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Tired of expensive disposable batteries and rechargeable AA suck. So I made a 10k mAh pack for my deadbolt.
(sh.itjust.works)
Eneloops would only last about 3 weeks. And disposable last 2 months. This door is used a lot and since it has Zwave and a door open sensor it sends info on every open.
Bonus, since it can handle the lipo AA batteries that put out 1.8v and it gives the motor more oomph I made the battery pack give 7.2v and it never sticks anymore.
This is a garage-door so its not critical access but is used a lot.
imagine having a door/lock that requires power..
It’s pretty convenient actually
Yeah, seems like it /s
I dunno what’s wrong with their lock, but I use eneloops on my lock and I swap the batteries probably 2-3 times a year
I've had to replace our batteries in our code lock a couple times in 6 months, but I use rechargable batteries so and just swap it out
In most cases when something is convenient you're giving something up for that convenience.
And that something ironically at times can be convenience.
yes, I have to change the batteries once a year
and in my case because my ex chose the wrong lock and I can't be bothered to pay to swap it out, I also have to deal with a touchscreen instead of buttons
Imagine being locked out of your house because you forgot to bring keys with you.
Like, I'm sorry if you disagree with this, but holy shit, having electric locks on your doors where you can get into your house based off a fingerprint or a code is a fucking game changer.
I have two on my doors, one on the front, one on the back, and I installed them at a week or two apart, so if one of them starts complaining that the battery is low, the other one's still good. If one of them goes dead while I'm on vacation, the other one's good.
Not to mention that you can unlock the door from your phone in case somebody comes over unexpectedly, or if you have a friend coming in from out of town and you're going to be at work when they arrive, you can create a code for them to unlock your front door and come in while you're not even there.
Plus they still have key locks that I can use if the batteries are completely dead and they can be powered by a 9 volt battery in case I don't have the key with me.
They're freaking awesome and I am glad they exist.
You can't lock yourself out of the house with a deadbolt, they require the key to lock
You can also leave without a key and then your roommate also leaves and locks the door.
But you can lock the handle and leave without keys.
You can leave the handle unlocked, and just use the deadbolt this way.
This is how I have locked my house for the last like 100 years without a smart deadbolt.
Imagine not having a lockpick kit on you to just let yourself in
Imagine having keys so you can let yourself in when you forget your lockpick kit.
Yeah and it makes it pathetically easy to break into your house. Just search online for some of these “security locks using fingerprints”. Its even easier to break into sometimes than a regular shitty lock.
Unless you've got a steel reinforced frame bolted into the foundation backing your steel reinforced door, a strong leg and a sturdy boot will get through practically anything you can buy at a hardware store, and a crowbar will take care of the rest.
Electronic mechanisms are more prone to people being able to be able to access areas without evidence of tampering using simple scripts from the internet, whereas lockpicking is not employed by most burglars. (And as stated previously, level of commitment is greater when destruction is involved, which deters most.)
Having a noisy break-in also means you are more capable of responding if the need arises.
If all you care about is deterrence, just own a shotgun and have a loud dog at home.
Most analog deadbolts are also pathetically weak and can be bumped or picked quickly with no sign of entry. Networked electric locks just let people have another avenue as well. Some dont, as being electric doesnt mean people network them. The good networked ones tend to use secure zwave (so called zwave s2), which is an improved security protocol that is not as easy to hack as "run some scripts." The skills needed to breach it are going to be "high effort" compared to a kick.
Some electric locks have gone keyless, so they actually invert this. Generally these locks have a way to plug in a USB C cable to power them if the batteries die, but have no key access. This power port has no data access. Mixed with a secure network protocol or none at all, they are likely more secure than many analog options.
To me it's more like the Kia cars where insurance can easily roll over if a pathetically easy bypass is found. Most people won't care until houses get cleaned out without evidence of forced entry. Domestic abusers also tend to love persistent access to these things too.
Overall not a fan.
So does me forgetting to lock the door.
I once left my garage doors open all weekend with thousands of dollars of tools in it, along with my motorcycle with the key in it. My garage at the time was quite visible from a very busy street. I got lucky and nothing was stolen. My garage doors are smart now, so that doesn't happen any more. Sure, someone could hack my home assistant server and open the garage, but that's way less likely than my continued pattern of forgetfulness.
