MyQ wants to RUIN my smart home! Hello RATGDO 

Who's ready to Rage Against The Garage Door Opener?! 🙋🏻‍♂ Take that, Evil Corp!

Kudos to you! I refuse to pay subscription fees! $10/mo for this and that, it all adds up. It's a slow death from hundreds of tiny bee stings.

Thanks for covering this, Reed! Definitely the right call to change Chamberlain/MyQ to Evil Corp! We’ve also ordered a RATGDO to replace the e-waste generated by Evil Corp. Like you, I was surprised at how many automations in our house involve the garage door. 😮 Evil Corp: You really screwed up with this decision. Like Reed, I will never buy another one of your products. I will never subscribe to your services. I will never recommend your products to anyone else. You blew so much user community goodwill. You have damaged your brand and reputation to the point that you will probably never recover with the smart home community. Buh-bye, and I hope you go bankrupt! 😡

And that is why you should never buy anything that relies on the cloud to perform basic functions. It'll either become chargeable tor will shut down.

So glad you covered this. So irritating that Evil Corp did this.

Thanks for doing the video! I also purchased Evil Corp's openers when I was first getting into smart home automation. So, it was very nice that you covered the RATGDO installation as that is my next purchase! Very cool that you covered another option as well!

For parking assistance, instead of laser beam,using a mmWave sensor to measure distance and show progress bar on your ceiling strip light would be next level dam cool!

Thanks for explaining why this is such a big deal Reed. I didn't realize that garage door openers aren't just a dry contact anymore until now. I've got an old one and control it with a Shelly relay and I have a tilt sensor on the door to tell me if it's open or closed. I didn't realize my setup only works on old school openers.

RATGDO seems like a slick option, and maybe I'll invest in one eventually. A similar option to the 2nd solution is to wire a ZWave garage door opener to the physical button on the Chamberlain button. This is what I did for mine.

I had a MyQ garage door for years and I reluctantly accepted it. Last year I installed 3 additional garage door openers with high end models without the MyQ crap and went with a Meross setup. I have been happy with that setup and its integration into Home Assistant. This obviously forced me into replacing that last MyQ privacy invasion scam product. Kind of happy that Chamberlin helped me place this tumor extraction at the top of the priority list.

You can also use a Zwave momentary power relay. It connects after the garage door button and the garage door opener.

Hey Reed, great video! I love the Evil Corp reference! 🤣 I got my RATGDO in a couple of weeks ago and it was dead simple to set up. I flashed with ESP home as well and it popped right into Home Assistant. Just a suggestion for you and others, you can also use Wago connectors to make it super simple to connect, especially if you have very little room for all the wires in the push terminals on the Evil Corp garage door opener. 👍

I now regret purchasing the Chamberlain garage door opener. The integration in home assistant was a big reason I made the purchase. As soon as I can get a RATGDO. Thanks for the info.

Thank you! I didn't know what it stood for :) Can't wait to get mine; been on order about 3 weeks now. Great content!!

I just installed Meross and I love it. Response instantly! I was also able to install the contact sensors at the opener instead of running it to the garage doors. P.S. - screw MyQ

I got the myQ hub and garage door sensors pre Home Assistant. Just wanted the cool feature to open / close the garage doors from my phone. When I started using Home Assistant, it automatically discovered the myQ hub. In the end, I was only really using myQ as open / close switches to trigger other automations. It worked but was a little slow (definitely acceptable) since the doors had to be fully up or down and wait for communication with the cloud. So, when the API no longer worked, I simply went to using the Aqara contact sensors. That solved my automations. Plus, was much faster since it was local and it didn't matter if the garage door(s) partially open or closed. I was disappointed with the change that myQ made but for me, worked out for the better.

Tennis Ball is local control that works even when power is out.

Great coverage! Thanks a ton!!!

Thanks for putting this together. I ordered a Ratgdo and got it wired up. It doesn't replace Evil Corp out of the box, but I'm sure I can figure the rest out.

Hmmm. Glad I found this video. I’ve been right on the edge of ordering a MyQ for my door. Subscription for a garage door opener? How about NO. 💩

Also ordered the RATGDO some time ago - still waiting for delivery 🚚 Love the idea with the laser!!

Brilliant, just what I've been looking for, for ages! I knew there was a work around EvilCorp. BTW, I use a double laser, very handy, but need to add that safety feature of power only when the door is open.

about 15 years ago, I took apart an extra garage door remote, soldered some wires to the button, and hooked it to the output on a PTZ camera. It would open and close the door with my phone, but it was more difficult and I only used it rarely... but it did work.

