I have a Ghost Controls Gate opener I would like to integrate into my Hubitat. Currently, it only has basic remotes. I think to open it up to other devices I would need to purchase
Is there any chance this device would work with Hubitat? Apparently, their garage door openers do use HomeKit, but not the Gate Openers.
Your best bet might be to use a z-wave/zigbee/wifi relay device that pairs directly with Hubitat, then wire that into the gate controller.
I’ve never looked at that specific model but it most likely has terminals for a wired button controller. The gate controller won’t know the difference.
The manufacturer’s WiFi add-on is probably a dead end in terms of integrating with an outside system like Hubitat.
Thanks. I have sent email to tech support at ghost controls to see if they have contact closure support
I just fooled around with my gate.
It's powered by 24vac landscape wire.
But, the motor seems to be DC.
The voltage changes polarity when it changes direction.
I was able to use this with a ZEN17 to tell when the gate is open or closed without using a contact sensor, as well as control it.
It may, or may not, lol, be more reliable than the contact sensor I had been using.
This wouldn't happen to be a Ghostcontrols gate would it? I believe it is 24AC power, but DC to motors also.
No, it's not.
I thought it was interesting that when I took my multimeter to it, I noticed that the polarity changed when opening or closing.
So I checked mine out. I have contact closure that mimics the gate opener. Toggles between open and close. No contact closure for close only. The goal is to have a button on my minimote for bedtime that closes gate if it is open.
I also show +12V when it opens, and -12V when it closes going to gate opener.
Would it be possible with ZEN17 to save last state of that 12V in Hubitat, so a rule could decide based on that whether the cycle button needed to be closed? Then the ZEN17 could close the cycle contacts briefly? And then check state of 12V to make sure it is -12
I don't see why not, but maybe you're making it a little too complicated for your situation.
If you have reliable zigbee communications out there, why not put in a contact sensor to sense if the gate is open or closed? They can be cheap, which might be good, because even wrapped in plastic or what not, it's a tough environment for them. Zwave contact sensor is not cheap.
I managed to squeeze the ZEN17 inside the opener control box, so it's nice and dry.
On my opener, I only read voltage, plus or minus, when the gate is actually moving. I created two contact sensors on the ZEN17; connecting the wires that do voltage, not dry contact. I believe on one of them I had to reverse the wires because the ZEN only read -, or +, or whatever, to make the sensor function react.
So one sensor I named "gate closing sensor" and the other "gate opening sensor".
I made a rule with a Hub variable named GateStatus. If "gate closing sensor" = closed, then GateStatus = closed. If "gate opening sensor" = closed, then GateStatus = open.
Once I know the GateStatus I can do other stuff. I display it on a dashboard using Attribute type.
I created a virtual switch called "Gate Switch" that switches the gate operator relay in the ZEN17. I have to make sure that switch is updated with a rule to what the GateStatus because the outdoor hue motion I have mounted to a tree switches the operator directly and doesn't go through Gate Switch.
I disable the gate under certain conditions, etc.
I assume I could hook a contact sensor, or switch that senses the gate, to contact closure contacts on ZEN17.
Sure. It's finding or repurposing the right hardware that drives me crazy.
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