Ever wonder what goes on in your garage when you’re not around? This may mean you have way too much time on your hands. In your defense, though, there might be an alternative explanation. I never USED to spend much time pondering the mysteries of our garage, until we started finding walnuts, along with other less pleasant evidence that some critters had taken up residence in our garage. This made it an ideal candidate for one of Chamberlain’s most recent offerings: The Chamberlain Secure View GDO (Garage Door Opener). They provided one for us to install and evaluate; join us as we explore the view.
There’s another, non-critter related reason, that it’s helpful to be able to take a peek into the garage remotely. A few years back, we bought an old farm house with some acreage. We slowly undid much of the remuddling that’s been perpetrated on it over the past 150 years, and we recently moved in full-time. In the meantime, though, the house often sat vacant for days or weeks at a time between bouts of DIY magic. Unlike the house, the detached garage had no security protection. From humans OR wildlife.
The “Secure View” in the opener’s name, as you might have guessed, refers to the opener’s built-in camera. Equipped with a wide-angle 1080p lens, the camera can be manually tilted and rotated 360 degrees, to view any portion of the garage. The lens is glare-resistant, and automatically adjusts to light levels in the garage. It can even see in the dark! Take a quick peek at the specs, and a short video from Chamberlain, then we’ll dig into the details:
• Integrated video camera enables you to see what is happening in your garage through a live feed or recorded event.
• Features 3,100 lumen LED lighting to fill your entire garage (Model B6765), 2,000 lumens on the B6753T, 1,000 lumens on the B4643T.
• Built-in Wi-Fi® enables smartphone control with myQ®.
• MAX lift power for heavier doors with a lift force equivalent to 1-1/4 HP (B6765 and B6753T) or ¾ HP (B4643T and B4545).
• Open/close your garage door even when the power is out with Battery Backup (B6765 and B6753T).
• Enables secure in-garage delivery for Amazon Prime packages. (Check availability in your area).
How Much GDO Do You Need?
Chamberlain offers two current versions of the Chamberlain Secure View GDO. Both versions include the same HD camera, myQ compatibility, a super-quiet belt-drive motor, and multiple options to control the door.
The original base model, which is still available through some retailers, is the Chamberlain B4545. It has many of the features of the high-end version, but has a less-powerful motor (3/4 hp equivalent vs. 1-1/4 hp), no battery backup, and a less-bright LED light. Specs on the new version, the Chamberlain B4643T, are similar, with a 1,000 lumen LED light.
The version we received, Model B6765, was the top-of-the-line model when we received it in 2021. Since then, Chamberlain has replaced it with a new version, the Chamberlain B6753T. While the LED light lost some lumens, dropping from 3,100 to 2,000, the new version retains the battery backup, and adds Security + 2.0 code compatibility, offering 100 billion codes. That should take a while to crack.
Getting The Chamberlain Secure View GDO On Track
The installation process for the Chamberlain Secure View Garage Door Opener is almost identical to that of a standard Chamberlain GDO. All the parts you need for installation are neatly packed in the big box.
If you’re installing the opener yourself, you can check out our previous post, where we installed a similar Chamberlain opener without a camera. Chamberlain also has excellent How-To videos, and for the tech-savvy, detailed instructions are available using the BILT app.
https://youtu.be/sNiZ-RKdOzg
If you have an existing garage door opener, you’ll likely be able to use the hanging brackets, although they may need some adjustment. Existing wiring for the door sensors and the wall mount control panel should work just fine.
There are a couple of slight differences, though; thanks to the built-in bright LED lights, you don’t have to go floundering around looking for two light bulbs to insert.
On the B6765 and B6753T, there’s one more step: The backup battery has to be inserted and connected. This simply involves removing a panel secured by a single screw, inserting the battery and attaching two slide-on clips, and replacing the panel. Now you’re ready if (when!) the power goes kerblooey.
By the way, the owner’s manual says the battery is good for one to two years. The GDO we removed from our garage also had a battery backup, and that opener was installed in 2015. Before relocating it, I unplugged the opener and cycled it using battery power. Despite being six years old, the battery still opened and closed the big door with no problem.
Queueing Up
Once the Chamberlain Secure View GDO is installed, there’s one more task before you can start spying on your garage: Download and install the myQ app. Available for both Android and iOS operating systems, the free myQ app is your key to controlling the opener’s numerous features.
The instructions that come with the opener are pretty good. Basically, make sure you have a good WiFi signal in the garage, and that you know the name and password for your network. Once you start the process, the app pretty much walks you through the process.
What Can myQ Do For You?
