Hi all,
I’ve been tinkering with home automation for a while now, and I thought I’d share my latest project. I’ve managed to set up a system where my gate opens automatically as I approach my house. It’s a mix of creativity and problem-solving, and I’d love to hear others’ thoughts or experiences!
Here’s how it works: My gate can be controlled via an app (Centsys) or by receiving a call to the SIM card inside the control box. I’ve set up Siri to call a contact labeled “Gate,” which triggers the motor. But I wanted to take it a step further—using Home Assistant (HA) to automate the process based on my phone’s GPS location.
The idea is simple: As I get closer to my house, HA detects my location and sends a call to the gate’s SIM card, opening it. I’ve also considered using SMS instead of calls, but the call method is more reliable for now.
Now, the challenges:
- Can HA send notifications or calls to a phone number not connected to my network? My gate is too far to be on my local network, so I need a workaround.
- Does HA support location-based triggers when I’m not on my home network? I’d love to use my iPhone’s GPS data to trigger the automation.
I’ve done some research, and it seems possible with the right setup, but I’m still figuring out the details. If anyone has experience with similar projects or knows of any limitations, I’d be grateful for the insights!
It’s a fun project, even if it’s a first-world problem. Just the thought of my gate opening as I pull up to the driveway is pretty satisfying!
Cheers,
Andy