How are folks automating their garage door?

[Timoh]

How are folks automating their garage door?

I've been wanting to automate a garage door close for a while now, but can't figure out a "safe" way to do it so I don't lock myself out.

My basic need is to close the door automatically if I drive away and forget to close it.

My concern is I'll be outside one day cutting the grass or whatever, and the door will close automatically. Ooops... Now I'm stuck outside.

Thanks
Tim

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

Here is how I control my garage door with my HA hardware:
http://www.cocoontech.com/index.php?showtopic=2215

I then have my Ocelot/Caddx look for a garage door closed signal AFTER the system is armed in "AWAY" mode. After a certain amount of time, if the door is not closed, I will chirp the siren, flash the garage lights, then send the closed signal. You can also look for a closed signal after a minute and send an Email/txt msg using HA Software if the door does not close.

I also have a keypad that came with the door opener mounted on the outside of my garage door frame in case I need access and don't have the remote handy.

I don't have a PC involved with any of the commands or logic.

You could easily do this with your Elk M1 also. Just wire a set of relay contacts across the door opener or wire to a remote as shown in the How-To if you don't have the wiring in place for this.

 

[Timoh]

It's just the logic I was trying to figure out. Hardware wise I'm all setup ready to go with my Ocelot.

I hadn't thought about only closing the door if the system was armed. That's a good idea. I'm pretty good at arming when I exit through the front door, but when I exit through the garage, I very rarely arm. Usually because...
(a ) I never got around to installing the keypad near the garage door
(b ) I tried a keyfob, but never installed the status light outside, so I didn't know if I was armed or not and
(c ) I never coded my caddx script for HouseBot to accept arming/disarming from the the touchscreen near the garage door.

That being said, I was looking at my unused keyfob system last night wondering what to do with it. Last time I installed it in the basement at the back of the garage... So obviously range/stability was an issue. This combined with the fact that I had no outside indicator of status led me to abandon it. (http://www.smarthomeusa.com/Shop/Remote/security-remote-controls/Item/CE2R/)
Maybe it's time ressurect it, pull the wire so I can install it at the front of my garage, and then tie my auto-closing door into my alarm system status.

Tim

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

Hey Tim. We have similar systems as I have a Caddx NX8e with a Relay Output Module (NX-507E) and an Ocelot with SECU16I and RLY8XA modules.

I have the NX-507E tied to SECU16I inputs and have those (specific) relays trigger on Caddx Armed Away, Armed Stay and Laundry Rm Door Caddx sensor inputs. I then have an RLY8XA output tied to my garage door remote as shown in the above How-To.

This way I can use my Ocelot to control the logic I desire for various scenarios as described above, plus items such as auto close the garage door when armed in stay mode.

 

[Timoh]

Absolutely that was my intent of tying together my alarm into the secu-16 of the Ocelot... Ultimate stability and taking the PC out of the equation.

I haven't gotten around to the relay board yet, it'll be on my next shopping spree, so I'm only using the aux outputs in the panel for armed and alarm condition.

If armed, my Ocelot will run different lighting routines. If an alarm it does an entire house x10 on.

I also need to add an secu-16i on my next order too... I'm all out of inputs.

I am going to make a small change though after a discovery last weekend... Right now I run my garage door closure contact through my secu-16. The Ocelot will keep an output relay in sync with the door status. Since I am driving my Ocelot + modules from my Caddx aux power, I never really thought about what would happen if that output relay failed either due to s/w error, relay failure, etc. Well it happened last weekend. I had some power problems and my secu-16 went down. Of course my caddx reported garage door open, when it wasn't. Took me a couple of minutes to notice the lights were out on my secu-16.

Instead of running it through my secu-16, I'm going to wire it directly back into the panel, and then drive a relay output to my secu-16 to indicate the status of that zone/garage door.

Tim

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

I use separate 12 volt sources for my Ocelot and add on modules. Actually it's an Elk 12 volt supply with it's own battery backup/charger (look on Elk's site). I then have this supply along with the Caddx wall wart plugged into a UPS in the closet. This UPS also powers my router and cable modem.

I really grew to dislike the SECU16, especially it's relay outputs as they could not be used to power on/off the Elk-800 amplifier and a couple of other scenarios (seems they will not switch inductive loads). I sent it back and replaced it with an RLY8XA and haven't looked back.

Of course you now have to have an SECU16I as the RLY8XA has only relay outputs, but I myself like the extra inputs.

 

[htsource]

Actually when I had a quote for a DSC security system quote, I was told the garage door can be controlled from phone. I'm not sure how they would do it? Through the security panel? I ended up getting HAI, so I never persude with more information. That'd be cool to be able to control the garage door.

 

[Ranger Digital]

I tried to automate my garage door this way: "Honey, get out and open the door". However, I dont recommend it as its very unreliable, often defects and sometimes it actually shocks the living crap out of you forcing you to the couch for sleep. Especially if its raining.

