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View Full Version : How to make a 3G integrated garage door opener



Strahan
05-28-2008, 12:28 PM
Since the system won't allow me to have more than 10 images, I've cut them out. If you want to see the instructions with pics, go to http://www.nischan.com/igdo.

I'm moving next month to a house with a two car garage. I hate, however, having a garage door opener stuck to my sunvisor. In my 740i, no problem, it has three buttons built into the roof to control garage doors. I wanted to replicate that functionality in my 3G.

Parts I used:

$36.85 Clicker KLIK1U universal garage door opener (at Lowes)
$2.69 Radio Shack 4x2x1 project box, pn 270-1802
$3.99 Radio Shack phono jack, pn 274-0346
$2.69 Radio Shack momentary SPST switch, pn 275-0644
$0.05 #4 3/8" screw
Old phono a/v cable

Step 1: Disassemble the Clicker, or whatever remote you will use. Since I'm using a Clicker, the guide will obviously be biased to that remote. It's easy, remove the battery cover and the two screws on back and it will fall apart and leave you with a circuit board:

Flip it over. You'll see four solder points for each switch.

The switch shorts two of the pins when you press it. Either whip out the voltmeter and put it on continuity mode, or ghetto test it like I did hehe:

For the Clicker channel 1, it's pins TP55 and TP58 that need to short. Didn't figure out channel two, as my house is a two car garage but it's just one big door so I don't need the second channel.

Lay the circuit board in the project box so you can get a feel for where things will go.

Now grab some wire. At first, I cut from an old dead PC power supply. However I found out later it was too heavy gauge, it made it a PITA to work with. Next idea that worked great was network cable. I cut a piece of cat5 and removed the sheath:

Choose a pair then strip a little bit from the ends. I stripped about 1/8" or so. Solder the ends to the appropriate pins on the circuit board:

Those of you who solder are probably cringing in horror at my soldering hehe. I've only soldered 3 or 4 times before, so I really need practice :) Ideally, I suppose you could use a solder sucker to desolder the four leads then remove the button and properly solder the leads in the original holes, but I didn't want to lose the stock buttons. To that end, I just soldered the leads on top of the originals.

Now take the project box and cut your holes in it for the channels. Even though I only intend to use one channel, I'm preparing the box for both. Use a 1/4" drill bit.

For connecting the switch to the circuit board I'm using an old phono a/v cable. I'm sure there are lots of better things to use, but I wanted something I could unplug and it seemed good enough. So, next I grabbed my phono jacks:

The tab is for the outer conductor, the pointy piece on the left side is for the center conductor. Take it apart.

I don't intend to be removing the jacks later so I tossed the outer conductor tab and will be soldering the leads directly. Now mount the jack in the box (heh):

To tighten it I used a 9mm socket and one end of a phono cable to keep it from spinning

OK, now do the other one and we should be at this point:

Now cut the twisted pair you soldered to the circuit board to the proper length and strip the ends. Stick one of the wires into the center conductor and solder it in. Doesn't matter which, since this will be a simple short-the-pins connection:

Now do the other side. If you want to be able to remove the phono jack later w/o desoldering, solder the other wire to the tab that I wasn't using. Otherwise, just solder it right to the threads:

Screw the lower side of the circuit board into the project box with a #4 3/8" screw:

OK, now take the phono cable and lop off one end. Actually, make sure first that the cable end is 1/2" or smaller as it will have to be able to fit in the hole for the switch. If you're lucky (or just a better planner than I) you'll have a two side-by-side conductor style cable. Otherwise, you'll end up like me with a cable that has raw wire wrapped around a center insulated cable. If so, twist away the raw wire and cut half of it off. Twist the other half into a solid piece and cut it to about 1/8" - 1/4" or so. Strip the center conductor about the same and solder it to the SPST switch:

Now solder the other side:

Now plug your phono end into the project box and press the button. If all is well, the LED will light showing it is working:

Eureka! OK, now for the car side. Drop the coin tray and stick your finger up behind the blank next to the cruise control and pop it out. Of course, you can put it anywhere else you may desire but that's just where I put mine.

