Diagnostics

​

When we see the term 'On board diagnostics' we ask - why? Spinning a DC or modern AC motor in two different directions is not a big deal. In fact that has been going on with gate operators for over 100 years! So, why do you need a computer to do that? You don't. On Board Diagnostics are needed when the average service tech or DIY person would not normally have the tools needed to figure out what is wrong with the computerized systems. You can easily have over 100 issues with a digital control. If the digital design and quality are high, then reliability will also be high - ie: the modern automobile is an excellent example of high quality design and execution. Why would a gate operator factory use a computer? IMHO - money. The printed digital circuit board is less expensive than an analogue board (saves money) and is not repairable in the field. So, the end user has to go with the factory board and pay through the nose to do so. 

​

We went old school on our operator.

​

1. The mechanical part is your basic 24vdc gear motor - nothing exciting about that. The swing gate operator uses an inline reduction and the slider uses a right angle worm. Both are typical and very reliable.

2. The travel controls on the swinger are factory set and no need for the customer to make any limit switch adjustments. The swinger will always use 100% of available travel in order to maximize the operator abilities. 

3. The travel controls on the slider are again old school and typically only used on commercial operators costing double or more than ours. They work and are reliable - 1,000,000 + cycles! Unlike the magnetic reed switches, they can take more electrical and mechanical abuse.

4. The control board uses a simple design of capacitors, transistors, and resistors. We also use mechanical relays to control the motor. Relays? Look closely at the computerized boards - relays. Definitely the weak link when it comes to reliability from an engineering standpoint. In reality, the relay will last decades before presenting any problems. 

5. Cost for replacing - $83. That is only a fraction of the cost of professional servicing - BUT WAIT - this is a DIY design so you do not need a "professional"! Simply send us an email with your operator symptoms and we will either point out any issues other than the PCB or send you a new one so you can swap it out. Quick, easy, cost effective.

​