[Articles] Wayne Dalton Z-Wave Room Key Controller

[CT Droid]

Wayne Dalton is getting close to announcing a new Z-Wave based access device.  The official name is "Room Key Controller" (model # WDHKC-50), which is similar to the card based systems you can find on hotel doors.  You insert a generic room key card, and it will trigger a Z-Wave scene.  An 'OFF' command will be sent whenever the card is removed.  The controller will supports 'going to sleep' in order to make the batteries last for a long time.  The device supports interacting with other Z-Wave device supporting the Z-Wave standard basic command set (and carries the "Speaks Z-Wave" logo, including thermostats.



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[mustangcoupe]

Wayne Dalton is getting close to announcing a new Z-Wave based access device.  The official name is "Room Key Controller" (model # WDHKC-50), which is similar to the card based systems you can find on hotel doors.  You insert a generic room key card, and it will trigger a Z-Wave scene.  An 'OFF' command will be sent whenever the card is removed.  The controller will supports 'going to sleep' in order to make the batteries last for a long time.  The device supports interacting with other Z-Wave device supporting the Z-Wave standard basic command set (and carries the "Speaks Z-Wave" logo, including thermostats.



Read more to view the pictures.

View the full article

Am I the only one who doesn't see this as extremely useful for home applications? And maybe it is the lack of information until it is released but "You insert a generic room key card" I am not going to carry around a pocket full of these keys to trigger different scenes at my house or can it only send one scene? then why not just have a button?

 

[ASIHome]

From what I have heard of these types of contollers, it does not matter what card you stick in the slot. I believe it just presses a micro swtich.

 

[mustangcoupe]

so then it doesnt have different scenes depending on the card inserted, I guess I'd rather have a multi-button scene controller and not something because it looks cool putting a card into a slot.

Now, in hotel rooms it might be a cool idea, so you dont forget to turn off the lights when leaving the room, use your room key and you'd have to put it in to enable the room lights, and remove it to leave...

 

[ASIHome]

I think that is the main target of these types of readers, hotels and such.

 

[hucker]

I think that is the main target of these types of readers, hotels and such.

I was recently at a Hotel in Switzerland and the way you enabled the lights in the room was by hanging up the key in a special holder, when you left the room and took the key out all of the lights went out. Sort of an automatic all-off scene. I thought it was really cool because it was an unobtrusive way to save power. If hotels have already committed to zwave lighting this might be a good idea, though the ROI seems pretty long. It doesn't really map to homes as well when there are more than one occupant.

 

[dutchyn]

I was recently at a Hotel in Switzerland and the way you enabled the lights in the room was by hanging up the key in a special holder, when you left the room and took the key out all of the lights went out. I thought it was really cool because it was an unobtrusive way to save power.

I've seen this in a few 220V countries: Ireland, Germany, France, and Estonia and Chile. I assumed it was the norm for that style of wiring. Really quite a good idea (except when the AC hasn't run all day because you were out).