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    Bonehead Question?

    Pardon me for missing the obvious -

    I want to generate an X10 sig when my garage door opens. The most obvious means would be to plug a module into one of the available garage door motor outlets that otherwise serve to power a lightbulb for thirty seconds or so.

    Seems so simple but.....what am I overlooking?


    Shawn

    #2
    Shawn,
    If your going to automate it at least automate it where you know its open or closed.

    See this page for a very good description on how to accomplish this.


    http://www.smarthome.com/7455.HTML
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      #3
      I've got a X10 Wireless Door/Window sensor mounted to my garage wall and door as part of the X10 Wireless alarm system.

      Now that I've hooked up the W800RF32A I can see when the door opens and closes in Homeseer and can trigger events and X10 signals.

      Ed

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        #4
        Bingo !

        Rupp -

        As usual you have far execeeded my expectations. I didn't know that piece of hardware existed and it is precisely what I need. Case solved. Thanks very much.

        Shawn

        PS. Ed - thanks for your input.

        Shawn

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          #5
          I use magnetic reed switches that I bought from SmartHome. I think I got a pack of 10 for 35 bucks and now use two on the garage door (one for open, one for closed, and of neither are triggered door must not be fully open or closed) and put them on several other doors of the house.

          I bought these because they are cheaper but it looks like the garage door contacts have come down in price although I am not sure how I would mount a second one given the open/closed/ajar strategy.
          Jim Doolittle

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            #6
            I have used the garage door magnets that Rupp suggested, and they do work well. You can actually mount them on the top of the garage door, or on the bottom on the floor. In my former house I mounted them on the top, current house on the bottom, and I can't say one way is much better than the other. I expoxied them to the floor, then painted over them. They are metal, so the car can run over them without a problem. The advantage of these switches over other magnet switches is that they have a very large gap. You need this, so that if the wind shakes your door back and forth, it stays activated.

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              #7
              I should have been more forthright with my original question. Regardless I really appreciate all of the ideas.

              It's not really my "garage door", but a garage door opener that opens and closes my front gate (a simple ranch gate). You see, I'm too cheap to buy one of those fancy two or three thousand dollar gate controllers. Instead, I bought a screw drive Genie garage door opener for about $135 and modified it to control my gate. The opener comes with all kinds of extra goodies (keypads, remote openers, etc.) and it works with the garage door opener buttons that are integral to one of my cars.

              Anyway, the device Rupp refers to really does fit the need just right. The gate has been in use for 6 or 7 months, but from inside the house we have no way of knowing if it is open, closed, or in motion (i.e. UPS guy) without going outside and looking. I'll try to post a couple of pics to help explain myself.

              And next time I'll be more forthright

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                #8
                Can anybody see these pictures?
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                  #9
                  Not me.
                  Bill

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                    #10
                    Oops, I'll have to find out how to post a pic. I have not done so since we switched to the new board (not a hyperlink to a pic, but actually put the pics up on the server?).

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                      #11
                      Pick the paper clip and browse to the picture on your hard drive.
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                        #12
                        Thanks again Rupp

                        Looks like I have to post one at a time.

                        Here is a view of the gate:
                        Attached Files

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                          #13
                          And here is a close-up of the garage door motor before it was wired...
                          Attached Files

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                            #14
                            And lastly, here is the motor covered.
                            Attached Files

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                              #15
                              I'm impressed. Doesn't the screw drive get wet?
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