Garage door opener

[PeteH]

I've got a Chamberlain garage door opener, which comes with two key fob type transmitters. I keep one by the front cup holders in my GS, but I would like to utilise one of the two 'blank' switches by the gear shift (used for the 'Sport/Tour' functions on vehicles with Flexride). Has anyone tried this, any idea whether it's feasible?

[MattG]

I've got a Chamberlain garage door opener, which comes with two key fob type transmitters. I keep one by the front cup holders in my GS, but I would like to utilise one of the two 'blank' switches by the gear shift (used for the 'Sport/Tour' functions on vehicles with Flexride). Has anyone tried this, any idea whether it's feasible?

Not that easy unless you can use a small multi tool to actually cut an opening in the blank and somehow secure the remote behind the dash attached to the blank with the buttons in the cutout.
Have a feeling its quite a large remote compared to the blank.

Electronically you could strip the remote, solder a couple of cables across the terminals that make the circuit the push button makes. Then run those wires to a switch mounted in the blank. If your remote uses two separate buttons to open and close you need to run four wires or possibly three if there is a common between start and stop button. You could fit a two way switch, so up for open, down for close etc.



Think I'd just stick velcro to remote and dash and have done with .

[bransoj]

Seen folk talking about the new version of CarPlay thats coming and that utilises the new dashboard feature and Apple Homekit to pop up an option to open your garage door as you get close to home. Sure Chamberlain is one of the makes that can be used in conjunction with Homekit but possibly with another piece of kit in the middle. If you have an iPhone and have CarPlay running as you get near home it shows like this on the dashboard and you'd just press it to open the door when required :-

[MattG]

That's neat, doubt AA will get that, Google will want to sell an extra to do that .

[bransoj]

That's neat, doubt AA will get that, Google will want to sell an extra to do that .

I think there is some additional kit required to connect the garage door opener to your wifi\Apple Homekit but after that it just uses Siri Suggestions related to time and where you are to show it on the CarPlay screen. You could also i suspect not need that suggestion to pop up and instead just ask Siri to open the door whenever you needed to even including being somewhere else and letting someone else in for an emergency. I've only got a crappy double wooden doors at the moment on the garage that we had as part of the extension but somewhere down the line i want to upgrade it to a roller door connected to the wifi. Dont put the car in there but would be handy as its the way we leave the house when walking the dog and dont need to worry about losing a key whilst out walking etc. Just as i get near home set the door opening.

[PeteH]

Yeah, the Chamberlain hub add-on is about £85, but I don't need the smartphone sophistication, I'd rather just use the fob (which is not that large, about 2cm X 6cm). There's only one button for open and close, so I might look at MattG's suggestion of linking to a small push/push switch cut into the blanking piece.
Cheers for all your thoughts

[MartyW]

get a spare button from vauxhall the will fit in to the bank then just take tow wires of it and solder it on the button within the remote, hide the remote somewhere, done

[PeteH]

OK, so I've scoured eBay and can't find a switch that fits the button array in front of the gearshift. So, another option - I didn't subscribe to OnStar, and it finishes next year anyway, so could I hijack one of the dedicated buttons above the mirror and wire that to my remote fob (which could then be hidden behind the housing for the OnStar buttons). Any thoughts?

[MartyW]

yep you can do that as long as the switch is a momentary normaly open switch

[PeteH]

Think I'd just stick velcro to remote and dash and have done with ...

Cheers Matt, see photo of your suggestion, total cost £1.10 {had to buy minimum 0.5m of velcro, anyone got a use for the remaining 45cm?)

[ilunn]

I'm surprised that someone has not come up with android phone APP (there's one for the telly) for opening/closing garage door. then it might be possible to use car touch screen.

[PeteH]

You can get Android and IOs apps, but they need a hub that Chamberlain charge about £90 for. Velcro was cheaper

[ilunn]

You can get Android and IOs apps, but they need a hub that Chamberlain charge about £90 for. Velcro was cheaper

Whats the "Hub" for?

[PeteH]

Normally door openers work on a specific radio frequency, but mobile phones don't broadcast conventional radio signals, so the hub (installed inside the garage and connected to the door motor and WiFi network) linked the garage door motor to the home WiFi, and the app sends instructions through that.

[ilunn]

Right got it, so would also need a good WiFi at garage which i dont have