Doorbell detection on Stargate?

[dlmorgan999]

I recently purchased a Stargate and I want to get doorbell detection working. Originally I thought I would need something like an Elk 960 but after looking at the Stargate manual I'm wondering if I can just connect the doorbell button directly to one of the digital inputs with the jumper set for voltage detection. Is anyone else doing doorbell detection with the Stargate? If so how did you hook it up?

-- Dave

 

[upstatemike]

My doorbell button operates a relay and the contacts on the relay operate the original doorbell chime. A stargate voltage input is also across the coil of the relay. The stargate does a page through the phone system saying which doorbell has been activated.

The Elk unit is good if you have lighted doorbel buttons and want the lights to still work. The doorbell 16VAC is OK for direct connection to a Stargate but I always worry about the wicked spikes a doorbell coil can produce. I just feel better with some sort of isolation.

 

[Mark S.]

I do the same relay thing as Upstatemike. I don't want to take the chance of blowing out a DI.

Mark

 

[dlmorgan999]

I don't quite understand how you guys are wiring it. Is the Stargate input in parallel with the button or in parallel with the relay? If with the relay doesn't that mean that the Stargate input is still suceptible to spikes? Perhaps a drawing would help me if either of you hae one available.

-- Dave

 

[upstatemike]

I don't quite understand how you guys are wiring it. Is the Stargate input in parallel with the button or in parallel with the relay? If with the relay doesn't that mean that the Stargate input is still suceptible to spikes? Perhaps a drawing would help me if either of you hae one available.

-- Dave

I use Elk 912B relays so the spike when the coil field collapses is trivial and they have diode shunts on the coils anyway so it is not an issue. A dorrbell coil is pretty big and is coupled via a transformer to the AC line so you have 2 types of potential spikes there. (The DC power used on the relays is surge protected).

Anyway I wire the Stargate input across the relay coil so the 12V that activates the relay also is fed to the stargate. I don't have anything installed on my PC to do drawings with easily. If somebody wants to suggest a free package I'll give it a try.

 

[r43ts]

Hi Dave,

I use the Power Flash module
http://www.smarthome.com/4060.html
which detects a voltage change that is wired into my doorbell. It then sends out an X-10 command which, is then dealt with within my code using my Homebase controller.

Mike - The guy who sold the SG1 to you.