Favorite smart garage items?

[fordkid88]

So I just ran ethernet to my garage and bought an access point so now I can get rid of my sketchy power line setup.

What id like to know is what are some the smart garage gadgets you folks are using and what you like about them.

I'm thinking cameras, intercomms, garage door controls.

Go

 

[NUTTSGT]

Intercomm ? A buddy called that a nagcomm. You can probably figure out why.

About the only smart gadget I have is a laptop out in the garage.

 

[Git]

An Amazon Echo or the smaller dot

I have the dot which I use to stream music to a soundbar under my TV. Regarding the intercom, idea, if you had another Echo device inside the house, they can be used as an intercom. You give the command "drop in" followed by the name of the device. Example = "drop in kitchen" and then you can have a two way conversation

I find the Echo to be really useful - especially for setting timers or alarms. "Alexa, set a 15 minute pizza timer" etc. You can even have it make phone calls for you

Of course, someone wearing a tinfoil hat is going to post that "they" are listening in to everything you say, but who really gives a f*wk about that?

 

[fordkid88]

An Amazon Echo or the smaller dot

I have the dot which I use to stream music to a soundbar under my TV. Regarding the intercom, idea, if you had another Echo device inside the house, they can be used as an intercom. You give the command "drop in" followed by the name of the device. Example = "drop in kitchen" and then you can have a two way conversation

I find the Echo to be really useful - especially for setting timers or alarms. "Alexa, set a 15 minute pizza timer" etc. You can even have it make phone calls for you

Of course, someone wearing a tinfoil hat is going to post that "they" are listening in to everything you say, but who really gives a f*wk about that?

The wife has the echo and she really likes it. I didnt know that you could use them as an intercom. That's 2 birds one stone type of deal for how useful it is and then you add another.

 

[gahrajmahal]

Our Powermaster belt driven battery backup garage door opener with auto close feature. Super quiet, always will open even when the power goes out, and my favorite feature is I never have to worry if I left the door open. It closes itself after 15 minutes.

 

[Blain]

An Amazon Echo or the smaller dot

I have the dot which I use to stream music to a soundbar under my TV. Regarding the intercom, idea, if you had another Echo device inside the house, they can be used as an intercom. You give the command "drop in" followed by the name of the device. Example = "drop in kitchen" and then you can have a two way conversation

I find the Echo to be really useful - especially for setting timers or alarms. "Alexa, set a 15 minute pizza timer" etc. You can even have it make phone calls for you

Of course, someone wearing a tinfoil hat is going to post that "they" are listening in to everything you say, but who really gives a f*wk about that?

 

[jbwilkins]

Echo Dot (don't find myself using it much though)
Laptop
Roku TV (2, one in the garage, one in the office) Cheaper and easier than running cable.
Smart Garage Door Opener
'Smart' exterior lights (coach lights and breezwaY0

Ok....I'm a geek....

 

[bczygan]

No smart things in my garage.........including me!

Bill

 

[Nutty 5.0]

I recently installed the MyQ for the garage doors. It’s been really handy.

 

[77Birdman]

No smart things in my garage.........including me!

Bill

Beat me to it!! LOL.

 

[GregL2015]

I have MyQ light switches for my garage front and backlight. So I can turn the lights on from my phone, which is super handy. I don't have to go into the garage to turn them on or open the garage door.

My sister in law got me Alexa for my birthday, I'm very disappointed that Liftmaster charges you to link it to your smart home stuff UGH! it's a total scam!

Now that I read echo devices can be used as an intercom I will be getting one of these as well for the garage

Have cable, phone & cat6 run to a panel as well, so I'm sure I"m gonna geek out in the garage eventually LOL!

 

[Brian_WK]

MyQ on the garage door followed up by the chromecast audio... soon to be replaced with a google mini bluetooth linked to a speaker set.

Brian

 

[fordkid88]

Intercomm ? A buddy called that a nagcomm. You can probably figure out why.

About the only smart gadget I have is a laptop out in the garage.

Well I figured this one would be important as just found my wife is pregnant with our first. That's actually why ive went into overdrive to full on set this up.

 

[Copymutt]

Thanks for the tip on the intercom. My wife got re done. Good timing as our old RF intercom was taking a dump.
Jim

 

[HotRodHudson]

Two of my favorite tech things:
1) automatic closure feature of my garage door opener. It closes 60 seconds after opening. This has helped me not only keep my garage door shut but trained my wife & daughters to not linger with it open. With a garage at 60 degrees all winter in Montana, I needed a babysitter for my garage!
2) my FireTV Stick with Alexa. I can simply tell it to play a certain bands music & she will shuffle their songs only or an era’s music with different bands. Since it’s attached to my 55” tv I can also watch all kinds of cool hot rod shows too.


Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[niget2002]

Roku and laptop/tablet.

Still need an Echo for the garage.

 

[k-os]

I recently installed the MyQ for the garage doors. It’s been really handy.

I use the MyQ app for my doors all the time. I picked up the Liftmaster 823lm switch as well so my lights come on when the garage door is opened and turn off when it's closed.

 

[Git]

The Echo's also have another feature that comes in handy - especially if you have several of them like we do throughout the house

You can make an 'announcement' that will then play what you said on all the other echo's

Alexa, tell everyone it's dinner time or Alexa, announce, it's dinner time

 

[jd_1138]

I have a Google Home Mini that's great. But the speaker's a little small. There are 2 larger ones that Google makes.

 

[K'ledgeBldr]

I maynot be the smartest "tool" in the garage; but as long as the better-half keeps calling me a Smartass I guess that will suffice for the rest of the house!

 

[freekwonder]

Echo has come in handy a few times since the shop is in the back yard. Don't use it all the time since the wife is usually in the backyard anyways.

I would love to get some motion sensors on my lights so they come on automatically, and shut off if they don't detect any movement for a certain amount of time.

 

[ScottsGT]

My phone and the M12 speaker playing Pandora.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Well I figured this one would be important as just found my wife is pregnant with our first. That's actually why ive went into overdrive to full on set this up.

Well that might be good to have in that case.

 

[fordkid88]

Echo has come in handy a few times since the shop is in the back yard. Don't use it all the time since the wife is usually in the backyard anyways.

I would love to get some motion sensors on my lights so they come on automatically, and shut off if they don't detect any movement for a certain amount of time.

My wife liked the idea of the two echos for an intercom. How would add the motion sensors into your existing circuit?

Well that might be good to have in that case.

Yeah she told me this afternoon that she hopes I don't leave her to spend as much time in the garage as I do now. I told her I wonder if I can find a welding helmet for infants.

 

[Parrothead]

I have a Roku, and TP Link smartswitches. Need to get another Echo for out in the Garage. Tablets are good too.

You could use a smart plug for a dust collection system, or on anything that won’t start and kill you. A table saw would be a bad idea. lol

Alexa, turn on garage lights.

I took off my tin foil hat long ago.

 

[BetterCallMaul]

I have a Roku, and TP Link smartswitches. Need to get another Echo for out in the Garage. Tablets are good too.

You could use a smart plug for a dust collection system, or on anything that won’t start and kill you. A table saw would be a bad idea. lol

Alexa, turn on garage lights.

I took off my tin foil hat long ago.

I'm still trying to complete finishing my garage, but I did a wi-fi dimmer switch and just ordered an Echo Dot. It's my first Echo, so not really sure what else it can do besides that and play Music.

Looking forward to testing it out.

 

[lml999]

Two things:

Chamberlain belt drive door openers -- they can be set to close automatically after 1,5,10 minutes (IIRC). Great way to ensure that the door is closed. Motion sensor lights. The system also has a battery backup to allow limited operation during power failures. The system *can* be controlled by smartphone app...but I chose not to enable that. I don't really need to do that, I don't need Chamberlain knowing when I operate the door, and I'm concerned about the security issue (someone else accessing the door).

Bluetooth adapter for my garage stereo - Logitech 980-000910 Bluetooth Audio Adapter plugs into the aux (or tape) port of any standard stereo receiver and allows me to broadcast anything from my smartphone -- streaming music, podcasts, etc. Radio reception in our neck of the woods is marginal at times, so this gives me a lot more flexibility in entertainment while I'm in the garage.

Oh, and one other item -- Ross Tech software on my laptop (or tablet), Ross Tech OBDII cable, allows me to run pretty extensive diagnostics and configuration settings on my fleet of VAG cars (Audi, VW). I picked up a cheap ($75) HP tablet for this, but the lack of a real keyboard makes the software more difficult to use. The Ross Tech software is a free download, runs on Windows PC/tablet and on VMWare Fusion on my Mac, the cable has the licensing. I bought a cable over 15 years ago, have used it on all my (VAG) cars since then.

 

[Ilikeike]

-Smart TV so I can have Road Kill or Engine Masters on while tinkering on something,I have Motor-trend on demand so I have lots of commercial free automotive TV options.

