Turn a $10 garage opener button into a $0.10 button

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Recently had my garage opener motor replaced with a new one because the old one had died. I had the installer hook up my Insteon IOLinc in the same way it was hooked to the old motor, and we both stared at it as it did nothing. I told the installer that I would fix it.

Liftmaster has seen fit to “improve” their garage door buttons with “Security 2.0”. I’m not clear as to how this makes a button more secure, since if someone is in your garage, they can press the button anyway, whether it is encoded or not.

I tore apart the button and found where the the contact switch is placed and soldered two wires to it. I ran them to the Insteon IOLinc and things work as expected. Eventually I may replace the IOLinc with an ESPHome relay, but this works fine with Home Assistant for now.

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Here is the inside of the button. I forgot to take a picture of the circuit board with the wire soldered to it, but all you need to know is to connect one to a contact highlighted by the red circle and another to the contact highlighed by the blue circle. I used the ones on the left, but you may want to use the ones on the right depending on where your wire runs out.

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Here is the switch buttoned back up. Here you see the patent numbers here for making a contact switch proprietary, more complex, and cost 100x as much.

This modification also gives you control without using the MyQ cloud-based method of controlling the Liftmaster.

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Awesome!
I had to do the same for my existing opener and was afraid to solder the original, so I bought a similar $11 USD Security 2.0+ button.
Mine has the opener light button too (on the side). When I get motived and buy a smaller soldering tip I’ll also hook a relay up for the light (maybe trigger with motion sensor).
I use esphome with an ESP12s Huzzah triggering a small 3.3vdc relay. I housed the button and the ESP12s and relay together near the motor since there is a convenient power source (A/C outlet on ceiling) and only a short wiring up of the button.
Here’s the YAML:

switch:
  - platform: gpio
    pin: 15
    id: garage_door_relay
  - platform: template
    name: "Garage door button"
    icon: "mdi:garage"
    turn_on_action:
    - switch.turn_on: garage_door_relay
    - delay: 500ms
    - switch.turn_off: garage_door_relay
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I’d guess that it would have to do with someone cutting into the wire and shorting them together open the door. Not usually a problem but could be if the wire ran externally to the house or elsewhere. Also ensures if you want extra buttons you have to buy on from them.

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Yup. If you had a key panel mounted externally next to the garage door, it would mitigate the attack of simply removing the keypad and shorting the wires I guess.

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Great idea! I did this too - FYI it works on Chaimberlain brand as well (same company or something). Connected it to a little ESP8266 with a relay. It was the most reliable IoT device I had. Now I use MyQ since I had to buy a new opener.

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Craptastic code for ESP8266 is here.
Full size pictures are at that link as well.

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Any reason you’re not using ESPHome? It makes something like this pretty easy.

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This makes sense. I wish the manufacturer would provide regular dry contacts on the motor for simple buttons where needed.

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I built this about 5 years ago, didn’t know about that then. Plus I just like the ESP’s.

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I’m curious …

Was the firm who installed it called “Bodgit & Scarper” ?

:rofl:

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My pseudonym is the Impatient Maker. I’m totally function over form - no shame.

Also, I don’t need this switch anymore, I’d be happy to mail it to anyone in the US.

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Sorry, but I’m old.

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Why be sorry.?
I may well be older…
Putting my money where my mouth is, here’s a picture of my wallet

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So you were on the right wavelength

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I did the same thing last month after the MyQ integration broke for the nth time. Only regret is that I didn’t do it sooner. The black box contains a sonoff sv.

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Looks good! So simple really. My similar setup has worked flawlessly for 2 years now.

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I just bought a zooz 3 relay contoller zwave device for my myq doors (2 garage doors and a gate). Can’t wait to get it setup and get out of myq hell.

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Which one did you bought. It specifically says here https://www.thesmartesthouse.com/products/zooz-z-wave-plus-s2-multirelay-zen16-with-3-dry-contact-relays-20-a-15-a-15-a that it doesn’t work with myq.

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I bought that one you linked to. My plan is to open the button I have by the door into the house and solder wires to the physical button switch inside and then connect it to the zwave relay. When the zwave relay connects it effectively “pushes” the button.

What they are talking about is that you cannot connect to the wires that go from the garage door opener button unit to the garage door opener itself. The button circuit has some proprietary encoding scheme so it is not as simple as connect and disconnect. That is why you have to solder onto the button inside the button box.

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