My builder installed my Chamberlain openers. I recently bought a Zooz relay, thinking I could use it to control them, but their instructions say otherwise. This video is very timely!

Great video as always, thank you! I was just starting to look at options to replace my previously awesome MyQ due to them dropping HA integration..

100% feel the same way. I installed Meross which works SO SO good. No more delays (like Evil Corp) had when closing. Works perfectly with Homekit. I had one of those Homebridge for the Evil Corp on two doors. It was so Flaky. Laughing though because I sold it to someone on ebay for $80. Have fun with that! On a side, the crap big company was Belkin WEMO. Complete garbage. I am in the process of replacing everyone of these in my house with Meross. Again, they just work and work fast. At the end of the day most of home will be split between Aqara and Meross now.

I use an inching switch to control the garage door and I installed a retractable extension cord right behind the opener. This gives me the same functionality of the tennis ball with the added benefit of having 3 outlets easily accessible.

Great video - my RATGDO just arrived today - so just need to get it setup - which looks super simple and can finally be rid of Evil Corps shenanigans.

I couldn't agree more with you on Chamberlin! Thank you for figuring out some solutions!!

Great video. Just ordered my ratgdo since I just bought a house that has a myq unit. IRT the laser pointer, as much as I like using tech to solve problems, my solution to that was to install a convex mirror on the wall with a small adjustable mount.

was actally about to buy the addon kit for my unit im glad I saw this first.

Nice video covering nice new features. I just use a Sonoff relay on inching. Door open or closed with a Sonoff D2. No problems for years and years now. Controls door, integrates/triggers lights inside and outside the garage and house. (Detatched garage. ) Talks seemly to Alexa, Google, etc. I wondered why pay extra for MyQ. Though I have an iHost, I really don't care if someone in China can monitor my garage door... I'm always home.

Talewind also has a solution that is UL 325 compliant AND has a HA integration (HACS)

Great idea. I’m going to implement your idea right away, thank you! MyQ sucks. I have 3 doors connected through an Ethernet hub. Worked great for 3 years. Now there are constant problems.

For my Evil Corp yellow learn button opener, I just took the button assembly off of my wall, soldered a wire to each side of one of the contact switches under the button (there's two) and ran that to a Shelly relay. I use aqara door sensors to know if the door is open or closed. I then set the shelly relay to work as a button with a .5 second closed time.

I love that I have an old dumb garage door opener! Made it super easy to just toss in a Shelly Relay to open and close the door, and local control! I love the motion sensor laser for parking, gonna have to set that up!

Get an extra push button switch for the myq system and wire the meeros to the button contacts. Then wire the push button to the garage opener. The meeros will close the contacts and the switch will send the coded signal to the garage opener. Viola, this is how I got mine working. The moment that garage opener fails, I am replacing it with something that will not try to rip me off on monthly cost for smart access when I got HA.

I use an ismartgate device. Works great and has a battery powered sensor that I attach to the door itself to always be 100% sure of the garage door status. The battery is a common battery and last a long time.

Hey reed, I've been using a Shelly 1 to control my 2 dumb doors for a few years now. And now that evil Corp broke the ha integration on my shop I'll be putting a Shelly 1 on there too. I had to supply my own wire and magnetic sensors but it's simple to setup. Then I use ha to detect when I get home or leave to open and close the door!

You should mention that ratgdo sells an installation kit, so it’s easy to install . No soldering or 3d printing required!

Thanks Reed. I've had my eye on this Ratgdo.

Ha! Thanks for expressing what we all feel so concisely. And for citing one of my favourite tales to do so.

I did the same thing with a small board from sonoff and wired it to a spare remote button. The board triggers the remote and the door opens. Board was 5 bucks and the remote was 15. Screw the evil corp

Agreed on Evil Corp's blocking the API and the fact that, if I ever have to buy another garage door opener, I will absolutely not buy Chamberlain/Liftmaster ever again. This is truly a horrible example of what not to do on the part of a smart device seller.

Thank You. Was pretty nettled after the home assistant posting.

Been using the "meross" method for years. Evil Corp's way never worked very well for me from the beginning thankfully. So I used an ESP8266 relay to "click" a button on the cheap extra remote door opener. You can even power the door opener remote directly from the ESP so no battery needed in it.

I was wondering if I could use a Switchbot Fingerbot to just press the garage button? Unsure how well that’d work / how well it’d look (acceptance factor) but if it worked, I could give Evil Corp the finger each time I use it.

Good on you for speaking out! Here's a comment to help drive engagement!

