Ghost Controls Heavy-Duty Automatic Gate Opener Kit for Swing Gates with Long-Range Gate Opener Remote - Model TSS1

In June 2020, I invested in the TSS1 single gate opener, and for nearly four years, it operated flawlessly. The setup was a breeze, thanks to clear instructions. However, a few weeks ago, I encountered an issue: the gate began slowing down midway through its operation and eventually halted. After checking the battery voltage, which registered at a healthy 14.4 volts, I realized I hadn't tested it under load—this oversight revealed a failing battery. Fortunately, the support provided was exceptional. Their system for initiating support calls is seamless, allowing for easy scheduling via their website. The representative who assisted me was incredibly knowledgeable and pleasant to deal with. Her guidance led me to test the battery under load, pinpointing the issue. Between the reliability of the product and the superb support experience, I'm convinced there's no better gate opener on the market than Ghost. I'm committed to sticking with this brand, and I even jest that it may have saved my marriage—after all, my wife was quite insistent about fixing that gate! LOL...

Easy gate install and videos on youtube helped reassure what I was doing. Had an issue (my fault) where I thought the main board wasn't the correct one. Called Ghost customer service and spoke with Brandi who confirmed the set up and what we needed. She was set to send out the part needed and had the return box included with shipment for the part I thought was the wrong one. After double checking, realized my mistake and we had the correct part. But good to know that the they (Ghost customer service) were easy to reach (both times I called in for this issue) and ready to take care of any issues. Brandi at Ghost was great to deal with and was even able to text info between calls for better communication to confirm stuff. For reference we have a single gate(programmed onsite for push to open), two keypads, 4 remotes, zombie lock, the batteries with box, and set up for A/C (not solar).

Search for this iznuV0DaAvU on YouTube. It is a 5 min review of my installation (mid-install). Gives timing video and some additional details. The attached video is from my video surveillance system and does not show the installation. I've never had a gate opener (or gate, for that matter) - so take that for what it's worth. My primary reason for selecting Ghost Controls over the much more popular Mighty Mule was due to the reviews. While much of them are subjective, there were a number of reviews under the MM product indicating they'd switched to GC. There were comments about the GC being faster to open/close as well - though that I cannot verify. I installed my 16' single swing gate (tractor supply 70lb. variety) to an 8' x 4"x4"x 1/8" thick square tube. I didn't want to use wood since I've seen how they can flex and warp over time. I cemented the post about 3' into the ground, and welded the through-bolt hing pins into place. This provides for a rock-solid gate operation that doesn't sag or flex. The opener takes about 20 seconds to open fully from the moment the remote is pushed. I have it opening about 100° - which is at the max opening limit. This provides the widest clearance for the angle of my driveway. The instructions will have you mount the controls and battery within 4 feet of the opener. That puts it at ON the fence and certainly within arm's reach of anyone outside the fence. I opted to move the control and battery box to the opposite side of the drive. To do this, I needed an extended cable coming from the motor. GC did not recommend splicing to the existing wire, and instead shipped me an opener with a 32' cable (this is the standard length of the 2nd operator of a two-gate system. With that, I was able to run the cable under the dive, and about 10' in from the latch-side of the gate. Well beyond the reach of anyone outside. The manual will also tell you to mount the controller/battery box at least 3' off the ground to prevent them from getting excessively wet and dirty. I poured a small slab (12" x 18") with a 20" post. While it's much closer to the ground, I am using a fake rock/bolder cover to conceal the slab. That should keep it clean and dry, and out-of-sight. With the antenna being closer to the ground, I cannot activate the gate from my house (500' down the driveway), but it still works from far enough on approach that it will be completely open by the time I drive to it (at normal speed). I also opted to install the driveway sensor - though I purchased the Mighty Mule (100') version since it was considerably less expensive, and GC verified that it would work - and it does. Now when UPS or FedEx leaves my drive, the gate begins to open as they approach. It's perfect. On an aside, my home is completely automated (Vera). As such, I wanted to control the gate using the home automation system. This would allow me to have the gate open during the day, and close at sunset. Or I could open it remotely (via phone app) if someone I didn't trust needed to get in (without giving them a gate code). It also allows me to forgo the need to use the auto-close feature on the stock controller - which is quite limited in how it works. But, for my HA system to work properly, it needs to know the state of the door - whether it is open or closed. GC told me there is no point on their control board that would provide gate position status (for example open contacts when gate is open, or closed, when gate is closed). And that is true. However, the motor/operator module DOES have an integrated mechanical limit switch at the end of the screw jack. While I haven't tied into it yet, it is my intention to use that switch as way to signal my HA system that the gate is open/closed.

