DIYbanter

DIYbanter (https://www.diybanter.com/)
-   Metalworking (https://www.diybanter.com/metalworking/)
-   -   Garage door opener (https://www.diybanter.com/metalworking/135116-garage-door-opener.html)

Hank December 10th 05 11:51 PM

Garage door opener
 
Has anyone ever bypassed the electric eye in a garage door opener? Some
value resistor should simulate a properly adjusted eye.

Hank



SteveB December 11th 05 12:01 AM

Garage door opener
 

"Hank" wrote in message
. ..
Has anyone ever bypassed the electric eye in a garage door opener? Some
value resistor should simulate a properly adjusted eye.

Hank



It usually works like this, Hank. The person who disables a safety device
is caught in the contraption within ten days. That has always been my
observation.

STeve



Fred R December 11th 05 12:40 AM

Garage door opener
 
Hank wrote:
Has anyone ever bypassed the electric eye in a garage door opener? Some
value resistor should simulate a properly adjusted eye.

Hank



My sole advice is to dismount both the light source and the receiver,
move them back to the motor unit, wind them up with the power cord, and
duct tape all three together tightly.

--
Fred R
________________
Drop TROU to email.

Tom Gardner December 11th 05 01:04 AM

Garage door opener
 

"Hank" wrote in message
. ..
Has anyone ever bypassed the electric eye in a garage door opener? Some
value resistor should simulate a properly adjusted eye.

Hank


We're gona' read about your mother-in-law's accident in a few days...aren't
we?



[email protected] December 11th 05 01:22 AM

Garage door opener
 
"Hank" wrote:

Has anyone ever bypassed the electric eye in a garage door opener? Some
value resistor should simulate a properly adjusted eye.

Hank


Why do that?

I mounted mine high enough that it could see my 4x4. Don't have kids
so protecting them wasn't an issue.

Wish I had a way to check if my ham radio antenna was erected before I
drove in. :)

Wes
--
Reply to:
Whiskey Echo Sierra Sierra AT Alpha Charlie Echo Golf Romeo Oscar Paul dot Charlie Charlie
Lycos address is a spam trap.

Adam December 11th 05 04:06 AM

Garage door opener
 
I don't like those photo-eyes either... it's not too risky a
proposition to get rid of them. I guess until the neighborhood kid gets
stuck under it. Anyhow, here's my 2cents, FWIW:

I'm familiar with digital electronics, but not garage door openers, so
I am making some educated guesses:

You'll want to limit the current to about 20mA max (typical of digital
circuits)....

So, let's assume the input on the garage controller is a sinking-type
input (ie it looks for positive voltage). The photoeye most likely is a
Normally Closed type (so if you were to cut the wire, it would default
to the emergency state, ie something in the way of the beam)... it most
likely uses a low-voltage source, maybe 24V, maybe 12V, or even 5V.
You'll have to check into this. Using Ohm's law we can figure out the
right resistor based on the current we want (20mA)... V=IR; R=V/I. For
24 V, R=24/.020=1.2KOhm.... 12V, R=.6KOhm... 5V, R=250 Ohm.

So, try tying the input to Voltage with the corresponding resistor in
series.

Good luck.


Jeff Wisnia December 11th 05 04:43 AM

Garage door opener
 
Adam wrote:
I don't like those photo-eyes either... it's not too risky a
proposition to get rid of them. I guess until the neighborhood kid gets
stuck under it. Anyhow, here's my 2cents, FWIW:

I'm familiar with digital electronics, but not garage door openers, so
I am making some educated guesses:

You'll want to limit the current to about 20mA max (typical of digital
circuits)....

So, let's assume the input on the garage controller is a sinking-type
input (ie it looks for positive voltage). The photoeye most likely is a
Normally Closed type (so if you were to cut the wire, it would default
to the emergency state, ie something in the way of the beam)... it most
likely uses a low-voltage source, maybe 24V, maybe 12V, or even 5V.
You'll have to check into this. Using Ohm's law we can figure out the
right resistor based on the current we want (20mA)... V=IR; R=V/I. For
24 V, R=24/.020=1.2KOhm.... 12V, R=.6KOhm... 5V, R=250 Ohm.

