Multi Code Remotes, Keypads & Receivers by Linear
Multi Code Remotes, Keypads and Receivers
Multi Code — also written MultiCode and Multi-Code — is a Linear brand, originally sold as Multi-Elmac. It is one of the longest-running radio control systems in the trade, and it is still in daily use on tens of thousands of garage door openers, gate operators and gated-community entrances built from the 1980s onward. Every Multi Code remote, keypad and receiver on this page runs on 300 MHz and codes with 10 DIP switches.
How Multi Code works
Inside every Multi Code transmitter and receiver is a bank of ten small two-position switches numbered 1 to 10. You set the same up/down pattern in both, and they talk. Ten binary switches give 1,024 possible codes, which is why the system works for a shared gate where dozens of residents all need to open the same entrance.
Multi Code is a fixed-code system, not rolling code. The DIP switch pattern stays the same every time you press the button. That is what makes it easy to program and easy to add remotes to, and it is also why it is less secure than a modern rolling-code system. If you need rolling code, you are replacing the receiver, not just the remote.
The 310 MHz trap — read this before you order. If the remote you are replacing is an older black 3089, it is very likely a 310 MHz unit, not 300 MHz. A 300 MHz remote will not operate a 310 MHz receiver at any DIP setting. There is no adapter and no workaround — the receiver has to be replaced with a current 300 MHz unit such as the 1090. Check before you buy, or call us and we will identify it from a photo of the receiver box on the opener.
Multi Code remotes
| Model | Order number | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| 3089 | MCS308911 | Single-button visor remote. The most common Multi Code remote by a wide margin, and the direct replacement for the 1089. |
| 3089-13 | MCS308913 | Canadian version of the 3089 |
| 3070 | MCS307010 | Mini key-ring transmitter |
| 3083 | MCS308301 | Mini transmitter |
| 4120 | MCS412001 | Two-channel remote — runs a garage door and a gate from one unit |
| 4140 | MCS414001 | Four-channel remote |
| 300MC | — | Chamberlain-built 3089 equivalent. Same 300 MHz 10-dip format at a lower price. |
Keypad
| Model | Order number | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| 4200 | MCS420001 | Wireless keyless entry keypad. No wiring to the opener — it transmits on the same 300 MHz DIP code, so it drops onto an existing system. |
Receivers and complete sets
| Model | Order number | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| 1090 | MCS109020 | The standard 300 MHz radio receiver. Fit this to an opener with no Multi Code receiver, or to replace a 310 MHz unit. |
| 1099-50 | MCS109950 | Coax receiver — for a remote antenna run where range is a problem. Replaces the 1099-20. |
| 3022 | MCS302210 | Receiver |
| 3028 | MCS302850 | Receiver |
| 1011 | MCS1011 | Complete set — receiver plus one remote. The straightforward answer when there is no Multi Code radio on the opener at all. |
| 2022 | MCS2022 | Complete set — receiver plus two remotes |
Superseded part numbers
If you are holding an old part number, find it here. These are no longer made, and the replacement is a direct fit on the same 300 MHz 10-dip system.
| Old number | Order it as | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1099-20 / MCS109920 | 1099-50 | Coax receiver. Direct replacement. |
| 1089 | 3089 | Single-button visor remote |
| 3060 / MCS306010 | 3070 or 3083 | Mini transmitter. Same format and dip settings. |
| Multi-Elmac 3089 | 3089 | Same part, earlier brand name |
Antennas, adapters and spares
| Part | What it is |
|---|---|
| 1066 | Coax antenna kit — MCS106603. Gets the antenna away from the metal enclosure and out to where it can hear. |
| 109206 | 3-wire adapter |
| MCS109207 | Wiring harness adapter, 3-tab to 3-wire connector |
| 214829 | Replacement visor clip |
| 308988 | Replacement case for the new-style 3089 |
| 10A14 | 12V battery for the 3060, 3070 and 3083 mini remotes |
What else works with a Multi Code receiver
Because the format is an open 300 MHz, 10-switch standard, several other brands cross over. If your receiver is Multi Code, any of these will operate it once the DIP switches match:
| Brand | Compatible models |
|---|---|
| Digi-Code | 5010, 5030, 5040, 5060, 5070 · keypad 5200 |
| Multi-Elmac | 3089 — the original brand name |
| Eagle | EG 140, EG 144, EG 148, EG 152 |
| Transmitter Solutions | 300MCD21K, 300MCD21V, 300MCD22K, 300MCD22V, EMP300MCD21V |
Universal remotes such as the LiftMaster 374UT and the 380UT will also operate a Multi Code receiver, but they have no physical DIP switches — they use a step-and-set procedure to learn the code from an existing working remote. If you have no working remote left, a universal will not help you and you need a DIP-switch unit or a complete 1011 set.
Programming a Multi Code remote
Open the battery compartment on your existing working remote and note the up/down position of all ten switches, left to right. Set the new remote's switches to the identical pattern. That is the whole procedure — there is no learn button and nothing to press on the opener.
If you have no working remote, open the receiver box on the opener and read the switch pattern there instead. If you cannot get to the receiver, set both the receiver and the new remote to a fresh pattern of your choosing — any pattern works as long as both match.
Common questions
Multi Code, MultiCode or Multi-Code? All the same brand. Linear writes it Multi-Code.
Will a 3089 work on my gate? If the gate operator has a 300 MHz Multi Code receiver, yes. Multi Code makes no distinction between gate and garage — it is a radio system, and the same remote runs either.
How many remotes can one receiver run? Any number. Every remote set to the same DIP pattern will operate it, which is why this system is standard on shared community gates.
My new remote does not work. Three usual causes, in order: the switch pattern is reversed left-to-right, the old unit is 310 MHz rather than 300 MHz, or the battery in the new remote is flat out of the pack.
My range has dropped. Usually the antenna, not the remote. A 1066 coax antenna kit gets the wire out of the metal box and away from the motor.
Can I add a keypad to an existing system? Yes. The 4200 codes to the same ten switches and needs no wiring to the opener.
Related
Linear remotes · wireless keypads · universal remote controls · all remote controls
Not sure which remote or receiver you have? Call 866-965-5599 or email parts@gatehousesupplies.com — send a photo of the receiver on the opener and we will identify it. We have been servicing these systems since 1993.