If you are using the blank, Honda has a bunch of material behind it. Dremel that crap off first. I didn't, I cut the hole then dremelled. It will work that way, but I accidently marked up the front of the blank when I was using the dremel, something that would've been avoided had I not cut the hole first. Anyway, my pictures will show my cut hole/dremel order..

Grab the 1/2" hole saw and cut a hole for the switch:

Oops! Looks like Honda has a big piece of plastic behind the blank:

I used my Dremel and cut/ground that crap out:

Now run the phono cord through the hole and draw the button tight to it. Screw the button nut up and tighten it up.

Remount everything in the car. Grr, you can see where I bitched up the blank:

Screw the project box together. It would probably be wise to mark which channel is which on the face plate:

Connect the switch and stash the box somewhere

Now test it! :)

forrest89sei
05-28-2008, 12:44 PM
Cool Idea :D

I wish I had a Garage Door Opener

frantik
05-28-2008, 12:52 PM
http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/9639/clapcf5.gif

i wish i had a garage

Civic Accord Honda
05-28-2008, 04:26 PM
sweeet! now i miss my garage :(

ghettogeddy
05-28-2008, 04:32 PM
http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/9639/clapcf5.gif

i wish i had a garage

x2

Strahan
05-28-2008, 06:07 PM
Update: I converted my cruise control switch to be the door opener so it looks factory:

http://www.nischan.com/igdo/dsc03720_sm.jpg

Much better! Now just gotta stop at the junkyard tomorrow and pick up another cruise switch to replace that one and a pigtail so I can wire the switch.

Guess the black Radio Shack button was a waste of time, hehe.

I've updated the directions URL (http://www.nischan.com/igdo) with instructions for the switch. Now I just have to hope that the circuit board can drive that indicator. If not I may try a relay. I hope it works, cuz it'd be awesome to be able to use the stock light as the remote's indicator.

russiankid
05-28-2008, 07:30 PM
That is a nice feature. To bad I don't have any open slots as I have fog lights and CC.

AccordB20A
05-28-2008, 07:42 PM
haha i like the new button. how does it work, stays down or did you convert the insides so its now just a push button?

fogged
05-28-2008, 07:51 PM
That is a nice feature. To bad I don't have any open slots as I have fog lights and CC.

I got my fogs hooked up to a factory switch. If your car is like mine, the power antna dont work:dunno:. Thats where Im thinking of putting one. Thats the best idea Ive heard in a while.

mkymonkey
05-28-2008, 08:09 PM
haha i had the same idea ill take a pic of mine and post it...same two clicker remote too hahahahah awesome

Strahan
05-28-2008, 08:40 PM
Hehe, cool. Actually, I was planning on getting with you about a sticker. The "cruise control" is cut out from a plastic piece that lets the light through. I figured in order to make the "Garage" backlight properly I could cut out the stock piece, glue in an opaque backing then use a black vinyl sticker with "Garage" cut out instead of a printout. Dunno how small your cutter can cut. The text is Arial bold 10 point. Is that something you could make?

russiankid
05-28-2008, 08:44 PM
I got my fogs hooked up to a factory switch. If your car is like mine, the power antna dont work:dunno:. Thats where Im thinking of putting one. Thats the best idea Ive heard in a while.

The white cable on mine snapped so the antenna doesn't retract. My garage opener has left an indention in the sun visor so it'll just stay there.:rofl:

A18A
05-28-2008, 09:59 PM
thats a cool feature, now if only honda put more switch holes in these cars lol

Strahan
05-30-2008, 06:51 PM
Ugh. I printed a nice sticker on transparency stock but now it seems the backlight bulb in the switch is bad. I wonder if Honda can still get them. Well, if not I know the 'yard has a switch that hopefully will have a good bulb.

Switch itself works great though, removed the wiring from the Radio Shack switch and wired up the converted cruise switch, works and looks awesome. The tactile feedback is also much better than the Radio Shack switch. Sooo happy :)

lostforawhile
05-30-2008, 07:15 PM
i have a built in opener function with my remote for the alarm,but i don't have an electric garage door opener.