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Adventures in Garage Door Openers

Started by SGOS, May 31, 2018, 07:30:48 AM

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Cavebear

Quite frankly, I'm keeping my house clear of any controls connected to the internet.  If it isn't part of The-Internet-Of-Things, it can't be hacked. 
Atheist born, atheist bred.  And when I die, atheist dead!

Johan

Why does the opener light make the porch lights go on? Are they wired together somehow?
Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false and by the rulers as useful

SGOS

Quote from: Johan on July 03, 2018, 07:40:27 PM
Why does the opener light make the porch lights go on? Are they wired together somehow?
The opener unit light is connected to the porch light switch by a radio signal.  There are two ways sync the opener to the porch lights.  One is through the opener unit the way I did.  The other is to program one of the buttons on the remote to activate the lights so that you press one button to open the door and another to turn on the lights.  I would have had a slight preference for that method, but there is one glitch.  One of my cars comes with an onboard remote system called HomeLink, and it's easy to pair the opener button with your remote's button, but the button that activates the light doesn't pair with the on board remote. 

If you want your on board remote to be fully functional in that way, you have to buy extra hardware called a "HomeLink gateway" which allows the light switch to get a useable signal through your home's wi fi.  Then you can use your computer to set up the pairing.  Once that is done, you don't need your computer on, but you do need to have your wi fi on.  I didn't want to go through the extra steps and buy extra software.  Pairing the porch light switch to the motor unit's light avoided that.  It just seemed simpler and cheaper with less parts and paths.

If you use the wi fi to transfer the radio signal, you can open the door or turn on the lights from your smart phone, or someone else's computer when you are on vacation in the Ukraine, or on a Pacific Island.  But I didn't need that.  I can't imagine having to do that.  It's cool, but not something I think I will need at this point.

Cavebear

I am WAY behind the tech curve.  I actually press a button next to the garage door or one in the car to make the garage door open.  I tend to like rather "stupid" buttons.  They never mistake my commands.

My refrigerator doesn't know what is inside it, my dishwasher does not alert me when it is done, the washer does its cycle without advising me, and the dryer shuts of automatically when it is done.  I have a cordless phone attached to NoMoRoBo so scammers get cut off the first ring.  I don't have a smart phone.  I don't need one.  The last call I WANTED to receive was 3 months ago.  I wouldn't have a phone at all, but sometimes I need to call tech support for some weird problem they caused themselves and need to help them fix it.

I sometimes like the idea of an AI speaker in the house, and I may give in to that soon.  Since I live alone and don't talk to myself much, I probably wouldn't trigger an AI by accident.  But just going to the desktop or laptop when I have a question isn't exactly a massive effort.
Atheist born, atheist bred.  And when I die, atheist dead!

SGOS

Quote from: Cavebear on July 04, 2018, 12:00:25 AM
I am WAY behind the tech curve.  I actually press a button next to the garage door or one in the car to make the garage door open.  I tend to like rather "stupid" buttons.  They never mistake my commands.

My refrigerator doesn't know what is inside it, my dishwasher does not alert me when it is done, the washer does its cycle without advising me, and the dryer shuts of automatically when it is done.  I have a cordless phone attached to NoMoRoBo so scammers get cut off the first ring.  I don't have a smart phone.  I don't need one.  The last call I WANTED to receive was 3 months ago.  I wouldn't have a phone at all, but sometimes I need to call tech support for some weird problem they caused themselves and need to help them fix it.

I sometimes like the idea of an AI speaker in the house, and I may give in to that soon.  Since I live alone and don't talk to myself much, I probably wouldn't trigger an AI by accident.  But just going to the desktop or laptop when I have a question isn't exactly a massive effort.
I'm like that too.  I tend to prefer dedicated technology, rather than cool off shoots and recombinations of existing technology.  I like nice cameras that produce high resolution.  I don't need to call friends with my camera.  It does what I want.  If I need to call someone, I have a phone too. 

But you can combine a camera and phone and get a smart phone, which costs more than a much higher quality camera and a phone.  The picture quality isn't as good, but it's a phone that takes pictures.  It's cool, I guess.  My garage door opener opens my door and it does it without having to first access my home computer.  I think that's really cool.  But I do need my computer for other things, and I think that's cool too.

Johan

Human nature is endlessly fascinating.
Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false and by the rulers as useful

Baruch

Quote from: Johan on July 04, 2018, 10:12:26 AM
Human nature is endlessly fascinating.

But is that behavior, mis-behavior or both?  And nature usually means "no nurture" in the "nature vs nurture" debate.  I have to transcend "heads vs tails" and call "both".  Humans do have a biological nature, that they have no choice in.  But people are much more complicated than flat worms.  Our behavior is much bigger than mere instinct.  That non-instinct part we call personality and culture.
Ha’át’íísh baa naniná?
Azee’ Å,a’ish nanídį́į́h?
Táadoo ánít’iní.
What are you doing?
Are you taking any medications?
Don't do that.

Cavebear

Quote from: SGOS on July 04, 2018, 07:20:42 AM
I'm like that too.  I tend to prefer dedicated technology, rather than cool off shoots and recombinations of existing technology.  I like nice cameras that produce high resolution.  I don't need to call friends with my camera.  It does what I want.  If I need to call someone, I have a phone too. 

But you can combine a camera and phone and get a smart phone, which costs more than a much higher quality camera and a phone.  The picture quality isn't as good, but it's a phone that takes pictures.  It's cool, I guess.  My garage door opener opens my door and it does it without having to first access my home computer.  I think that's really cool.  But I do need my computer for other things, and I think that's cool too.

I'm with you here.

I love watching Alton Brown cook on "Good Eats", and he hates single purpose gadgets.  And I love them.  I have a cordless phone that doesn't take pictures.  I have a camera that doesn't make phone calls.  My refrigerator has no idea what is in it.  My M/W only does what I tell it to do.  My thermostat in not a programmable type; I set it as I please.  My slight surrender is the TV remote, but even then, I don't use the "smart" control but rather the individual remotes.  And my TV is not "internet-ready".    *I* control it.
Atheist born, atheist bred.  And when I die, atheist dead!

SGOS

Quote from: Cavebear on July 09, 2018, 04:29:53 AM
I'm with you here.
How about washing machines with 5 dials allowing combinations of however many settings that is.  I had to replace a washing machine a few years ago.  I bought the cheapest one in the store, because I don't even know what some of those extra setting are for.  Mine came with 3 settings for the size of the wash, and a cold/warm/hot control.  I think it cost $200.  For $800, I could have got one that had 50 settings I didn't need.  Both machines swirl and spin, which I consider the critical features.  This isn't about me being cheap either.  It's more about simplicity and function.

Cavebear

Quote from: SGOS on July 09, 2018, 06:49:40 AM
How about washing machines with 5 dials allowing combinations of however many settings that is.  I had to replace a washing machine a few years ago.  I bought the cheapest one in the store, because I don't even know what some of those extra setting are for.  Mine came with 3 settings for the size of the wash, and a cold/warm/hot control.  I think it cost $200.  For $800, I could have got one that had 50 settings I didn't need.  Both machines swirl and spin, which I consider the critical features.  This isn't about me being cheap either.  It's more about simplicity and function.

I always go with the ratings in Consumer Reports magazine.  I can't test a dozen washing machines when I need one.  But if one works well for cheaper cost  and no features I don't need, I go that way.  I tend to go for the "thing" that is reliable, works well, and doesn't have features I don't need.  The more features something has, the more likely one is to fail and may affect basic functions.
Atheist born, atheist bred.  And when I die, atheist dead!