 

[beelzerob]

In my opinion, an outside keypad is essential. It's the guarantee of not locking yourself out (we hide an inside key in the garage).

While on this topic, I have a question....I know the remotes and keypads all use that encryption stuff (or "rolling code" for genie)...but the inside keypad that mounts on the wall and is just a button...does that? What I'm wondering is...does that just do a simple closed connection to open or close the door? Because if so, then if I just connect another wire to those wires and run that down to my wiring room, then a simple relay will control my door, right?

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

While on this topic, I have a question....I know the remotes and keypads all use that encryption stuff (or "rolling code" for genie)...but the inside keypad that mounts on the wall and is just a button...does that? What I'm wondering is...does that just do a simple closed connection to open or close the door? Because if so, then if I just connect another wire to those wires and run that down to my wiring room, then a simple relay will control my door, right?

The inside for most garage door openers is "just" a button which provides a contact closure to the garage door opener when pushed. The thing most do is have the HA system look for the "becomes opened" signal from the garage door magnetic contact sensor to turn on lights, etc...

BTW, you can get a remote that will perform rolling codes to activate relays as a "kit". This way you can perform HA events based on this custom remote. Search for "rolling codes" as a Cocooner here is using this with his system.

 

[beelzerob]

I think you answered my question...probably more accurately, I didn't phrase it right. Edit: Well, your first sentence answers my question perfectly....the rest just confused me, though.

In the resources here at cocoontech, it shows how to use a car remote to open and close the garage door....you basically just solder a wire to the contact switch on the remote, and then close the contact, which simulates pressing the button on the car remote, and hence the door opens (or closes).

What I was wondering, though, is if instead of using a car remote and thus having to worry about the wireless signal being able to reach the opener, as well as having to change batteries all the time....could I just run a wire to where the wall button inside the garage is, and attach that wire to the same place I attach the wires coming from the garage door opener, and then connect that to a relay. In other words, is the typical garage door opener button attached to the wall simply a contact switch, and if so, then I can just use a simple relay in my wiring closet to open and close the garage door ( as well as still use the button on the wall if needed).

Overall, I'm thinking I've answered my question, because I know a lot of times in garages, instead of the fancy button that comes with the garage door opener kit, some people just use the lighted doorbell button...which is obviously just a closed contact switch. I think I've got it! :lol:

 

[Steve]

Yes, you are correct. BUT... Do not ever put a simply switch on the outside as then anyone can open the door. But yea, run a wire from either the unit itself or the button to your system and connect to a relay. Then you can control your door by whatever means you can control that relay. Mine is hooked to an Elk relay and I open/close the door either from a keypad button inside or a Caddx keyfob in the car (just like the regular opener). You can also do it via internet, phone, etc.

 

[Timoh]

Yes, you can just run a wire from the "wired" pushbutton inside the garage. But for anything other than garage open/close, you will need to break out the soldering iron and solder the wires to the board on the garage wall button.

i.e. My garage button actually has three buttons. 1 open/close, 2 light, 3 lock. Straight open/close is purely closing/shorting the two wires going to the button. This is what the doorbell pushbutton would accomplish.

However, the light and lock functions, don't short the wires, but connect them together through a resistor. I soldered wire from the light button so I can turn on my garage light from the other end of the garage too.

I didn't both with the lock function. This function makes it impossible to open the door with a remote.

The other way to do this would have been to measure the resistance used for activating the light and wiring that into my doorbell pushbutton.

(Of course these are extra doorbell pushbuttons I have lying around, not actually connecting my garage door to my doorbell "ding-dong" button.)

Anything tied into a keyfob needs outside indicator of the alarm status. I drove into my garage many times either arming before I went in (I didn't it was unarmed and thought I was disarming) or tried to disarm and the signal was not received.

Outside indication of alarm status either through a two way fob or visual indicator is a must for any arming/disarming done with a remote.

Tim

 

[beelzerob]

Yes, you can just run a wire from the "wired" pushbutton inside the garage. But for anything other than garage open/close, you will need to break out the soldering iron and solder the wires to the board on the garage wall button.

Excellent! That's exactly what I wanted to know. I don't care about the light on the opener, I have 3 bulbs in the garage ceiling already.

That pleases me greatly. I ran a 22/4 wire up to the keypad location just in case, and those 4 wires will let me control both garage doors. Sweet!

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

What I was wondering, though, is if instead of using a car remote and thus having to worry about the wireless signal being able to reach the opener, as well as having to change batteries all the time....

I know you found your solution, but just for clarification, that How-To (referenced above) uses this methodology described in this excerpt below...

I really didn't want to have to worry about changing out a battery for this remote once installed. That plus the fact that I already had a twelve volt DC power source powering my Ocelot, SECU16I, and RELAY-8 modules in the same area where this remote would be "mounted" (it's an ELK battery backed 12 volt DC power source). So I just soldered wires to the positive and negative terminals of the PC board and connected their ends to this twelve volt source!

:lol: