Ghost Controls Heavy-Duty Automatic Gate Opener Kit for Swing Gates with Long-Range Gate Opener Remote - Model TSS1

I just installed this gate opener last week and so far it is working perfectly. The instructions were clear and easy to follow - both for the installation, setup and operation. I should have installed this 2 years ago. It seems to be a little slow opening and closing but I'd rather have it be deliberate and smooth than fast.

I bought the gate opener, the lock, an extra remote and two cordless keypads for guests coming and going. It wasn't too bad installing. Here are some tips. First, i built my support columns out of 6x6 wooden posts buried 2 feet in concrete. They recommend installing the opener with posts but I wrapped the posts in salvaged stone I cut with a grinder. To affix the opener and lock I built out the posts with chunks of 4x4 as pictured. That way I could screw into wood rather than stone which I thought might not hold. The posts took about 12 hours and I am a general contractor. On the lock side i had to leave room in the stone for the zombie lock to grab hold of the stationary vertical bolt it grabs as it extends beyond the gate and my gate closes close to the stone. They say not to put a wheel on the gate which i understand in most situations. However, my driveway runs downhill and the wheel only touches ground just before the gate closes. With a wheel, my gate support post has the weight taken off it and the zombie lock glides in perfectly every time. Beneath the wheel right where the gate closes I poured some mortar flush to the ground into a small depression i dug. That way the wheel does not wear a groove into the ground defeating its purpose of gate support. Where the wheel attaches to the gate and where the arm attaches to the gate, you must bolt through everything or the wheel will rotate up and the arm will slide. If the arm slides just a little the gate will not keep shutting correctly. I thought the wiring would be hard but it was easy. The instructions were pretty good but i watched some videos on you tube. Programming remotes and keypads took longer than i would like. After you get it, its easy, but it does take a while.. The instructions they provided with the keyless pad for guests included an addendum i did not see at first. The addendum explained the programming of the keypad whereas the original instructions did not. That drove me mad for an hour and a half so i called customer service. They got back to me the next day but by then i had figured it out. It took a little while to find the buttons in the control box you must press when you first teach the opener how far to open and close. Also, that first week, my gate was smetimes just barely hitting the stone when it closed. So occasionaly it would have to stop short of closing. When it did that it would jump back a foot and stay there. It took me a while to figure out that's what it does when it hits an object while closing. Anyway, the gate was real work - mostly the stone I wanted and it took a while to iron out all of the above issues. But it has been working to perfection now for weeks and oh what a pleasure not to get out of the truck especially in the rain. I highly recommend it. A cut above the low end openers with fewer options.. Lastly, this gate, yours too, is simply a privacy feature. If somebody breaks through it I know what to do. It can easily be defeated with a wrench. You just have to unbolt the arm from the gate. Same with the lock. If somebody dislikes you they can snip the electrical control cord or steal your battery or smash the control box. All very unlikely but thats the reality.One year later or thereabouts the gate is still working great. I am.happy with it. On several occasions over the year, maybe 6 times, it has done something weird like close and then open back up partially when i have gone. At first I tried reprogramming it. Later, i just unhooked it from the battery and it seemed to reset itself and operate properly again. It just gives me peace of mind, and stops the door to door marketers and others i don't want from coming to my house especially when I am not home. So a couple glitches here and there is tolerable. Anybody can open this gate by removing a pin from the hydraulic piston that closes it, but if they do that, they understand why i have a gun in my hand when they show up. Haven't needed to do that, which is why i love the gate.

The media could not be loaded. First snd foremost, I am a novice at using power tools or being handy. So installing this system seemed like it was going to be tough for me. Secondly, note that I tried a few different gate openers prior to going with Ghost Controls and I wish I would had just spent the extra $100 on the first go around and had gone with Ghost Controls.InstallationI watched the videos a few times then started mentally preparing for the install. Having tried installing two other gate opener systems I wasn’t as nervous about ghost due to the installation videos and testimonials alone but I was prepared for a challenge.I first mounted the controller box and battery box to my stone posts, followed by the solar panel. See attached image.Once the boxes were installed I hooked up my batteries to the controller following the simple installation and the provided connection cable.I then connected the first gate opener, closest to the control box, and began testing the open/close functionality setting the stopping angle.Note - I fumbled around with figuring out the right placement for the mounts and actually had to move them due to the angle not giving the opener enough space to open fully. This was really the only tricky part of the install which was only tricky because my mind couldn’t wrap my head around how it was supposed to laid out. However, after seeing my mistake it was easy to just readjust and redrill the stone post holes and refasten to my stone posts.After the first opener was installed I followed the same process for the second opener drilling my holes, fastening the mount, then adding the opener. This took about 10 minutes.I then marked and drilled the opener connector to the gate using the provided mount. A simple two hole per opener, one on each gate. I then fastened the mount to the gate. This took about 10 minutes.I just left the second opener’s long cable on the ground, to be buried later when I was doing cable management.Once I had both openers installed on each gate, and their open/close positions set on the controller I then got to digging the trench for the second opener. I have 9’ gates so a quick 20’ trench using a pitch axe took a good 15 minutes due to the crushed concrete driveway.After the trench was ready I then disconnected the openers from the control panel and fed them through 3/4 conduit. This took about 5 minutes total. Once you everything was fed through I buried my conduit and then drilled the holes in the stone for the pipe connectors. This took about 10 minutes.Using a bit of liquid nails glue I dipped each screw in it and then fastened it to the stone sealing the hold and screw (see image).That was it. The install took about a total of 4-5 hours total over a Saturday and Sunday but was extremely easy and sort of fun.InstructionsThe instructions are simple to follow and are probably the best written that I’ve seen for openers. I tried Mighty Mule and another opener system before going with Ghost. Ghost was soooo easy to install.SpeedThe open and close speed is pretty quick and takes about 25 seconds. See my video for an example. This was much faster than the Mighty Mule and other opener controller I tried. Note, the far side opener will open a few seconds after the short side opener does, and will close first before the short side closes. This is to stagger the open/close functioning and normal.OptionsI ordered the keypad and the touch garage openers which we will secure inside a lockbox to allow easy access for anyone needing to get in while we aren’t home. They come in a few days and once everything is ready to go I’ll update this review.OverallI highly recommend this system for anyone wanting an easy to install am opener whether for a home or property. It not only works amazing, it looks exactly what I wanted and it was extremely easy, even for a novice not-so-handyman like me.

Works fantastic, instructions were very good. I do wish that it would work with regular garage door openers, like are OEM in a lot of vehicles.

Overall, i think it's a good system, especially for the money. Been using it about 6 months without too many problems. Easy to install but you must read the directions closely. They are clear and easy to follow, but you need to read them, or you will miss little programming steps that are important. Many of my problems were user error. If something isn't working right, carefully read the directions again. Buy the Ghost automatic gate lock or you will have problems. Don't buy cheaper aftermarket locks because this one has three wires, and it won't work without. Overall, the lock is very good.i have had problems with the exit drive sensor not working. it might be my fault but i haven't figured out the problem yet. Only other issue i have had is that sometimes (when windy) it does not lock and might even open back up, about 2 feet. Plenty of space for goats and cows to exit.Doesn't happen often, but it does happen. Possibly operator error but the wind can push bigger gates, so I watch it to make sure it locks. Good System that most people could install.