Garage Parking Aids

U

unrealii

Active Member
Anyone use any ultrasonic parking aids? My parents just added cabinets to the garage and I'm looking for an elegant solution rather than gluing a piece of plastic to the floor.

Picked up this thing at my local fry's for $15.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000YCFEK

I like this one, but I have ~15 inches to work with and its just under it's range:
http://www.amazon.com/Park-Zone-Dual-Power...0/dp/B00005AXI7

This one, I have no idea about the specs:
http://www.amazon.com/Parkrite-Home-Garage...m/dp/B0010B1BKG

Thanks!
 
unrealii said:
Anyone use any ultrasonic parking aids? My parents just added cabinets to the garage and I'm looking for an elegant solution rather than gluing a piece of plastic to the floor.

Picked up this thing at my local fry's for $15.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000YCFEK

I like this one, but I have ~15 inches to work with and its just under it's range:
http://www.amazon.com/Park-Zone-Dual-Power...0/dp/B00005AXI7

This one, I have no idea about the specs:
http://www.amazon.com/Parkrite-Home-Garage...m/dp/B0010B1BKG

Thanks!
Click to expand...


You could hang a tennis ball from a string to the ceiling that is positioned at your windshield when properly parked.
 
Nice write up. If all else fails, tennis ball with a string it is!

I'd love to make a more in depth solution, but it won't make a difference to my parents, so let's see how this GE thingie stacks up!
 
I have a friend that used the tennis ball method for his wife to park in the garage. After it was installed, no more bumped cabinets or broken bumper parts.
 
I have mounted the tech-equivalent of a ball-on-string approach. The hanging ball did not satisfy minimum WAF. In my case it is a unit that senses motion and then projects a pair of laser beams downward. The direction of the laser is adjusted so that is projects through the windshield onto the dashboard. After some number of minutes the laser turns itself off. The two beams are used to handle the 2-car garage. Each laser is independently adjusted so different size cars can be easily accomodated. The unit is powered with A/C and plugged into the same receptical as the garage door opener so no issues of batteries.

I also have a heat sensing device mounted on the front wall of the garage interior. When something warm such as a heated car engine approach the device illuminates. While it works I much prefer the laser.
 
A tennis ball on a string works well unless you have kids that like to "play ball" ;) Then they do not last long.
 
Rupp said:
A tennis ball on a string works well unless you have kids that like to "play ball" ;) Then they do not last long.
Click to expand...

A solution, that works in most garages, is to tie the string to the top of the garage door and position it with the car in place and the garage door open. When the garage door closes, the ball is lifted up high enough to not be in the way when the garage door is closed.
 
Another thing my neighbor came up with is to reposition the safety "eyes" of the door closer from the original ankle height. If you mount them at bumper height, you'll be clear of the door when it closes.
 
Automation said:
Frank Hagan said:
Jensen Beach said:
Another thing my neighbor came up with is to reposition the safety "eyes" of the door closer from the original ankle height. If you mount them at bumper height, you'll be clear of the door when it closes.
Click to expand...

Bad idea, unless you like flat cats.
Click to expand...
Na this doesn't work. I've tried it. They are simply too quick.
Click to expand...

Uhhh, nope. When we were building our house, we stayed with my in-laws for a bit, and they did not have safety eyes on their doors. My wife went down to close the garage door one night, and the cat got caught in it. It wasn't pretty; and no, the cat didn't make it.

So, I would not suggest moving the eyes for convenience sake. They are there for a good reason.
 
Ok, I took a lot of grief for that one ;)
But this neighbor has a cat, and she's still kickin'.

The funniest thing about that arrangement though, if you can picture this...
One day, (among many), they left their garage door open when they left for work...
Being a good neighbor, I went into their garage to press the manual close, followed by a sprightly "hop" over the "ankle height" sensor....
Didn't work...duh...
Several tries, and olympic quality high stepping later, (oh, did I mention I had a car full of family and friends watching?), The door was still open and I was a comic mishap... ;)

Sonny
 
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