Tailwind iQ3 can make your garage door smart - even myQ

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CHAPTERS:
0:00 Intro
00:37 My problem
01:43 How this works
03:03 What to buy
04:02 Installation
07:28 Tailwind iQ3 vehicle sensor
08:46 Controlling a garage door in Apple Home
10:01 Compliance alarm
10:57 Wiring the sensor
11:45 Conclusion
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- Some links in this description are affiliate links and might support the channel at no additional cost to you
- This video and all of Eric Welander's channel is a production of E. Welander, LLC

[@joshuaychung]

After Chamberlain closed down their API, I went with Meross instead. To be honest, I hadn't even heard of Tailwind at the time. I still don't understand Chamberlain's decision to close down the API without, at least, first fully integrating with Apple Home. Now, they've lost a lot of Apple Home users.

[@NoName-dk9tx]

Using a Meross smart garage controller and it's been 100% reliable. Easy to setup and the controller is small enough to connect directly to my older motor unit. Wired sensors are the only way to go, since then you aren't worried about battery-powered sensors. No requirement I've ever seen anywhere locally for a beeper or flashing light for the closing door.

[@ColtonBlumhagen]

I'll definitely keep this in mind. I don't have a private garage anymore but I hated myQ when I did. way too finicky to setup on the network.

[@waylinnelson]

myQ is terrible! They will never come back from this bad decision. I already have Meross, but next time I will get Tailwind.

[@TripHawkPilot]

Ratgdo is way better imo. Takes a bit of tech smarts to integrate but way more options. I can open the door say 20% up, set automation with lights, send notifications if the door is open and no users are home, etc.

[@harrisonashleyfrancis9613]

I use ratgdo as well and love it. It works by plugging into existing wiring unlike the product in the video that has to work wirelessly and therefore doesn’t get to have the enhanced features you’re mentioning for ratgdo. I use it with home assistant but it can integrate with HomeKit and other systems as well.

[@DetroitBORG]

Like many, I ended up buying Meross controllers to add HomeKit back to my MyQ openers. But in order to make them work, I had to buy a modified OEM button on eBay which allowed me to hard wire the Meross controller inline with the opener. The OEM button then acts as the security hand-off for the Meross controller. Basically the Meross controller electronically pushes the OEM button to fool the MyQ opener.

[@charmainejohnson2330]

Love my Tailwind. Easy install and integration to my Home.

[@donpowers6033]

Thanks for the video Eric! I bought a Tailwind when we moved to Delaware having previously the Meross GDO in our previous house in Oregon. The Meross actually worked really well (the only Meross product for which I can say that), but I had to write somewhat of a hack automation to get it to open and close when I arrive or leave (for reasons you point out in the video). The Tailwind in theory had a solution for this with their car sensors. Like you I had a MyQ enabled GDO (albeit an older Craftsman) so had to use the adaptor. Ended up having to solder the adaptor to the Tailwind as the wire nuts for whatever reason were not maintaining a consistent connection. Currently works pretty well although I still occasionally get the dreaded "lockout" error. My big disappointment has been the car sensors. The one in my truck works about half the time (more reliably closes the door than opens it) and has never worked in my wife's car. Because of the way they work I strongly suspect the issue is the poor cell signal around our house. The tutorial video they made for setting up the Tailwind is far superior to the printed instructions except for installation of the adaptor which is hardly covered at all (as you suggested I really had to use my head during this part of the installation). Tailwind support is really slow to respond taking as much as a week to respond to my questions. When they finally do respond their response is generally thoughtful. Anyway, that's my take on Tailwind after about a month and a half of use.

[@lthomas63]

Awesome video as always, Eric! Thank you for all the information!

[@msbgone]

Love mine, when it works, for some reason it is sporadic, but would highly recommend it. Wall mount garage door opener is great, I have a genie and a belt drive one as well, so quite I cannot hear it, which is great that my Tailwind tells me I left it open, LOL!

[@EricWelander]

Haha yes! Bummer yours is being sporadic...After about a month of use so far mine has worked well. 🤞

[@Dr_Cole]

I’ve been using the Tailwind product for about 6 months now and it’s been very reliable. My only conflict is that my WiFi signal goes a bit too far from the house so I need to know when I get in the grey area of barely connected to WiFi vs. cleanly on cellular so I have use the right commands to do what is necessary.

[@eledersbest3478]

Somehow, I managed to install and configure the MyQ bridge for my Chamberlain garage door opener years ago and it’s worked flawlessly since. I was even able to use Apple’s geofencing to open and close my door upon exiting or arriving by simply having my phone with me. It will ask if I want to run the automation and voila.

[@k-money70]

The fact that the sensor also requires the presence of the iPhone is a good thing imo. It is essentially multi-factor authentication making it so someone who finds your sensor if lost can't just drive up and open your garage.

[@EricWelander]

But if I keep it in my car, that should be secure. Then I can let anyone drive my car and the garage door works like magic.

[@96impalass10]

I don’t understand I’ve had no problems with MyQ integration, or is it just the newer MyQ stuff?

[@Aidan-tu4un]

Had a Meross for a year… awesome! Way less complex, smaller sensors, connects to Wi-Fi.

[@EricWelander]

This connects to Wi-Fi too. Also for working with myQ garage doors, Meross has a similar wireless remote. I much prefer this door sensor over the Meross option I’ve seen.

[@neostephens8980]

Why spend extra money on a device like that when the MYQ has an app that works just fine? It's not like we sit there and play with the GDO half the day. The app (for me) works just fine and I don't need another device to tell me that my GDO was left open when the app already does that for me and even alerts me if it has been left open for X number of minutes - set by me.

[@Anonymous99997]

The problem is if you want to be able to integrate into the Apple Home environment so you could, for example, use your watch to open or close the door by just asking Siri to open/close the garage door.

[@neostephens8980]

@@Anonymous99997 True, but for me personally, it's not worth paying for another device just to be able to ask Siri to do something I already have an app on my phone that does the same thing and I can just open the app. But I get it, others many want that extra feature.

[@Reihenmotor5]

Love our Tailwind, got rid of myQ due to its limitations. The sensor is due to Apple’s implementation of security. Looking forward to Tailwind’s future release of their Tailwind app for car’s that are equipped with Android Auto OS. Maybe one day there will be an CarPlay compatible version of the app which may not require the need for the sensor.

[@EricWelander]

Even if it was double the price at $60 instead of $30, what I want is a sensor in my car that doesn’t require a smart phone at all.

[@harrisonashleyfrancis9613]

@@EricWelanderratgdo integrated with home assistant and some automations that pick up your “focus” mode are what a lot of people use. Once you get inside a certain zone you can have your garage door open while in that mode. If you don’t want to do that get a Bluetooth sensor in your garage for home assistant that’ll connect to your car when it turns on or pulls up and connects. Create automations based off that.

[@user-ds8db6ec1b]

Great video. I’m looking at this product for my home. About the sensor needing the phone….. I think it’s intentional as a “2 factor” safety. If the sensor alone could open the garage door then someone could steel it,from your car (and if there’s anything with your address in the car) and access your garage. Currently,you need the sensor AND the phone to open the garage.

[@clintschroeder9941]

Maybe it’s just me. But this seems way too pieced together. There are so many simpler solutions.

[@revx]

The Bluetooth auto-opener seems to be the big sell but it seems like it's really just geolocation sooo 🤷‍♂️

[@Anonymous99997]

MyQ is the worst. I also went with Meross and it has worked well on my Overhead Door (Genie) opener.