Smartphone Garage Door Opener - Product Review

That's pretty cool.

I took the lower technology approach about 6 years ago. I got a 12v to 9v DC-DC adapter, this snaps onto the 9v battery connector(or maybe I soldered the wires directly to the opener board, don't remember). I stuffed the opener under the dash and soldered two wires to the switch contacts. There is a momentary switch just behind and under the dash to operate.

It's simple, no batteries, low cost, and stealth.

Or you could go with an Alexa voice command module:

FYI Chamberlain sells one that you hook up to your wifi and use their application on your phone.

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Maybe I'm lucky that Genie makes 'keychain' remotes that are small enough to... well this is how big they are. And I see that Amazon has (surprise) a variety of 'universal' versions with some very unpronounceable names and whose universality is probably open to debate.

But, in any case, this is another one of those problems I never knew I had. I did have to figure out how to put some velcro on the back and do have to change the battery every five years or so, but this works no matter how long I put off updating the version of OS on my phone or even if my phone is still on the nightstand.

And, oh yeah, no ads ever appear on it.

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I guess it's cool enough, but I don't really want to rely on my smartphone to open my garage door.   I kind of like Danny's idea..   I'm not big on apps just for apps sake and I've already lost 1 phone to the wilds on the farm once, causing me to re-think the whole apple/android wallet thing, but my watch is analog, so what do I know.

Another option, there are keyfob style remotes you can get that are compatible with most opener brands, & we all know these clown cars don't have keys with big-remote-fobs for doorlocks, frunk releases and start..  they barely even have a key.

Example:  https://www.amazon.com/Pack-Re...&sr=8-9&th=1

here is the link ....click here      $30  check if your door model works....

UPDATE:  One thing you should know is that of course you need to access the cloud to be able to use the application on the phone which of course CAN AND DOES FAIL... so keep your remote working as well.... but it is another way to get it done ;0 )

After I bought my first ML I was reading the manual and discovered it had a built in remote. 2 channels, actually. I thought “right, this is going to be just as useless as the phone.” (It had a phone, but it was 1999 (GSM? CDMA?)

I looked up the code for my door, programmed it, and lo and behold I had a built in remote in the overhead by my mirror.

I've got a Craftsman door remote which I hang on the bracket that holds my frunk opener.  More-or-less out of sight and an easy reach when blasting into the driveway.  The only problem is that particular remote case seems to self-destruct when you change the battery so it's held together with a color coordinated rubber band.

I also have a voice command feature in my Acura and just for the heck of it, I asked;

"Open garage door one" and I got this reply;

"I'm sorry, but I can't complete that command".

Now I know how Dave felt above in 2001.......

Guess I'll just have to keep pushing the door opener button under my rearview mirror.

@Gordon Nichols posted:

I've got a Craftsman door remote which I hang on the bracket that holds my frunk opener.  More-or-less out of sight and an easy reach when blasting into the driveway.  

I also have a voice command feature in my Acura and just for the heck of it, I asked;

"Open garage door one" and I got this reply;

"I'm sorry, but I can't complete that command without pairing with Homelink".

Now I know how Dave felt above in 2001.......

Guess I'll just have to keep pushing the door opener button under my rearview mirror.

Come on Gordon, we build cars here, surely you can program the built in remote!

I remember when I was the remote garage door opener. My mother would yell, “get out of the car and open the garage door!”

I am truly amazed, as a past builder of some pretty sophisticated computers, at how many things Amazon Alexa can do, once it learns a few "skills".  Sometimes I need to bring my 12 year old grandson in to help with pairing services, like Homelink or Smart Home to run the house, but he does a lot of pairing across video games and support services and helps a lot.   Once you get through the pairing and skills learning, they work surprisingly well with only a few hiccups mostly due to other network problems.

Of course, I'm probably giving life-pattern info to some server being watched by some three-dollar-a-day guy in Outer Mongolia or something who's sitting there trying to figure out why the hell Alexa turns my front walkway lights on at sunset, while Smart Home, a totally different app, turns them off at 10pm.  There was a reason for that when we did it, but I can't remember why/how and it worked, so we both (my grandson and me) declared success, high five'd and moved on.

It's fun to keep those Mongolians guessing.

It’s not Mongolians Gordon, it’s AI. They’re learning your patterns so that when they replace your family with robots your neighbors will be none the wiser.

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We use one of those 'home' apps to turn on a few lights in the house when we're away.

On our last trip to the UK, we returned to NYC on the Queen Mary 2. From the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, I was able to check if our kitchen light was on and to turn it off, dim the brightness, or change the color of the light if I wanted.

Now, I guess, I could open my garage door from the promenade deck, too.

The problem with all of this is that there are probably a few thousand hackers in Russia and India who could do the same if they wanted to.

Be careful what you wish for.

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@Sacto Mitch posted:

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The problem with all of this is that there are probably a few thousand hackers in Russia and India who could do the same if they wanted to.

Be careful what you wish for.

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Which is exactly why I don't have an Alexa or anything like that.

Don’t worry, Lane…….

The guy on the other end probably doesn’t understand English, especially with your Southern Accent.  

Here's where voice activation can get you: VIDEO LINK