So, try tying the input to Voltage with the corresponding resistor in
series.

Good luck.


All well and good if it's just a logic circuit, but.....

I don't have any first hand knowledge of this, but it wouldn't suprise
me if they use a chopped or modulated light source and look for an ac
signal frm the photodetector, just so steady light like sunlight
reflecting off something won't fool them.

I suppose you'd find that out fast if substituting a passive load didn't
do the trick. G

Jeff
--
Jeffry Wisnia

(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)

"Truth exists; only falsehood has to be invented."

Karl Townsend December 11th 05 12:01 PM

Garage door opener
 

"Hank" wrote in message
. ..
Has anyone ever bypassed the electric eye in a garage door opener? Some
value resistor should simulate a properly adjusted eye.


I had to do this on my barn. I took both the send and receiver and taped
them to a 1 x 2 board about 1 foot long. Set the assembly on top of the
opener. If something breaks the path on top the opener, the door won't
closeG

Karl





Larry Jaques December 11th 05 01:05 PM

Garage door opener
 
On Sat, 10 Dec 2005 20:22:38 -0500, with neither quill nor qualm,
quickly quoth:

"Hank" wrote:

Has anyone ever bypassed the electric eye in a garage door opener? Some
value resistor should simulate a properly adjusted eye.

Hank


Why do that?

I mounted mine high enough that it could see my 4x4. Don't have kids
so protecting them wasn't an issue.

Wish I had a way to check if my ham radio antenna was erected before I
drove in. :)


Your 4x4 gets erections?

Install a little phosphor bronze rubbing strip which connects a red
(yellow, blue?) dash light to ground when the antenna is up, Hank.


--------------------------------------------
Proud (occasional) maker of Hungarian Paper Towels.
http://www.diversify.com Comprehensive Website Design
================================================== ====

[email protected] December 11th 05 08:42 PM

Garage door opener
 
On mine you simply disconnect the wires at the control box attached to
the motor and put a jumper wire across the contacts.

In some areas this is forbidden since you need the safety feature to
meet the building codes.


Bruce L. Bergman December 12th 05 09:10 PM

Garage door opener
 
On Sun, 11 Dec 2005 05:05:56 -0800, Larry Jaques
wrote:
On Sat, 10 Dec 2005 20:22:38 -0500, with neither quill nor qualm,
quickly quoth:
"Hank" wrote:


Has anyone ever bypassed the electric eye in a garage door opener? Some
value resistor should simulate a properly adjusted eye.


Why do that? I mounted mine high enough that it could see my 4x4.
Don't have kids so protecting them wasn't an issue.

Wish I had a way to check if my ham radio antenna was erected before I
drove in. :)


Your 4x4 gets erections?


Mine used to get a 92" erection all the time - 24/7/365.25

Unless I had the Hustler "Beer Can" mast on it, then they were a
little shorter but a whole lot thicker, and had a big knot in the
middle...

Now it's put away for special occasions like long out of town trips.
On 11 Meters, there's no intelligent life out there - I could slide it
down to the top end of 10 Meters, but without a proper ticket "Uncle
Charlie" might get a tad annoyed...

Install a little phosphor bronze rubbing strip which connects a red
(yellow, blue?) dash light to ground when the antenna is up, Hank.


But before doing that, consider the effects of several tens of watts
of RF (or several hundreds) at various frequencies running through the
contact strip and dash warning light circuit - even with the antenna
up and no direct contact. And if someone keys the mike with the
antenna down and in direct contact with the alarm contact strip,
consider the effects of a really oddball load on the finals of the
transceiver, too. (Magic Smoke, dontchaknow.)

A "Remove Before Flight" banner tag might be more effective. Hang
it from the inside rear-view mirror whenever the mast is up.

Or make a small "Antenna Is Up" box that the garage door remote gets
closed up in, perhaps with a simple combination lock. If they go to
hit the door clicker and drive into the garage but the remote is
'locked away', it will remind people why.

