Electric gates... again... what do I need?
Discussion
I am wanting to do some electric gates and its a bit of a minefield, i think i am starting to understand what i need.
I wonder if someone who might know could tell me if i am right?
Of course i could get someone else to do it but i just had a quote for this for just over 11k fitted...... and thats with me fitting the posts and building the piers.
The electrical side of the kit is fine, i understand that all ok.
What i cant get my head round is opening it.
What do you need to :
make gates open as we arrive, makes them close when we leave.
An intercom. is this necessary now, would a video doorbell be better.
Keypad? so i can give the code to anyone that might need it?
Am i right in saying i could get a hikvision intercom which would have a relay which tells the gates to open when given the command?
Anything else i need to consider?
I can build you a wall but i am technologically impotant
I wonder if someone who might know could tell me if i am right?
Of course i could get someone else to do it but i just had a quote for this for just over 11k fitted...... and thats with me fitting the posts and building the piers.
The electrical side of the kit is fine, i understand that all ok.
What i cant get my head round is opening it.
What do you need to :
make gates open as we arrive, makes them close when we leave.
An intercom. is this necessary now, would a video doorbell be better.
Keypad? so i can give the code to anyone that might need it?
Am i right in saying i could get a hikvision intercom which would have a relay which tells the gates to open when given the command?
Anything else i need to consider?
I can build you a wall but i am technologically impotant
The simplest way of controlling them is via key fob, opening and closing them manually as you leave. Most good systems have an app, so you can do it from a phone, but it can be a bit clunky. I have a 'Nice' motor, the app is 'okay'. I have a CCTV camera viewing my gate and drive, so I can see it open and close.
If you want auto opening on leaving and auto closing, you may need a sensor grid under the ground.
As for intercom entry, yes possible, but many systems are generic. Yes the Hikvision video doorbell/intercom will work with the right set-up.
Can you have a separate pedestrian gate?
Don't forget the safety features, like touch sensor strips on the edges of the gates. Especially if you're remote opening and closing.
If you want auto opening on leaving and auto closing, you may need a sensor grid under the ground.
As for intercom entry, yes possible, but many systems are generic. Yes the Hikvision video doorbell/intercom will work with the right set-up.
Can you have a separate pedestrian gate?
Don't forget the safety features, like touch sensor strips on the edges of the gates. Especially if you're remote opening and closing.
It is for a two leaf gate not sliding.
Safety features aren't something i even really thought about.
An alternative i suppose is to actually buy all the gear from one place and perhaps rely on their honesty to sell me what i need. And then get the bloke i know to liven it all up for me.
Its so frustrating when you just don't understand stuff i have never ever been good with anything technology wise that isn't just click to work
Safety features aren't something i even really thought about.
An alternative i suppose is to actually buy all the gear from one place and perhaps rely on their honesty to sell me what i need. And then get the bloke i know to liven it all up for me.
Its so frustrating when you just don't understand stuff
i have never ever been good with anything technology wise that isn't just click to work I’ve been on and off looking into this for 2 years!!
Also don’t want to stump up 11-12k.
I’ve recently found these guys https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B086TYV2VN/ref=sspa_mw...
That seem to do the job and get good reviews.
Anyone got any first hand experience?
Also don’t want to stump up 11-12k.
I’ve recently found these guys https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B086TYV2VN/ref=sspa_mw...
That seem to do the job and get good reviews.
Anyone got any first hand experience?
I installed my own gate gear. Its 12 years ago now so don't ask me the detail or manufacturer. Its a 2 leaf swing opening gate at a slight angle across the drive so that one gate opens a slightly different angle to the other. There is a control box which contains a simple programming device. I photo electric cell opens the gate if interrupted when the gates are closing. All operated by a two button fob, one in each car and another in the house. No intercom or sensor pads. If doing it now perhaps gate edge sensors would be a sensible precaution but otherwise I wouldnt change anything.
The instructions in the kit were comprehensive and it has all worked reliably since. From - vague memory- the electric gear was around £1k. I do remember that it cost slightly more because of the different angles of opening on each gate but I would say that if you are confident with the electric side there is nothing to worry about in a DIY install
The instructions in the kit were comprehensive and it has all worked reliably since. From - vague memory- the electric gear was around £1k. I do remember that it cost slightly more because of the different angles of opening on each gate but I would say that if you are confident with the electric side there is nothing to worry about in a DIY install
I have electric gates already installed when I bought the house. The controller is CAME and it feels a bit last century.
