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Thread: Sliding Gate - Spring knob switch prong thing...

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    Default Sliding Gate - Spring knob switch prong thing...

    Hi all,
    Nice to see Trash strutting his stuff back on Austech, popping in now and again. Super great guy!

    Many moons ago I had a sliding gate box put it and I can't remember who did it.

    Cutting a long story short, I think this springed prong is far too loose in it's enclosure now.
    There's about 14mm play (7mm side to side, tip), before the micro switches on either side 'click'.

    What is worse, is that if there is any upwards or downwards movement this (delay), is greatly increased, before the micros cut in.
    I found the metal guide (screwed onto the top of the geared track), all bent and half hanging off four days ago.
    So the gate has been acting up for a while I guess. You never know I suppose - one opens the gate and closes it (remotely), and never take any notice, until it stops...!

    The gate is now bashing into the post and the base of the metal guide is jamming in the cog causing the 'clutch', to stop the motor.


    Does anyone know where I can get one of these things from? Or recommend a honest gate box guy locally on the Gold Coast?





    Many thanks people.
    GT250



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    does that limit switch have any form of model make number on it - in it

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    I would open it up and check that the activating lever on the microswitch is not bent.

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    omron make industrial limit switches that never seem to fail got one on my roller door still good after ? years don

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    If you can't find the original, it shouldn't be too hard to make something like this fit:

    or this:




    Generally I just use a magnet and a reed switch to detect any moving mechanics.
    I even duct-taped a hard drive magnet to the drive shaft of my old Nissan to fix the cruise control and has been working for 9 years flawlessly.
    I always open old hard drives to smash/bend the platters and salvage the magnets for these things.


    You can also use this for more convenience and it looks like you need a normally closed contact :

    and you can still use a hard drive magnet if you need a further detection range
    Last edited by Uncle Fester; 22-10-19 at 11:00 PM.
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    Thanks for replies people.

    Ah, they're called Limit Switches. Ok.

    Fandtm666: There's only a 'M', similar to the Motorola symbol. Or could be a 'W'.

    Reschs: Yeah, I'll have to open it up and look when I get back from work. I'd say the internals are shot (still clicks on both switches though), but the end of the spring was entering a hole on the guide plate as the plate now was moving to far forward.
    So the amount of force on the spring would have been a hell of a lot as it was forced out of the hole as the gate was opened...

    Uncle Fester: That's a great find (I didn't know they called Limit Switches). Fitting a 'similar' one inside the box would be difficult as it would have to sit under the PCB and sit in a pre-set cast area. I'd also have to be damn sure it never moves again during it's repeated usages. And I can't (at this time), justify $40 and wait maybe till late December.


    But that reed switch idea, might be the way to go!

    So I'd need two (2qty packets)then? No!
    The one with the wires I glue to the box, close to the metal guide plates which I attach the magnets to (glue). Then as the magnet gets close to the box, the wired reed switch sends the signal to the gate controller to stop the motor - ok.

    Then when the remote is pressed the motor runs the other way, until the wired reed switch activates as the opposite guide plate reaches it...?

    I have some HDD magnets.

    Humm, the current limit switch has three wires and two micro switches.

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    the omron has no/nc and common has a spring actuator and is waterproof google it ?

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    Just check to see if the switch is a changeover. It may break continuity when the open travel is complete and switch to reverse polarity in preparation for the return (close) journey.
    I'm out of my mind, but feel free to leave a message...

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    A quick search and I found the original switch for 80 Ringgit (about $30) in Malayasia.


    just search "comex radion autogate limit spring switch" on google and you'll see a bunch of Malaysian companies selling this switch and all the other spare parts for your gate.

    You can also find similar limit switches out of china for about $5, but you'd just have to modify the bracket to hold the new switch.
    You'll find no shortage of them on aliexpress.
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    Jeeze Trash!
    Don't know how you do it... That Comex looks identical to this one. Only the screw holes would need to changed (brought closer together, which I can do). Otherwise it appears to be the same molding and I assume the same dimensions.