That, or there's always the Rube Goldberg R.C.M method: ;-)

Two wires stretched horizontally across the wall in front of the
garage door opening, one about two inches above the other, both spring
tensioned to allow for minor temperature swings. Put the supports on
arms a foot or two out from the outside garage wall to allow some
slack for reaction time...

Put a low voltage potential across the wires for safety, and when
the catch wires are shorted by the mast (contact closure) or stretched
by contact (tension switch) or snapped by to vigorous a contact (NC
loop monitor circuit or a pin-pull) they close a latching or time
delay relay (so a momentary closure and then the wire snaps will still
trigger the alert) attached to whatever flashing lights and
noisemakers you have handy to get the driver to stop. NOW.

-- Bruce --
--
Bruce L. Bergman, Woodland Hills (Los Angeles) CA - Desktop
Electrician for Westend Electric - CA726700
5737 Kanan Rd. #359, Agoura CA 91301 (818) 889-9545
Spamtrapped address: Remove the python and the invalid, and use a net.

Larry Jaques December 13th 05 02:13 AM

Garage door opener
 
On Mon, 12 Dec 2005 21:10:10 GMT, with neither quill nor qualm, Bruce
L. Bergman quickly quoth:

On Sun, 11 Dec 2005 05:05:56 -0800, Larry Jaques
Your 4x4 gets erections?


Mine used to get a 92" erection all the time - 24/7/365.25

Unless I had the Hustler "Beer Can" mast on it, then they were a
little shorter but a whole lot thicker, and had a big knot in the
middle...


Knot? You dog you! ;)


Install a little phosphor bronze rubbing strip which connects a red
(yellow, blue?) dash light to ground when the antenna is up, Hank.


But before doing that, consider the effects of several tens of watts
of RF (or several hundreds) at various frequencies running through the
contact strip and dash warning light circuit - even with the antenna
up and no direct contact. And if someone keys the mike with the
antenna down and in direct contact with the alarm contact strip,
consider the effects of a really oddball load on the finals of the
transceiver, too. (Magic Smoke, dontchaknow.)


Um, OK, an insulated roller which grounded the light. The Magic Smoke
should stay in the box, fer sher.



A "Remove Before Flight" banner tag might be more effective. Hang
it from the inside rear-view mirror whenever the mast is up.

Or make a small "Antenna Is Up" box that the garage door remote gets
closed up in, perhaps with a simple combination lock. If they go to
hit the door clicker and drive into the garage but the remote is
'locked away', it will remind people why.


There ya go. chortle


-
They who know the truth are not equal to those who love it. -Confucius
---
http://diversify.com Comprehensive Website Programming Services

B.B. December 13th 05 07:31 PM

Garage door opener
 
In article ,
"Hank" wrote:

Has anyone ever bypassed the electric eye in a garage door opener? Some
value resistor should simulate a properly adjusted eye.

Hank


I mounted them on the wall, facing each other, about a foot apart.
Works fine, but confuses the **** out of my mom when she stacks heaps of
junk in the garage and suddenly can't close the door. (: I'll have to
move it higher one of these days.

--
B.B. --I am not a goat! thegoat4 at airmail dot net

Martin H. Eastburn December 17th 05 03:49 AM

Garage door opener
 
The problem with the high version - won't pass safety inspection if you sell the house.
If you need to disconnect it - there is something wrong going on.
You don't want a door falling on you or your car....

Martin
Martin Eastburn
@ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net
NRA LOH, NRA Life
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder



wrote:
"Hank" wrote:


Has anyone ever bypassed the electric eye in a garage door opener? Some
value resistor should simulate a properly adjusted eye.

Hank



Why do that?

I mounted mine high enough that it could see my 4x4. Don't have kids
so protecting them wasn't an issue.

Wish I had a way to check if my ham radio antenna was erected before I
drove in. :)

Wes


----== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com - Unlimited-Unrestricted-Secure Usenet News==----
http://www.newsfeeds.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 120,000+ Newsgroups
----= East and West-Coast Server Farms - Total Privacy via Encryption =----


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 08:09 PM.

Powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004 - 2014 DIYbanter