Homelink to contact closure ?

[ElectricTundra]

Our garage door xmitter has never worked reliably in my S. It is a Hunter system that ties in to the Crestron system in our house. It's about 25 years old so due for a technology upgrade. Is anyone aware of a reliable (and ideally inexpensive) Homelink to dry contact receiver?

I'd guess that most of the retrofit units from Liftmaster or Chamberlain would work but none mention if they are Homelink compatible or not.

Lutron has one with 4 contact outputs (HR-VCRX-SW) but it runs $330 new and the single used one on eBay is from a questionable seller.

Thanks,

 

[jerry33]

Homelink's compatibility chart.

 

[SomeJoe7777]

Our garage door xmitter has never worked reliably in my S. It is a Hunter system that ties in to the Crestron system in our house. It's about 25 years old so due for a technology upgrade. Is anyone aware of a reliable (and ideally inexpensive) Homelink to dry contact receiver?

I'd guess that most of the retrofit units from Liftmaster or Chamberlain would work but none mention if they are Homelink compatible or not.

Lutron has one with 4 contact outputs (HR-VCRX-SW) but it runs $330 new and the single used one on eBay is from a questionable seller.

I'm in a similar situation and I may have a solution that will help you.

I have two Sommer Direct Drive garage door openers that work great, and are very quiet. However, as of 2013, their transmitters/receivers use a 310 MHz frequency. While this is supposed to be Homelink compatible, apparently the Tesla Homelink software that is included in their firmware is an older build that will not work on this frequency. The Tesla will only control 315 MHz units.

Sommer sells a 315 MHz radio receiver with 2 contact closures. It's intended to allow you to use a Sommer remote control in a car to control a non-Sommer garage door opener. But I've ordered one so that I can change the operating frequency of my two units to 315 MHz, and therefore be able to use the Tesla's Homelink.

Once I receive and install it, I'll post back here to let you know if it works as I intend. If it does, you should be able to order one (you will also need one 315 MHz remote control so that you can program the Homelink in the Tesla) and hook it's contact closures to your existing Hunter units.

 

[ElectricTundra]

Does anyone know which version of Homelink firmware Tesla is using? One solution is a Liftmaster 850LM receiver (and 895 Max remote for programming Homelink in Model S). It uses Security+ 2.0 which does not work with older Homelink systems but does work with newer (I believe v7.0 and above).

Thanks.

 

[CuriousG]

I'm in a similar situation and I may have a solution that will help you.

I have two Sommer Direct Drive garage door openers that work great, and are very quiet. However, as of 2013, their transmitters/receivers use a 310 MHz frequency. While this is supposed to be Homelink compatible, apparently the Tesla Homelink software that is included in their firmware is an older build that will not work on this frequency. The Tesla will only control 315 MHz units.

Sommer sells a 315 MHz radio receiver with 2 contact closures. It's intended to allow you to use a Sommer remote control in a car to control a non-Sommer garage door opener. But I've ordered one so that I can change the operating frequency of my two units to 315 MHz, and therefore be able to use the Tesla's Homelink.

Once I receive and install it, I'll post back here to let you know if it works as I intend. If it does, you should be able to order one (you will also need one 315 MHz remote control so that you can program the Homelink in the Tesla) and hook it's contact closures to your existing Hunter units.

My home garage door opener is running on 310MHz frequency and I was able to program it just fine. The receiver sucks though and you have to be fairly close in order for it to work. I'm concerned with the 256 possible combinations and looking to upgrade as I have in the past left the garage door open all night and looking at something like LiftMaster 8500 (Jackshaft) with the optional wireless gateway to monitor the door with phone app.

I also have a community gate programmed which is also running 310MHz frequency but took 3 tries before it was able to accept the cloning of frequency.

 

[SomeJoe7777]

My home garage door opener is running on 310MHz frequency and I was able to program it just fine. The receiver sucks though and you have to be fairly close in order for it to work. I'm concerned with the 256 possible combinations and looking to upgrade as I have in the past left the garage door open all night and looking at something like LiftMaster 8500 (Jackshaft) with the optional wireless gateway to monitor the door with phone app.