    Before I try and order it. I was thinking of Uncle Festers idea of Reed Switches.

    I include a few photo's of the original internals and the area and the Control board for reference if I go down the Reed Switch way.















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    they are just your bog standard micro limits and the spring just activates
    them by pushing the button.

    i have a few limit switch's here that you could look at using in their place



    im down in banora point.

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    Or bust open a old Microwave and grab them from the door

    Hi fandtm666
    When you do things right, people won't be sure that you have done anything at all

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    Gee, I didn't think it would be that simple inside. yeah, just two standard micro switches, even jaycar sell those switches.
    Yep, recycling microwave oven switches is ideal for that. The actual switches are very common.

    Given that they cost about $3 each, and you have the housing open and it's easily glues back together with some hot glue, replacing the faulty switches will be a lot cheaper than a new unit.
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    Love the wooden insulator


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    Quote Originally Posted by loopyloo View Post
    Love the wooden insulator

    Good one, Loopy.

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    Not a lot gets past Loopy

    I'll be fitting the new micros next week (As Trash mentioned), from Jaycar and if the gate sill plays up, i'll probably have a go at the reed switches.

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    Right:::
    I don't think fitting the new micros is the problem.

    Now! If you notice, the end of the spring does not have the blob on the end (as per Trashes link). Long time ago, this blob fell off/broke (no idea), and the end of the spring kept catching/sticking on the guide plate, causing it to 'rattle/spring' off and vibrate a lot 'hitting' the other side micro: Thus the gate would start to open, the spring would 'rattle' and the door would come to a halt.

    So I, like a genius, decided to grind the end of the spring with a beveled edge (following the contours of the guide plates). This has worked for years and nothing ever happened, until two weeks ago.
    The guide plates also have to be angled - flat - as if they are inclined, the spring follows the 'guide' and this increases the delay to the micro switches! So I'm thinking the limit switch should be changed and I get the 'blob' back so this spring will follow the path as originally designed for.

    Anyway, I decided to try the reed switches... Did not work. In theory it should have, but they just didn't seem to react quick enough. I think the motor control has a 'slowing' down function, so when the reed senses the magnet (I tried a 50mm one), it does go Closed, but the motor keeps going until it hits the cog...!
    I tried various magnet distances as in the length and the actual distance from the sensor to activator part.

    So anyway, I tried to order a new limit switch via Trashes link (had to go through the palaver of registering - now they know all about me!!! , and right at the end to pay (after six screens of ad's / buy this / special offer today / buy this now and get 80% off, ..... they (the original maker), don't sell overseas...!!

    Pissed off!

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    Looking at your photo, the pivot point for the spring is way too loose.
    Is there something in the the other half that keeps the ring on the spring from moving all over the place ?

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    If you can have the switch delivered in Malayasia, I can probably have somebody forward it for you.

    If it's putting the knob back on the end, then you might try take it to Cable Accessories, John Turks or TLE and see if they have a heat shrink end cap for it that might do the job.
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    Hi all,
    Thanks for the offer Trash, I've emailed the company Saturday morning so i'll wait few a few business days - I've offered to pay extra for the postage.

    In looking at it again, I have noticed that the toothed rail (seems to be made of a very dense plastic), where the guide plate (I don't know the actual name), screws down onto the rail: Well the screws have gouged a slight trough as the guide plate has (must have been for a while now), hitting and jamming into the cog as this limit switch has been going faulty.
    NB: Just a update on my reading, I think It's a steel rail covered in nylon... DOH!

    I guess you never know what's happening as one presses the remote button and drives away as you see the door closing.

    I have to weigh up getting a new motor - problem is I have 6 remotes! Not sure if they can be freq'd in, as a new motor would come with a couple different ones, and maybe a new piece of track...
    Anyway, I'll get some ideas of what to do when I pop into a gate company local to me this afternoon. Only found out about them yesterday.

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