Automatic curtain opener recommendations?

[readiescards]

35 years ago, aged 14, I rejigged the gearbox of a Landrover window wiper to run continuously and bolted it to my bedroom wall and via an adapted Hornby train controller could open (but not close for some reason) my curtains from my bed.  Just wondering if automatic curtain openers have moved on since and if there are any recommendations - needs to be:

 

* mega quiet

* automate-able 

* electric or compressed air (not so keen on steam power or hydraulics)

 

thanks

[ToughButterCup]

11 minutes ago, readiescards said:

35 years ago, aged 14, I rejigged the gearbox of a Landrover window wiper to run continuously [...]

 

I wondered where that gearbox went. Can I have it back please? It's failed its MoT every year since then......

 

[PeterW]

Saw some at one of the shows (ideal home I think) and nearly fell over when they told us the price ... think it was Gliss and it was about  £500 per rail ....

[AliG]

Yes I saw the same thing. the prices are insane. It is just a curtain track with a small electric motor. How do they get to hundreds of pounds.

 

I found these on eBay which are a bit more reasonable but can't comment on the quality. Looks like they'd do the job.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-7-Meters-276-Remote-Control-Electric-Curtain-Tracks-Free-Fast-Delivery-/231807878284?var=&hash=item35f8d3848c:m:mGz0EjgWbi6Os-ZH9bKzqeA

[Dudda]

56 minutes ago, AliG said:

Yes I saw the same thing. the prices are insane. It is just a curtain track with a small electric motor. How do they get to hundreds of pounds.

 

I found these on eBay which are a bit more reasonable but can't comment on the quality. Looks like they'd do the job.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-7-Meters-276-Remote-Control-Electric-Curtain-Tracks-Free-Fast-Delivery-/231807878284?var=&hash=item35f8d3848c:m:mGz0EjgWbi6Os-ZH9bKzqeA

That's more affordable and this is an idea I hadn't considered. I might pull a cable to the two large main downstairs windows before we start plasterboarding encase I want one in future. The cable will end up hidden behind a curtain so no harm in having it.

 

At the moment the only need I see for automated curtains is security as having lights and curtains which operate while we're away will make it look like someone is home. When I get to the stage where I can't manually close a curtain I'm sure I'll have bigger things to worry about and hopefully technology will have moved on by then.

 

EDIT:

Was thinking more about this. While you're out during the summer you could have blinds or curtains close automatically if the solar gain get's to high and reduce the amount the house would over heat. It's fairly easy to incorporate into a home automation system.

http://y2shop.com/eshop/FAQ_electric_curtain_tracks/faq_home_automation_integration

Edited March 27, 2017 by Dudda

[Barney12]

If you can find one in the U.K. then an add a motor is an option. You need curtain tracks with a pull cord.

I had them in the barn and they worked very well but are quite noisy.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Motor-Drapery-Existing-Add-Motor/dp/B01N8T8OLQ

 

Edit: a review here: 

 

http://www.automatedhome.co.uk/reviews/add-a-motor-curtain-controller-review.html

Edited March 28, 2017 by Barney12

[TerryE]

Jan had a sole-trader business making up-market curtains before she retired. She used to offer manual closers, and we have them on our curtains. Drawing heavy curtains across a decorative poll can require a surprisingly large force, so any automated system would need pretty high torque and be wired or have difficult to conceal batteries.

 

Have you not considered a Roman blind?  You can now get RF / WiFi controlled rollers where the motor, gearing and batteries are concealed in the barrel and there's a PV strip on the outer facing side which generates enough power in most uses that you don't need any external cabling at all.

[Trw144]

May not be what your looking for but we just have installed 9 automated roller blinds - as well as push button control, the home automation will close them to avoid too much solar gain, and they will also open up in the mornings to try and wake the kids for school. We used a company called powered blinds and whilst they weren't cheap, they were a lot less than some others I received quotes from. They use somfy motors.

[Grosey]

13 hours ago, Trw144 said:

May not be what your lookIng for but we just have installed 9 automated roller blinds - as well as push button control, the home automation will close them to avoid too much solar gain, and they will also open up in the mornings to try and wake the kids for school. We used a company called powered blinds and whilst they were nt cheap, they were a lot less than some others I received quotes from. They use somfy motors.

 

I've been looking at these, what control system and power input did you go for?

[readiescards]

I'm trying to achieve a real sunrise alarm but don't want to me woken up by a buzzy motor wirring away.  I doubt the misses will convert to roman blinds or roller blinds but will put it to her. Thanks for the ebay links too.  Also looking for something that uses an existing curtain pole as the primary curtain support.  I used a couple of pulleys last time and the existing curtain track.

[Trw144]

6 hours ago, Grosey said:

 

Ive been looking at these, what control system and power input did you go for?

 

I used their 230v motors without any of their own controllers as I have a Loxone home automation kit for that side of things.

[PeterW]

2 hours ago, readiescards said:

I'm trying to achieve a real sunrise alarm but don't want to me woken up by a buzzy motor wirring away.  I doubt the misses will convert to roman blinds or roller blinds but will put it to her. Thanks for the ebay links too.  Also looking for something that uses an existing curtain pole as the primary curtain support.  I used a couple of pulleys last time and the existing curtain track.

 

Simple....

 

Two solenoids holding the  rail onto its brackets - at sunrise the pins retract and the rail falls to the floor..... you have til sunset to reset it manually ... 

[TerryE]

16 hours ago, Grosey said:

I've been looking at these, what control system and power input did you go for?

 

As I said the ones I came across used PV and internal batteries, but they did have a 5V charging point just in case they needed a top up charge in the depths of winter.  They used one of the standard RF protocols.  I can't remember which as I don't use RF at all, just Wifi

[Jeremy Harris]

Can anyone explain to me why electric roman blind headers are so ludicrously expensive?  I've fitted quite a lot of roman blinds in the new house, and have to say they are way better than curtains in just about every respect, including having the useful attribute of being able to block the sun when partially down, and they take up less room.  Having read this thread I thought about adding electric actuators, thinking they would make life a bit simpler for the harder to reach windows.  I looked at the price and was just gobsmacked.  The rollers seem to use a smaller version of the same brand motor that operates my 3m wide garage roller door, but that motor is double the price.  Seems insane to me to pay the best bit of £500 to motorise a £200 blind.

[TerryE]

6 hours ago, JSHarris said:

Seems insane to me to pay the best bit of £500 to motorise a £200 blind.

 

Now there's a challenge for you.  I am sure you could make one for a quarter of this

 

PS. on a serious note, You can get manual roller and Roman blind kits pretty cheaply.  A small project box with an Arduino, esp8266 or RPi3 Model A+ to give you WiFii control and a small servo motor and pulley on the inside or outside of the box -- just mounted in the reveal.  Maybe not as neat as hidden in the roller barrel but still entirely doable for well under £100 and more like £30 if you use the ESP board that I use and source the components direct from China.