bypassing electronic eye

allen levine

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12,340
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new york city burbs
I have a 20 y/o genie garage door lift.
the circuit board operating the eyes, burned out.
My guy contacted his genie contact, they no longer make the board for that unit, nothing can be put in its place.
Until I get a new unit installed, does anyone know how to bypass the eyes so I can still use the push button to close it?
Noone goes in there except me, so if anyone gets clonked on the nogon, its only me.
 
the opener works, but needs a key to operate, to override the eye,.
theres only one key, and the key is old. Id prefer not to have to have a key every time I open and close it.
I can release it, but I cannot lift the door at this point, it would be a back breaker for me to go into the shop everytime. Im used to hitting a button and it closes.Im spoiled, old, and lazy.
 
I suspect the key is nothing more than a switch. Replace the key switch with a short or open and it will probably work as if a key was in. Or put another switch in series or parallel with the switch and it will work as the key.

Garry
 
Funny thing, those eyes. Look anywhere on the internet and most people asking this question get flamed to heck for even considering such a thing. I had a similar need when I built my shed. I was uninterested in the safety feature of those eyes - mostly because the opener was well tuned anyway and only applied about 5lbs of force to an object before detecting it and reversing (or stopping in the case of lifting).

My first thought was that these things are just simple switches - normally open, normally closed, whichever. So I tried to short it out, no luck. Dang thing is a DIGITAL signal and after many searches and dead ends, I just mounted my two eyes facing each other about 6" apart and stuck 'em up behind the opener unit.

Now, your issue sounds like that might not work? I dunno if your opener is old enough to just short 'em out - some used to work that way, but from my searches that's not the case anymore. I just stuck 'em pointed at one another rather than fight with the things.
 
the circuit board that operates the lights is gone, so I cant just tape them together, I didnt have a problem with the beams, and I was told the unit will not allow you to override it, I find that impossible. Im goint to try what mr foster said and run another line from the key switch back into the garage to the doorbell button, Makes perfect sense.
 
Put the old key in, turn, super glue it in. Then you just use the doorbell button each time. I only suggest glueing in the key so it doesn't get lost. Also I assume when the eye was working, anyone could hit the doorbell button and it worked so access is the same as before. ??:huh::dunno:
 
the circuit board that operates the lights is gone, so I cant just tape them together, I didnt have a problem with the beams, and I was told the unit will not allow you to override it, I find that impossible. Im goint to try what mr foster said and run another line from the key switch back into the garage to the doorbell button, Makes perfect sense.

You want to parallel the door bell button with the wires from the key switch.
 
I suspect the key is nothing more than a switch. Replace the key switch with a short or open and it will probably work as if a key was in. Or put another switch in series or parallel with the switch and it will work as the key.

Garry

Garry is right, Key is a simple contact switch, Momentary Open (same as door bell) find the wires and interrupt with a doorbell switch.

:eek:Except it is your Entry way? and a door bell would breach the security?

You can either shell out a C-note and get a new opener, or fork over a dollar & half to have a new key made at the BORG.

Also, I had a problem with the electric eyes and duct taped them together (looking at eachother) and grouped them on top of the unit.
 
I had promised my friends father, the guy who installed it for me 20 years ago, I wouldnt permantly bypass the eyes. He as very upset I even thought about it. I told him Ill only put a switch on it till he finds me someone to install a new opener.
Today, I was working on the legs on my new project, and while looking for a blade, I found something that worked like a charm.
I took off the doorbell, and put a simple light on/off switch, and if I hit the switch, it overrides so Im good.
Ofcourse, the key dont work then, but I have a keypad until I get a new unit.
 
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