Help with wiring Garage Door Opener to Elk

[sbex55]

I'm looking to control my Genie GDO via my M1.  It has a wall-mounted control that is connected to terminals on the opener via two conductors.  The control has a button that turns the light on/off and a button to open/close the door.  I've read the light function works with 3 diodes in series.  Now, my questions:

1 - Can I wire directly to OUTPUT 3 to open/close the door?

2 - I've never dealt with relays.  How do I 'wire a relay with 3 diodes' to the M1?

Thanks,

Scott.

 

[gatchel]

Could you post a model number or a pic of the control module?
 
If the light works with 3 diodes in series then the opener is probably looking at the voltage level coming back when the buttons are pressed.
 
More than likely you can run a 18-2 or a 22-2 from the output 3 relay to the GDO opener or control module location. At the Elk connect the black wire to the C terminal and the red wire to the NO terminal on output 3. (Polarity really doesn't matter)
 
At the control end, connect each wire to the existing wires that are landed. The red to one bell wire and the black to the other bell wire.
 
Make sure your logic in the Elk only ever turns the relay on for 1 or 2 seconds.
 
Another way to test this is to simply take the control box wires on the control and short them together for a second or two. It should be just like pushing the open close button. As long as the control is not a smart control model like liftmaster makes you should be fine.

 

[sbex55]

Could you post a model number or a pic of the control module?
 
If the light works with 3 diodes in series then the opener is probably looking at the voltage level coming back when the buttons are pressed.
 
More than likely you can run a 18-2 or a 22-2 from the output 3 relay to the GDO opener or control module location. At the Elk connect the black wire to the C terminal and the red wire to the NO terminal on output 3. (Polarity really doesn't matter)
 
At the control end, connect each wire to the existing wires that are landed. The red to one bell wire and the black to the other bell wire.
 
Make sure you logic in the Elk only ever turns the relay on for 1 or 2 seconds.
 
Another way to test this is to simply take the control box wires on the control and short them together for a second or two. It should be just like pushing the open close button. As long as the control is not a smart control model like liftmaster makes you should be fine.

 
Thank you for the help with Output 3.  My GDO is a Genie Excelerator, model # ISD995.  The door does open/close when I short the two wires.
 
I have never used a relay.  What are these things and what would be the best way to put 3 diodes in series?  Would I need to use the relay expansion module (M1RB) and connect to this relay so I could control the light?
 
Thank you for the help!
 
Scott.

 

[gatchel]

You would need another relay to control the light, that is correct. The M1RB would connect to the terminal on the M1 to provide 8 more relays. Extras are never a bad thing. As far as knowing when the light is on or off you'll never be abke to tell with some method of feedback from the light. You would have to pulse the relay to toggle the state of the GDO light. Not knowing which state it is in currently, your "on" pulse may actually turn off the light. Something to consider.
 
I see you show an ISY-99 in your profile. You'd be better using an Insteon Module to control garage lighting if you want status.
 
As far as diodes...
You would probably use 3 rectifier diodes in series. The anode of the first diode would connect to the cathode of the next.
 
Here is some more reading.
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diode

 

[apostolakisl]

You may find it easier to not run the wires from Elk to the GDO.  Rather use a wireless opener.  Inside of these there is a micro-switch soldered to the board.  You can solder a couple leads piggy-backed on top of the micro-switch's soldered on feet and connect those two leads to your NO/C contact on the Elk.  Turning the Elk output on for a couple seconds is electrically the same as manually pushing the button for a couple seconds.  
 
It won't independently control the light.  But you really are better off using your Insteon for that.
 
Hopefully you have the garage door wired to your Elk panel so Elk can know if it is opened or closed.  With this info you can create programs to automatically close or open the garage door.  Without that info, Elk wouldn't know if it was already open or closed.

 

[sbex55]

I wired up the 2 wires from the GDO control unit to my M1 Output 3.  I wrote the following rule:
 
WHENEVER F4 ON ANY KEYPAD ACTIVATES
   THEN TURN Output 003 (Out 3) ON FOR 2 SECONDS
 
The garage door activates every other time I press F4.  I tried varying the time from 1 to 5 seconds but it still does not activate on the first press of F4.  It only works every other press of F4.
 
What am I missing?
 
Scott.

 

[apostolakisl]

I wired up the 2 wires from the GDO control unit to my M1 Output 3.  I wrote the following rule:
 
WHENEVER F4 ON ANY KEYPAD ACTIVATES
   THEN TURN Output 003 (Out 3) ON FOR 2 SECONDS
 
The garage door activates every other time I press F4.  I tried varying the time from 1 to 5 seconds but it still does not activate on the first press of F4.  It only works every other press of F4.
 
What am I missing?
 
Scott.

 
You need to go into Elkrp and go to "keypads".  Then check the box that says "one press" for the f4 key.  Without that box checked it requires 2 presses.  This is to prevent accidental activation I guess.

 

[sbex55]

You need to go into Elkrp and go to "keypads".  Then check the box that says "one press" for the f4 key.  Without that box checked it requires 2 presses.  This is to prevent accidental activation I guess.

 
That was it.  Thank you!

 

[gatchel]

When you have a garage door contact installed, you can also have the garage door being open cause the F4 key to flash by selecting the zone in the F4 illumination event list (40xx) list and checking the blink checkbox...

 

[sbex55]

When you have a garage door contact installed, you can also have the garage door being open cause the F4 key to flash by selecting the zone in the F4 illumination event list (40xx) list and checking the blink checkbox...

 
Just tried this and works great.  Thank you!