-5.2 surround system w/bluetooth to listen to Pandora or Road Kill with big sound.

-Garage laptop with a quick link to Summit Racing.

 

[steel 35]

How would add the motion sensors into your existing circuit?

This works for one of my seven.

https://www.homedepot.com/b/Lightin.../Automatic-On-Off-Sensor/N-5yc1vZbm79Z1z0slph

 

[fordkid88]

-Smart TV so I can have Road Kill or Engine Masters on while tinkering on something,I have Motor-trend on demand so I have lots of commercial free automotive TV options.

-5.2 surround system w/bluetooth to listen to Pandora or Road Kill with big sound.

-Garage laptop with a quick link to Summit Racing.

My favorites when I'm in the garage too!!!

 

[fordkid88]

This works for one of my seven.

https://www.homedepot.com/b/Lightin.../Automatic-On-Off-Sensor/N-5yc1vZbm79Z1z0slph

Ive got shop light fixture, but I did find smart switches that are bluetooth and are alexa compatible, which would be really nice if I forgot to turn them off.

 

[Jazz]

I added Samsung Smartthings control to my garage door so I can open/close the door from my phone from anywhere at anytime. It has a sensor to show it's open or closed and I also have a camera to show the actual state.

It's just added security and I no longer need a garage door opener. The original openers still work but the original wall push button doesn't any longer. I don't miss it though...

 

[fordkid88]

I added Samsung Smartthings control to my garage door so I can open/close the door from my phone from anywhere at anytime. It has a sensor to show it's open or closed and I also have a camera to show the actual state.

It's just added security and I no longer need a garage door opener. The original openers still work but the original wall push button doesn't any longer. I don't miss it though...

This is one of the things I really want. I dont know how many times ive left for work and had to go back because I'm not sure I closed my garage door.

 

[freekwonder]

Ive got shop light fixture, but I did find smart switches that are bluetooth and are alexa compatible, which would be really nice if I forgot to turn them off.

My wife liked the idea of the two echos for an intercom. How would add the motion sensors into your existing circuit?

That's what I would like to do is add some motion sensors to my existing light. I'm probably just being too picky on the setup. I've got a 4 car garage, that had a "clean" room built in the first bay. Right when you walk in the man door there are three light switches for the three rows of shop light fixtures. I've seen the smart switches, I like the idea, but I lean towards the idea of the motion sensors at the light, because if I had motions sensing switches all the lights would come on and stay on, even if I only stayed in the clean room area, so it would be nice if the far lights would turn off if I wasn't in that area of the garage.

 

[some zilch]

i have a "smart outlet" that i can turn on and off via my phone, or set up timers and schedules for it. i mainly use it to turn the block heater for my farm tractor on when it snows and i have to plow. i use my phone to turn it on from work, and its ready to go and warm when i get home

 

[Moosefire66]

on my fleet of VAG cars / have used it on all my (VAG) cars since then.

Is that a fancy way of saying your wife's car?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

 

[Catch_22]

I assume you don't have a cell phone then. "aka - GPS and Wiretap in your pocket at all times"?

Its not an age issue, the issue is - the age of privacy is basically over. Its Pandoras box.

Another way to look at it is privacy will always be a moving goal post. You can have it for awhile before you need to do more to keep it.

 

[lml999]

Is that a fancy way of saying your wife's car?

No, she drives a truck.

"VAG" refers to Volkswagen AG, which includes 12 brands - Audi, SEAT, ŠKODA, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche, Ducati, VW Automotive, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Scania and MAN.

 

[lml999]

I assume you don't have a cell phone then. "aka - GPS and Wiretap in your pocket at all times"?

Its not an age issue, the issue is - the age of privacy is basically over. Its Pandoras box.

Another way to look at it is privacy will always be a moving goal post. You can have it for awhile before you need to do more to keep it.

I've been in the tech industry for 35 years...I know that privacy is gone...but I'll keep as much control as I can. Chamberlain doesn't need to know my garage door habits. That having been said, Google (Nest) knows when I'm at home and whether I like my bedroom warm or cold. <sigh>

 

[Blain]

I assume you don't have a cell phone then. "aka - GPS and Wiretap in your pocket at all times"?

Its not an age issue, the issue is - the age of privacy is basically over. Its Pandoras box.

Another way to look at it is privacy will always be a moving goal post. You can have it for awhile before you need to do more to keep it.

There's always one.