What I’m trying to achieve is something like this:
[ul][li]Leaving the house I trigger a scene using Home Buddy that turns off the lights, locks the doors and closes the Garage Door[/li]
[li]Returning home I trigger a scene using Home Buddy that opens the Garage Door, unlocks the doors and turns on the lights[/li][/ul]
Here’s where I’m confused:
Home Buddy communicates with Vera, but can Vera communicate directly with the WDRR-372R or do I need the WDHA-12R in the mix to mediate?
Also, what would the 3150R get me that I don’t already have with Home Buddy?
I suppose it might be nice to have in the event my phone is out of juice.
Opening and closing my garage door was one the first thing I wanted to do with every home automation technology I was researching prior to getting Vera. I had all of the same WD stuff on my shopping list too. I think I may have even asked the same questions about how to make it all work.
The final solution that has worked for me was actually very simple and far less expensive than all of the WD items.
Assuming you already have a garage door opener that has a doorbell type button inside your garage, this will be a fairly simple install.
Change out the electrical socket powering your garage door opener with a Z-wave socket (only needs to control one of the plugs).
Procure a 110V relay (I got mine from Radio Shack for $10).
Connect a power cord (I cut mine off a broken lamp) to one side of the relay and some bell-wire (like the wire going to the opener button on your wall) to the other end.
Attach the bell-wire to your opener in the same place the opener button is connected and plug the power cord from the relay into the controlled z-wave socket.
Create a scene in Vera to turn on the socket power for 5 seconds and then turn it back off.
That is it. I have less than $35 invested in this solution and it works very well. I did add an IP camera so I can see if the door is open or closed. I am still working on getting a window sensor to reliably attach to my garage door so I can move the camera somewhere more useful.
Thanks for the info N5NHL. Is it possible for you to provide some links for 1. & 2.
Also some pictures of your setup would be helpful for some electrically challenged folks like me ;D
I have attached a snap of the final result. There is not much to see because of the visual requirement my wife imposed. As long as she didn’t notice it I could do anything I wanted.
I am trying to incorporate something like this to help with that limitation: http://www.zwaveproducts.com/Zwave-Wireless-Sensors/Zwave-DoorWindow-Sensor.html
I have another sensor that I cannot safely attach to my garage door. I test-mounted it in several locations and it ripped itself off during an open/close cycle. I have the basic open/close function I needed and the camera to “report” the status. Not perfect, but I’m still working on it. Best of all… the wife has used it and likes the install too! ;D
[quote=“N5NHL, post:6, topic:166907”]I am trying to incorporate something like this to help with that limitation: http://www.zwaveproducts.com/Zwave-Wireless-Sensors/Zwave-DoorWindow-Sensor.html
I have another sensor that I cannot safely attach to my garage door. I test-mounted it in several locations and it ripped itself off during an open/close cycle. I have the basic open/close function I needed and the camera to “report” the status. Not perfect, but I’m still working on it. Best of all… the wife has used it and likes the install too! ;D[/quote]I’m not sure how if the Aeon device is the same as the HRDS1 door switches but if it has an external sensor input then you could use something like this:
N5NHL: Fantastic info. Thanks!
Do you think your sensor issue was something unique to your situation or a ‘design flaw’ (for want of a better word) that prevents it from being used on something like a Garage Door?
e.g. The motion of the open/close causes the sensor to fall off
It’s not clear to me what is at the other end of that Amseco device, any idea if it could be integrated into Z-Wave?
cleanden: I haven’t invested the time to engineer my own solution to get my sensor to stay safely mounted. I have the exact same sensor in JOD’s picture (HM-DW001) without the Amseco extension. That looks like the way I will go unless I can think of another way to mount it. It does seem that the sensor I have was not designed to meet my need without the external sensor. I would not call that a ‘design flaw’. If anything, I would say it is very convenient that the designers have included the ability to add a remote sensor.
Please keep us posted with your progress. Has anybody else decided to try this? Please share your success or failure? I’m goimg to look at getting my sensor mounted again tonight.
I now have all the pieces to make this happen, short of getting a sensor, but I’m not familiar with Wiring Diagrams so I am unsure how to wire the Electrical and Bell Wire.
From the attached image, my guess is that the Electric goes on 7 & 8, but does it make a difference which wire goes on which terminal?
I have no clue which of the remaining 6 terminals I’d put the Bell Wire. I could start guessing, but I don’t want to fry anything
Just an idea to pass by you. Has anyone tried replacing the inside garage door switch with a z-wave low voltage isolated relay switch? That way you just activate the switch for 5 seconds or create Luup code to shorten it to 1 second. No relay or z-wave plug necessary. You would need to supply power to the switch box (including neural wire). Add a HM-DW001 - Z-Wave Door Sensor, write the Luup code to determine if the door is open or closed, much else expensive than a camera.
There are a few ways to do it… some have used low voltage zwave relays, some have used relays and appliance modules and others like myself have used modified appliance modules.
My only issue is with the existing wall panel buttons (light and open/close) being disabled.
Anyone electrically-minded know how to re-enable them so the garage door can be operated either by the wall panel or by Vera?
[quote=“cleanden, post:18, topic:166907”]Hey, that all worked a treat! ;D
My only issue is with the existing wall panel buttons (light and open/close) being disabled.
Anyone electrically-minded know how to re-enable them so the garage door can be operated either by the wall panel or by Vera?[/quote]
It sounds like you got a maintained/electrically-held relay. As long as it’s powered, the wall buttons will not work. You only want to power the relay for a moment - a couple of seconds. If you are wired to an appliance module, create a scene to turn it on, then turn it off a few seconds later. I had my garage door opener safety trip off when my contacts stayed closed too long, so be careful if you leave the NO contacts closed too long.
the status. Not perfect, but I’m still working on it. Best of all… the wife has used it and likes the install too! ;D