X10 Community Forum

🖥️ActiveHome Pro => Plug-ins => Smart Macros => Topic started by: Blaze85 on August 24, 2011, 01:54:17 PM

Title: Get Status Possibility
Post by: Blaze85 on August 24, 2011, 01:54:17 PM
I am looking to create a macro, that will work with OnAlertMobile, That tells me the status of a zone that I installed on the garage door. Currently I have a macro setup that emails me when the garage door is opened, and it is working fine, but I don't want an email every time the garage door opens. I would just like to be able to go to my OnAlertMobile, and get the current status of the Garage Door. Either it is opened or it is closed. The problem is, I can't seem to find a simple way to do this. Is there anyway to just display the current status of a zone?
Title: Re: Get Status Possibility
Post by: HA Dave on August 24, 2011, 09:52:08 PM
..... The problem is, I can't seem to find a simple way to do this.

You could install a simple WiFi Camera (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=BLK-APM-J012-WS-PB&cat=VID&cpc=APM) in the garage and just peek... using your smartphone.

You could also modifity your garage door macro to only email you if the door is left open (see my macro (http://forums.x10.com/index.php?topic=14721.msg81860#msg81860)) or use a conditional macro that your turn ON when you leave or that is only triggered during certain hours.
Title: Re: Get Status Possibility
Post by: dave w on August 25, 2011, 10:18:08 AM
Years ago I had the system close the door IF I left it open after telling the system I had left for work. I set a 10 minute flag so had 10 minutes to get car out and close the garage door. If the door was open after the grace period, a warning chime would ring for an additional three minutes, then the door opener was activated to close the door and the chime was stopped. So the whole process was automatic, I didn't have to check anything to see if I had closed the door.

You could use a modification of that idea, changing it to meet your needs.

One thing you must do if you elect to allow X10 to activate your garage door opener is to add a magnetic switch to the garage door and route the garage door activate signal from the Universal Module through the magnetic switch. The magnetic switch should be mounted so it is closed only when the door is up. Thus X10 can only lower the door but never raise it since it will not have a complete circuit through the mag switch when the door is closed.
Title: Re: Get Status Possibility
Post by: Blaze85 on August 25, 2011, 10:31:30 AM
Years ago I had the system close the door IF I left it open after telling the system I had left for work. I set a 10 minute flag so had 10 minutes to get car out and close the garage door. If the door was open after the grace period, a warning chime would ring for an additional three minutes, then the door opener was activated to close the door and the chime was stopped. So the whole process was automatic, I didn't have to check anything to see if I had closed the door.

You could use a modification of that idea, changing it to meet your needs.

One thing you must do if you elect to allow X10 to activate your garage door opener is to add a magnetic switch to the garage door and route the garage door activate signal from the Universal Module through the magnetic switch. The magnetic switch should be mounted so it is closed only when the door is up. Thus X10 can only lower the door but never raise it since it will not have a complete circuit through the mag switch when the door is closed.

It just amazes me that with all that AHP can do, that it cannot just give me a status update on my phone through a macro or similar. I like your idea to close the door if it is still up a few minutes after I leave but that won't work in all situations. I really just want to go on my phone with Active Phone Pro and see the status of my zones. Is the garage door closed, what is the status of the rest of the zones, etc. Doesn't seem like it should be this hard.