What do folks think of remote garage door solution?

Forums › Gadgets, robotics, home automation, electronics (including wearables) › What do folks think of remote garage door solution?

lchiu7

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#265372 18-Jan-2020 16:09

Thinking of automating my garage door the main goal being able to check on the door remotely and close if I need to. This came across my screen as an ad on Reddit and looks quite good.

https://www.garadget.com/

More than once I have come home to find I had left the door open or the door only closed half (must find out why it does that). Peace of mind to be able to check remotely. Installation doesn't look that hard either.

Staying in Wellington. Check out my AirBnB in the Wellington CBD. https://www.airbnb.co.nz/h/wellycbd PM me and mention GZ to get a 15% discount and no AirBnB charges.

richms

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#2401437 18-Jan-2020 17:21

Does your existing opener have a light beam sensor across the opening? Most of those automation adding things rely on the fact you have one, and tell you once you own it not to fit it to one without the beam. Therefore if you crush some kid or puppy its your fault not theirs.

Richard rich.ms

lchiu7

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#2401448 18-Jan-2020 18:12

No it doesn't have any light beam sensor at all. From memory (no kids or puppies around here), if it senses any resistance, it stops.

Staying in Wellington. Check out my AirBnB in the Wellington CBD. https://www.airbnb.co.nz/h/wellycbd PM me and mention GZ to get a 15% discount and no AirBnB charges.

SATTV

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#2401459 18-Jan-2020 19:16

I like it, I need it too, I have regularly gone out and left the door up.

I was thinking of doing something with a Pi but I am not good at coding.

I would like to replace the house alarm and have the garage door integrated and all controlled by the smart phone, I currently have the door on the alarm but it is a remote and it is a pain.

John

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mdf

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#2401460 18-Jan-2020 19:23

I've got an Open Garage. Includes an ultrasonic sensor to tell whether the door is open or closed. Seems to work well. My initial unit was faulty but they replaced without a fuss.

Very open and hackable, so no proprietary app. I've got it integrated into Hassio behind a VPN for remote access. Not as simple as a proprietary app though.

https://opensprinkler.com/product/opengarage/

dfnt

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#2401461 18-Jan-2020 19:40

We have the wifi kit with our garador motor, https://www.garador.co.nz/smart-phone-kit

It's great, for knowing when our door is open or closed including the various notifications that go along with it

GSManiac

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#2401527 18-Jan-2020 22:30

I have an Insignia wifi garage door controller that integrates with iOS and HomeKit. It was $60. Works perfectly. I can control the garage door remotely, check it’s status and have set up a geofence that triggers an opening when I arrive home.

took 5 minutes to install. Only works on sectional garage doors and only works with HomeKit/iOS.

fearandloathing

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#2401555 19-Jan-2020 10:10

I’m currently in the process off integrating a fibaro smart implant with a Vera plus. I have a roller garage door and use a reed switch to detect when the door is closed.

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Mahon

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#2401574 19-Jan-2020 11:24

dfnt:

We have the wifi kit with our garador motor, https://www.garador.co.nz/smart-phone-kit

It's great, for knowing when our door is open or closed including the various notifications that go along with it

Only works on doors from 2016 onwards.

eracode

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#2401586 19-Jan-2020 12:03

Mahon:

dfnt:

We have the wifi kit with our garador motor, https://www.garador.co.nz/smart-phone-kit

It's great, for knowing when our door is open or closed including the various notifications that go along with it

Only works on doors from 2016 onwards.

Yep - ours is 2015 and we miss out.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

lchiu7

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#2401629 19-Jan-2020 12:24

GSManiac:

I have an Insignia wifi garage door controller that integrates with iOS and HomeKit. It was $60. Works perfectly. I can control the garage door remotely, check it’s status and have set up a geofence that triggers an opening when I arrive home.

took 5 minutes to install. Only works on sectional garage doors and only works with HomeKit/iOS.

Looks like this would work with tilt doors also since it just reflects a beam off the top of the garage door to confirm that it's closed. So that would work for tilt or sectional doors.

I actually bought one of these months ago but it's a project that hasn't started yet :-(

https://www.amazon.com/Garage-NXG-100b-Remote-Compatible-Openers/dp/B07H57NPRV

I am a bit worried about to get the door sensor to work since it's designed for sectional doors and I have a tilt door.

I thought the kit I linked to would be better since it just relies on a light boucing off a sensor.

Staying in Wellington. Check out my AirBnB in the Wellington CBD. https://www.airbnb.co.nz/h/wellycbd PM me and mention GZ to get a 15% discount and no AirBnB charges.

01EG

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#2401640 19-Jan-2020 13:05

I'm using Bekin Wemo Maker + all benefits of IFTTT. + Alexa 😉

neb

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#2402314 20-Jan-2020 13:12

richms:
Does your existing opener have a light beam sensor across the opening? Most of those automation adding things rely on the fact you have one, and tell you once you own it not to fit it to one without the beam. Therefore if you crush some kid or puppy its your fault not theirs.

If you don't mind D'ingIY, what about an Arduino and a reed switch? That'd be reading physical contact, i.e. door definitely closed, without requiring the presence of a light beam.

richms

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#2402340 20-Jan-2020 13:30

The beam is to prevent the opening closing on top of stupid kids and puppies.

Richard rich.ms

lchiu7

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#2402639 20-Jan-2020 18:52

Well just looked at a bunch of videos on installaing the Nexx kit I bought and it looks like putting the magnetic door sensor on, for both sectional and tilt doors, is pretty easy. So will install that and see how it works.

Staying in Wellington. Check out my AirBnB in the Wellington CBD. https://www.airbnb.co.nz/h/wellycbd PM me and mention GZ to get a 15% discount and no AirBnB charges.

lchiu7

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#2405638 24-Jan-2020 08:11

OK installed the Nexx garage. Compatibility check was easy as you just short two wires temporarily going into the opener to see if that activates the door. It did. But the wires going into the opener were jammed into the contacts so I could not patch the wires from the Nexx devices so ended up just baring the wires and soldering the Nexx wires into it.

App setup was easy and I can now control the door with the app. Google Assistant integration took a couple of minutes since the skill is already know in the Assistant. So I can say Hey Google Close the garage etc. Haven't installed the door sensor so Google thinks the door is open all the time. So when the door is closed and I say Hey Google Open the Garage it says "Garage is already open!). So I have to say Hey Google "Close the Garage"

So no mucking around with IFTTT and its inherent lag etc.

[EDIT]

Finally got around to adding the sensor. That didn't take long. Now the app knows the status of the door. And since then Google requires that the open door command needs a PIN (Alexa already did). So now if I say Hey Google Open Garage, Google says, please provide PIN for <person's> garage which you just say. Then the door opens. At first I thought they would do cool stuff like voice recognitation but this is better since any family member can remotely open the door of they have the code.

Staying in Wellington. Check out my AirBnB in the Wellington CBD. https://www.airbnb.co.nz/h/wellycbd PM me and mention GZ to get a 15% discount and no AirBnB charges.