Technology have we officially come too far?

gudnoyez

On my way to work this morning the garage door opener decided to give up the ghost. It only closed the door halfway not wanting to be late I got out of the car popped the manual release closed the door thinking the chain slipped the gear.

I came home put the chain back on tightened the slack I notice the shaft was loose I figured what the heck I will give it a shot opened it up after the second try the gear busted off the shaft. I went to Menards I only wanted your basic 1/2 horsepower with two openers an outside keypad opener. It's now all bells and whistles Q technology smart phone and computers will tell you if you your garage door is open I have to hook this gizmo up to the router in the house it turns on lights in the house as soon as you open up the garage door attachments to plug a coffee maker or plug your tv in and it all turns on as soon as you open the garage door it has a motion detector, and get this it has a battery back up that opens the garage door should the power go out, all this and it opens up your garage door.

I wonder what's next? I don't have any fears about installing the opener me and my buddy will figure that out, what I fear is figuring out all the computer and smart phone applications the downloads and all the other technical stuff enough is enough I say heck I bet this garage door opener will be outdated the minute it's installed and the technical stuff is working. LOL

Polkie2009

Lol, one more thing someone can hack into. More things to go wrong.

gudnoyez

They are adapters that plug into your wall outlet that you can plug a lamp or coffee maker or whatever leave it in the on position and when you open your garage door the Q system turns on said devices. To much stuff for me but if you want a 3/4 horsepower belt drive or chain drive the premium models come with all this extra BS.

Inspector 24

It's gone too far when you see this:


But yes, I agree, it seems everything needs an EyePhone app to work it, and it's all a cheaper, crappier version (with more techno-whistles) of what lasted for 20+years but finally failed due to old age.

mhardy6647

http://www.chamberlain.com/garage-door-openers/chain-drives/model-hd220-(1)

tonyb

I dunno man, for me I would never install a garage door opener then leave it vulnerable to technology hacks. After all, it's a door to your kingdom, why make it easier for someone to get in ?

......and if I did, I wouldn't be telling people I had one on the internet. The Chamberlain's are good solid performers and should last longer than you keep the house. I'm partial to chain drives over belt driven models also.

madmax

Yeah, but can it automatically que up the same song in the house as you are playing on your car system and sync them together so you don't miss a beat??? Can it scan your eyes and if not you then close and lock the door and re-start the engine to gas the person who drove in??? Can it scan your mileage since leaving and determine if you have used up more than your share of carbon credits??? Can it determine if you are driving an electric car and alert you that you have become a greeney tree hugger???

I'll wait for the next generation opener if not.

Willow

We have a Chamberlain version like the OPs. Works great. When we first moved in our garage door kept opening and closing. This app notified me and I was able to close the door remotely. I have not installed the plug in. Our alarm system also came with a wi-fi light bulb which I can control from an app. I don't see the benefit of the plug from the garage door kit. lights come on when the door opens. We walk into the house and can turn on a light in the mudroom.

WilliamM2

Menards still has basic models in chain and belt drive:

https://www.menards.com/main/doors-windows/exterior-doors/garage-doors/garage-door-openers/xtreme-garage-reg-3-4-hp-electric-chain-drive-garage-door-opener/p-2389794-c-12367.htm?tid=2310895016790463941


https://www.menards.com/main/doors-windows/exterior-doors/garage-doors/garage-door-openers/xtreme-garage-reg-3-4-hp-electric-belt-drive-garage-door-opener/p-2389795-c-12367.htm?tid=2310895016790463941

mantis

I do this for a living and I'm gonna have to say yes things could be said to be to far and in the same breath we live in good times.
When things today fail, it's much more difficult to trouble shoot then back then. There are more things that "could" be the issue.
Also today I feel quality is passed over in favor of quantity.cliche? Yeah maybe but it holds very true. Just look at the quality of Blu ray players, Tv's etc and notice the decline in overall better materials in favor of price.

Sometimes we do go to far, do you really need to open your garage door with an App? or is it just as good with a standard Garage door opener?
Lighting control is pretty solid today IF you use Lutron and nothing else. Every other company who tries to do any kind of lighting control falls very short of Lutron systems. They haven't lost quality and hold very true as they are one of the remaining companies I can say has the least amount of issues.

My garage door opener broke and I had to replace it with a new one. The Springs went bad a few years ago and they where replaced. I have a double size door with is one door for both bays. My house is now 13 years old and I have replaced just about everything in it like the Heater, Central Air , Water Heater , Garage Door opener , Garbage Disposal , Sinks , Faucets. Our Hallway bathroom tub cracked and got repaired then cracked again and now needs replacement. It's madness IMO.

