Alternative Approach to Garage Door Opening

[NightFox]

I have a powered garage door which I'd like to be able to operate from an app (ideally with Homekit support) but the motor/controller can't be upgraded to support that. However, rather than replace it, as well as the remote control that is used to operate the door, inside the garage there's a doorbell push switch which is connected to the controller with low voltage bell wire (I've not checked the voltage yet) which can be used to open/close the door (a press and release opens/closes/stops it, it doesn't have to be held). So I'm thinking that all I need to do is replace this push button with something which can be controlled from my iPhone, but does anyone know if such a device exists?

Thanks,

Neil

 

[jdedl]

I have a powered garage door which I'd like to be able to operate from an app (ideally with Homekit support) but the motor/controller can't be upgraded to support that. However, rather than replace it, as well as the remote control that is used to operate the door, inside the garage there's a doorbell push switch which is connected to the controller with low voltage bell wire (I've not checked the voltage yet) which can be used to open/close the door (a press and release opens/closes/stops it, it doesn't have to be held). So I'm thinking that all I need to do is replace this push button with something which can be controlled from my iPhone, but does anyone know if such a device exists?

Thanks,

Neil

I did this with the Chamberlen myQ. Works great and comes with an App.

 

[Grimham]

I upgraded both our garage door units with new Chamberlen MyQ units with battery backups. They work great with their own control unit inside with light sensor, keypad on the outside, and app.

 

[NightFox]

Thanks for the response guys, Chamberlain MyQ looks like the sort of thing I was after but unfortunately I'm in the UK and it's not available here. I could import one, but it would work out expensive and I'm not sure it would work with my European brand of opener (Hormann) as I don't know if US and UK/EU systems work the same.

 

[ActionableMango]

I'm not sure it would work with my European brand of opener (Hormann) as I don't know if US and UK/EU systems work the same.

In the USA the vast majority of openers have a simple "contact closure" on the opener to trigger it to open or close. Basically you short the two contacts (usually a pair of screw terminals) on the opener to trigger the open/close. So typically the thin wire pair is run from these two contacts on the opener to a convenient switch in the garage, and the switch simply closes the circuit.

I don't know how it works in the UK, but the fact that you have simple bell wire indicates to me that it's probably exactly the same setup. So double check to see if that's what your switch and opener have, in which case all you'd do is connect the MyQ to the same two contact closure screw terminals on the opener. In that way, either the switch or the MyQ can trigger the action.

If your switch is wireless or it has many controls and a fancy cable with a proprietary connector, it won't work because it probably means that there are no simple terminals for a contact closure. In the USA these would mainly be certain models in the Chamberlain and Liftmaster brand lineup.

In any case, I just checked Amazon UK and you have a few choices to convert existing garage door openers into a smart opener.

Also it looks like this business carries MyQ in the UK:
https://www.easygates.co.uk/chamberlain-myq.asp

 

[NightFox]

Thanks for that detailed response. Yes, it seems that a simple pulse connection between two terminals can be used to open the door though I'll get to the actual contacts and short them out tomorrow just to confirm.

Hormann do actually do a Wi-Fi gateway which is triggered by a Wi-Fi signal from an iPhone app and then sends out an open/close RF command to the door operator using the BiSecur protocol. Unfortunately, the gateway costs £170 (approx $200) and my operator uses an earlier protocol so I'd need to update the head unit too, another £200.

The Chamberlain won't give me the two-way communication that the official Hormann solution would (reporting door status back to the app), but my priority is just to be able to open/close the door from my phone so I guess I'll investigate the MyQ further, especially if I can get it in the UK which will make returning it viable if it's not going to work.

Thanks again!

Neil

 

[ActionableMango]

Thanks for that detailed response. Yes, it seems that a simple pulse connection between two terminals can be used to open the door though I'll get to the actual contacts and short them out tomorrow just to confirm.

Hormann do actually do a Wi-Fi gateway which is triggered by a Wi-Fi signal from an iPhone app and then sends out an open/close RF command to the door operator using the BiSecur protocol. Unfortunately, the gateway costs £170 (approx $200) and my operator uses an earlier protocol so I'd need to update the head unit too, another £200.

The Chamberlain won't give me the two-way communication that the official Hormann solution would (reporting door status back to the app), but my priority is just to be able to open/close the door from my phone so I guess I'll investigate the MyQ further, especially if I can get it in the UK which will make returning it viable if it's not going to work.

Thanks again!

Neil

ARRRGH I was horribly mistaken. Ignore everything I said about the MyQ! It does not use contact closure, it uses wireless so it will be need to be compatible with your opener. I don't know which one I was thinking of that uses contact closure now. I apologize.

