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Any app/hack to open a garage door?

Back to the original post, if you really wish to do this (and I have this by the way - part of a larger system) here is one way to do it:

1. Buy this:

http://www.smarthome.com/74551/I-O-Linc-INSTEON-Garage-Door-Control-Status-Kit/p.aspx

2. Buy this:

http://www.smarthome.com/12231DB/IS...tomation-Controller-with-Dual-Band-PLM/p.aspx

3. Buy this app from the app store:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mobilinc-pro-insteon-x10-controller/id306278110?mt=8

So yeah its probably $500 all in but you will now have a foundation for a much larger Insteon system and you can pay as you go to add modules, etc.
 
AdamHLG said:
Back to the original post, if you really wish to do this (and I have this by the way - part of a larger system) here is one way to do it:

1. Buy this:

http://www.smarthome.com/74551/I-O-Linc-INSTEON-Garage-Door-Control-Status-Kit/p.aspx

2. Buy this:

http://www.smarthome.com/12231DB/IS...tomation-Controller-with-Dual-Band-PLM/p.aspx

3. Buy this app from the app store:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mobilinc-pro-insteon-x10-controller/id306278110?mt=8

So yeah its probably $500 all in but you will now have a foundation for a much larger Insteon system and you can pay as you go to add modules, etc.
Click to expand...

skip that noise, how much is a key chain sized door opener
 
AdamHLG said:
Back to the original post, if you really wish to do this (and I have this by the way - part of a larger system) here is one way to do it:

1. Buy this:

http://www.smarthome.com/74551/I-O-Linc-INSTEON-Garage-Door-Control-Status-Kit/p.aspx

2. Buy this:

http://www.smarthome.com/12231DB/IS...tomation-Controller-with-Dual-Band-PLM/p.aspx

3. Buy this app from the app store:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mobilinc-pro-insteon-x10-controller/id306278110?mt=8

So yeah its probably $500 all in but you will now have a foundation for a much larger Insteon system and you can pay as you go to add modules, etc.
Click to expand...

Or we can walk to the local dollar store and buy a brand new small garage door opener for $2.99.

I don't see why everyone wants to complicate things. You can't get anything more simple than pressing one button to open the garage.
 
I think the app would be fine if you could just tap the icon and that opens your garage door without having to go through the jazz of opening the program and all.
 
Sorry to comment on an old thread, but I have new and relevant info to add :)

I just crafted a wifi garage door opener based on a simple wifi microcontroller (Roving Network's WiFly, 802.11b/g). Nothing too hacky -- it connects directly to the garage door opener itself. Doesn't interfere with any of the sensors for detecting objects either.

Includes a magnetic switch to detect door status and a web page interface that fits nicely on a smartphone. A pretty straightforward build -- only took me a couple of weekends to conceive, craft, and install.

http://www.dinnovative.com/?p=163

For all the people asking why? My daughter has misplaced every key and every garage remote I've ever given her. She consistently has problems with the outdoor weatherproof code-locked opener with the hard-to-press keys. But she never, ever, never-ever forgets her iPhone. Plus it emails me when she gets home (because she won't remember to call either!!!)

thnx!!
tod
 
Last edited:
EDIT: Never mind responding to an old post probably prior to ios5.
 
Last edited:
xAnthony said:
Or we can walk to the local dollar store and buy a brand new small garage door opener for $2.99.

I don't see why everyone wants to complicate things. You can't get anything more simple than pressing one button to open the garage.
Click to expand...
I don't see why people click on a thread that they're obviously not interested in and feel the need to threadcrap. The thread wasn't created to discuss your (or anyone else's) preference to buy another garage door opener. If you want to discuss that then create your own thread on the topic.
 
You know they sell openers that have this functionality built-in. Check the iPhone app called "Liftmaster Home Control".

I'm not so concerned with opening and closing it through the iPhone, but it would be nice to be able to monitor it remotely. Have the phone vibrate if the garage opens.
 
Krafty said:
I'd rather be uncool then driving my group of asians to my house, looking for the opener

Then remembering to pull out my iPhone

unlock screen

search for app

open app

wait for splash screen to pass

Tap button

open garage

and then looking at all the awkward stares.
Click to expand...

I have a question, these Asians, are they tagged?
 
dgstan said:
You know they sell openers that have this functionality built-in. Check the iPhone app called "Liftmaster Home Control".

I'm not so concerned with opening and closing it through the iPhone, but it would be nice to be able to monitor it remotely. Have the phone vibrate if the garage opens.
Click to expand...

I did look at what the market had to offer before homebrewing a solution. There were a couple of reasons to do my own:

- I have a garage door opener. Liftmaster and AssureLink both come in around $300 for something I have already.
- AssureLink, for example, also has a $20 annual fee for the privilege to use the feature built into the opener you purchased from them
- You're at the mercy of how they decide to implement your opener (I like a little more independence)
- I couldn't pass up the opportunity to DIY!! Too much fun.

Another nice feature of the WiFly is the ability to send periodic UDP broadcasts of the status of all GPIOs. With a listener on your server, you could easily send a text message or something whenever the garage door opened. If there is enough interest, I'll write a listener and publish on my blog.

I get that this solution may not work for everyone. It works for my specific needs and I wanted to share back with the community to see if it (or a modified version of it) could help someone else who wanted this type of functionality. I feel that collaborative forums such as this one have given me a lot in my personal and professional lives and I didn't want to pass up an opportunity to give back. If even one person builds an opener based on my design, it will be well worth it to me!!!

tod
 
Hello, I'm Alberto Padilla CEO of Iwupmobile.com a software iOS developer company.

Continued with the post treat, I've just finish and publish my iphone opener garage door, check my new app "Open your garage" in the App Store. Also you can see my web iwupmobile.com , the hardware interface it's Arduino combined with a relay module, that i have called iWUP. You can make a preorder hardware system with the App, remember the name its "Open your garage".

Best regards.

My email info@iwupmobile.com
@apadillaf
 
dgstan said:
You know they sell openers that have this functionality built-in. Check the iPhone app called "Liftmaster Home Control".

I'm not so concerned with opening and closing it through the iPhone, but it would be nice to be able to monitor it remotely. Have the phone vibrate if the garage opens.
Click to expand...

I think X10 gear (if it exists) would be easier. Put a momentary activate type switch on the button circuit, then stick a proximity sensor (like a really big reed switch) on the garage door so that you know if it's closed or not).

That'd probably be fairly cheap.
 
I'm pretty sure Craftsman makes one of these. I think it's a neat idea, considering, if you lock yourself out of the house and forget your keys, but remember your iphone, you could easily let yourself back in...
 
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