Ghost gate controller is definitely an up-grade from similar other gate controllers, (If you are reading this you know the ones I'm referring to). I have owned and installed several name brands and find Ghost to be a true DYS product. I found customer service easy to get of hold of and very easy to work with. I would spend the extra small amount of money for a great opener. Update: Well after hours on the phone with Ghost Controls it was determined the the system was defective by tech support. I sent it back with in the return time limit to Amazon. (Thanks to Amazon). Reordered and received the replacement in a few days. I installed the new unit following instruction carefully. I couldn't fine tone the soft closing. The 12' gate at 250lbs would not soft close against the stop. The gate would slow down some and hard close, and most of the times would bounce back about 3". I fix the hard close 3' foot reopen with the limit force screw. Once again after phone contact with a Ghost supervisor once again without a fix. (All phone contacts where very pleasant). Now, after all the phone time the time limit has expired for Amazon return!! Mighty Mule units do not have any "soft close" options any longer on new units! So not an option for me. I'M STUCK!!!!

***UPDATE on Ghost remote system review...we are still extremely pleased with our Ghost systems, and especially with the technical support/customer service. It seems to be harder by the day to find companies that are committed to excellence in customer service, but Ghost Controls has exceeded our expectations every time. We continue to recommend them to our friends who are in need of electronic gate systems, and they are also pleased. We have two Ghost remote systems, purchased to replace one failed 4-year old Mighty Mule system (a constant source of problems) and another 20-year old system. We have waited to post a review to see if these systems lived up to the reviews we found in our online research. We are happy to report that this system has far exceeded our experience with the previously installed Mighty Mule system and is an excellent choice for residential remote controlled gates. We did have assistance from someone who is more technical than we are for the wiring, as we wanted to make sure they were properly set up. The only issue we have had was that the gates somehow lost the closing set point after a few months - not sure what caused the problem but technical support had the problem resolved quickly. We were very impressed with the fact that we called tech support after hours, didn’t leave a message, but still received a return call the next day asking how they could help. The technician was professional and patient with me as he walked me through the troubleshooting with both gates, and at no time did I feel that he was in a hurry to get to the next customer. Additionally, the same tech called me back a few days later to make sure that the problem was resolved. It’s rare these days to receive that level of customer service and gives us great assurance that any further issues will be handled in the same manner. We have recommended this system to many friends and will continue to do so.

I had a lightning strike blow up my previous swing gate opener. I looked at reviews and options and while I had never heard of this manufacturer before (this is my forth gate opener) I liked what I read here on Amazon. The opener arrived quickly and like I said it seems well built and the kit well thought out. You can set a stop point on the operator's ram extension but not on the retraction. That is different from all my other openers. I didn't realize that when I was doing my initial install. My previous openers could be adjusted by simply screwing or unscrewing the ram to set the retraction distance. This opener does not. It always fully retracts. I had to modify my original mounting to compensate for this. I like that it has an automatic gate close feature. It would be nice if it works 100% of the time but it doesn't. I find the gate open far too often if someone drives through and forgets to close it. Sometimes it closes itself just fine. I don't know why it only works sometimes and not always. This kit only comes with one remote control... This is pretty lame. I need five remotes at a minimum. I hardly expect the kit to contain a bunch of remotes but two is the bare minimum that would be acceptable. Since I already had a bunch of remotes from my previous opener I purchased a receiver that worked with my remotes and wired that in to the new SGO so I could continue to use my long range remotes. I found that I could program my cars and truck's Home Link systems to operate the gate with no problem, but the transmitters in them are so wimpy that you just about have to have the bumper touching the gate for it to operate. The one supplied remote works from at least 75' away. The reason this is so important is that the gate takes what seems like forever to open. It uses a fairly small motor and a large gear reduction to move the gate. This means that the gate moves extremely slowly. So slowly that often when I hit my remote control I have to stare at the gate wondering if it is actually moving or if I need to push the remote control button again. I never timed the length of time my previous gate openers took to open, but they took maybe five seconds to open my lightweight 12' tubular gate. You drove up towards the gate, tapped the button and drove through without even slowing down. With this gate opener you drive up towards the gate and tap the button. You come to a full stop, pull your phone out of your pocket and check your messages, the weather, refinance your home loan.... Well, it's not quite that bad but going from my previous gate opener that essentially opened the gate instantly to one that takes 30 seconds to open is painful. I have to make sure the gate closes fully after going through it so that means I have to sit in the driveway for a full minute painfully watching the gate open and close every time I go through it. I tried contacting Ghost about this and spoke with a nice lady who answered the phones who said she didn't know if this slow operation was normal but would have technical support contact me to talk about this issue. I contact her at least twice but have never heard back from their technical support people. That was one month ago...

