X10 Community Forum
🔌General Home Automation => Automating Your House => Topic started by: AlarmSafe on March 27, 2010, 12:52:16 PM
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Has anyone here used the UM506 for a garage door? If so How did you wire it to the door opener? Please help a newbie!!! :-\
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Does your garage door opener have a push button mounted in the garage to activate it?
Does the opener have a safety feature so you can't close it on an unsuspecting person?
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Wire it to the opener in the same place where the button is wired.
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Don't forget the security issue.
X10 only has a theoretical maximum of 256 codes. If you connect directly into your opener (for opening and closing) I can get into your garage in about 10 minutes by standing outside your door with an X10 remote.
You might like to research a little more about connecting your door for closure only, or for connecting through a pair of modules to increase your security.
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X10 only has a theoretical maximum of 256 codes. If you connect directly into your opener (for opening and closing) I can get into your garage in about 10 minutes by standing outside your door with an X10 remote.
In order to do that with an X10 remote, wouldn't you have to know that home owner is using X10 to open/close the garage door? And, consider the neighbors - anybody not known to my neighbors standing outside my closed garage door for 10 minutes using a remote, however discreetly, would be a cause for concern.
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This is perfectly true.
Personally I'm not happy with securing my toys with a 255:1 chance of entry by unauthorized persons (with no sign of forced entry). I'm quite happy to allow X10 to close my doors for me.
Many people don't consider it so it's worth mentioning.
A standard 4 digit coded entry unit gives a possible 10,000 codes. A modern single code clicker remote has several thousand codes. The older 'dip switch' clickers don't get used very often these days because they also only have a possible 256 codes.
Gambling on the horses at 255:1 odds can be very profitable if your horse comes in. Security at 255:1 odds can be exactly the opposite, especially if you keep valuable racehorses in your garage. :)
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... Personally I'm not happy with securing my toys with a 255:1 chance of entry by unauthorized persons (with no sign of forced entry). I'm quite happy to allow X10 to close my doors for me.
..... A standard 4 digit coded entry unit gives a possible 10,000 codes. A modern single code clicker remote has several thousand codes. The older 'dip switch' clickers don't get used very often these days because they also only have a possible 256 codes.
Back before the rolling codes... thieves bought code capture [radio] devices... and would park in [UPSCALE] neighborhoods and grab the door codes as people went to work. I don't think thief's use those devices anymore... the old 4 digit codes... are probability perfectly safe.. again.
I saw on that TV show.. where they break into a homeowners house to teach them how to become more secure.. where they merely pried open an electrically operated garage door a few inches.. and slid in. If a big screwdriver and skinny kid is all that needed to break in through those big steel doors.... we might look kinda silly depending on fancy rolling codes.
I asked my garage door installer how to prevent the garage door from being pried open... and he installed a deadbolt device I can use when I leave on vacation. I am supposed to deadbolt the garage door... then leave out the front door (securing that door behind me). I recently installed a garage alarm.. by-the-way.
Don't get me wrong. I am with beelocks... I would NOT depend on X10.. or an old 4 digit code lift. They just aren't the right tools for the job. I am just not sure the rolling codes are enough. But an auto-closer... that's good automation AND good security.
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hmm, I may reconsider having a uni-mod connected to my opener
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Set house & unit codes on UM506. Set bottom left switch to momentary & bottom right switch to sound & relay (serve as an alert that the door is either closing or opening).
Connect a pair of low voltage wires to the same location as the wall button on the motor assemble, at the wall button or splice into the wires for the wall button. Whatever is most
convenient for you. Connect the other ends of the wires to the UM506.
Plug in the UM506.
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Thanks Guys! all of the comments were helpful now I don't feel like that dog in Tennessee B:(
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If you are concerned that someone might find the X10 code to your universal module and open your door, you may want to look at this article (http://www.hometoys.com/tips/tips04.htm). The guy has an ingenious way of connecting a series of modules for security of the door.
Dan B.
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Thanks Dan; We have seen some users and two devices to enable things; but the one you gave us goes much farther than that.
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Hey Guys
Thanks for all your help. I ended wiring the UM506 to the motor itself. It was easy to do since most recepticals are directly above the garage motor.