Smart Start

With this app, I’m able to raise and lower my hurricane shutters from my cellphone and iPad. The only trick is that you need to find the right place in your home for the actual transponder, so that all of your shutters are in range of its signal. Took some trial and error, but we found ours. If you have a home larger than 3,000 sqft, you may need a 2nd transponder. Only other quirk is that the StormSmart motor controllers really like to have a “stop” or “pause” signal after their motion is complete, to effectively shut down the motor. The app doesn’t do this automatically, so you have to remember to do this for each shutter. (As I recall, the app developer got a to-do to do this. But my app is still listed as version 1.0.0, so I’m a little concerned about its long term support.) All in all, Four Stars - would be 5 with a stronger transponder and these other quirks fixed. But it’s pretty cool lowering storm shutters from 1,000 miles away... Another tip - exercise your shutter motors at least monthly - it will keep them lubricated and make sure the screens don’t get hung up in their tracks from dirt or critters....