Low-voltage gate automation: how the upgrade works

All work is low-voltage (under 50 V DC). No line-voltage electrical work is performed.
Perimeter Surveillance Upgrades: Coming Soon (awaiting Virginia DCJS licensure)

Camera work is not part of any job booked here right now. The Virginia DCJS Electronic Security Business certification is in progress; this notice changes the day it is issued.

No video feeds are offered or installed today.

A low-voltage gate upgrade adds network power, a battery buffer and an app trigger to a driveway gate that already has an operator, without any line-voltage electrical work. This guide covers how Heron Networks LLC builds one in McLean, Great Falls, Middleburg and Aldie, and where the limits are.

Start the Perimeter Upgrade Calculator

What low-voltage means here

Everything we install and connect runs under 50 V DC: the PoE line, the 12 V DC supply at the gate, the LiFePO4 batteries and the relay module. We don't touch line-voltage circuits, and we don't open or change your home's electrical panel.

The chain from the house to the gate

1. A Ubiquiti U-POE++ adapter puts power onto the network cable inside the house. 2. A shielded, direct-burial Cat6 cable runs in conduit to the gate. 3. A PoE Texas GAT-12V25W splitter turns PoE+ into 12 V DC at up to 25 W. 4. Two Dakota Lithium 12 V 10 Ah LiFePO4 batteries in parallel act as a buffer. 5. A Shelly Plus Uni is wired to the operator's dry-contact input so the gate can be triggered from Shelly's app.

You buy all five from the Procurement Hub, and we install them for a flat $400 labor fee.

The limits we design around

Distance: a copper Ethernet channel is limited to 328 ft (100 m). A longer run needs a documented mid-span extender plan, with a ceiling of 984 ft. Power: PoE+ delivers about 25.5 W usable at the device, and the calculator's power budget check compares that with your operator's standby draw plus the relay module. Backup: the calculator's battery sizing shows the runtime math with every input visible.

Burial: our default is direct-burial-rated cable inside conduit, because a driveway run crosses ground that sees vehicles and animals.

What is out of scope

We don't do line-voltage electrical work, masonry or structural work, or jobs that need stamped engineering drawings. We don't sell, install or repair gate operators. And we don't service gate operators for UL 325 safety compliance beyond the low-voltage control wiring we install. The operator itself stays the responsibility of its installer and manufacturer.

All of it happens outside and at points already reachable on foot -- no attic work, no crawlspace work. We also don't install, service or rekey locks, deadbolts, electric strikes, maglocks or keypad/access-control entry hardware; that's locksmith work under Virginia law and isn't something we offer.

Before any post hole is dug or trenching is done, we call Virginia 811 to have utility lines marked. That call is free, required by law, and ours to make -- not yours.

Vetting looks only at the job, never at the person. It asks about cable distance, line of sight, tree canopy, turnaround expectations and requests like the ones above. A human can override any automatic decision.

From calculator to install

Run the Perimeter Upgrade Calculator, add two line-of-sight photos, and submit for vetting. If the job fits, you pay the refundable deposit, buy the parts, upload your receipt and, once it's verified, tell us when you are free and we confirm a time. You can delete your account from your account page at any time.

How a job goes

  1. Run the Perimeter Upgrade Calculator and add two line-of-sight photos.
  2. Your job is vetted on technical scope only.
  3. If it fits, pay the $400 refundable deposit (see the deposit terms).
  4. Buy the parts through the Procurement Hub and upload your receipt.
  5. Once the receipt is verified, tell us when you are free and we confirm a time.

Frequently asked questions

Will you work on my house wiring?

No. All of our work is low-voltage, under 50 V DC, and we perform no line-voltage electrical work.

How far from the house can the gate be?

Up to 328 ft on a single cable run. Beyond that we need a documented mid-span extender plan and a total run within 984 ft.

Do you install security cameras at the gate?

No. Camera work waits for our Virginia DCJS licensure, and until then we offer no cameras and no video feeds.

Does anything about me personally affect whether my job is accepted?

No. Vetting looks only at technical scope, such as distance, line of sight and the kind of work requested, and a human can override an automatic decision.

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