So I actually took my switch down that was next to my door, soldered wires in that activate the switch so the logic and encoding that exist in the switch still are leveraged with my Smart Home garage door opener. It has worked pretty well.

I just got my RATGDO devices for both my doors. Super easy install. Only thing is that gauge to open the door a certain percentage doesn’t seem to be working.

Yeah, MyQ was actually my gateway into smart devices. Pretty damn disappointing when I found out you can't do ANYTHING else with it. Never buying their product again, that's for sure!

I just bought a trackt. It is a commercial product, clear install instructions, and even has a car sensor.

Went old school on my solution.... Relay, esp8266 (flashed with esphome), a spare door opener and a magnetic reed switch. Works a charm and as a bonus no delay on closing sand no annoying beeper

Hey, garage door guy here and I may have some insight on this topic. First I want to say is I with they made integration easier and open. The reason why they lock it down so bad is the integration of wifi. To allow them to stay compliant to safety laws they have to do certain things when closing remotely to stay in compliance. They have to sound a audible alarm in the garage before and during operation as well as have a visual alert by flashing the lights for the hearing impaired. That's why the retro fit kits come with a external box that has a light and a beeper, anything security 2.0 has that tech built in and is compatible with myq even if it doesn't have built in wifi(requires a hub). It use to be you could just short out the wires and that would send the signal to move but now it's controlled from a circuit board in the wall button that communicates with the motor. It helps in situations where internal wiring can get damaged and short out but makes it difficult when trying to install accessories. That control board it neat, it even has features like the door hight that myq doesn't have.

The Garage door here has the 'learn' but isn't recent enough to have wifi connectivity. My solution was to buy an extra remote, set it up with a Switchbot Robot to activate door opening/closing. Then used an Aqara door sensor and a gravity pivot (3d printed) that detects whether the door is open/closed. That all interfaces with Home Assistant. Also not concerned about the light, as I have a light socket right next to the garage door opener, that I dropped a smart bulb into, and have a motion sensor in the garage that activates it or not. If we ever get the garage to a state where one of us can park in it... Then I might consider the laser pointer.

Got a Ratgdo 6+ months ago... and has been working great with HA. Recommended.

Remootio is also a decent device that works well with gates that works with homekit too, im not sure how it is for garage doors but its pretty good for open/close functionality

I just ended up finding a HomeKit bridge by Liftmaster and now I have local control over my MYQ Garage Door opener.

I feel like I’m missing something here. I have 2 Chamberlain openers that have built in WiFi. They connect directly to home home’s WiFi. I can open/close the doors with the MyQ app, or with the standard included openers. I pay no fees whatsoever.

What is that mat on your bench when you stripped the wires?! Also what a fantastic name for a device, RATGDO! 😂😂

Had MyQ Smart Garage Control addon - Trashed it and replaced with Refoss/Meross thingy works perfectly. Never going back will avoid all Chamberlain products in the future.

Until October I was using IFTTT to interface MyQ with Alexa. As of November 1st, Evil Corp cut of access to the APIs needed by IFTTT to work. I have ordered the Meross controler.

I am also not a fan of Evil Corp. I am looking into something to replace their app myself, so timing of this video was great.

Not just the monthly fee - their darned app has ads in it too.

Good work on the laser! 😊

MyQ was obviously a low-hanging fruit scam by a supposed high-end manufacturer. It degrades their brand. Like monthly fees for heated seats.

We have several garage doors with Evil Corp openers. These openers will literally be the first things I replace the moment an open alternative is available. It's only a matter of time.

The for the video. I stumbled on this when looking for a way to hardwire a MyQ controller to a garage door opener. At our firewall we have three tall bay doors each on a commercial opener. The openers do have a RF controller hardwired to the opener, but as its commercial, I think the frequencies used are different than residential. Are you aware of any way I can hardwire a MyQ to the door opener? Or other options? The current RF is very difficult to use through a steel building, so internet base andiod app would be good.

I'm ragging too! Pitched my MyQ a week ago!

Reed I love you so much (no homo) I’ve been looking for a video on how to set this up and you have done just that

They just proved the concept of corporate greed. What happened to the day companies got rich by putting out a good product without screwing over their customers use of that product in any way the customer sees fit. There's no reason you need a web service to use the the inherent functions of the product. I do, however, disagree with your statement of them not losing money if they opened the API. You are correct the users who have not been using their app to use the product wouldn't be buying the service anyway, but if the other users saw there was a way to not have to pay for the service they too would also not buy the service which would be loss of the companies profit going forward.