There's a low res screen on the wall in the hall which allows me to see down the driveway "outside" of the gates, and to open them from the same screen. There are also remote blippers . To add another blipper, you have to open the controller, press a button on the circuit board and match the new blipper to the circuit board. It feels very old fashioned. I think there's a limit to the number of blippers you can match although I haven't reached it with 8 so far.
The gates have optical sensors on the gate posts, and on short stanchions just inside of the open-sweep of the gates. There's some logic allowing gates to stay open if you walk through - it knows your walking because you only break the beam of one pair of optics at a time - so I can take the bins down to the road and walk back in without the gates closing on me. But if I drive through, it knows it's a car (breaks both beams at the same time) and closes after I drive clear.
They are OK... but not wholly reliable. I have bought a pack of 100x 5A fuses because it seems to have times when it blows through a few - every couple of months it blows 2 or 3 over a couple of days, then it works fine for a while. I haven't worked out why but I think it might be catching and overloading the motors. I've recently shaved the gates (big heavy wooden ones, about 7ft high) where they were touching when closed, so that they no longer catch. When the weather turns negative, and the ground freezes, the bottom of the block paving under the very edge of one of the gates rises just enough to catch the bottom. I can't shave the bottom of the gate without removing it off its hinges but the gates are so heavy (1/3rd tonne each) that I'm not keen so I hired a slab vibrator to run over them a bit which I think has bought me a bit of clearance. I only did it two weeks back and it hasn't frozen since so I can't confirm.
Anyway... improvements I would like to include mobile phone integration for the viewing screen, the door bell and the camera, and it would be nice to have a less DIY/janky controller system. The CAME motor controller seems seems cheap/"prototype-ish".
The screen on the hallway wall is very low res. You need one regardless of whether you have mobile phone integration though, just so you have a permanent place to go to if you can't find your phone or it needs charging. But it would be nice to have a more up-to-date resolution, and a screen that is always on or detects movement and comes on when you walk next to it... just so you have it to glance at as you walk past.
But... it works, even though it needs caring for.
There's a low res screen on the wall in the hall which allows me to see down the driveway "outside" of the gates, and to open them from the same screen. There are also remote blippers . To add another blipper, you have to open the controller, press a button on the circuit board and match the new blipper to the circuit board. It feels very old fashioned. I think there's a limit to the number of blippers you can match although I haven't reached it with 8 so far.
The gates have optical sensors on the gate posts, and on short stanchions just inside of the open-sweep of the gates. There's some logic allowing gates to stay open if you walk through - it knows your walking because you only break the beam of one pair of optics at a time - so I can take the bins down to the road and walk back in without the gates closing on me. But if I drive through, it knows it's a car (breaks both beams at the same time) and closes after I drive clear.
They are OK... but not wholly reliable. I have bought a pack of 100x 5A fuses because it seems to have times when it blows through a few - every couple of months it blows 2 or 3 over a couple of days, then it works fine for a while. I haven't worked out why but I think it might be catching and overloading the motors. I've recently shaved the gates (big heavy wooden ones, about 7ft high) where they were touching when closed, so that they no longer catch. When the weather turns negative, and the ground freezes, the bottom of the block paving under the very edge of one of the gates rises just enough to catch the bottom. I can't shave the bottom of the gate without removing it off its hinges but the gates are so heavy (1/3rd tonne each) that I'm not keen so I hired a slab vibrator to run over them a bit which I think has bought me a bit of clearance. I only did it two weeks back and it hasn't frozen since so I can't confirm.
Anyway... improvements I would like to include mobile phone integration for the viewing screen, the door bell and the camera, and it would be nice to have a less DIY/janky controller system. The CAME motor controller seems seems cheap/"prototype-ish".
The screen on the hallway wall is very low res. You need one regardless of whether you have mobile phone integration though, just so you have a permanent place to go to if you can't find your phone or it needs charging. But it would be nice to have a more up-to-date resolution, and a screen that is always on or detects movement and comes on when you walk next to it... just so you have it to glance at as you walk past.
But... it works, even though it needs caring for.
We recently replaced the gate mechanism on some electric swing gates we inherited when we bought our house back in 2021. They were incredibly unreliable, the kit was made by a company called BFT. We bought a replacement motor in 2022 which failed at the end of last year.