I also have a community gate programmed which is also running 310MHz frequency but took 3 tries before it was able to accept the cloning of frequency.

I tried dozens of times with the Sommer remotes, and tried many locations around the Tesla, including at the nose cone, in the frunk, near the drivers dash speaker, etc. Not one time did anything budge -- no headlight flash, nothing.

 

[Captain John]

I tried dozens of times with the Sommer remotes, and tried many locations around the Tesla, including at the nose cone, in the frunk, near the drivers dash speaker, etc. Not one time did anything budge -- no headlight flash, nothing.

I, too, love my Sommer garage door opener. Very quiet and smooth... Just like a Tesla!

When I got my Tesla, the Sommer Homelink would not work. After a quick call to Sommer, they shipped me a new receiver, a remote, and installation instructions. It was easy to install, and after a quick learning session, the Tesla home link works perfectly.

Give Sommer a call...

 

[Terra117]

Does anyone know which version of Homelink firmware Tesla is using? One solution is a Liftmaster 850LM receiver (and 895 Max remote for programming Homelink in Model S). It uses Security+ 2.0 which does not work with older Homelink systems but does work with newer (I believe v7.0 and above).

Thanks.

Don't know a firmware major.minor.revision specific number used by Tesla, but there is a bridge device that allows all new homelink openers to open doors using the old homelink standard. Some companies refer to the device as a repeater.

 

[murphyS85]

Our garage door xmitter has never worked reliably in my S. It is a Hunter system that ties in to the Crestron system in our house. It's about 25 years old so due for a technology upgrade. Is anyone aware of a reliable (and ideally inexpensive) Homelink to dry contact receiver?

I'd guess that most of the retrofit units from Liftmaster or Chamberlain would work but none mention if they are Homelink compatible or not.

Lutron has one with 4 contact outputs (HR-VCRX-SW) but it runs $330 new and the single used one on eBay is from a questionable seller.

Thanks,

The Chamberlain 955D Universal Remote Control Replacement Kit provides a contact closure and works fine with my S85.

 

[Buddyroe]

Just ditch all that and get the Chamberlain MyQ system. It's reliable and you can open/shut your garage door from your smart phone from anywhere in the world (well, just about). I've found that I like it much better than HomeLink.

I just wish they would add the ability to schedule openings/closings of your door within the software. You can have it alert you whenever it opens or if it is open at a certain time. But, I'd like to be able to just set it to open at 7:30am and close about 7pm. Can't do that though.

 

[andrewket]

Just ditch all that and get the Chamberlain MyQ system. It's reliable and you can open/shut your garage door from your smart phone from anywhere in the world (well, just about). I've found that I like it much better than HomeLink.

I just wish they would add the ability to schedule openings/closings of your door within the software. You can have it alert you whenever it opens or if it is open at a certain time. But, I'd like to be able to just set it to open at 7:30am and close about 7pm. Can't do that though.

I've got a Chamberlain MyQ and it works well. I'm using it in addition to the homelink feature of the S, which works 70% of the time.

 

[SomeJoe7777]

Once I receive and install it, I'll post back here to let you know if it works as I intend. If it does, you should be able to order one (you will also need one 315 MHz remote control so that you can program the Homelink in the Tesla) and hook it's contact closures to your existing Hunter units.

I received the Sommer 315 MHz 2-channel contact closure receiver and the 315 MHz remote today. After hours of being unable to program the Tesla with the 310 MHz remotes, the 315 MHz one was successfully programmed in about 15 seconds. :smile:

I haven't mounted and hooked up the contact closure receiver yet, but I'm virtually certain at this point that it will work perfectly.

I like the Sommer receiver solution over some of the other contact closure receivers I've seen, because I know that the Sommer remotes use at least Security+ with a rolling code or possibly Security+ 2.0 with a rolling code. Many of the others I looked at either use a static code or I couldn't find the information on them to confirm one way or the other.

