Re: Garage Door Opener keypad recommendations

[JoeRaisin <joeraisin2001@xxxxxxxxx>]

On 11/21/2010 12:31 PM, George wrote:
> On Sat, 20 Nov 2010 21:49:14 -0800, Jim thoughfully wrote:
>
>> On Nov 20, 4:08 pm, tourman<robercampb...@xxxxxxxxx>  wrote:
>>>
>>>> What's wrong with that is that a roller ball will fail and you don't
>>>> know it. The mag switch fails open.
>>>
>>>> I'd agree with you on the inherent problems if you're using standard
>>>> magnet recessed contacts. But now ..... with the newer Rare Earth
>>>> magnets, there's no problem at all with the issues you cited. You
>>>> just have to be careful the Rare Earth magnets don't pull the
>>>> fillings out of your teeth.
>>>
>>> RHC: Yeah, any roller ball contacts that failed were usually determined
>>> by a trouble call where the client opened the door and a motion
>>> triggered the alarm. Customers don't check their alarm systems
>>> whatsoever, and the don't notice things until they have an open zone or
>>> one that triggers an alarm.
>>>
>>> Rare earth magnets have definately improved things overall. Now you do
>>> have a bit more than just opening the door a crack before the zone
>>> opens. I still prefer the tolerance of a roller ball though, and as
>>> long as they remain as trouble free as I have found them to date, I'll
>>> likely stick with them when the frame of the door allows it. One minor
>>> side benefit - when a client changes only the door and not the frame,
>>> it's one less service call. Nor do they cause another problem I've seen
>>> with magnetic contacts where the magnet ends up falling out of the door
>>> on occasion.
>>>
>>> Bottom line, I stock all sorts, colours and lengths of either magnetic
>>> and roller ball. Sometimes you get out there, and you just don't know
>>> what you'll find....
>>>
>>> When I first started installing, I worked for a company here that has
>>> long since disappeared, and I have a bushel basket full of assorted
>>> contacts of all different types, colours and connecting ends that I can
>>> draw on when I find a weird situation that I have to deal with.-
>>
>>
>> Of course we can both cite different experiences. With regard to your
>> setting off the motion detector as the indication that the door switch
>> isn't opening, .... I've had instances where people stop hearing the
>> entry warning beep and think that the sounder has gone bad and simply
>> keep arming and disarming the system, not realizing that the door switch
>> is bad.
>>
>> Magnet falling out of door?   I can only say that if an installer
>> doesn't silicone the switch and magnet in the door they deserve the
>> service call.
>>
>> One question I have about the  use of roller ball switches, ............
>> since their "play" seems to be a primary factor in your use of them, why
>> wouldn't  you use a push button on the jamb side of the door that has a
>> greater throw and would MUCH less succumb to changes in the door-to-jamb
>> gap? I'm guessing that a roller ball switch has a throw of about 3/16
>> ths of an inch, whereas a pushbutton switch would have at least a
>> 5/16ths inch throw.
>>
>> I very rarely use a roller ball switch for anything unless I have no
>> other choice because it has such a small throw tolerance as compared to
>> a pushbutton switch.
>>
>> Both the push button and roller ball switches now contain micro switches
>> but in years past, in the land before micro switches, there was only the
>> Ademco 116 push button switch. There was only that choice for door
>> contacts if  you didn't use a serface mount switch. Although after about
>> 10 years or so in use, they could give you a real pain in the ass, they
>> had about a 1/2 throw on them and once installed hardly ever needed an
>> adjustment. I still have some jobs where they don't get used much and
>> are still in service after 30 or so years. And because of the more
>> powerfull spring, they hardly ever got hung up when used on doors.
>> During the years while the microswitch type pushbuttons were being
>> introduced I kept trying to get the manufacturers to lengthen the throw
>> on them and increase the spring pressure but they never did. That's when
>> I started using the recessed mags more and more.
>>
>> On occasion I'll have to utilize what was already installed on a job and
>> when I do, if it's a hinge jamb switch, I'll use a pushbutton over a
>> roller ball just to gain the greater throw.
>
> I have a GE-Sentrol magnetic contact switch on my overhead door.  It's
> designed for floor mounting, though it's can also be located at the top
> of the door.
>
> http://www.nextag.com/GE-2202AU-L-Overhead-528938221/specs-html
>

I have recently been schooled in why the contacts should not be put at
the top of the door.

It seems some thieves have gotten into the habit of using sledges or
some such to break the rollers off the bottom panels of the doors and
folding said panels up out of the way thus gaining access.

At least that's the way it was explained to me.