Odd problem with 2421 triggerlincs, and solution

[oskrypuch]

I rigged up a pair of triggerlincs on the garage doors. These were programatically tied in to some keylincs and an X10 Ding Donger. Tested it out after the install, seemed to be working fine.

 

Over the next couple of weeks I would periodically get phantom indications that the garage door was open, and curiously I saw the AUX input as showing a value occasionally even though the jumper is set to disable that input.

 

I looked for possible AC noise, moved an access point into the garage, rebooted the triggerlincs, fiddled with the jumper, removed and readded them in the ISY, replaced them (I had two extras), installed NO microswitches to drive the triggerlincs thinking there might be something odd about the magnets and metal door -- this also allowed me to prove the trigger circuit continuity. Finally in desperation I even jiggled the cords, however I studiously avoided factory rebooting the ISY.

 

Nothing seemed to cure this errant behavior. I was about to give up on the 2421s and get some hardwired EZIOs when I hit on the solution ...

 

One night there was a wicked windstorm outside, and the garage door "open" indication went crazy, activating many times an hour. I had to get up and disable the program.

 

In the morning it kind of dawned on me what was going on. The garage doors had been knocked about by the wind. The triggerlincs are screw mounted to the doors themselves. I took another look inside and it seemed that the batteries might have been a trifle loose inside. I stretched out the spring a bit, sprayed it with contact cleaner and then also put two strips of electrician's tape where the battery fits to snug it up. The case seemed to snap together more securely.

 

The problem disappeared!

 

It seems that the vibration from garage door opening/closing, or the wind, or poltergeists would work loose the battery just enough that the switch would reboot or something just short of that, and this had caused all the trouble I had had. If I had set it up with the triggerlincs/switches mounted on the wall, this would not have occurred. However, the physical layout of the door demanded the switch be on the door.

 

* Orest