BraveSirRobbin
Moderator
You could, but I would rather not (just my opinion) use any power line protocol (X-10, Insteon, UPB) to control my garage door.
[How-To] Automate Your Garage Door
- Thread starter BraveSirRobbin
- Start date
Thanks for this write up BSR. I got this hooked up and working in no time. Thanks to you, I no longer need to worry about leaving the garage door open at night. I had been wanting to automate the garage door, but couldnt get a wire to the opener. Using the remote was genius.
rwarshawski
Member
I have a Chamberlain/Liftmaster 3800 garage door opener. It operate by RF, as far as I can tell- there is no wired connection between the device, the wall mounted controller(battery operated), or the ceiling light. I would like to have "Sophie" be capable of opening or closing the door on command. The help desk at the company says that the warranty will be void if open up the case, and that they are unable to give me any info because of liability concerns.
I have another Liftmaster system on a different door that has the more traditional wired momentary contact that I have automated successfully with a UPB operated relay, and it is really handy.
I would rather not take apart a transmitter to do this. There must be a way to mimic the remote's effect on whatever switch is inside the device...
I have a UPB based system(HAL/Cinemar) and an ELK M1 security system.
Any experience out there?
bob
I have another Liftmaster system on a different door that has the more traditional wired momentary contact that I have automated successfully with a UPB operated relay, and it is really handy.
I would rather not take apart a transmitter to do this. There must be a way to mimic the remote's effect on whatever switch is inside the device...
I have a UPB based system(HAL/Cinemar) and an ELK M1 security system.
Any experience out there?
bob
Desert_AIP
Senior Member
Is your wall switch RF as well?
Page 10 of the docs here show a contact closure for the wall switch on the bottom left pair of contacts.
http://www.liftmaster.com/pdfdocs/114A3268.pdf
Is this your opener?
rwarshawski
Member
This is the one. There is no change in voltage across those contacts when the button on the wall switch ie pressed. I assume I am incorrect about the battery as I can't find one and there is no mention in the manual! The wires likely supply power to the switch which has a motion sensor and thermometer in it as well. My guess is that when the button is pushed it sends RF out to the unit...
bob
Desert_AIP
Senior Member
Have you tried hooking up a piece of bell wire to the contacts and shorting them to see if the door opens/closes?
apostolakisl
Senior Member
Just open up one of the wireless remotes. Perhaps that will void your warranty on that particular wireless remote, but big woop. Or go buy a generic one that works with liftmaster, they don't cost very much.
Once it is open, you should see that there is a small switch of some sort that closes when you push the button. Attach the two wires from an Elk relay to the two sides of that switch. Have your relay close for 2 seconds or so and that will be the equivalent of pushing the button for 2 seconds. Provided you locate the remote within the range of the garage door, it will work. This is how I have my Elk connected to my garage doors which are also Chamberlain Liftmaster's. I actually have three overhead doors and used a 3 button remote connecting three elk relays to the three button contacts.
Edit: I just looked at the specs on your door and it uses the 373lm remote, this is the same as mine. It is a typical rolling code unit that can be had for $20 on amazon, or generics are half of that. I have several extra becuase I programmed my "homelink" on the car to open the doors
Once it is open, you should see that there is a small switch of some sort that closes when you push the button. Attach the two wires from an Elk relay to the two sides of that switch. Have your relay close for 2 seconds or so and that will be the equivalent of pushing the button for 2 seconds. Provided you locate the remote within the range of the garage door, it will work. This is how I have my Elk connected to my garage doors which are also Chamberlain Liftmaster's. I actually have three overhead doors and used a 3 button remote connecting three elk relays to the three button contacts.
Edit: I just looked at the specs on your door and it uses the 373lm remote, this is the same as mine. It is a typical rolling code unit that can be had for $20 on amazon, or generics are half of that. I have several extra becuase I programmed my "homelink" on the car to open the doors
Will this work with a Rain8 UPB module?
I have a few unused "zones".
The output voltage is 24 volts.
Not sure what your ELK relay is putting out (12V?).
apostolakisl
Senior Member
No! The relay is an open/closed switch, not a voltage output. You can use your 24v AC sprinkler output if you purchase a suitable relay and have the 24v close the relay for a few seconds. I am sure a relay with a 24v ac coil exists, but the vast majority of them have a dc voltage coil, so you may have trouble finding an inexpensive option. Probably you could use a 24v dc coil if you put a diode in there to partially rectify the circuit.
rwarshawski
Member
OK!
I finally got around to shorting out the contacts with a piece of bell wire and the door operates as if I pushed the button.
Thanks Desert_AIP!
bob
I finally got around to shorting out the contacts with a piece of bell wire and the door operates as if I pushed the button.
Thanks Desert_AIP!
bob
apostolakisl
Senior Member
That only happens if you short the two wires that come out of the motor unit. If you short the contacts that the button is shorting, it will behave exactly the same as pushing the button. It won't mess anything else up.
However, this is a lot more work. You will need to crack open your push button and solder wires to the same contacts that the button is soldered to.
Personally, I suggest cracking open one of the rf remotes and soldering to the contacts in there rather than using the wired wall switch. Then, provided your panel is in range of the door opener, you don't have to run any wires, just put the "rigged-up" remote right there at your panel. This is how I did mine and it works 100% for 2.5 years now.
BraveSirRobbin
Moderator
Also, the other benefits of using the remote include not having to run any wiring as you can just have the remote in the automation closet. You might want to also look at the remote's battery voltage and see if you can easily run it from your existing 12 volt powered system (as shown in the above How-To instructions).
tmbrown97
Senior Member
Good Point Lou - I wasn't sure which method the OP was using.
In a lot of newer installations they just use Cat5 from the safety eye to the opener; this is very handy as there's extra pairs available for the contact sensors - with wire run behind the drywall up to the top of the opener... so in my case, a single cat5 runs across the ceiling - hits both openers, and picks up the contacts for each door and has a pair for triggering the button for each door - very handy. It'd be too much hassle to run a wire to the button location though.
In a lot of newer installations they just use Cat5 from the safety eye to the opener; this is very handy as there's extra pairs available for the contact sensors - with wire run behind the drywall up to the top of the opener... so in my case, a single cat5 runs across the ceiling - hits both openers, and picks up the contacts for each door and has a pair for triggering the button for each door - very handy. It'd be too much hassle to run a wire to the button location though.
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