM features a power input jack, so no additional wiring or connection is required. You can also buy a Chamberlain plug specially designed for this purpose. You will also need a wire to connect a normally open (NO) 850LM relay to the normally open terminals on the garage door opener. Basically, the garage door opener thinks the 850LM is just another doorbell switch. You can place any number of bell switches in parallel. The wiring space on my garage door opener was pretty tight so again a bit of splicing and wire nuts was needed. Follow the online instructions to set up Homelink. For this you need at least one additional remote control (e.g. 811M), which teaches you the Homelink car transmitter. After the installation was complete, my RAV-4 still had unstable spots in the receiver's reception area. Unlike the original garage opener receiver and antenna, the 850LM features a convenient F-type antenna connector that allows you to place the receiver antenna remotely for longer range. You will need an F connector TV cable to connect the 850LM antenna to the end of the extension cable. After these adjustments, the 850LM now performs well, with good range and no need for the previous system. In addition to what was included in the 850LM box, it required connecting wires, wire nuts, a TV cable, an F connector and an 811M remote to work. I would still consider it an easy install if you have the parts on hand.