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    z-wave control of electric garage doors

    I have 3 electric garage doors and a z-wave system in my home controlled by Homeseer and I want to control the garage doors from the Homeseer computer, as well as from the car, as well as from the old switches in my garage.

    What are my options?

    I have been looking at the stuff from Wane Dalton. Is the Wane Dalton Garage Door Opener Conversion Module/receiver a real z-wave device? Will it serve as a repeater and can any z-wave controller find it? I don't think so.

    I am confused on where the z-wave functionality resides in the 3 products made by Wayne Dalton: the conversion module/receiver (http://www.waynedaltonstore.com/prod...171410883.html), the keyless key chain controller (http://www.waynedaltonstore.com/prod...714109121.html) and the gateway (http://www.waynedaltonstore.com/prod...171410873.html).

    I think the zwave is in the gateway. But can I use HS to controll the 3 garage doors through the gateway??

    Are there better options?

    Thanks!

    #2
    Here's one alternative that will work with your existing garage door openers and is 100% Z-Wave.

    Wire one of these in parallel around each of your garage door push-button switches: ACT ZRF113 (or ZRW113). Each is powered by 120v but has an isolated relay that can be used with HomeSeer to simulate a button push.

    Now add a door sensor to each of your garage doors so that HomeSeer can track the open/close status of the doors.

    When you arrive home, just use your existing garage door opener to open the door. The door sensor will alert HomeSeer and you can trigger events, based on that. Also, you'll be able to monitor the status of the door remotely and control the door with the ACT devices.

    Mark
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      #3
      Originally posted by macromark View Post
      Here's one alternative that will work with your existing garage door openers and is 100% Z-Wave.

      Wire one of these in parallel around each of your garage door push-button switches: ACT ZRF113 (or ZRW113). Each is powered by 120v but has an isolated relay that can be used with HomeSeer to simulate a button push.

      Now add a door sensor to each of your garage doors so that HomeSeer can track the open/close status of the doors.

      When you arrive home, just use your existing garage door opener to open the door. The door sensor will alert HomeSeer and you can trigger events, based on that. Also, you'll be able to monitor the status of the door remotely and control the door with the ACT devices.

      Mark

      Thanks. I got both of those switches you suggested as well as the sensor.

      I have installed the ZRW113. It works fine but since the garage door is a toggle I have to turn the switch on and then off (say to open door) before I hit on again and off (to close it). In HS I suppose this will be easy implement the "off" after an "on" but it is a bit awkaward when actually using the switch.

      It is no big deal but I thought I would ask if you see a better way of installing the switch. In re-reading your post I see you say to install the switch in parallel with the old switch. In that case I should just use the relay ZRF113, right? Since I won't be using actually rocker switch on the zwave device.

      I will try that.

      Thanks again.

      Comment


        #4
        As macromark suggested, I installed the ZRF113 in parallel with the toggle switch and the Hawking sensor and it all works great together. Thanks!

        Comment


          #5
          I also use the setup described by macromark but it is not foolproof for me. I have an event that will close my garage door if it has been left open for an hour. I have come home on several occasions to find my garage door open, knowing that it was closed when I left. After some investigation I discovered that HS doesn't always receive the signal indicating the door has closed so after an hour the event fires and since the door is down it opens.

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by djc1603 View Post
            I also use the setup described by macromark but it is not foolproof for me. I have an event that will close my garage door if it has been left open for an hour. I have come home on several occasions to find my garage door open, knowing that it was closed when I left. After some investigation I discovered that HS doesn't always receive the signal indicating the door has closed so after an hour the event fires and since the door is down it opens.
            Anytime the door sensor status is changed (open or close), it sends out a Z-Wave broadcast of its current state. Since door sensors cannot be polled, it is critical that HomeSeer receive this broadcast whenever it's transmitted. If HomeSeer is not receiving that broadcast reliably, then your event will not work.
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              #7
              Oh! This is such a good idea! I can't believe this hadn't even occurred to me! hehehe... I'm so on gettin' this setup for my garage!

              Originally posted by macromark View Post
              Here's one alternative that will work with your existing garage door openers and is 100% Z-Wave.

              Wire one of these in parallel around each of your garage door push-button switches: ACT ZRF113 (or ZRW113). Each is powered by 120v but has an isolated relay that can be used with HomeSeer to simulate a button push.

              Now add a door sensor to each of your garage doors so that HomeSeer can track the open/close status of the doors.

              When you arrive home, just use your existing garage door opener to open the door. The door sensor will alert HomeSeer and you can trigger events, based on that. Also, you'll be able to monitor the status of the door remotely and control the door with the ACT devices.

