US Automatic Gate Opener Photo Eye Delete

[jlslone119]

The Relay hack that DSX posted works flawlessly. I'll buy your next case of beer or cola. I have been searching for two years to find a work around for those danged photo eye sensors since I don't need them for my application. Now If someone could find a antenna hack to get some more range on for the receiver. Thanks a million DSX!!!! Don Stamper

Ok so I have also been looking for a long time to get around those stupid things. Can you tell me what relay you used. I just want to make sure I get one that I know if going to work. Thanks

 

[kpwarner]

You can remove the photo eye completely by replacing it with a 12v automotive relay. I picked up a 5-pin relay from O'Reilly and used it on my US Automatic Patriot 1. Wire the coil pins of the relay to the control board (pins 12, and 2 or 7). Wire the NO pins between control board pins 7 and 8.

The photo eye itself contains relays that send a 5v or 0v signal to the control board pin 8. A 5v signal appears to signal that the beam has been crossed, where a 0v appears to be the "all clear" signal. The automotive relay simulates this behavior.

Just found your post searching how to eliminate the US Automatic photo eye sensors to my Ranger duel swing gate and joined to be able to reply to your answer with questions. Can you provide a little more clarity for me to understand? What do you mean by saying "between" with "Wire the NO (normally open) pins "between" control board pins 7 and 8. (There is no slot between 7 & 8 on the control boards J2 terminal pins 1 through 12 pins. Using the 12v automotive 5 pin relay am I understanding correctly that you're only using the two relay coil pins (which are the power & ground pins) wired to the J2 pins 12(photo eye power) and the other to one of the J2 terminal ground pins (2 or 7) AND that there is no other wiring from the 5 pin relay to the J2 control board. Meaning the only wiring done is from the two +/- coil pins on the relay to the control board J2 terminal pins 12 (photo power) and ground pin 2 or 7. And perhaps you're saying "between" is placing a bypass wire on the control board J2 terminal pins from pin 7 (common ground) to pin 8 (photo eye closed direction N/C Input)? If this is the case, why a "5 pin relay if you're not using the other relay pins for normally open to normally closed? Can you use a 3 or 4 pin relay for the same behavior? Please help me understand this. Also, does this mean I can then completely disconnect the wiring from the photo eye to the control boards J2 connection pis?
Thank you!

 

[drspy1979]

Just found your post searching how to eliminate the US Automatic photo eye sensors to my Ranger duel swing gate and joined to be able to reply to your answer with questions. Can you provide a little more clarity for me to understand? What do you mean by saying "between" with "Wire the NO (normally open) pins "between" control board pins 7 and 8. (There is no slot between 7 & 8 on the control boards J2 terminal pins 1 through 12 pins. Using the 12v automotive 5 pin relay am I understanding correctly that you're only using the two relay coil pins (which are the power & ground pins) wired to the J2 pins 12(photo eye power) and the other to one of the J2 terminal ground pins (2 or 7) AND that there is no other wiring from the 5 pin relay to the J2 control board. Meaning the only wiring done is from the two +/- coil pins on the relay to the control board J2 terminal pins 12 (photo power) and ground pin 2 or 7. And perhaps you're saying "between" is placing a bypass wire on the control board J2 terminal pins from pin 7 (common ground) to pin 8 (photo eye closed direction N/C Input)? If this is the case, why a "5 pin relay if you're not using the other relay pins for normally open to normally closed? Can you use a 3 or 4 pin relay for the same behavior? Please help me understand this. Also, does this mean I can then completely disconnect the wiring from the photo eye to the control boards J2 connection pis?
Thank you!

Did you ever get this figured out? I have been trying to figure it out all weekend.

 

[bdhsfz6]

With all the animals I have around, I was reluctant to defeat the IR sensor on my gate opener. To avoid having to run a wire across the driveway, I mounted the transmitter & receiver next to each other and placed a small mirror on the far side. It was a bit tricky to set up, but once aligned, it' s been working fine for 2 years now.

 

[RMarshall]

You can remove the photo eye completely by replacing it with a 12v automotive relay. I picked up a 5-pin relay from O'Reilly and used it on my US Automatic Patriot 1. Wire the coil pins of the relay to the control board (pins 12, and 2 or 7). Wire the NO (normally open) pins between control board pins 7 and 8.

The photo eye itself contains relays that send a 5v or 0v signal to the control board pin 8. A 5v signal appears to signal that the beam has been crossed, where a 0v appears to be the "all clear" signal. The automotive relay simulates this behavior.

Edit:
I posted this and then forgot about it. Not a regular user here. As seen in photo, the pins that power the coils are attached to #12 and #2 on the board. I have then wired the normally open pin on the relay between #7 and #8 on the board. Nothing particularly special about the relay, it just happened to be the first one I grabbed off the shelf. Note also, that I'm using the "red" board. The pins and functions are likely different with the different boards.

I want to try this out. It's counter intuitive for me. I keep thinking it is "normally closed" because one eye sending a signal to the other eye keeps the circuit closed. Getting in the way of it breaks, or opens, the circuit. Hopefully I will not break anything playing around with it. Most all the relay's I saw for sale were either or, either NO or NC; you take your pick with the #87pin (either 87 or 87a). If I get one relay that does both, I'll just keep fiddling with it until I get it right. Any additional insight...please let me know. I'll try to post back soon what my efforts did.

 

[RMarshall]

With all the animals I have around, I was reluctant to defeat the IR sensor on my gate opener. To avoid having to run a wire across the driveway, I mounted the transmitter & receiver next to each other and placed a small mirror on the far side. It was a bit tricky to set up, but once aligned, it' s been working fine for 2 years now.

I am doing the same thing now. Works just fine. I am going to see if I can hook up the relay this this week. Please Lord, let it work the first time!

 

[ponytug]

FWIW: I used this reflector and it has a much stronger signal than some others I have tried;
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Y7L2SPD

All the best, Peter

 

[RMarshall]

FWIW: I used this reflector and it has a much stronger signal than some others I have tried;
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Y7L2SPD

All the best, Peter

Hey Peter, another noob question. Does this reflector take the place of the far end eye? Or how do you use it. I am just getting around to trying a relay. Health issues get in the way of everything these days. I have a 2-pack coming from amazon tomorrow. I went back to re-read the comments, then I saw your post about the reflector and got interested in that too. Sure appreciate it. V/r, Robert

 

[ponytug]

@RMarshall I use an IR transmitter with an integrated receiver, so it doesn't require wiring to the "far" side of the driveway. When we got a new gate the old OMRON units were much brighter (more powerful), and easier to adjust, than the newer units with an integrated safety. The reflector above was the one I need to boost one of the beams. (I think it has to do with a) occasional interference from rain drops on the reflector, and b) relative swelling of the ground on the two sides of the driveway distorting the beam.)

If your system has a wired transmitter and a wired receiver on the other side of the driveway, the reflector would only (possibly) work if you moved the wired receiver to the same side of the road as the transmitter.

A short comment on NO vs NC circuits; sometimes the gate controller will want an "open gate" signal for when a vehicle is still in the gate area, a "close the gate" signal when it isn't and a "don't move the gate" when someone might be standing behind the gate (crush risk), or at the pinch point when the gate closes. Depending on the controller, where, and what the sensors are determines where and what type of wiring setup the system needs. Sometimes sensors are in series to allow a safety sensor to abort another signal, and sometimes the abort is done at the controller. Newer sensors have resistance at the sensors to allow the controller to sense if a controller has dropped off line, to prevent a lack of connection to a safety sensor being interpreted as a "safe to move" signal.

Does that answer your questions?

All the best,

Peter