I put a SmartThings Multipurpose Sensor on the top of the garage door with the straight line to the right. I set it up with the options "Do you want to use this sensor on a garage door" set on and "Three axis reporting options" set to Disabled. It works in harmony with the tilt sensor on the GoControl garage door opener.
But, the reason I wanted to use the multipurpose sensor is because we always open the garage door about 10" for the cat, and the GoControl tilt sensor never senses the garage door is open. Neither does the multipurpose sensor . Is there a way to make the multipurpose sensor more sensitive?
I can always fall back to using the multipurpose sensor as a contact sensor, but right now haven't figured out a way to attach the magnet .
That's really ingenious. Just have to make sure you have a big enough hinge that the sensor's minimuim travel is reached. Also, you would need to make sure your door has a negative (outward facing) slight angle. Otherwise the sensor might not reset all the way and then might go closed/open like crazy in the wind.
You can only do this with systems that mimic a button press. Not possible with things like the MyQ Lite integration. Basically, you "open" the door" and then you "Close" the door before it is fully open. So, what that does is just press the wall button a second time. Which, with most openers, stops it where it is currently.
So, what you are trying to do is detect as soon as it starts to open and then "stop" it, right @denise.grider? That's going to be tough and i don't know if you're ever going to get the consistency of 10". You might be able to get it worked out to 1/2 way. I'm sure that sometimes when you try to do this manually the door ends up closing on you, right?
You say that the multipurpose sensor isn't sensitive enough? If it is at the very top of the door, as soon as that section of door is horizontal, it should trip. If you do go the contact sensor route, what you might want to do is install the sensor a little below where you want the door to stop and rather than do it by timing, programmatically press the button a second time when the contact sensor reads closed. Then it would happen automatically. You would just have to do this with a separate command other than the door opening so you could enable the rule to "stop" the door.
I would suggest installing a kitty door within the garage door. They even have ones that have electromagnetic locks to keep critters out and that you can override to keep kitty in. Might be an easier solution in the end.
My Zwave opener has a 30-second timeout I think so you can't hit the stop button before the door has already opened. The reason I asked what @denise.grider was using is I would like something similar.
We have a garage door opener remote, just press until the door is about open 10" and then press again to make it stop. We've been doing that for at least 10 years so it's old habit . I'm looking to be able to tell that the garage door is open when it is only 10" open, not to automate opening it to 10".
I would like to install a cat door, but not in the garage door. Our garage doors face out front and I wouldn't like the look. Maybe it's a gal thing . I think a cat door would be great for other places, but so far haven't been able to talk hubby into installing one.
The whole reason for having a separate sensor is that we sometimes forget to close the garage door at night. I could have it set up so when we do the good night thing, if the multipurpose sensor showed open then the GoControl could be commanded to shut it. I thought the multipurpose sensor would be able to detect it was tilted at a smaller angle than the GoControl tilt sensor, but they both work pretty much in tandem. So looks like I will have to figure out how to use the multipurpose sensor with the magnet instead.
Oh...so you're not trying to get hubitat to open the door 10", you're just trying to detect when it is? Oh yeah, go with a contact sensor...a LOT easier. Just keep in mind, if you're in a part of the US where it's cold, that might affect performance of a batter powered device depending on what kind of battery you have in. If it is battery powered, look at the top of the door, rather than on the side. That's where I had to put mine. There are also hard wired contact sensors you can get that are built for garage doors that you could wire to a monoprice sensor with external contact support.
I completely agree with you about the door thing....I'm not a pet person, so i don't understand the dog/cat door thing at all. That's not a gal thing, that's a taste thing. I just know other people have controlled them with their HA platform so i know it's possible.
But if the door is still open when you do your goodnight automation, doesn't that mean that kitty could still be outside? Now, being a dog person, part of me wants to say screw kitty, let the little devil fend for himself. jk.
That's a really good point about Kitty still being outside! But Kitty ran off for a month one time so now I am paranoid and always make sure she is in the house before I go to bed. But I don't mess with the garage door, that is hubby's territory. If he forgets to close the garage door, at least the door to the garage is shut and locked by me.
Thanks for the tip to put the multisensor at the top of the door, I was looking at the side and that was not going to be an easy proposition!
I am a dog lover and a cat lover, just find cats to be so much easier to take care of. We have two Siamese cats, they are affectionate and love to play but don't require lots of attention, so a nice cross between a dog and a cat!
. Is there a way to make the multipurpose sensor more sensitive?
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. I'm looking to be able to tell that the garage door is open when it is only 10" open, not to automate opening it to 10".
. I think a cat door would be great for other places, but so far haven't been able to talk hubby into installing one.
I just know other people have controlled them with their HA platform so i know it's possible.