              Mark

              Comment


                #8
                A complete solution

                I'm so pleased with my solution I just have to brag a bit.

                I didn't have a ZRF/ZRW113 on hand so I modified an Intermatic Appliance module to do the job. It was a simple matter of cutting the PCB trace between the relay contact and the 110V, giving me a dry contact; which I've wired across the push button on a spare door remote. I attached the remote to the module with carpet tape and plugged it into an outlet in the garage.
                This was step one. HS could control the door.

                The next step was to design the events/scripts to automate the door. This involved a motion sensor inside the garage, a DS10 on the door and an RFID tag in the car.

                Long story short, here's the logic:

                Created a virtual device "Car In Garage". Status is ON=Car Inside, OFF= Car Out.

                1. Car Arrives:
                Trigger: RFID tag is detected,
                Conditions: If the motion sensor is off and the door closed and "Car Inside" Off
                Actions: Open the door, turn on lights if it's dark.

                2. Car moves inside:
                Trigger: Motion detected within 60 seconds of #1.
                Action: Set "Car Inside" On.

                3. Close door with car in (just arrived):
                Trigger: Motion detector becomes OFF.
                Conditions: If "Car Inside" is On and the Door is Open
                Action: Close the door, turn off lights

                4. Car Leaves:
                Trigger: RFID tag becomes absent.
                Condition: Motion is ON and door is open
                Action: Close the door, turn off lights.

                5. RFID problem: (This has yet to occur)
                Trigger: RFID becomes absent
                Condition: "Car Inside" is ON and Motion is OFF
                Action: Log a problem.


                So far, all of this works (fits my lifestyle) and I still have manual remote control from the car and inside the house & garage.
                Real courage is not securing your Wi-Fi network.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by Automated
                  I will not use a general purpose zwave module for the purpose of activating a door, because zwave is actually pretty easy to spoof a signal from using a ztroller.
                  I wouldn't loose too much sleep worrying about a criminal spoofing a Z-Wave device. Of all the criminals I've met, I've never seen one carrying around a Z-Troller Most would simply pry the door.
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                    #10
                    And when the garage door is pryed open that is what the Door Sensor is for

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Originally posted by Rupp View Post
                      I wouldn't loose too much sleep worrying about a criminal spoofing a Z-Wave device. Of all the criminals I've met, I've never seen one carrying around a Z-Troller Most would simply pry the door.
                      Nobody is losing sleep over anything, but the principle stands as truth. We all know criminals would just break a small window or whatever, but that doesn't mean more sophisticated breakins do not occur. In fact, what a wonderful way to throw off police...to use a zwave signal and then break out a window after the deeds are done. I work with security, and comments like you make fill the mouths of executives everywhere. Then look at the news at the lost data, breached systems, and privacy data compromised almost weekly. The threat is real. I am not trying to pick a debate, but to be honest I am surprised to see such flippant attitudes here in the forum, assuming we are all fairly technical and understand the risk.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Originally posted by Automated View Post
                        Nobody is losing sleep over anything, but the principle stands as truth. We all know criminals would just break a small window or whatever, but that doesn't mean more sophisticated breakins do not occur. In fact, what a wonderful way to throw off police...to use a zwave signal and then break out a window after the deeds are done. I work with security, and comments like you make fill the mouths of executives everywhere. Then look at the news at the lost data, breached systems, and privacy data compromised almost weekly. The threat is real. I am not trying to pick a debate, but to be honest I am surprised to see such flippant attitudes here in the forum, assuming we are all fairly technical and understand the risk.
                        Do you have any data indicating that Z-Wave has ever been spoofed? I've never read of single incident of this. Again, there are many many ways to get at users data and we should be diligent but spoofing Z-Wave isn't one I would worry.
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                          #13
                          Looks like locks and other devices with the security class are encrypted:

                          http://www.zwaveworld.com/ask/ask47.php
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                            #14
                            Originally posted by rmasonjr View Post
                            Looks like locks and other devices with the security class are encrypted:

                            http://www.zwaveworld.com/ask/ask47.php
                            That's great. Most definitely use of of the locks soon in the future on my front door. But... How do I securely, easily, access garage?! Everything suggested so far seems to work for folks who tried those routes, but these solutions resemble jerry-rigging and not a securely designed conversions from traditional garage controls to secure z-wave. Is there such a thing anyway?

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Has anyone tried the Wayne Dalton Car2U? Wouldn't that work and not be a Kludge?

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