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Crown Harbor Homeowner Association

Maintenance Committee Pathway Gate Timers

The setting of the open and close times for the pathway gates are the responsibility of the Maintenance Committee. The lights along the seaside path are on timers. The goal is to have them on from dusk to dawn.

central timer
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crab cove timer
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Locations

  • There is a timer box located at the front entrance gate near Central Avenue.
  • There is also a timer box located at the entrance gate adjacent to Crab Cove.

location

central timer
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crab cove timer
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Gate Control History

  • The opening and closing of each pathway gate was originally done by a photocell. When the photocell detected light, the gate would open. When the photocell detected darkness, the gate would close. This led to complaints from the public when foggy mornings delayed the opening of the gates.
  • To replace the photocell, the Maintenance Committee would set the open and close dates manually. As sunrise and sunset varied based on the seasons, a committee member would have to adjust the open/close times by a few minutes every other week.
  • Since time adjustment was a labor-intensive process, the old timer was replaced with a new timer that automatically accounts for the changes in sunrise and sunset times. The timer has been set to open the gates 30 minutes before sunrise and close 30 minutes after sunset.
timer closed
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timer closed
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New Timers

  • The gate timer near Central Avenue is a Intermatic MODEL ET8000 Series. See the instruction manual for how to set it. The switch is designed to hold power in the event of a power failure. That should last for at least an hour and possibly much longer, the review comments are quite varied at to actual experiences.
  • The gate timer near Crab Cove is a Defiant Model #49814 from Home Depot. See instructions as well as a video showing the setting process. The timer has 2 AAA batteries which keep the timer powered in the event of a power failure. The batteries should be replaced every 2 to 3 years. As such, the batteries should be checked in June 2020.
  • For both switches, the backup power does not operate the gate motor. It just keeps the clock powered so the timer doesn't loose its settings.
  • The boxes they are in are locked, and Tom Burns has a set of keys.
  • The gates are set to open ½ hour before sunrise, and close ½ hour after sunset. The switches should adjust automatically through the year as sunrise and sunset changes.

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