Automatic Open (Free Exit) Loop distance formula

By Brian Dickson

The simple things make a big impression on customers. As installers we want to make a gate that works, but we often overlook the small features, the simple things that really make our gate installations stand out. We all know that if a customer really likes your installation they will recommend your work to a friend or neighbor and a referral is one of our best sales tools to increase business. A good exercise is to put yourself in the owners shoes and see how your system would perform under their standards.

 A common overlooked feature on a gate system with loops is the automatic open. When a vehicle drives over this loop the gate will automatically open for them adding the convenience of a hands free exit. The automatic open loop is commonly known as a “Free exit loop” because no buttons are needed to be pushed to exit. The concept behind a free exit loop is the gate user already passed security entering the property, why should they pass security to go out. To get the most use of the automatic open loop, it should be installed up the driveway inside the property so that as someone is exiting by the time they reach the gate it will be completely open for them. The formula below will calculate the distance (in feet) the automatic open loop should be placed while maintaining a desired MPH.

X = Time for the gate to open in seconds.

Y = Desired MPH to reach gate.

Z = Distance in feet the automatic open (free exit) loop should be placed (length of lead-in)

Alternatively, if you wanted to find out how fast (MPH) a vehicle can go so that by the time they reach the gate will be completely open for them for formula would be:

Several examples of this formula would be as follows:

 If a gate takes 9 seconds to open and the customer wants to drive at 5MPH: 9 x 5 x 1.46 = 65.7ft. The same gate but the customer wants to drive at 12 MPH would read: 9 x 12 x 1.46 = 167.6ft. Same customer has a very long driveway and wants to drive 19 MPH would read: 9 x 19 x 1.46 = 249.7ft. Most loop manufactures will have available a 60 and 100ft lead-in as a standard stock item. Custom lead-in lengths of 250ft are common, but are available up to 1000ft.

If you are not offering an automatic exit loop currently you could be missing out on your opportunity to “up sell” your installation and make additional profit. The gate operator has all the interface to perform the exit loop function, all you need to do is install a loop and detector module and the customer will  get more enjoyment from system potentially saving them time on their morning commute.

 To learn more tips and tricks from the loop experts visit the BD Loops website at: www.BDLoops.com. Make sure to check out our educational editorials and tests and results in our special help and instructions section. While you are visiting our site find out how BD Loops superiorly design preformed direct burial and saw-cut loops can save you time on your next installation.

Brian Dickson is the General Manager of BD Loops, a manufacturer of preformed direct burial and saw-cut inductance loops for the gate, door, and parking industry. With over 10 years in business the quality of our loops is unheard of. BD Loops products are available through 180+ distributors nationally and currently offers over 45 standard preformed loop sizes. All standard and custom loop sizes with up to 1000ft of lead-in are ready to be shipped same day. The company has several letters of recommendation testifying their professionalism and design, and is a member of the following associations: AFA, IDA, CODA, NOMMA, IMSA, and IPI. Visit BD Loops at www.bdloops.com and use the distributor locator tool to find a distributor near you. Call BD Loops at 714.890.1604 or email at BDLoops@aol.com

Make Saw-Cut Loops Disappear with the Sand Trick

By: Brian Dickson

Make your saw-cut applications more professional looking and attractive with BD Loops sand trick.

Many installers have had customers who installed an expensive decorative driveway and need loops for their gate system.  The customer is understandably frustrated at the prospect of saw-cut tattoos in their stamped concrete, but there is really little choice when it comes to protecting the gate system. You can help alleviate a bit of their frustration, by using this sand trick to help camouflage the saw-cut tattoo. 

This sand technique is ideal for situations where you are forced to cut into prettier surfaces such as stamped concrete, stamped asphalt, fresh concrete, pavers, or any application where the driveway appearance is important to the customer.

Most installers (understandably) focus on getting the system working properly and over look the cosmetic appearance of their work. Since loop sealant is not readily available in a wide assortment of colors you will never be able to easily match sealant to the surface of colored stamped concrete or other decorative surfaces.

 Many customers, especially home owners care a great deal about how their driveway looks after the work is done and would not be thrilled at the idea of using black, gray, or white loop sealant in their decorative driveway.  Installers who are sensitive to the desires of their customers can go above and beyond by using this sand technique. This trick will make your work stand out, and will help your customer feel satisfied with the look of their driveway. Customers will appreciate the care you’ve taken to improve the appearance of the cut in loops and will be more likely to refer friends and family to your business.

The best part of the sand trick is not how simple it is, but that by doing it you’ll be able to allow traffic to drive over the loops sooner, as the sand will create a barrier between the drying sealant and car tires.

These pictures were made possible by Integrity Access Management Corporation, thank you Chris Benavides for your hospitality and allowing us to take part in your installation. 

You will need:

Craft Sand(s) that matches the color of your application (we recommend you keep regular white and black sand handy for mixing.)

A paint roller that has been covered with artists tape (or any other type of tape)

Step 1:

Analyze the appearance of the driveway, in the paver application above we looked at the different bricks and identified that there were 3 different types of bricks:  faded pink, faded purple, and faded dark blue. The color of the bricks are inconsistent, they contain light and dark patches and lots of light colored specks throughout. We decided to go with red and black craft sand mixed with white play sand (available at big box stores like Home Depot) to imitate the light pink bricks.

Step 2:

Mix the sand in the container, test your mixture by sprinkling a bit on the driveway to see how closely it matches.  Make any changes needed to the mixture and then set aside. Be sure to let the play sand dry before mixing, play sand usually comes in a bag with some moisture that tends to make the sand look darker until it evaporates.

Step 3:

Seal the saw-cut groove(s). It is important to not overfill the saw-cut groove with sealant.

Step 4:

Sprinkle the sand mixture over the sealant using a cup. Use the paint roller to push the sand around as needed and press it into the groove.  See the pictures above to compare the before and after results.
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Brian Dickson is the General Manager of BD Loops, a manufacturer of preformed direct burial and saw-cut inductance loops for the gate, door, and parking industry. With over 10 years in business the quality of our loops is unheard of. BD Loops products are available through 180 distributors nationally. The company has several letters of recommendation testifying their professionalism and design, and is a member of the following associations: AFA, IDA, CODA, NOMMA, IMSA, and IPI. Visit BD Loops at www.bdloops.com and use the distributor locator tool to find a distributor near you. Call BD Loops at 714.890.1604 or email at BDLoops@aol.com