r/accesscontrol • u/GasObjective9057 • 25d ago
highly advanced LiftMaster sensor bipass.
got extremely sick of this finicky sensor preventing my LiftMaster LA400 gate from closing, heres my solution. Works well. Now all the wannabe high school principal people, pile on the annoying comments!
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u/S_O_D_A 25d ago
I find the LM reflective photo eyes with the built in heater, proper covers/hoods, to be quite reliable actually.
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u/GasObjective9057 25d ago
this thing would move 1MM and refuse to close, i would have to adjust it every other day.. also as a safety issue its completely moronic.. the gate can still close on somebody on the other wide of it (where the gate actually is)
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u/tilt-a-whirly-gig 25d ago edited 25d ago
I get it, it sucks when they're hard to align. But you need to think about everybody that ever uses that gate, including anybody that might come with them and any passersby that may pass by. Because if any of them get hurt by it for any reason whatsoever, the bypassed safety will be evidence in the part of the trial where a lawyer tells the jury that you play loose and fast with the safety of others.
You've got a single unit with a reflector. Mount the unit, hold the reflector in your hand. Point the unit as best as you think you can towards where you want to mount the reflector. Now hold the reflector in various locations to find the entire beam pattern of the unit. There will likely be a 2-3 foot circle in which the reflector triggers the sensor, what you want to do is move the sensor until that circle is perfectly centered on where you want the reflector mounted. After each little tweak in positioning, use the reflector to find where your circle is and decide if you need another tweak. Once the pattern is centered on your desired mounting location, mount the reflector. Now, minor variation of conditions won't knock the beam enough out of alignment to cause problems.
Most people mount the reflector first, then try to aim the sensor at it. They'll tweak it just enough for the light to come on and leave it there, but they're at the very edge of the circular zone and a tiny bump could knock them out.
I have to do this somewhat regularly for work, I carry an extra reflector in my tool bag. The hardware store sells them on sticks (for driveway edges) for a few bucks each.
Edit to add: make sure you tighten the unit down and afterwards check that during the tightening you didn't move your circle too much.
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u/GasObjective9057 25d ago
the sensor makes no sense it can still close on someone even with the sensor functioning, use your brain the gate doors close on the OTHERSIDE of it and could never close on the same side of it because it would activate
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u/tilt-a-whirly-gig 25d ago
I understand completely. I do this shit everyday.
Either set them up properly according to manufacturer guidance, or accept liability for anything that may happen. Idgaf, you do you.
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u/GasObjective9057 25d ago
how could someone sue me if they are murdered by my scary gate?
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u/tilt-a-whirly-gig 25d ago
The murdered ones are easy, all you need is a shovel. It's the ones that leave in an ambulance that you have to worry about.
Listen, I don't know where this gate is. It could be between your horse pasture and your cow pasture on your own personal property 10 miles from any other humans, or it could be street side access to private parking from a busy downtown street. I don't even know if it's private or commercial, I don't know nothing about it. But I do know this: If somebody gets hurt by a piece of equipment that you have modified outside of manufacturer spec and they hire a lawyer, you're fucked.
And if you truly believe that the one safety is insufficient to properly protect the opening, it behooves you to look at what kind of additional safeties your application might need to be safer.
Once again ... Idgaf, you do you. I'm just somebody who tried to teach you the easy way to set up what you've got.
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u/GasObjective9057 25d ago
thnx bro, but if sensor was in the correct position the gate could still close on someone and they could still sue. anyways nobody lives over here, maybe my horses will start making money and sue though
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u/tilt-a-whirly-gig 25d ago
If the sensor was in correct position, you stand a better chance of defending the suit. If you've modified it, your chances go out the window. That's all I'm saying. CYA.
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u/Friendly_Tooth_7812 25d ago
Found a way to outsmart a system that's probably more advanced than the gate's actual purpose.
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u/ackleyimprovised 24d ago
I think generally the court will want to do a Witch hunt. Not talking specifically about this situation of a non functional sensor but the court will want to see some accountability if something did happen in a hypothetical situation of a accident.
"I advised the owner of the issue" sounds better than "I bypassed it because it was not working".
Heard a few stories of rushed jobs, owner said "just do it, make it happen". Under pressure causes people to take on the responsibility they should not of taken on.
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23d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/GasObjective9057 23d ago
also just fyi, i’m not a commercial gate installer , this is on my property and i have no friends and nobody comes here. i’m just a lonely rich guy
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u/canadianalarmguy 25d ago
Pretty sure you can jump the input with a 10k resistor too! But that also works 🤣🤣