I found a different gate company as I think the existing company were quite happy milking call out fees for repairing the gates. They recommended a brand called Roger https://www.rogertradecentre.co.uk/electric-gate-k...
I am not an engineer but I could tell from what was pulled out and what replaced it that the Roger kit is much better made. Brushless motors so totally quiet too.
Ours our controlled by a Videx entry system which seems reliable. It’s a SIM card based system as gates are too far for WiFi etc and there’s no cable run.
I found a different gate company as I think the existing company were quite happy milking call out fees for repairing the gates. They recommended a brand called Roger https://www.rogertradecentre.co.uk/electric-gate-k...
I am not an engineer but I could tell from what was pulled out and what replaced it that the Roger kit is much better made. Brushless motors so totally quiet too.
Ours our controlled by a Videx entry system which seems reliable. It’s a SIM card based system as gates are too far for WiFi etc and there’s no cable run.
I built my own 2 leaf gates using these actuators - https://ducatihome.it/collections/swing-gate/produ... , with a sonoff wifi switch which allows me to operate the gates through Alexa and be on a timer.
I built them nearly 9 years ago and have been 100% reliable so far.
I built them nearly 9 years ago and have been 100% reliable so far.
We had a full painted steel twin leaf installed a month ago, 4.4m opening all in for about £9k.
So many different combination sets, we just went with alexa to open and close it and that gives us a timer function to open in the morning and closing in the evening.
Could go with a ring doorbell or equiv in future if we want to close them default.
So many different combination sets, we just went with alexa to open and close it and that gives us a timer function to open in the morning and closing in the evening.
Could go with a ring doorbell or equiv in future if we want to close them default.
m3jappa said:
I am wanting to do some electric gates and its a bit of a minefield, i think i am starting to understand what i need.
I wonder if someone who might know could tell me if i am right?
Of course i could get someone else to do it but i just had a quote for this for just over 11k fitted...... and thats with me fitting the posts and building the piers.
The electrical side of the kit is fine, i understand that all ok.
What i cant get my head round is opening it.
What do you need to :
make gates open as we arrive, makes them close when we leave.
An intercom. is this necessary now, would a video doorbell be better.
Keypad? so i can give the code to anyone that might need it?
Am i right in saying i could get a hikvision intercom which would have a relay which tells the gates to open when given the command?
Anything else i need to consider?
I can build you a wall but i am technologically impotant
What's the reason(s) for needing the gates? That can help with understanding functionality etc. I wonder if someone who might know could tell me if i am right?
Of course i could get someone else to do it but i just had a quote for this for just over 11k fitted...... and thats with me fitting the posts and building the piers.
The electrical side of the kit is fine, i understand that all ok.
What i cant get my head round is opening it.
What do you need to :
make gates open as we arrive, makes them close when we leave.
An intercom. is this necessary now, would a video doorbell be better.
Keypad? so i can give the code to anyone that might need it?
Am i right in saying i could get a hikvision intercom which would have a relay which tells the gates to open when given the command?
Anything else i need to consider?
I can build you a wall but i am technologically impotant
I have similar to previous posters. Nice Toona swing arm with a Farfisa colour intercom/keypad, Cisa lock on a 5 bar hardwood gate.
Nice app is "ok" but i have it all hooked up by IFTTT to Google/Alexa and so can control it via my car and my Alexa devices.
It's been in 12 years since we built the house, but it's now a bit like triggers broom. I've had to replace the arm, the control board and move the channel on the Farfisa.
Nice app is "ok" but i have it all hooked up by IFTTT to Google/Alexa and so can control it via my car and my Alexa devices.
It's been in 12 years since we built the house, but it's now a bit like triggers broom. I've had to replace the arm, the control board and move the channel on the Farfisa.
DonkeyApple said:
What's the reason(s) for needing the gates? That can help with understanding functionality etc.
We now live somewhere which is a bit of a target, theres no escaping that then add that my wife recently bought a certain car which gets stolen a lot and then add to that that my wife has been force fed so much 'news' that now she's scared the dogs going to get stolen or 'there going to come in the house'We also cant let the dog out the front as she tends to wander.
We just want to make it secure. I appreciate that most of these scumbags will have a way of opening them but its just another thing we can do to make ours look less attractive.
We also both want it to look nice.
