What’s your return policy?
We will repair or replace any defective product for a period of one year from date of purchase.
Do you ship oversees and to P.O. boxes?
No. We only ship via UPS ground from Laredo, Texas to continental US addresses.
Do you have customer service?
Yes. If you have any questions, please contact me directly at mexicodoppler (at) gmail (dot) com
Can the motors determine travel? Will they need adjustment or is there accurate feedback for open/closed?
The stepper motors operate without feedback. So the controller keeps an accurate count of where each motor is. In the event of a primary power failure, the controller saves the position of each motor to a memory. Then when power returns, the shades are restored to their UP positions. The system is pretty bullet proof and should not require readjustment once the initial UP positions are set using the JOG commands. But if they ever get off, they can be easily reset without physically removing the shades.
Is the motor waterproof or water resistant from the rain?
It is water resistant. The shades should be mounted on the inside surface of the patio support beam where they are protected from direct rain.
Can I program the controller to lower the shades relative to either sunrise or sunset?
Yes. If the downtime offset is positive, the controller interprets this to be relative to sunrise while if it is negative, it means it is relative to sunset.
Can I program the controller so it does not lower the shades automatically?
Yes. Just set the uptime offset and downtime offset to be the same. Normally these would both be set to zero. Then the controller only works in the manual mode. The shades will still raise automatically. This is a safety feature in case you forget to manually raise them.
Can I use the manual mode to override the timer mode?
Yes. You can press the manual button at any time to make the shades go up (if they are down) or go down (if they are up).
How can I connect my home automation system to the controller?
In the default manual mode (see next question), all the shades are raised or lowered by simply pushing the MANUAL button. The contact on this button is also connected to the terminal strip REMOTE on the controller. So if your home automation system has a normally open relay contact, just connect it to the REMOTE terminals.
How can I manually raise or lower a specific shade?
Beginning with software version 3.20, a second manual mode was added. In that mode (INDIVIDUAL), pressing the MANUAL button repeatedly selects the shade you want to raise or lower, then pressing the SELECT button actuates that motion. For example, if you want to raise Shade #2 (assuming it is down), press MANUAL twice then press SELECT. The manual mode (ALL or INDIVIDUAL) is selected through the SHADES PROGRAM menu. You can upgrade to the latest version of the program following the directions on the Download page.
Can I manually adjust the shade positions while they are down?
Beginning with Version 3.24, there is a third manual mode called ADJUST which allows you to do this. In that mode, pressing the MANUAL button repeatedly select the shade you want to adjust. The pressing the UP or DOWN buttons sets the new down position. One or multiple shades can be adjusted, then the SELECT button causes them to all go to their new down position. You can upgrade to the latest version of the program following the directions on the Download page.
Is there a lower cost alternative to the McMaster NMEA box for mounting the Controller
Yes. Some users have bought the plastic box made by Gratury and listed on Amazon as PN B08281V2RL. As of July 2023, it listed for $25.50 vs $67.07 for the McMaster steel box #7649K11. You will have to use sheet metal screws to mount the Controller plate to the mounting plate provided with the Gratury box.