Impressions of Garage Door Control with the Telguard GDC1

Could you give the info on how you set it up? I have it loaded and set up as a switch, and have changed the Icon. I assume a simple toggle will raise or lower. Since it doesn’t have a contact setting I assume it is just like pushing the momentary button; if it’s up go down, if it’s down go up?

Then the automation is based on phone geo-fencing presence? I’ll probably set it up with something like. “If hits 10:00 pm put it down.” But short of having a second sensor, how do you know it’s up? It has a closed contact, I wonder if anyone has tried creating a custom device type to read that yet? Still a newbie here, so beyond me at this point. But it has a sensor and looking at the tile it does show green when open, that ought to be queriable (is that a word?). I suppose the open status is based on the sensor and not just counting up/downs. The latter could obviously get out of sync and then why have a sensor?

As an overall, though this device has been great. Added easily and does exactly what it says. Almost a novelty for a complex device in my experience (newbie to ST, but a couple of years with Vera). In fact, it works so well is why I think it deserves its own device type. It has an alarm tone and strobe as well. A manufacturer question, but would be great if those were separately addressable.

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I am on the road and need to look at exactly how my rules in ST are setup, but I use it a lot with IFTTT. I have it setup to open and close using IFTTT tied to my geolocation + my Automatic OBDII port ignition status (Automatic is a company and also has an IFTTT channel.) I turn off my car in the driveway and the door automatically opens; turn the ignition on the driveway and it closes. I then have a rule that says if the GDC1 opens, then close it after 10 minutes.

Your time based events are just as good. I just have a bunch of IFTTT based products that make their geofencing drive the door status rather than using only ST’s fencing.

On the topic of knowing if it is Open or Closed:

It basically knows that “Off” is absolutely, 100% closed and that “On” is 1 to 100% open. It is smarter than a toggle because if you say off (close) and it is closed it will ignore the command; if it is open it will toggle the switch to close. Now because the door may actually go up because it was interrupted in the past on its way down by something, it will wait for a close confirmation from the sensor after the first attempt. It that attempt doesn’t result in a “off” or close then it will try again.

So telling it to close means it will try everything UL safety allows to get the door closed. Same scenario for open except that it is just trying to get the door “not closed.” So saying open to the “not closed” door will be tossed, but saying “open” to a closed door will trigger movement.

Glad to hear you have had a similar experience.

How does it behave in the event of a power interruption ?

If the power goes out briefly and then returns. Does the unit still allow you to remotely control the door ? Does it know the current state of the door (100%closed/1-100%open) or does it not report anymore until manually controlled like some other devices (GD00Z for example)

Power interruption will only reset the “lock out” state that kicks in if the two closing attempts fail (Required UL safety feature). It doesn’t remember that condition across power outages.

Other than that, because the sensor is wired, it knows exactly what it knew before the outage: Closed or Not Closed.

And, yes, you can immediately control the door.

Thanks Woodworker. I assumed that with the sensor, either it had to have the logic built in so, as you put it 100% sure of status, not just like hitting the button. That or there had to be a way to read the sensor and built the appropriate IFTTT.

I seem to be having other issues with Geofencing, but this seems to be a general ST issue right now. The app is pretty wonky showing who’s home and who isn’t. So far all the direct commands work great though. Clearly just a matter of working out the automations. After reading bunches of reviews of various Z-wave and proprietary connected garage door devices, I am becoming more and more glad I found this one.

My impression is that GDC1 is an EXCELLENT garage door controller. The audible and visual indication 5seconds? before energizing, and “re-closing/2 tries” really sells it to me.

Combining this with motorcycle presense sensor action will be the bees knees.

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Since options are always good, we should also mention the Linear GD00Z, which is also UL listed to the UL325 standard for garage door controllers, has the same features you mention. @garyd9 has a device type for it that a number of community members are using. So just two competing choices with similar features.

There are some differences, of course. But any garage door controller which meets the UL325 standard should have the warning before closure and the 2 retries then lockout.

Hi all, I’m thinking of picking up one of these devices. Since this device appears as a switch to ST is it possible to use it with Routines or other apps to automate garage door opening and closing based on mobile presence? Or do I have to change the device type so that ST treats it as a garage door so it’s recognizable by Routines and SmartApps?

Also, any known issues with this device and hub v2?

Sure, it’s no different than a routine having your porch light come on based on presence. :sunglasses:

What would be different is anything that specifically requires the device to identify itself as a garage door controller. So maybe some of the future functionality they talked about for monitoring doors and locks could be an issue. But we haven’t gotten there yet. And even then, you might be able to just add the garage door capability to the device type. We’ll just have to see.

Thx for your reply. I guess for Routines I would just have to treat it as if it’s a light switch since the garage option is strictly looking for a garage device type.

What do others do out there with more than one garage? Do you create two “I’m Back” routines so that each routine is specifically associated with one mobile presence user? Today I simply have one “I’m Back” routine that triggers if either my wife or I come home, I wouldn’t want both garage doors to open if only one of us is pulling up the driveway. It would be nice to only open the garage door for each of us independently.

Is there a dedicated garage app for opening or closing doors outside of Routines?

In case you are interested I just released the Telguard GDC1 device type that I created and have been using in my own SmartThings environment. The code is here https://github.com/mjarends/SmartThingsPublic/tree/master/devicetypes/mjarends/telguard-garage-door-switch.src

works great. This was just what i was looking for.

I am planning to purchase it. Can anyone tell me if this can be integrated with Echo?

Yes for the GDC1. I have it on mine now. Because it is really a switch to ST. I say turn the garage on\off.

I installed my Telguard GDC1 today as a Z-Wave switch.I am having issues after i give the command for ‘off’ it shuts the door,but after a few seconds opens it back up.

Any suggestions

I have managed to get the device type into my devices

Has anyone else on this thread experienced the issue with the Telguard GDC1 where they do not report the open event back to SmartThings despite the fact that door has been opened. I first noticed that I had an issue with one of my units back in April 2016 and managed to get it replaced. I had not had any issues until last week when both units started exhibiting the same issue. Now I have needed to power cycle both of my GDC1 units in order for them to start reporting the open state back to SmartThings again. Definitely a deal breaker for a device that I was using for security and as an access point to my house.

I just had one do the same thing this morning. I don’t think it was ST issue. I think it was the Telguard.

Good to know that others are experiencing this as well - I thought I was going crazy :slight_smile:

I agree that I think it’s an issue with the Telguard device. I reached out to FortrezZ and Telguard yesterday to see if they have a resolution. FortrezZ doesn’t officially support the device (they told me to contact Telguard) but they indicated the unit may need a firmware update and pointed me to use the following device type handler with SmartThings:

I will try to give Telguard’s tech support department a call today/tomorrow to see if they can help resolve. I will post back here with what I find out.

I talked to Telguard’s tech support and they said that they have not had anyone report the issue I described. They recommend that I do an exchange for a new unit because it was still under the two year warranty.

For everyone interested I put the Raw Description from my two devices below.

ZWave Raw Description for device that has issues:
0 0 0x1000 0 0 0 3 0x72 0x86 0x25

ZWave Raw Description for updated device that does not have issues (yet):
zw:L type:1000 mfr:017E prod:0001 model:0111 ver:1.17 zwv:3.42 lib:06 cc:72,86,25