Ok, so this is my experience with this product so far. I am basing the information below on text messages I have saved, emails from GHOST, Amazon receipts, cell phone records, and my hand written notes documenting conversations. Best of luck with your experience. • 3/24/2024 - Ordered the GHOST Model TSS1, (2) Ghost Wireless keypads, and (2) Ghost control remotes from the GHOST STORE on Amazon for a total of $743.92. Items were delivered the week of April 1, 2024. • Installed on 4/22/2024 (weather- and work-related issues prevented me from installing sooner). - Gate opener worked as it should. • 5/1/2024 - Ordered (2) additional GHOST remotes from the GHOST STORE on Amazon for a total on $72.52. Items were delivered May 7, 2024. • 5/3/2024 - Gate opener began having issues. - Gate would not close all the way (it stopped at the same point approximately 1/3 of the way closed). - The alarm started beeping, and gate would not function at all. - It was disconnected from the battery. • Weather- and work-related issues prevented me from working on the gate until 5/7/2024. - I completely disconnected the system and re-installed it. - I replaced the 12-volt deep cycle marine battery with a new battery at a cost of $122.06 (old one was still good per the auto parts store, but I replaced it anyway). - I re-programmed all remotes and keypads. - I re-set the limit settings and closing settings on the gate. - I re-placed fuses (all were still good but per the manual, a 7-beep code indicates a bad fuse). - The alarm started beeping after activating the remote once and the gate would not function. - It was disconnected from the battery. • Weather- and work-related issues prevented me from working on the gate until 5/20/2024. - Once again, I completely disconnected the wires and re-installed the system. - I took the new battery to the auto parts store and had it tested. Battery was good. - I re-programmed all remotes and keypads. - I replaced all the fuses again. - Gate still would not function. - It was disconnected from the battery. • On 5/24/2024 I began calling GHOST to get some assistance with this issue. Notably, the location of this gate opener on my property is in an area where cell phone reception is not available. As I spoke with the rep at GHOST, I would make notes and drive to the opener and try different trouble shooting methods suggested. - 6 phone calls and 4 text messages later here are the steps I tried to get the opener working:  - I had to pull apart the arm, cut out a diode, and put the arm back together.  - Tested arm wires on direct battery power.  - Re-connected the circuit board and tried to get the gate working.  - Jog open the gate completely.  - Verify the hardware was lined up.  - Jog closed the gate completely.  - Try opening with a remote. - The gate would not function. It was disconnected from the battery. - I left messages for the tech per his request (ext. 221), but I did not receive a call back. • On 5/31/2024 I called GHOST 3 times and left messages with the tech (ext. 221) as per his instructions and received no callback. • On 6/6/2024 I called GHOST and spoke with a new tech (ext. 202). As I spoke with the rep at GHOST, I would make notes and drive to the opener and try different trouble shooting methods suggested. - 4 phone calls and 7 text messages later here are the steps I tried to get the opener working:  - I powered off the system and re-activated it.  - I used a paperclip to bypass the remote sensor to ensure the gate arm was functioning.  - I was asked to text a copy of the purchase receipt from Amazon and a photo of the control box circuit board to a number. - The gate would not function. It was disconnected from the battery. - The tech was supposed to call when he received the texts but did not. I called and left messages but did not receive a callback. • On 6/14/2024 I called GHOST and spoke with a new tech (ext. 107). A new control circuit board was mailed to me through the US Postal Service. It arrived on 6/21/2024. • On 6/23/2024 I have installed the new circuit board. - I completely disconnected the wires and re-installed the system. - I re-programmed all remotes and keypads. - I checked all the fuses. - Gate still will not function. It just beeps and wont open. - It has been disconnected from the battery. • On 6/27/2024 I received a voice mail from a supervisor (presumably in response to this review). She offered assistance to resolve the issues and requested a call back. • On 7/5/2024 I was able to return the call to the supervisor and left a message. She was out of town but I received a call from another person (ext. 205) who reviewed the notes and offered to help. Unfortunately, everything being asked had already been done. Interestingly, this rep indicated that because I had cut the diode as instructed on 5/24/2024, it was indicative that they MAY NOT HONOR ANY WARRANTY FOR THE PRODUCT. The rep indicated that my original message to the supervisor would be delivered and I would hear back next week on further directions. I guess I will make more calls to GHOST and fingers crossed. My hope is that I can get this opener to function properly before GHOST claims is is past the warranty date. I have over $900 invested in this thing and wish I would have bought something else at this point.

Been using this opener several times a day for a couple yrs now. Works flawlessly. Solar panel keeps battery charged regardless of temp. I've never had to touch it since I installed it. Instructions are very good. I had never put one in and had no problems.

really easy installation and set up, working great so far, got it on a tubular 16 foot gate

Bought July 2021...charge controller on board failed Nov 2021. Contacted Tech Support and ran all their tests and proved the charge controller was not working. Sent videos. Load tested. Everything they ask for and all they do is keep responding that it should be fine. Honestly, the Tech support appears to be outsourced to someone who is reading from a script and has no actual clue as to how anything works. Just like a previous reviewer stated, their board was faulty right out of the box and it took over three weeks for him to convince Ghost to send out a replacement. Their customer service is horrible. It seems like their full intent is to completely enrage the customer so that they not only never buy another product again, but they go out of their way to tell everybody they can what an awful company Ghost Controls is. Well they succeeded.