Motorized curtains with timers?

[Sly]

I have a courtyard right outside my bedroom window that is fully lit all night long. Extremely annoying, as you can imagine, and is more than likely cutting into my sleep quality. I would like to put up blackout curtains, but the catch is, I like the morning sunlight waking me up.

Is there any kind of motorized curtain system that I could put on a timer to open the blackout curtains every morning at a set time? I'm familiar with some of the automated blind systems, those are pretty intense from what I have seen though.

Interested in any ideas. Would love to come up with a compromise that gives me dark at night and light in the morning.

[dyna mo]

hah, next you're gonna be wanting some sort of fancy contraption with a timer that makes your morning coffee.

[Harmon]

Get a lamp on a timer. A really fucking bright one. Aim it at your face at night.

As much as you may love the sunlight, the lamp will still wake your butt up.

Or you could go all geeky and get motors and servos and pulleys and shit.

[MrBottomTooth]

Try to find a local somfy dealer. They have stuff you can automate and use with phones and tablets, etc.

I had some custom blinds made (using somfy motors) for some windows that are too high to reach. I was initially going to go with their zwave stuff that i could automate with the computer but just ended up going with battery powered blinds i can control with a remote control. Ive been using the same set of batteries for over 4 years.i never went with the zwave stuff because i needed to have them hard wired which wasnt really going to work for my location. The wall is solid logs so i would have had to run wires which would have looked like shit .

[aka123]

Originally Posted by Sly

I have a courtyard right outside my bedroom window that is fully lit all night long. Extremely annoying, as you can imagine, and is more than likely cutting into my sleep quality. I would like to put up blackout curtains, but the catch is, I like the morning sunlight waking me up.

Is there any kind of motorized curtain system that I could put on a timer to open the blackout curtains every morning at a set time? I'm familiar with some of the automated blind systems, those are pretty intense from what I have seen though.

Interested in any ideas. Would love to come up with a compromise that gives me dark at night and light in the morning.

At least there are all kinds of timers you can mix with motorized curtains. How about ditching the timer and having sensor that opens the curtains based on amount of sunlight (as that is what you essentially seem to want)? Unless the courtyard is so bright that it fucks up sensors totally. But at least more sophisticated sensors can make difference between different wavelengths, though cost might be problem.

[epitome]

I'm familiar with some of the automated blind systems, those are pretty intense from what I have seen though.

Are you using the word intense as a replacement for too expensive to justify?

If so, you're probably going to have to rig something up on your own. Many basic timers may not work as I believe they just halt and restart a current. Unless you can find blinds that will operate solely on getting juice.

You're probably just going to have to invest more than you're comfortable with if you want to achieve your goal.

[aka123]

Sunlight Sensor For Electric Window Blinds & Shade Motors

Motorize your Curtains and Automate your Home with Somfy



Above DIY kits seems to be about 400-500 USD in total (with sensor).

[Sly]

Originally Posted by epitome

Are you using the word intense as a replacement for too expensive to justify?

If so, you're probably going to have to rig something up on your own. Many basic timers may not work as I believe they just halt and restart a current. Unless you can find blinds that will operate solely on getting juice.

You're probably just going to have to invest more than you're comfortable with if you want to achieve your goal.

Intense, as in, wiring the walls (as mentioned above by MrBottomTooth.)

Nothing to do with cost.

[Sly]

Originally Posted by aka123

At least there are all kinds of timers you can mix with motorized curtains. How about ditching the timer and having sensor that opens the curtains based on amount of sunlight (as that is what you essentially seem to want)? Unless the courtyard is so bright that it fucks up sensors totally. But at least more sophisticated sensors can make difference between different wavelengths, though cost might be problem.

Something like that would be really neat technologically wise, but probably overkill for my purposes. I just want the curtains to open up in the morning so I can wake up to sunlight. I'll keep looking around, got some other good ideas from this thread.

[Barry-xlovecam]

Bali Motorized Window Treatments | baliblinds.com

See the remote with a timer on the bottom right of that page.

[poncabare]

Originally Posted by aka123

At least there are all kinds of timers you can mix with motorized curtains. How about ditching the timer and having sensor that opens the curtains based on amount of sunlight (as that is what you essentially seem to want)? Unless the courtyard is so bright that it fucks up sensors totally. But at least more sophisticated sensors can make difference between different wavelengths, though cost might be problem.

How do you make over 10 posts a day?

[420]

You might be able rig up something with a motorized chicken coop opener. It looks like it has wires though.

Amazon.com: Questions And Answers: Does this work with cordless vertical blinds (wand controlled)

[Grapesoda]

Originally Posted by Sly

I have a courtyard right outside my bedroom window that is fully lit all night long. Extremely annoying, as you can imagine, and is more than likely cutting into my sleep quality. I would like to put up blackout curtains, but the catch is, I like the morning sunlight waking me up.

Is there any kind of motorized curtain system that I could put on a timer to open the blackout curtains every morning at a set time? I'm familiar with some of the automated blind systems, those are pretty intense from what I have seen though.

Interested in any ideas. Would love to come up with a compromise that gives me dark at night and light in the morning.

Motorize your Curtains and Automate your Home with Somfy

Amazon.com - 13ft Electric Motorized Window Curtain Drapery Track Custom Size Remote - Window Treatment Panels

get a photocell to trigger the motor.. put the switch inside the window still.. when the sun comes up!! viola!!

[2MuchMark]

We were looking for the same thing and the designer recommend this

Electric curtains: Somfy, rod motorisation for curtains specialists

[aka123]

Originally Posted by poncabare

How do you make over 10 posts a day?

By posting. Also, the average isn't very good number, as most of my posts come from quite few threads. Median post amount per day is more like 3 posts.

This also has the function to keep my English in good shape, as I am not native English speaker.