After completing the myQ setup, you’ll be able to answer that almost daily (for me, anyhow) question, “Did I close the garage door?” by simply checking on the app. You’ll also be able to open or close the door from anywhere cell service is available. The myQ app can also send a notification to your smartphone anytime the garage door opens or closes, and any time the camera detects motion.
Now it’s on to the sexy stuff! Using the myQ app with the 1080p camera on the Chamberlain Secure View GDO lets you get a live look at what’s happening in your garage. A live chat feature allows you to carry on a two-way conversation with whoever – or whatever – is in your garage. With an optional subscription, you can also view stored video clips. I signed up for the seven-day storage plan; there’s also a 30-day plan available.
The myQ app can also be used in conjunction with several other products. Alarm.com, Amazon Key garage delivery of packages and groceries, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant and Ring are just a few. There’s even a myQ Pet Portal, a remote-control doggie door. After an extra-long day in the salt mines, you don’t have to worry about coming home to an unwanted gift on the floor. Or a squirrel in your bedroom.
The Chamberlain Secure View GDO Goes To Work
Once the Chamberlain Secure View was installed and the myQ app was set up, it was time to play. I first used the app to check the door’s status, then to open and close it a couple of times. All good; now it was time to see what we could see.
I first checked the “Live view” feature. It was pretty cool – for about a minute. Watching our vehicles sit there with nothing going on was about as exciting as waiting for my computer to reboot. Since my wife didn’t seem to be doing anything important, I enlisted her to open the garage door, walk in and act furtive, and move the truck out. That was more like it!
Every time the door opened or closed, or the camera detected motion, I got a little alert sound on my phone. Pretty soon, I also had quite a list of short video clips, one for each motion event. Video quality overall was pretty good, and the clips can be deleted or downloaded and saved onto your computer, for future entertainment or perpetrator nabbing.
Among the action videos, we got copious footage of our unwelcome rodent guests. The videos helped us locate the hole they had chewed under the siding to make our garage their home. I repaired and fortified the opening, but the evil little ^%$#@^$ just chewed a new entry hole through the opposite wall. The battle continues. I will prevail.
Final Ups And Downs On The Chamberlain Secure View GDO
I’ve been using the Chamberlain Secure View GDO for just over a year now. Its reliability has been excellent; the door has never failed to open, using the myQ app, the vehicle remotes, or the indoor and outdoor keypads.
Thanks to its belt drive, the GDO is super quiet. This isn’t a big deal for our detached garage, but anyone with an attached garage is likely to appreciate how quiet it is. I’m sure our squirrels do.
We certainly appreciate the added sense of security the camera affords. Fortunately, apart from the squirrels, we’ve had no intruders. When we’re not home, though, and a motion alert comes in, it’s nice to be able to verify that it’s nothing more sinister than an unwelcome rodent. Yes, that’s redundant.
We love the myQ app. The ability to open and close the door remotely is a beautiful thing, especially when it’s 11:00 p.m., pouring rain, and we realize the garage door is still open.
My next mission is to get signed up for Amazon Key delivery, so we can have packages left in the garage, instead of in a puddle on the front porch. The app even lets you monitor the whole process; how exciting is that!
Time To Sneak A Peek At YOUR Garage?
Overall, I’m very happy with the performance of the Chamberlain Secure View GDO. Our garage door is 18’ wide, and the chamberlain Secure View GDO has no trouble at all moving it up and down, and the myQ app has been very reliable.
Any complaints? Although the camera does a pretty good job overall, it has trouble when the subject is backlit, e.g. when it’s bright outside and darker in the garage.
My only other complaint is that the older versions of the GDOs came with a wireless keypad to attach to the exterior of the garage. The new ones don’t. This is pretty annoying, as I frequently work outside, and if I want to grab something out of the garage, I have to go back in the house and grab my phone to get in. This is a bad cost-cutting move, in my opinion.
Other than that, I have no problem recommending the Chamberlain Secure View Garage Door Opener. It’s robustly built, and very good at its prime directive: Opening and closing your garage door.
In these times of smart, interconnected everything, though, a GDO that can only open a door is destined to be a relic. Like a cell phone that can only make phone calls. The ability to monitor your garage, and control the door from just about anywhere in the world, is convenient and reassuring. Not to mention kind of cool.
Chamberlain backs the Secure View GDOs with a lifetime warranty on the motor and belt. Parts are covered for five years, and the camera and accessories come with a one-year warranty. Pick one up online or at a nearby home center, and see what kind of squirrely stuff is going on in YOUR garage.