Integrating Technology into our daily lives can benefit and hinder when it doesn't work. The question is what do you want and what do you need? Somethings make our lives easier and some are pure toys.

Toolfan66

You can buy a hot water heater that can connect to your iPhone iPad, washer an dryer, it's ridiculous IMO...

gudnoyez

Well me and my buddy got it hooked up we were able to use the old wiring and safety sensors a six pack and some KFC and 3 hours later it was done. It went smooth except for the my Q hooked it up to my router downloaded the android app but sure enough it won't let me set up an account due to an invalid e-mail adress WTF, I'm a happy camper except for the My Q issue which I expected.

Yeah the wife's new washer and dryer works off her smartphone grandson hooked her up, perhaps I can talk him into figuring out My Q app for the chamberlain opener so I can monitor shut and open the door and control my lights next time we're in Germany visiting the inlaws.

Toolfan66

KFC??

Yuck!!!

F1nut

LOL

teekay0007

gudnoyez wrote: »

...a six pack and some KFC and 3 hours later it was done.

That's pretty much what any challenging project takes! Heck, I once knocked out a semester of junior-year geology with 6/KFC/3!!

They were PBR tallboys, no?

tonyb

Toolfan66 wrote: »

KFC??

Yuck!!!

That's like the crack of fast food isn't it ? lol

cnh

You guys actually KNOW different manufacturers of "garage door openers", REALLY? Too much time on your hands! lol

mhardy6647

Heck, even I know a little about garage doors & openers! The classic Sears openers were made by Chamberlain (maybe they still are, I dunno). I've replaced and/or installed several over the years (screw, belt, and chain drive). Our house in MA had a Genie door opener that used a plastic sprocket drive. It was great, 'til the sprocket holes stripped.

Garage door openers are actually pretty straightforward to install.

Conversely, any work on the garage doors (more to the point the springs and operating hardware) is far better left to the pros, IMO. There is just tremendous tension - and energy - in those springs!

gimpod

^ Ditto,

In case you haven't figured it out yet, If your too lazy to get off your fat butt to open and close the garage door that's what girl friends, wife's and the little hellspawns you call offspring are for and if you don't have any of the aforementioned slave labor you could most likely use the exercise.

Polkie2009

Mine is pretty old (25yrs.?) and has the screw design. Broke the spring(it only has one) 4 years ago, had someone replace it for a total of about $150.00. I tried to lift the garage door(2 car garage size) with the spring broken and I couldn't raise it but a bit.

mhardy6647

We used to lose one spring per door on our old garage doors in MA about every five years. It would typically happen moments after we closed the door & went inside the house. It was pretty dramatic :-P

Fortunately, no harm was ever done by the flailing (upper) half spring.

After a few repairs (replacement springs, that is) we ultimately did get the doors and all hardware replaced. I was surprised by the relatively low cost of much nicer hardware (the original doors were wood framed but the panels were Masonite-like stuff; very cheesy).

Polkie2009

Those big old springs can really let lose the energy when they decide to break,lol. The one on my door is on a bar than runs horizontally above the garage door. And yes, I believe mine broke moments after closing it one night.

gudnoyez

Well got the Chamberlin MyQ set up signed up downloaded the app opened the garage door it shut the lamp on by the bar and pub table. I can find the beer fridge without stumbling around in the dark. I opened up the garage door with the smart phone left the garage door opened, got an alert on my phone saying it was opened ignored it as it is set to shut itself in five minutes anyways it shut itself and alerted me that it was shut, it did all of this while sipping a beer and not moving at all.

I set the my home link in our vehicles so we can just push the button near the rear view mirrors that were built in the cars at the factory. We can now open and close our garage door five different ways is it necessary, absolutley not overkill if you ask me but it all comes with the purchase of a 3/4 horsepower Chamberlain premium belt drive garage door. I give the MyQ BS about a month or two before it all starts going haywire and I end up disconnecting it. Technology is getting out of hand. The spring will probably go out next with my luck, and I don't trust my self replacing something like that with the tension and all.

gudnoyez

I bought another light controler and hooked it up to a lamp In the bedroom. I can mess with the wife tonight and moniter when she turns the bedroom light on I can go to my app and turn it back off she turns it back on I can turn it back off. If she goes down to the beer fridge to get a cool one and turns the bar light on I can turn it back off. She knows the smartphone app can open and close the garage door, but she don't know about it controlling the lights. I think it's going to be fun tonight messing with her hee, hee, hee.

Who said technology sucks? I did but, since I figured it out, I should have no fears when it comes time to enter into a full blown digital setup. I shall no longer avoid the ever changing technologies forced upon us, except for changing from Windows 7 to 10. I guess technology still sucks. Well time to get prepared to start messing with the wife soon hee, hee, hee.

ken brydson

I like your style