yes, here’s my experiences…
I bought one of these automatic door closers on sale…
http://www.skylinkhome.com/usa/universa … e_one.html
There are others.
It has a battery powered on-door sensor for door-is-closed. A plunger-switch that hits the ground. Wireless message to control unit.
Control unit is configurable to auto-close the door if left open for x amount of time. Or just beep.
It was awkward to configure.
One day, I found that it opened the door. It got confused in the alternate-action of garage door buttons: up/down. There is no “down” button on most garage doors.
So I got peeved and ash-canned it. (lousy firmware. Maybe why it was on sale).
I then decided to not auto-close. It’s a safety issue (hear that, personal injury lawyers?). Door hits child/dog. $$$.
So now I’m using:
http://caogadgets.com/
On the arm of the door lift, I have one of caogadgets’ little motion sensor “tags”. Runs 4-6 months on a CR2032 battery. It senses earth’s magnetic fields like a compass in 3D. Door closed. I then “arm” it - on first use - so it learns the magnetic fields present when door is closed. Then when door opens, magnetic fields change and it transmits wirelessly to a “tag manager”. Tag manager sends message to vendor’s web server (free of fees). Web server sends message to a free app on my Android (or Apple) smart phone. And/or to a desktop PC app. Shows if door is open or closed and shows an event log. Talks “garage door is open (closed)”. There’s a web API (JSON or IFTT) if you want to DIY with your own app to react.
Tag manager talks to any number of tags on 433MHz (in US, not sure about elsewhere). Tags can monitor door moves, gate moves, thing tag is attached to moves. Moisture sensing tags, etc.
My main purpose was to use the phone to answer the question, as we drive away for a long weekend: “Did we close the garage door?”. Once, we had to drive back 30 minutes to see: Yes, we did. Oh well.
I am an embedded systems engineer (consulting) by profession. Long ago I used to have a DIY door monitor: Simply a reed switch and magnet like this:
https://www.sparkfun.com/products/13247
Connected to a microprocessor. I programmed that to do as I wish. To auto-close the door if you dare, the microprocessor can do so by “pushing” the button on the garage door closer console’s manual button… that has to done with a small low voltage relay, or an opto-isolator, either controlled by the microprocessor. Alas, the microprocessor probably needs a clock/calendar and battery backup, settable. Best is a microprocessor like the Raspberry Pi 2 or better, the Raspberry Pi Zero. These are a bit of an overkill but you get to use Python not C and you get network connectivity to get date/time and to send email or network messages, etc. Or send an IP packet command to one of these
http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-Amazon-El … B0178IC734
or equivalent. That can turn on a light, horn, etc.
Lots of options … make/buy as you wish.