Electric gate question

Billc · Nov 26, 2000

Larry, we installed the gate opener yesterday. Actually we have been putting it up over several days. Got everything done yesterday. Took a lot longer than we thought. Mounting to a tree really complicated things. Plus we have an electric lock opposite the hinge side of the gate. The problem is the end of the gate "breathes". What I mean is that since the gate is mounted to a large tree, when the wind blows the end of the gate moves up and down an inch or two. It looks like the gate is breathing. So as the gate closes and the locking mechanism, which is mounted to the end of the gate, goes into the lock bracket, which is mounted to another large tree, sometimes the locking mechanism and lock bracket don't line up. This causes the gate to reopen. Was tough to get it "just right" because there is not a "just right".

Once we had it working right we tightened all of the bolts. Turns out the electic wire that leads to the locking mechanism got caught under the bracket. For whatever reason the locking mechanism no longer works. So the gate will close and lock, but when you go to open the gate the electric lock no longer works, so the gate won't open.

I'll call the company Monday and see if they have an idea as to what to do.

I don't even want to have my wife come down the drive, the gate malfunction and not open, and then me catch hell because my wife is locked out. Plus, if what normally happens happens, when she comes down the drive she'll be seconds away from needing to pee and about out of diesel in the truck. Oh there will be hell to pay for sure, plus she's a red head!!!!

Bill Cook

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by Billc on 11/26/00 07:24 AM.</FONT></P>

Anonymous Poster · Nov 28, 2000

Bill, Sorry that it took so long to reply to your questions, I only look at this forum about once a week. My gate also kind of "breathes." I dont have a locking mech. on the end of the gate, so there is no positive lock, only the stop that the gate hits when it closes, so it moves back and forth a couple of inches when closed. I may get a lock for it.

The battery is like a motorcycle battery. I simply took it out and hooked it to a automotive charger for about an hour. As I recall there is some hard-to-find spec that says the max charging current, which was more that my charger would supply.

Good luck with the tech support people, I hope that the ones you talk to are smarter than the ones that I talked to when that first system was dead out of the box.

If I can answer any other questions, feel free to email me: lambert@wcjb.com

Billc · Nov 29, 2000

Larry,

Thanks.

I talked to the customer service people yesterday. The guy I talked to seemed to know his stuff. I'll go down today and wire the solar panels into the circut board. He also told me how to check the gate lock to see if the problem is in the circut board or in the lock mechanism.

Bill Cook

TWINKLE_TOES · Dec 1, 2000

Gerald (also: HeeHaw,Steve and Bob Pence)

This is the best effort I can make at this time until maybe Santa Comes down the chimney with a digital camera (I told him/her the Nicon 880 would be fine)

This is actual better than a picture, I think it has sufficient information to build the gate, with a lot of construction notes and tips. The file is a Viso 5.0 drawing file. Hope this helps. If you would like a hardcopy send me a private email with your snail mail address and I will send you one. If the attachment is not included thats because I have never tried that feature on this board and there is a limited number of times I am willing to display my ignorance./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

TWINKLE_TOES · Dec 4, 2000

My best friend (wife) showed me how to convert the Viso file of my gate that I previously posted to a Word file which can be read more easily. The text is quite small when printed but can be read in word.

Billc · Jan 10, 2001

This is just an update about the gate for thoes of you who are interested.

We mounted the gate opener last month. As I've said before it was more difficult than normal because we mounted between two trees. The trees move with the wind and it makes lining up the locking mechanism a bit tricky.

We had a problem with the locking mechanism. It quit working. Turns out the circuit board for the locking mechanism was defective. The company replaced it after a few questions.

Installed the new circuit board yesterday and is working well. If I leave, I punch a garage opener device and the gate closes. Opens the same way.

Did have one funny thing happen lastnight. I got the gate working yesterday. Called my neightbor while he was at work and told him. Decided to be funny and play a trick on him. Lastnight, before he got home, I closed the gate. Remember, he didn't have an opener with him. I taped an envelope on the gate with his name on it. Basically the note read "I added a voice activation circuit to the gate. It will open when you say the code aloud. The code is "I'm a Hog man." (note: He rides a Harley) I told him he had to say it loudly for the gate to open. Then I made myself comfortable is some bushes next to the gate. In my left hand was the opener, in my right was a tape recorder. I got quite the smirk thinking how funny this was going to be. There I sat for an hour and a half. He never came home. He ended up staying at his girlfriend's in town. Bummer!

Bill Cook