I have 7 garage doors and 2 regular doors (Yale locks) integrated into MyQ and no subscription. With the exception of the partial opening, the app can do everything you can do on the whatever app you showed (door open/shut/opening/closing, light on/off, errors for stuff obstructing the sensor etc. I do NOT have chamberlain garage door openers, i have more expensive one with MUCH larger commercial doors, but it still uses MyQ and no type of interface, just wifi directly to the app. I don't have any sort of fees though.

The reason why they disabled it (and why they won't enable local control) is they're trying to position themselves for partnerships with Amazon and Walmart for in-garage delivery. To do that, they have to prove that their systems are "unhackable" and secure. Hence the blocking of any unauthorized apps.

Just FYI for some - if you have a newer opener from evil Corp you can't just short the wires anymore. It's not a simple button push. I hated what they did so much I cancelled an actual subscription for my Tesla so they lost a customer due to this.

Just ordered mine, thanks for the info! MyQ sucks.

ordered my RatGDO a couple of weeks ago and it's in production. Woohoo!.. I can't believe these companies that have you buy hardware and then change the rules to make you pay a subscription to use it the same way you've been using it.

Excellent video. I too was p*ssed off at Evil Corp last month and ordered a RATGDO. Getting the PCB took about a month. It works great in Home Assistant. I chose the MQTT integration and highly recommend the RATGDO to anybody. Good riddance Evil Corp. I will never buy another one of their products.

How do we feel about the Genie garage door opener?

just installed 2... easy as pie and works great. Question: any suggestions on keypad access? I have the chamberlain now that my son and guests use to open the garage door. I'd like to replace with a "smart" keypad.

Thanks for a great video! Question, does the Ratgdo integrate into Apple’s HomeKit? If not, does it integrate into Homebridge? Appreciate it!!!

Reed have you tried or reviewed Konnected products and or garage opener?

Any chance you tried the relays available on ratgdo? How many amps can those relays handle?

Can't wait for Matter to support garage doors

Bought both these options as well. Stick it to em! Yeah! :)

AMEN. Good evilcorp rant!!!

Just got my RATGDO’s - THESE ARE AMAZING. Can you teach us how to add it the best way from home assistant to Apple HomeKit?

So they are the Apple of the garage door openers.

Reed...any way you can comment on when/if you have to take the Ratgdo down after use? Getting it to reset seems tricky and not really clear anywhere. There will be more than just me who needs this...in the meantime, I simply attached my Fingerbot to the wall unit and replaced the Fingerbot "click" with all that I was doing with Ratgdo, but, I'd prefer to have Ratgdo back up...If you're waiting and have a Fingerbot laying around, it works pretty well!

Thanks Reed.

Quick small thing, but I think it's important. Toward the end when you said it was a miss for Chamberlain to cut out 20,000 of its users. You're off by a factor, it's actually *200,000* that they gave the bird to. They say it's just a small fraction of their users, which is true, but when they're a company that big, in raw numbers it's not so small. Credit to Nilay Patel and The Vergecast for doing that math.

I can hear your wife now “ what did you just buy?” And you saying babe it’s for the channel.😂 good job 👍

Glad that I have a now discontinued WiFi bridge that allows local control! 🤠👍

i'm looking for a smart lock but for a patio door and i can't find one . any ideas ?

I have the old chamberlain without myq integration. Can I directly use Merros or something similar?

I was in the same position as you. Unfortunately my garage door opener is pretty dumb so I can't get the extra out of it. I used a Shelly and 2 aqara dòor detectors and all is good again.

Nice Reed! Can you please explain briefly how the kasa smart strip only gets power when the door is open? I want to get this laser, but like the idea of it on only when open. Thanks and oh that Evil Corp!!! My tailwind is interfering with add on carplay device and then Evil corp stopped supporting the things I needed....

Evil Corp! 😂🎉 Earned that like comment subscribe

i don't use home assistant, but hoobs. Do you still have to flash with esphome?

So I have a lift master garage motor. First I bought and tried the Nexx garage door system. I use my iPhone and my network to control the garage door. The problem I had with the Nexx was the company never updated their firmware, customer service was poor. Also, my WiFi was weak because I live in a 2 story condo unit and my garage is obviously downstairs and one unit away from my router. So needless to say that Nexx was a hit and miss when used. So then I got MyQ smart garage hub system thinking it would work better, but unfortunately the weak WiFi makes it more frustrating to operate. I know I need a WiFi mesh system but honestly i don’t think it will work because of how many walls are between my router and my garage. Anyone know if there something better out there that I can do? Thanks for your time!!

About that tennis ball: if it works, use it. A low-tech solution that doesn't need any electricity. My father used the same method (but with a smaller ball) in his garage.