MyQ - just want to trigger lights when garage door opens

Devices & Integrations Connected Things
1

I know there’s a lot of posts about Chamberlain MyQ not working unless you use a separate sensor. But all I want to do is trigger lights in SmartThings when the door is opened or closed. I don’t need the capability to integrate actually opening or closing the garage door, just triggering a light device when it does open / close. Is there any way to do that by integrating MyQ or MyQ Lite without adding a separate sensor?

2

AFAIK - no, but pretty ez to add a sensor.

I have MY Q, the app and all the Chamberlain stuff - as well as a sensor.

  • kinda’ belt & suspenders -
3

As @Paul_Haskins mentioned, for under $30, a tilt sensor on the garage door will give you this capability and be by far the simplest solution.

There might be some other workarounds, but they would all add additional lag time, and usually with lights people want to be sure they come on as quickly as possible.

4

One workaround is this: if (like many of us) you have an android control tablet set up, put the Chamberlain app on it. Then when it generates a notification, have the Tasker plugin (from joaoapps) AutoNotification intercept it. From there, have Sharptools turn on whatever lights you want.

2 Likes
5

Thanks all. We’re a house full of Apples… So a sensor it is. Shame that a “smart garage door” that’s wifi and web enabled can’t talk to a “SmartThings” hub, but it is what it is…

Thanks for the tilt sensor link, that’s probably the way I’ll go.

1 Like
6

Only issue with the tilt sensor is the door must be high enough for a section to tilt. Place it on the top section and it should be a foot or less.

That’s the reason I went with a door sensor. My old opener would sometimes stop a few inches from closed. New opener never has. It’s a little work to install.

7

It can talk, through IFTTT. Also, any door switch will work not just the tilt sensor.

8

Didn’t see an IFTTT channel for Chamberlain - explain?

9

From http://www.techwebies.com/2016/08/best-ifttt-workarounds-chamberlain-myq-garage.html/
Another channel that can be connected via IFTTT is Gmail by Google. The MyQ app gives the option to have certain notifications go out and users can opt to have these notifications be sent as emails or mobile push notifications. If Gmail is connected in IFTTT, recipes can be created to run based on the content of certain emails or where they’ve been sent.

So for example, if an email notification is set to go out if a garage door is left open for more than 45 minutes, the user will receive a MyQ alert email in their inbox. Perhaps the largest downfall here is that this solution requires a Gmail account, but it’s relatively simple to try out.

Also Log in - IFTTT
Or https://mobile-api.ifttt.com/recipes/search?q=%23MyQ

11

I don’t know the exact timing.
Best solution is a switch, be it tilt or contact. That way it can be used for many other applications independent of the opener.

1 Like
12

Thanks again. I’ll research a bit for the right sensor.

1 Like