Installing RATGDO on Liftmaster MyQ Security+ Jackshaft 2.0 Garage Door Opener (3.3v)

Welcome to Chuck Builds! Join us as we install the RATGDO, Rage Against The Garage Door Opener - created by Paul Wieland-, onto a Liftmaster JackShaft Battery Back-up Garage Door opener. Learn how this ESP chip-based device allows you to bypass the Chamberlain/LiftMaster MyQ Security Plus 2.0 and its rolling codes. If you're tired of dealing with MyQ Outages in Home Assistant this video is a must-watch. Don't forget to subscribe to our channel for similar installations like this onto other types of Garage Door and Gate!
RATGDO Website:
paulwieland.github.io/ratgdo/
12v to 3.3v Buck Converter:
amzn.to/3GGYXzV
or If the Above is Out of Stock:
amzn.to/4aEMH0E
Irwin Wire Strippers:
amzn.to/48fNRh1
3M VHB 2-sided Foam Tape:
amzn.to/3H2PFOZ
Time stamps:
00:00 Intro
01:02 Supplies
01:35 Prepping Wires
01:39 Wiring Explained
02:59 Connecting Buck Converter
04:54 Battery Door Modification
05:37 Mounting Buck Converter
06:12 RATGDO Wiring
07:31 Function Test

[@drtbantha]

Nice to see an install walkthrough - I’ve been putting mine off! If you want an easier way to connect to the battery, look for a “piggyback spade terminal” to crimp onto the buck converter wires, would probably work great in this application.

[@ChuckBuilds]

Wow! That's perfect haha, I wish I had some of those around. I might order some and update mine. Thanks for that!

[@JoshSullivan1]

Great video! First one I've seen that uses the 3.3v line on the ratgdo 👍

[@paulm3063]

Excellent video and walkthrough. Got mine after waiting nearly 2 months and installed it quickly following your steps. Thanks again and keep it up!

[@salmanslim]

Getting my ratgdo today. Ps that ikea lack enclosure caught my eye lol 😂

[@ChuckBuilds]

haha yeah, doesn't get as much use now as it used to but the enclosure really helps with dust and heat!

[@inkybeed]

Can't thank you enough for walking this through. I have (2) Chamberlain 8500w motors and just received my (2) 2.53i ratgdo devices. It was a bit daunting to figure out what to do but you made the wiring part SO easy. Once I saw someone do it, it took me about 3 minutes to get it all swapped. Unfortunately though my 2.53i board doesn't allow for a 3.3v wire connection even though the ratgdo wiring diagram mentions one (it shows the 2.52i board).

[@ChuckBuilds]

Some other comments are making me think 3.3v isn’t the way to go! Glad to have helped, I found it confusing at first too!

[@Fourtrax01]

They do have 3.3 pins they just have to be soldered to, bottom left corner to the left of the usb port, 3.3v and ground pins right there.

[@amithimani8163]

Nice video, great work, i see a UGA cap, looks like a Dawg fan!! From Atlanta or Athens.

[@ChuckBuilds]

How bout em! I miss Athens!

[@yalla_caguetrades4140]

my savior 😁

[@solstice666]

About to do the same. Just got 98022's installed here and am waiting for the ratgdos to arrive. Perfect timing!

[@ChuckBuilds]

It’s been working great!

[@solstice666]

Finally got a nice clean install with all the feedback you received. * Used Piggyback Spade connectors. Heads up, the negative terminal on the battery is a lot smaller of a spade, thus may need to trim down the piggyback connector to fit. * Mounted the buck converter on the inside of the door with just a tiny hole out to the RATGDO. I still wish I could figure out how the trigger functions work on the other side. Want to hook up other function like Eufy garage door camera. Also wondering how I could get data potentially of the wall button, like temperature.

[@WilliamButler-v1y]

Will this work on the LJ8900W?

[@Breeegz]

What's the difference between MQTT and ESPHome? Do both of these integrate with Home Assistant?

[@ChuckBuilds]

Both integrate in different ways. MQTT is a message broker that you might already be using for other things like Zigbee. ESPHome is a Firmware that can tie-in to HomeAssistant without a "middle-man" broker routing messages. The Main difference in the context of the RATGDO is features as the ESPHome Firmware is lacking some features on the MQTT version of Firmware.

[@thefalsemessiah367]

The link you posted for the buck converter is an NYT-11 1203.7. And the output is 3.7 instead of 3.3 like the one in your video. Will that still work without frying the RATGDO? I can’t seem to find the exact one you have :(

[@ChuckBuilds]

I swear it used to be 3.3v! Hopefully just out of stock and coming back. Any 12v to 3.3v should be fine, that specific brand was just cheap + prime

[@amithimani8163]

Should it be a 3.3v or will the 3.7v work?