I do wonder if i am complicating the initial install. Perhaps i should just go with fobs to open and close and see how we get on, i suppose anything else could be retrofitted. I would assume every one of them now has an app to allow control from phone when not here?
m3jappa said:
We now live somewhere which is a bit of a target, theres no escaping that then add that my wife recently bought a certain car which gets stolen a lot and then add to that that my wife has been force fed so much 'news' that now she's scared the dogs going to get stolen or 'there going to come in the house'
We also cant let the dog out the front as she tends to wander.
We just want to make it secure. I appreciate that most of these scumbags will have a way of opening them but its just another thing we can do to make ours look less attractive.
We also both want it to look nice.
I do wonder if i am complicating the initial install. Perhaps i should just go with fobs to open and close and see how we get on, i suppose anything else could be retrofitted. I would assume every one of them now has an app to allow control from phone when not here?
Do you have a drive at the new place or straight into the parking area?We also cant let the dog out the front as she tends to wander.
We just want to make it secure. I appreciate that most of these scumbags will have a way of opening them but its just another thing we can do to make ours look less attractive.
We also both want it to look nice.
I do wonder if i am complicating the initial install. Perhaps i should just go with fobs to open and close and see how we get on, i suppose anything else could be retrofitted. I would assume every one of them now has an app to allow control from phone when not here?
Most gate controllers will have terminals inside to close to activate opening and closing.
These can be operated with a arduino/esp32 device and relays. Now you can control the gates in homeassistant.
Now you can open close the gates from an app on your phone, on a timer, etc.
Add an rfid or Bluetooth tag system, you can give tags to others and enable or disable as required.
Add a webcam and a jetson nano, now you can do image recognition, teach it what your cars look like, get it to read number plates and you can allow guests. Facial recognition is also an option.
Recognise the postman, "bleep bloop, person wearing shorts, temperature is -5.32 Celsius, bleep boop, opening gates"
"... wrecked van incoming at 123 mph, amazon delivery, opening gates"
These can be operated with a arduino/esp32 device and relays. Now you can control the gates in homeassistant.
Now you can open close the gates from an app on your phone, on a timer, etc.
Add an rfid or Bluetooth tag system, you can give tags to others and enable or disable as required.
Add a webcam and a jetson nano, now you can do image recognition, teach it what your cars look like, get it to read number plates and you can allow guests. Facial recognition is also an option.
Recognise the postman, "bleep bloop, person wearing shorts, temperature is -5.32 Celsius, bleep boop, opening gates"
"... wrecked van incoming at 123 mph, amazon delivery, opening gates"
DonkeyApple said:
Do you have a drive at the new place or straight into the parking area?
Theres a little bit from the road of about 8m of drive, then gates, then perhaps 25m to the main drive part and perhaps 50m to the bit where we park.I have just got an ajax alarm with the outdoor curtain sensors which will alert us if anyone comes over the boundary.
I think its easy to get carried away. But this is more about making my wife and me 'feel' safe
worsy said:
I have similar to previous posters. Nice Toona swing arm with a Farfisa colour intercom/keypad, Cisa lock on a 5 bar hardwood gate.
Nice app is "ok" but i have it all hooked up by IFTTT to Google/Alexa and so can control it via my car and my Alexa devices.
It's been in 12 years since we built the house, but it's now a bit like triggers broom. I've had to replace the arm, the control board and move the channel on the
Farfisa.
What plays when it opens instead of “This Is How It Feels” now? Nice app is "ok" but i have it all hooked up by IFTTT to Google/Alexa and so can control it via my car and my Alexa devices.
It's been in 12 years since we built the house, but it's now a bit like triggers broom. I've had to replace the arm, the control board and move the channel on the
Farfisa.
m3jappa said:
Theres a little bit from the road of about 8m of drive, then gates, then perhaps 25m to the main drive part and perhaps 50m to the bit where we park.
I have just got an ajax alarm with the outdoor curtain sensors which will alert us if anyone comes over the boundary.
I think its easy to get carried away. But this is more about making my wife and me 'feel' safe
Cattle grids keep dogs in and manual gates aren't exactly difficult to close at night. I have just got an ajax alarm with the outdoor curtain sensors which will alert us if anyone comes over the boundary.
I think its easy to get carried away. But this is more about making my wife and me 'feel' safe
I can't stand electric gates as in my experience they just stop working every so often.
I didn't fit them at the last place but the drive went under an arch which meant parcels could be left in the dry. It's deliveries that are the real pain to be honest. I'm looking down the drive at the new place currently and with a new dog and the road outside of this house being busier I'm also in the same conundrum and wanting to be no tech.
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