What's the best way to link up the garage lights to a garage opener? Our
opener has very poor source of light. I would like the overhead lights to
turn on when the garage door opens. Is there some kind of device that I
can add to the switch that can be activated in conjunction with the opener?

Thanks,

Larry

Sometimes the opener light is activated by a relay. If the relay is
rated high enough you could just lift the contactor leads and parallel
the hot to your lights. If it's solid state you could just replace the
feed to the bulb with a relay that would parallel your light switch.
I'm sure you could also do this with 10X others know more about that.
Richard

If your overhead lights are not on a 3-way switch:
Low-tech and most work would be to wire the coil of a 120v relay in
parallel with the light that is connected to the opener.

Then, wire the relay contacts in parallel with the overhead-lights
switch, such that whenever the relay is closed the normal light-switch
is, in effect, bypassed.

Not sure how you'd have to modify this idea to make it code, but this
is a starting point for making it happen.

A more reasonable method might be to look into those fancy light
controller systems and see if they have an 'add-on' for doing this.

D

GoHabsGo wrote:
What's the best way to link up the garage lights to a garage opener? Our
opener has very poor source of light. I would like the overhead lights to
turn on when the garage door opens. Is there some kind of device that I
can add to the switch that can be activated in conjunction with the opener?

Thanks,

Larry

Me too. I been wondering WTF these other 2 buttons are for on the
opener. Appearantly not a damn thing.

--
Thank you,



"Then said I, Wisdom [is] better than strength: nevertheless the poor
man's wisdom [is] despised, and his words are not heard." Ecclesiastes 9:16

GoHabsGo wrote:

What's the best way to link up the garage lights to a garage opener? Our
opener has very poor source of light. I would like the overhead lights to
turn on when the garage door opens. Is there some kind of device that I
can add to the switch that can be activated in conjunction with the opener?

Thanks,

Larry
Hmmm,
Usually opener has two light bulb sockets to take 2 60W lamps. Not
enough? I installed motion sensor based light fixture inside garage.
When we walk in from side door it lights up and goes out after certain
delay(adjustable). If car is coming in, both lights comes on which gives
more than enough light.

GoHabsGo wrote:
What's the best way to link up the garage lights to a garage opener?
Our opener has very poor source of light. I would like the overhead
lights to turn on when the garage door opens. Is there some kind of
device that I can add to the switch that can be activated in
conjunction with the opener?

Thanks,

Larry

You might want to try substituting CF (compact florescent) lamps for the
light you now have. Use as high a wattage CF as you can find that will fit
and is not greater than the max indicated for the fixture. That will
usually give you 3-7 times more light.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

Tony Hwang wrote:
Usually opener has two light bulb sockets to take 2 60W lamps. Not
enough? I installed motion sensor based light fixture inside garage.
When we walk in from side door it lights up and goes out after certain
delay(adjustable). If car is coming in, both lights comes on which gives
more than enough light.


I've done the same. I have a double headed flood light mounted inside my garage
with 150 watt light bulbs that is activated by a motion sensor. I think I paid
less than $15 for it. Works just fine....




--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN

VE

"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message
. ..
GoHabsGo wrote:
What's the best way to link up the garage lights to a garage opener?
Our opener has very poor source of light. I would like the overhead
lights to turn on when the garage door opens. Is there some kind of
device that I can add to the switch that can be activated in
conjunction with the opener?

Thanks,

Larry

You might want to try substituting CF (compact florescent) lamps for
the light you now have. Use as high a wattage CF as you can find that
will fit and is not greater than the max indicated for the fixture. That
will usually give you 3-7 times more light.


....but they don't work too well in cold weather, and may not work at all
with motion-sensing switches.

Bob M. wrote:
"Joseph Meehan" wrote in message
. ..
GoHabsGo wrote:
What's the best way to link up the garage lights to a garage opener?
Our opener has very poor source of light. I would like the overhead
lights to turn on when the garage door opens. Is there some kind of
device that I can add to the switch that can be activated in
conjunction with the opener?

Thanks,

Larry

You might want to try substituting CF (compact florescent) lamps
for the light you now have. Use as high a wattage CF as you can
find that will fit and is not greater than the max indicated for the
fixture. That will usually give you 3-7 times more light.


...but they don't work too well in cold weather, and may not work at
all with motion-sensing switches.

You may be correct about the motion-sensing switches, but the OP was
talking about the lights on the garage door opener.

Modern CF do remarkably well in cold weather. They start slightly
dimmed and brighten in a short time.

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

GoHabsGo wrote:
What's the best way to link up the garage lights to a garage opener? Our
opener has very poor source of light. I would like the overhead lights to
turn on when the garage door opens. Is there some kind of device that I
can add to the switch that can be activated in conjunction with the opener?

Why don't you just get a motion sensor for INSIDE the garage that turns
on a bunch of flourescents?

If you can live with a seperate remote for the garage lights, X10 will
work. You need one of the wireless remotes, a transceiver that plugs
into any outlet and converts the wireless to X10 powerline, and then an
X10 wall switch to replace the existing switch. Check out smarthome.com