[@ChuckBuilds]

3.3! This should work amzn.to/4aEMH0E @@amithimani8163

[@UnexpectedTokens]

Nice video, does it show percentage of the door (like 10% open) in HA? can you tell it to automatically open to 20% or something?

[@ChuckBuilds]

It does not. Just says open or close. You could probably get something similar if you time the garage and make an automation to stop it after x seconds

[@UnexpectedTokens]

@@ChuckBuilds ah thanks for the info! are you using it over MQTT or ZHA? I heard there is more functionality on ESPHome

[@ChuckBuilds]

@@UnexpectedTokens I am using MQTT. At the time it had more features than ESPHome. I tried both and made a video on both but MQTT felt more responsive. Granted I have not been updating the firmware at all.

[@ChuckBuilds]

A friend just sent me this, looks like what you want! github.com/ratgdo/esphome-ratgdo?tab=readme-ov-file

[@M3TRISTAN]

How’s the battery after all this time? My wall button shows the battery is constantly charging? Will the battery eventually die?

[@ChuckBuilds]

Mine has been fine so far. The battery could eventually die but it is a cheap 12v lead acid battery - cheap and easy to replace.

[@M3TRISTAN]

@@ChuckBuilds my wall button finally shows full bars. Also to note, you don’t need to cut the door. You can fish it around the back, there’s an opening. Found it when installing.

[@AlexBesogonov]

I did basically the same thing, although I used a 5V buck adapter. Well, it worked for a few weeks and then the battery died. Looks like the floating mode circuitry can't supply enough current to power ratgdo, and it slowly drains the battery. Mine is now dead and sulfated, I had to replace it. On an off chance it was just a coincidence (the battery is 5 years old, after all), I'll try to connect ratgdo again and report here in a month or so.

[@ChuckBuilds]

oh wow, I'll need to keep an eye on that! Good callout

[@AlexBesogonov]

@@ChuckBuilds Reporting: the new battery also got died. What happened: the battery came at around 80% of charge (12.86V), and the garage opener charged the battery to 100% within about a day. Then it switched to "floating mode", providing just a few milliamps of current, not enough to compensate for the power draw of ratgdo. It eventually discharged the battery below the safe threshold, and now the garage door opener refuses to charge it. Apparently, the charging controller in the opener is not expecting that the battery can be discharged while in the floating mode. I have a Chamberlain B970 opener, yours might have a better controller.

[@JWS-xn8ye]

@@ChuckBuildshave you had any battery issues?

[@ChuckBuilds]

@@JWS-xn8ye not yet!

[@daviddonnelly8406]

Great video. I have installed ratgdo without any issues on my Home Assistant. However, the garage door will not open or close. All existing remotes work. Verified all wiring. Obstruction sensor in ratgdo reports when obstructed and when clear. But garage door will not respond from Home Assistant. Any suggestions on troubleshooting?

[@ChuckBuilds]

Any errors? What Garage door? I see you used the MQTT version, maybe try ESPHome? Does it light up when you press open or close on the app?

[@daviddonnelly8406]

@@ChuckBuilds no errors. Liftmaster 8500, jackshft drive. I verified compatability. Does it light up? What is supposed to light up?

[@ChuckBuilds]

@@daviddonnelly8406 The RatGDO flashes blue when it gets a command. Does it work with the Obstruction sensors removed?

[@daviddonnelly8406]

@@ChuckBuilds When powered up, RatGDO led is solid/constant blue. When open or close button (command) pushed (small gray circle appears around the up or down arrow) from HA sent, LED blinks (very, very quickly), no haptic feedback on my cellphone. When obstruction sensor wires (there are two) are removed from RatGDO, HA shows "obstruction" and the garage door does not move. When I push the HA RatGDO stop button (gray circle does not appear), after pushing either the open or close button, nothing happens - even no haptic feedback on cellphone. NOTE: The RatGDO on HA shows a light - yet I have no light feature on my LiftMaster 8500 Jacksthaft garage door opener and....when I push the light symbol on HA to turn on or off the non-exsiting light, I get haptic feedback on cellphone. Thoughts?

[@daviddonnelly8406]

@ChuckBuilds Seems I need to select a security configuration. But darn if I can figure out where. I reflashed the ratgdo, but a security option never shows. any idea where this security option is to set?

[@LeighHart]

I wasn’t sure the lift master was actually charging the battery but it seems the manual says it does. Edited this comment for clarity.

[@ChuckBuilds]

Interesting, I heard the opposite from a Liftmaster Dealer that replaced my batteries after I had an issue with a gate opening due to low voltage on the 24V Battery Array. I'll keep an eye on it. Thankfully the 12v battery is cheap!

[@LeighHart]

@@ChuckBuilds you’re right, the 8500w manual does mention a charge indicator status led. Perhaps the issue experienced by the other commenter was a charge cycle limit / age of battery one. Hard to say.