 

[SomeJoe7777]

I can confirm that the unit works perfectly, the Tesla Homelink was easily programmed for each channel and now controls both garage doors.

Total cost was only about $85:

2-Channel Contact Closure Radio Receiver -- $50.00 -- Make sure to choose 315 MHz version. One unit can control 2 garage door openers.

2-button Remote -- $24.00 -- Make sure to choose 315 MHz red-button version. You will need this for initially programming the contact closure receiver and programming the Tesla Homelink.

 

[ElectricTundra]

@SomeJoe7777, thanks for the update on your success. I got a Liftmaster 850LM (3 channel) and waiting on the remote. Hope to connect tomorrow or Friday. If it doesn't work with my Model S I'll be going with your Sommer solution.

 

[kamorka]

I received the Sommer 315 MHz 2-channel contact closure receiver and the 315 MHz remote today. After hours of being unable to program the Tesla with the 310 MHz remotes, the 315 MHz one was successfully programmed in about 15 seconds. :smile:

I haven't mounted and hooked up the contact closure receiver yet, but I'm virtually certain at this point that it will work perfectly.

I like the Sommer receiver solution over some of the other contact closure receivers I've seen, because I know that the Sommer remotes use at least Security+ with a rolling code or possibly Security+ 2.0 with a rolling code. Many of the others I looked at either use a static code or I couldn't find the information on them to confirm one way or the other.

SameJoe, I have the same garage door opening mechanism and was looking for a solution that will allow me to program my Tesla and DirectDrive opener. Is your plan to replace existing 315 MHz build-in receivers with the newly purchased 310 MHz? Or are you simply going to daisy chain them?

 

[SomeJoe7777]

SameJoe, I have the same garage door opening mechanism and was looking for a solution that will allow me to program my Tesla and DirectDrive opener. Is your plan to replace existing 315 MHz build-in receivers with the newly purchased 310 MHz? Or are you simply going to daisy chain them?

No, I didn't replace the existing 310 MHz radios (I don't believe you can, they're not modular from what I can tell). The 315 MHz contact closure receiver is a separate unit, it just mounts next to the door opener unit. You wire it with two pairs of wires: One delivers 24V accessory power from the door opener to the contact closure receiver, and the other goes from the channel 1 contact relay on the unit to the same terminals on the door opener that the wall button is attached to.

If you have a second opener, then you use a 3rd pair of wires to go from the channel 2 contact relay on the unit to the wall button terminals on the second opener.

Now, 315 MHz transmissions get received by the contact closure unit, and it's contact closure relays will open/shut the doors the same way the wall button does.

310 MHz transmissions will still work using the radios already in the openers.

This lets you program the Tesla for 315 MHz, and you can still use 310 MHz remotes in other cars.

 

[kamorka]

If you have a second opener, then you use a 3rd pair of wires to go from the channel 2 contact relay on the unit to the wall button terminals on the second opener.

Thank you, SomeJoe. Since I have 3 doors, I will probably need to get a second transmitter (I believe Sommer 315 MHz transmitters are two buttons only).

 

[SomeJoe7777]

Thank you, SomeJoe. Since I have 3 doors, I will probably need to get a second transmitter (I believe Sommer 315 MHz transmitters are two buttons only).

If you have 3 door openers and want to control all 3 with the Tesla, then to use the Sommer solution, you'll need two of the contact closure units, and 2 of the 2-button remotes.

You could also check out the Liftmaster 850LM that was talked about above, it is a 3-channel unit. It looks like it is Security+ 2.0 and 315 MHz compatible, but we don't know for sure from this thread whether the Tesla will successfully link to it or not.

 

[ElectricTundra]

Installing the 850LM today. Input voltage is 9-30v AC or 9-34v DC. Interesting that it accepts such as wide range. Does anyone know if providing higher voltage (or AC vs DC) will provide better performance? Either more reliable or greater distance?

 

[ElectricTundra]

Just a note that the 850LM is working with my Model S quite well on all three channels. Programmed the first time on each channel.