This Instructable will explain how to make a simple flashing LED indicator to let you know when your garage door is open.
At the end of the day I was always checking the overhead garage door on my house to make sure it was closed. I decided to install a flashing LED light that would let me know when it was open. This has saved me many trips down the steps from upstairs to check the garage door before going to bed at night.
At the end of the day I was always checking the overhead garage door on my house to make sure it was closed. I decided to install a flashing LED light that would let me know when it was open. This has saved me many trips down the steps from upstairs to check the garage door before going to bed at night.
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Signing UpStep 1: Tools and Materials
Materials
Tools
The tools I used on the project were as follows:
NOTE: If you plan on using any tool for a project please make sure you are familiar with the tool and all of the dangers associated with it. If you are not familiar with a tool then you should ask someone who is to show you the proper way to use it. A lot of communities have classes at local colleges on the proper use of tools and machinery. There are also local woodworking clubs that offer classes at very reasonable rates for beginners. I highly recommend using these resources for your safety and for the most efficient use of the tool.
SAFETY FIRST
Always wear eye and hearing protection.
Always work safe with the proper safety equipment and guards on your tools.
- Blinking red LED from Radio Shack.
- SPDT Switch with 3/4" Roller Lever from Radio Shack.
- Miscellaneous DC Wall transformer.
- A resistor for the LED.
- A piece of scrap aluminum.
- Miscellaneous wood screws and machine screws as needed.
- Miscellaneous two conductor light gauge wire.
Tools
The tools I used on the project were as follows:
- Cordless drill
- Screwdrivers
- Hacksaw to cut aluminum material for brackets
NOTE: If you plan on using any tool for a project please make sure you are familiar with the tool and all of the dangers associated with it. If you are not familiar with a tool then you should ask someone who is to show you the proper way to use it. A lot of communities have classes at local colleges on the proper use of tools and machinery. There are also local woodworking clubs that offer classes at very reasonable rates for beginners. I highly recommend using these resources for your safety and for the most efficient use of the tool.
SAFETY FIRST
Always wear eye and hearing protection.
Always work safe with the proper safety equipment and guards on your tools.
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Any thoughts?
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00953696000P?prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1
Other types are available. Check your local home supply store.
I made a similar indicator circuit using a doorbell switch with an internal light - this was way before LEDs were widely available (at least to me) about 30 years ago - a little bit of switch disassembly and rewiring it to make the light independent of the switch.
The doorbell switch now activates the garage door opener and the light comes on when the door opens - whole thing runs off the existing door bell transformer using repurposed 4 conductor telephone corded.
I have 2 of these modified switches - one by the front door and one by the rear allowing me to open and monitor the garage door from either spot.
Maybe I'll update to use LEDs :-)
Couple differences; I used magnetic reed switches instead of a physical switch because I was a little afraid that snow would get into the switch in the winter and freeze it solid. And also I wasn't sure about how the roller bit on the switch would handle the joints on the door.
I didn't have any normal wire for this either, so I pulled individual pairs of wire out of a Cat5 cable that had been chewed up by the cat.
And lastly since I don't have any easy power sources in my garage, I run mine off of a 9v battery. I put a second LED on the circuit inside of the garage so that I could double check that the battery hadn't gone dead before I shut the garage door.
Thanks for the instructable. I'd seen another one similar on here but never got around to it. You may have motivated me to get it built this time around.
I'm in the habit of closing the garage door when I come in, but sometimes I leave it open for hubby or go out the garage and come into the house from the deck after doing yardwork. Next morning, I'll see that anyone could have come in and entered the house overnight.
As it's a safe neighborhood (and nothing exciting happened overnite), I'm more worried about a small animal coming in during a cold evening and getting under the hood and next to a comfy warm engine - I would not want to see, or hear, the results if I turned on the engine under those circumstances!
See the doorbell transformer just as a PSU with the doorbell attached as one circuit and now u r using that same psu for another circuit.
Just make sure you go parallel with the bell, not in series
For powering the system perhaps buying a solar garden light you could get solar power and a led all at the same time...
Also, for 2 garage doors, just add another switch in parallel, right?
Resister depends on the output of your power source and how much resistance is on the line. On a 9v power source (a battery in my case) and with two LEDs in the circuit, I believe I have a 270 ohm resister. If I'm remembering correctly.
Do a little reading on Ohm's law. It's not to complicated, and every setup will potentially be different, and so need a different resister.
Cheers,
Steve
I would guess that nearly 90% of all instructables members could do this without having to go buy anything. Im wondering why I didnt think of this sooner!
Props to you!