 

[NightFox]

ARRRGH I was horribly mistaken. Ignore everything I said about the MyQ! It does not use contact closure, it uses wireless so it will be need to be compatible with your opener. I don't know which one I was thinking of that uses contact closure now. I apologize.

No problem, you meant well! You've actually now got me looking into just changing to a Chamberlain Wi-Fi enabled opener anyway which would still work out cheaper and seems to have better app functionality, so my thanks still remain

 

[Grimham]

ARRRGH I was horribly mistaken. Ignore everything I said about the MyQ! It does not use contact closure, it uses wireless so it will be need to be compatible with your opener. I don't know which one I was thinking of that uses contact closure now. I apologize.

In the USA the vast majority of openers have a simple "contact closure" on the opener to trigger it to open or close. Basically you short the two contacts (usually a pair of screw terminals) on the opener to trigger the open/close. So typically the thin wire pair is run from these two contacts on the opener to a convenient switch in the garage, and the switch simply closes the circuit.

I don't know how it works in the UK, but the fact that you have simple bell wire indicates to me that it's probably exactly the same setup. So double check to see if that's what your switch and opener have, in which case all you'd do is connect the MyQ to the same two contact closure screw terminals on the opener. In that way, either the switch or the MyQ can trigger the action.

If your switch is wireless or it has many controls and a fancy cable with a proprietary connector, it won't work because it probably means that there are no simple terminals for a contact closure. In the USA these would mainly be certain models in the Chamberlain and Liftmaster brand lineup.

In any case, I just checked Amazon UK and you have a few choices to convert existing garage door openers into a smart opener.

Also it looks like this business carries MyQ in the UK:
https://www.easygates.co.uk/chamberlain-myq.asp

Our opener has 4 wires from each control module. Here are some pictures of ours for your viewing pleasure.

 

[NightFox]

Well, after looking into this it doesn't look like there is a simple app-controlled impulse switch available and updating my existing Hormann opener to allow native app control would cost me about £400.

However, for £190 I can get a Chamberlain ML1000EVGB which is app-enabled (Chamberlain models in Europe seem to be totally different from their US range). I do have to spend another £60 on their Wi-Fi bridge if I want to be able to view/control the door when I'm away from home which the Hormann solution would have given me, but that's a "nice to have" rather than a "must have".

The only downer is that the Chamberlain doesn't appear to support HomeKit, and Chamberlain's bridge that enables this is only available in the US and doesn't work with their European range of doors (several people have tried). It would have been the ultimate convenience to be able to use Siri, but that's beyond what I set out to achieve in the first place.

 

[NightFox]

Our opener has 4 wires from each control module. Here are some pictures of ours for your viewing pleasure.

Thanks for taking the time to take and post those!

 

[Grimham]

Well, after looking into this it doesn't look like there is a simple app-controlled impulse switch available and updating my existing Hormann opener to allow native app control would cost me about £400.

However, for £190 I can get a Chamberlain ML1000EVGB which is app-enabled (Chamberlain models in Europe seem to be totally different from their US range). I do have to spend another £60 on their Wi-Fi bridge if I want to be able to view/control the door when I'm away from home which the Hormann solution would have given me, but that's a "nice to have" rather than a "must have".

The only downer is that the Chamberlain doesn't appear to support HomeKit, and Chamberlain's bridge that enables this is only available in the US and doesn't work with their European range of doors (several people have tried). It would have been the ultimate convenience to be able to use Siri, but that's beyond what I set out to achieve in the first place.

Some Chamberlain models do support Homekit. https://myqcommunity.chamberlain.com/chamberlainmyq/topics/smart-garage-hub-homekit-integration-help

It also does support Alexa. Why not get the unit similar to mine with the wifi built in?

Thanks for taking the time to take and post those!

You are welcome.

It does support Homekit. https://myqcommunity.chamberlain.com/chamberlainmyq/topics/smart-garage-hub-homekit-integration-help

It also does support Alexa. Why not get the unit similar to mine with the wifi built in?

 

[NightFox]

Hi,

The model I'm getting does have Wi-Fi built in, but it doesn't have native HomeKit support (not sure about Alexa). Whereas with US models this can be resolved by adding the MyQ Home Bridge, the Home Bridge doesn't work with European models: https://myqcommunity.chamberlain.com/chamberlainmyq/topics/myq-home-bridge-with-ml1000ev

ML1000EV is a European garage door operator and is not compatible with US/CN MyQ products. The MyQ Home Bridge is a US/CN product and not an EU product.

Given the fact that the European Chamberlain GDOs appear to be completely different from those available in the US, I suspect there's very little in common between the two subsidiaries beyond their shared ownership and branding. For example, it seems like nearly all GDOs in the US (not just Chamberlain) use DC motors, whereas European ones use AC motors.