How to Measure Standby Current Draw from the Gate Opener

How to Measure Standby Current Draw from the Gate Opener

Overview

In this article you will learn how to measure the standby current draw from your gate opener. The standby current draw of the gate opener using only the provided accessories should be 15mA to 18mA. This number will be higher if you have additional accessories installed. Measuring this can be useful if the battery is not staying charged due to an accessory pulling too much current.

What You Need

  1. Digital Muli-meter capable of reading DC amperage. The fuses in the meter must be good.

Procedure

Openers With a Battery Harness Fuse

If you have a battery harness that has a fuse installed on the red wire coming from the battery, use these instructions.
  1. Remove the 20A fuse from the positive (red) wire that is connected to the battery.
  2. Disconnect the red and black plug from the bottom of the battery controller.
  3. Change the meter settings to DC mA with a range of at least 200m.
  4. Set the meter leads into the fuse holder where the 20A fuse was removed from, one lead in one leg and the other lead in the other (polarity does not matter).
  5. The meter will read the standby current draw.

Openers Without a Battery Harness Fuse

If you don't have a battery harness that has a fuse installed on the red wire coming from the battery, use these instructions.
  1. Disconnect the ring terminal(s) connecting to the positive post of the battery.
  2. Identify the ring terminal that leads into the gate opener's control board.
  3. Change the meter settings to DC mA with a range of at least 200m.
  4. Put the positive lead of the meter on the disconnected ring terminal that leads to the gate opener's control board. Put the negative lead of the meter on the positive post of the battery.
  5. The meter will read the standby current draw.



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