Electromagnetic Dog Door

electromagnetic dog door

Rofu 8011-004 Magnetic Door Locking Delayed Egress System $548.62 Self contained system Built in Piezo Alarm at 85db 12 VDC output for remote alarm Fire Alarm contact Anti Tamper Alarm Reset contact for keyswitch or remote resetting Relay for remote monitoring Bond Sensing circuit Built in watch dog circuit to check system???s operation Adjustable Nuisance Time Delay to prevent false alarms 15 second egress delay Two reset methods Automat…

High Tech Pet Doors – Most Popular Brands Reviewed

PetSafe Smart Door

About $145 on Amazon. This door is reported by customers to have difficulty opening consistently. Customer reviews state that pets have to be right in front of the door for it to unlock, and even then, it doesn’t always work. The sensor that’s supposed to automatically unlock the door often jams, requiring a good deal of force to unlock it. When it does register, it is only a few seconds before the door locks again and resets. If your pet isn’t sprightly enough to make it through the door in time, it will have to stand there for 10 seconds until the door registers the key again. Customers have reported that even when the door works it often still gets stuck in the open position. When the door is open while attempting to lock it freezes in whatever position it happens to be.  Another reported problem concerns the fobs that must be attached to the pet’s collar. One customer reported that his dogs managed to get the fobs apart within 5 minutes of wearing them and promptly tried to eat the batteries. This is not a door that I recommend.

Cat Mate Electromagnetic Cat Flap

Selling for about $70, the Cat Mate is a one of the lowest cost locking doors. The collar contains a magnet that attaches to your pet’s existing collar. As it gets close to the sensor, the door unlatches so the pet can go through. It is necessary for the magnet to get within about 1.5″ of the sensor, and it opens for only a few seconds, which could pose a problem for your pet. The electric lock works in one direction, outside to inside, allowing the pet free access to go outside anytime. The door is made of clear hard-plastic that holds up well. The door can be manually locked in both directions, one direction, or can be left open for the automatic locking method. Because the door does not automatically lock in the outgoing direction, adroit raccoons are able to open the door from the outside and crawl in. This system is not keyed, meaning that any other pets in the neighborhood that use the same magnetic collar system will be able to get in.

SureFlap Microchip Cat Flap

Sells for about $150 at Amazon. The SureFlap Microchip Cat Flap is designed with a keyed access for your cat by detecting the unique code from a micro-chip. A button is used to record the id of each of your cats. Micro-chipped cats that have not been recorded, cannot unlock the door. The unit operates on a 4 AA batteries. A low battery indicator flashes when the battery is running down. The electric lock works in one direction only (coming in from the outside) allowing your pets free access to go out anytime, but, at the same time, allowing all clever raccoons free access to come in once they figure out they can open the door from the outside. The door also includes a mechanical lock that can be set to only allow incoming, outgoing or no access. Only one door size is available.

PetSafe – Staywell Infrared Pet Door

Sells for about $130 on Amazon. The Staywell Infrared uses a small infrared key that hangs from the collar (included). As the pet approaches the door from the outside, it unlocks and the pet can push the door open. The electric lock only works when coming in. The pet can always go out, although there is a knob that can prevent the flap from opening inward, outward or completely locked. The door is made of clear hard-plastic that has mixed reviews, some reviewers claiming that it holds up well, others stating that it’s flimsy and tends to pop off its housing easily. A small magnet keeps the door in the down position. Because the door does not automatically lock going from the inside to the outside, smart raccoons can readily figure out how to open the door from the outside and come in for a free meal. The unit has a beeper and blinking LED to notify you when the battery gets low, but the LED is behind the battery cover and very hard to see and access. The unit runs on batteries, and, although it claims you can attach and power it from an AC adapter, customers have reported a hole where there should be an AC adapter, but no actual connector, so it’s not clear as to whether they have discontinued the adapter feature. The collar key uses two small hearing aid size batteries and is poorly marked as to the direction you install the batteries. If you put the batteries in backwards, it gets hot quickly. The key comes in four key codes (by color), which indicates the key that will work. This means if your neighbor uses a blue key, and you have your door set to work with the yellow key, the neighbors pets will not get in, but you must be sure to order the same color key for multiple pets. Users have reported that on some models, the unit did not work reliably and was quite loud when it closed, sometimes scaring the pet. This may be a good door for the money if you don’t have raccoons and you live in a relatively mild climate.

High Tech Pet – Power Pet

PX-1 model sells for about $275 on the Sam’s Club website. Customer reviews on this electronic pet door, made by High Tech Pet Products, Inc., deem it to be a well built unit that has been very reliable.  This door is more expensive than most, but, accordingly, also has several unique features. It has several sizes and models, each priced differently, even offering a model that can be installed alongside your sliding glass patio doors. It is actuated by a pet collar that  causes the motor driven panel to move up and down. When the doors fully close, an automatic pin lock secures the door in place. It has separate controls for disabling each direction (going in or out), manual open along with separate inside and outside sensitivity controls (for setting pet distance before it opens). It also has indicators showing what options are set and a low battery indicator. The door can run on AC (with included AC adapter) or an optional backup battery that works without AC for several days. There is no limit to the number of pets that can use the same door, so long as each has the transmitter collar. There is no key coding on the transmitter, so keep in mind that if your neighbor purchases the same unit, their pets can use your door too. Also keep in mind that electronic doors with such a high degree of technology will occasionally have mechanical and electronic problems. Should anything break, you may have to order parts or ship it back to the manufacturer for replacement. There were a few negative reviews on the collar transmitter, which apparently can be accidentally turned off by pets scratching so you have to make sure you check this from time to time. Customers have reported that they put tape over the switch. One even reported soldering the switch to keep it permanently in the “on” position. The collar strap has been reported by some customer reviews as hard to adjust, or difficult to remove. Even with the few negative issues I’ve run across in customer reviews, the glowing reviews far outnumber the negative ones. It appears to be the most well built and have the best environmental seal of any doors I’ve researched. Customer reviews have stated that the seal is very weather-proof and tight enough that ants and other insects can’t get through when it’s closed. If you can afford the price, this is a door that I would recommend.

 

About the Author

By Marilou Sabina, remarkablepets@gmail.com

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