Based on that logic, my house also has smart locks now that automatically lock when I leave. I will say that they aren't cheapo who-knows fingerprint locks, they're made by a real company and just have a keypad with a lengthy entry code. The only added vulnerabilities should be my home assistant server and the entry code.
You know what a security theatre is? Thats a fingerprint lock.
I'm not sure what that has to do with my comment. I don't have a fingerprint lock.
It's really easy, don't lock your doors
Hey, Officer, I'm gonna need you to get a warrant to check this guy's house for stolen goods.
It took me way too long to figure out what you were saying.
Hopefully it came across as good-natured ribbing and not me being an asshole.
Yea, it is nice being able to check if you locked the door from bed. Definition of luxury, but I didn't buy this one it was a gift.
Ok, you get a pass from my “or just use a damn normal lock” dad’s finger wagging 😂
I have a similar one and can still use a key…
I can head out for a walk without bringing my keys with me. Kids can open the door while I’m grabbing the groceries or other stuff. Can provide a temporary code for someone to check on it while I’m out. Family can have a code for emergencies, or if they need to watch the kids.
It’s hella convenient actually.
It’s the best. We have auto locking deadbolts that lock themselves after a period of time. Each family member has their own code to get in and it has a normal key hole if you want.
I was super anti smart locks until I left my garage open and doors unlocked for an entire weekend because I'm forgetful. With smart doors and locks that doesn't happen and, possibly a controversial take, doors being closed and locked by reputable smart devices is more secure than them standing open. Most crimes are those of opportunity, and a thief is just gonna try the door and break a window when it doesn't open if they're willing to go that far.
I came into this thread to scoff at the idea of needing batteries for a lock.
I'm coming round to the idea...
don't need to, I have it. it's great. don't need to carry keys around or fumble with them to open the door, people can get inside without me, it can be set up to auto-lock/unlock on a schedule if you want, and I never have to worry about being locked out of my house
Sounds amazing. I’ll know if I didn’t lock the door.
Imagine living somewhere that requires a locked door.....
Some of us can't afford to move somewhere nicer. Recently found out I live in the most deprived town in the entire county, yay!
Yet we have fancy houses worth 7 figures along by the beach... So if despite that we are still the most deprived on average, how do you think the rest of us have it?
In the worst areas of town most households don't own a car. In the rich part of town almost none of them have less than 2.
Being poor doesn't equal robberies and physical danger. I live in one the poorest rural areas of my state. We don't need locks as a rule because we choose not to steal from or assault our neighbors. We understand we are in this together and we need to help each other to make it.
But you would not choose to live here because of the perceived lack of "big city" amenities. Cell service is spotty at best. Even electricity can be optional due to weather. It's often dangerously cold. Heath care is an hour plus away. (I was just informed I need to switch an antibiotic I was prescribed just yesterday for another. I now get to make another 100 mile round trip to then nearest pharmacy to get it), Even groceries are an hour away. So we grow and forage a lot of our food. Jobs are few and poorly paid and require travel to get to. Our kids often need to leave the area and move 100s or even a 1000+ miles away to find work and higher education.
It ain't about the money. it's about the "want to".
Hard to say. I think England is pretty different in that sense, rural areas are usually more expensive than deprived towns. At least from everything I have seen. I wouldn't mind a remote area, but they cost more, especially in the county and region I live in.
Scotland and maybe parts of Wales have a few options. But we are talking like a derelict barn with a roof that doesn't hold out water and no road access, it still costs more than any decent flat here does, but its a little cheaper than most houses.
If its land which you can't legally live on, same area of land would be like 1/10th the price. They REALLY do not want you to buy some woodland or farmland and stick a caravan or cabin on it to live in.
I'm not trying to start an argument, but I don't think you understand or appreciate just how remote some places can be in the US. In England you are never more than an hour away from a big city. 50 miles (80.5 kilometers) to the nearestpharmacy, which likely isn't in a big town, is nothing to sneeze at. Those type of places are cheap and bountiful here.
It sounds sorta like some parts of Cornwall then, but that is now getting filled with holiday homes and airBNBs so generally you have deprived locals and rich people from London pushing up the housing prices to way beyond what anyone who is actually from the area can afford.
I use one because I often forget to lock it and someone walked into my home while I was in bed one night.