I am now in charge of my parents’ farm. AFAIK, they have had two different automatic gate openers, both solar driven, and both ended up being useless. Can someone recommend a reliable automatic gate opener that works off solar power? I don’t mind paying more for one that will work!
Thank you!!
You may PM the poster clanter, that used to work for companies that build and install those and has always brought us good advice when that question came up.
Thank you for the tip! PM sent!
oldernewbie… I set you a list of questions… yes we had Morgans for many years. most of our were Lippitts … Foxie who I post often about was unique as she was the last offspring of her sire who was the last of his sire who was the last of his sire … her blood went back 100 years of in four generations
@clanter may I also have the questions to get a recommendation if you have time? (I actually don’t need solar, I have power on both sides of the driveway, but I want something that Just Works and opens itself when the UPS truck arrives or when I get home. And not when the deer walk by it.)
Can the list be posted here, for other people’s information?
sure… there are many variables normally you start defining the expected use and type of system slide or swing, single or double … is it just a single family with no teenagers then go on up to
Some prefer to do the work themselves other prefer professional installation (and believe me not all professional installation companies are professional). I know the owners of many of the good companies scattered across the country.
Whatever is done… these days with the standard cell phone being a camera also…photograph the work so you now what is where to ease future repairs. If using a professional install require As Built Drawings and photo documentation
Need to know just what do want the system to do, basic open/close by use a of transmitter then its want ever you want or desire… remote operation by smart phone or cell based access system that takes photos of the user, free exit, you want audit trail of who used the system when?, hands free toll tag system? the list is endless.
Then since the question regards solar… need to know sort the general location to be able to calculate the solar panel and battery pack requirements.
Before working for the manufacturers I did governmental work, airports/prisons/federal buildings. I worked within the industry for nearly forty years and still consult (last week there was a problem with one of the sites that is used by the president and the site security manager called to ask a few questions-- we have known each other for nearly forty when I bailed him out on a problem in Guam by telling them they needed to move a wire from one terminal point to another. After all these are just machines and will do whatever we tell them to do… just need to know the command structure, no different than a horse
As for alternative energy use, there is still a 30% Federal Tax Credit to homeowners… alternative energy can be wind as well as solar, just has to be a renewable energy source (if you wanted to install a geothermal generator to power your house…30% tax credit is available, but I would not expect the average person jump at one )
Even though you have power at the site it may be to your benefit to make the installation one that qualifies for the 30% Federal Tax Credit as the credit is bottom line credit. If needed since you have power there the system could always be converted to the power source without forfeit of the tax credit. Consult with your tax adviser, please. I believe the credit is not capped at least through 2019 then it begins diminishing.
you can use timers to switch a function such as an outside safety device could be changed to Free entry during the daytime …if desired.
A magnetic ground loop could do what you have stated, but it would not discriminate between a UPS truck verses any one else… but a deer or a cow would not trip it.
Currently many users are using cell phone based controllers as nearly every one has cell phone… with a cell based controller you can open/close/hold open a gate … and these can be solar powered also (if you use one put it on its own independent solar system …do not use the gate system for power (unless you have installed a big-time major solar grid system or our gate operator, which has been done but not often)
Yep, most of the time anyone can enter. I don’t need a “security” gate, I just don’t want a loose horse getting out to the road and I don’t want to get out of the car to open the gate.
I’m more interested in the mechanical bit that actually opens the gate. What’s the best route to go there? The piston type openers that I see don’t seem very sturdy but I have not ever had one. What about chain drive with the gate on a track?
Maybe all you need is a cattleguard, with an optional light gate over it you can mostly leave open?
NO cattleguards with horses!!! Those break horse legs…horses do not respect them as cows do!!
I don’t think there are horses by that gate?
The way it sounded, that gate is there only to control trespassers and for the very rare time a horse is loose, which may never happen.
We have several cattleguards in our entrance and main ranch roads and some of those cross cattle pastures.
There are no horses anywhere near them, unless they get where they are not supposed to be.
I agree that a horse pasture with horses in there all the time is no place for a cattleguard!
A horse may push another into a cattleguard, when it snows they may not realize where it starts and step in it, etc.
I couldn’t do the cattle guard… I’d never feel safe. These are event horses, they’d probably just try to jump it as a ditch. I really do want a gate on the perimeter fence – and it’s an asphalt paved driveway so I’m not digging it up!
I tried to find a reasonably priced alternative to mighty mule/GTO after our first cheapy $200 opener blew the control board just after the warranty expired, but ended up just buying another mighty mule (which has now lasted a very satisfactory 4 years). the alternatives were 4-5 times the price and didn’t get much better reviews. we also now have a spare arm/other parts from the first one if we need them.
the better-reviewed openers seem to be commercial type openers, which run ~$1500-$2000. they also require quite a bit of power, so you’d likely need a larger, more expensive solar panel. I can replace a lot of mighty mules for that amount.
you can get dual (2 gates) openers, but I do not think they make a dual swing (in and out) opener.
we salvaged a larger solar panel for use with a deep cycle boat battery, and it never hiccuped. our neighbor used one of the small GTO-brand solar panels and it worked fine in very sunny NV, but not sure how it would do someplace like MN.
so you’d likely need a larger, more expensive solar panel. I can replace a lot of mighty mules for that amount.
dual swing gates… I am pretty sure all manufacturers offer this option…one is the primary and then there is a port to attach a secondary operator to the primary control board. The limitation is the length of cable to the secondary…most factory secondary cables are about 40 feet, most max cable length is around 100 feet. The primary limiting factor is the wire gauge for the power to the secondary
(IF as you do as noted use two complete none connected units which can be done they can get out of synchronization. You might be able to resynchronize by hold the transmitter button -note that some of the current transmitter pulse in transmission so this would not work, but if your transmitter is a constant signal it will since all gate operators are built as what is call open over ride… any open commend will over ride any close command)
the only solar panels as you noted are expensive if you purchase from the operator manufacturer as None of the gate operator manufacturers make solar panels, they purchase, add their margin then resell to others who then add their margins… that is why a 10 watt 12 volt solar will cost $100. . Online resellers will have these at around $25 (Actual cost of manufacturer is less than $1 per Watt)
Most operators that are designed for solar use have on board blocking diodes and regulators, if the panel is connected correctly the control board will not let the solar panel discharge the battery at night as once the sun goes down a solar panel reverses function discharging a battery. The regulator is needed to keep from over charging the battery.(I believe a GTO/MM is designed for up to 20W of direct connect solar panels…again read the manual)
If the manual does not say Call the manufacturer.
A blocking diode can be added to any solar panel, many of the smaller panel sizes (20 watt or less) will have one already on one of the two leads.
Read the panel (there will be/should be a label on the back)… there are various voltage panels 12V or 24V are the most common. Do not use a 24 volt panel on a 12 volt system, but two 12 volt panels can be combined to use on a 24 volt system.
However in most applications if as you noted just to get a larger battery a larger solar panel often is not needed as few residential system are ever cycled enough to exceed the designed capability of the system which usually is limited by battery sizes.(12 volt panel output is +/-17.5 VDC where as a 24V panel is +/-34VDC)
The biggest problem with the small battery is it can not withstand the temperature extremes …the ones in GTO/MM were designed to put in an alarm panel that was in a controlled environment not setting outside in sub zero or 100F boiling heat.
But you are correct the way to keep a GTO/MM system running is to have not one, or two but three. One to replace the one that failed then the back up to replace the replacement while waiting for warranty parts. But I have seen GTO/MM that have worked very well for many years however those are very, very rare.
The GTO/MM operators actually can be repaired, but as you noted they are cheaper to throw away
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