Programmable Digital Lockset

[Paco]

I'm trying to find a digital lockset that can be programmed to unlock and lock on certain days of the week and at specific times of the day.

Does anyone have any suggestions?


Paco

 

[WayneW]

I haven't heard of anything like that. But are you asking for something that will only ALLOW the lock to be unlocked during certain times (kinda like I think of a clock on a store's safe) or for something that will automatically unlock your door and invite all the burglars in? :lol:

 

[Paco]

No, this is for an office we're just finishing up. We want to eliminate keys -- hence the digital keypad. But we want the door to automatically unlock at 8:30am M-F and automatically lock at 5:30pm. IOW, a code would only be required in the evenings and on the weekends.

 

[DavidL]

You could probably do that with a door strike solenoid (normally open for safety), a security panel like an ELK M1 with event management, which would have an event to close the door strike if between the hours of...

I gotta assume there are some codes for a commercial building that this would have to comply with.

 

[electron]

I have this system at my office, it is RFID based, so I assume there is a backend, such as a PC or alarm system as David mentioned.

 

[WayneW]

Automatically unlocking a door with no assurance of a human present sounds like asking to be ripped off.

 

[huggy59]

That's true, Wayne, but many places do it using their access control systems, such as those by the former Casi-Rusco, now part of GE Security. These are not cheap system, though.

Check out www.gesecurity.com and look at the commercial access control systems.

 

[WayneW]

but an elaborate access control system is totally different than simply unlocking the door at a certain time regardless of who is there.

I don't know of anyplace that simply unlocks a door at a certain time. Allowing access is a different question.

 

[electron]

you know of a place now, that's what we do at my job. If you want in after hours, you need a key, in daytime, anyone can walk in (But there are also hundreds of people vs less at night).

 

[WayneW]

OK, y'all are right.. I was thinking of a small office or even a residence. In my office ( a large, multi tenant building) the outer BUILDING doors do unlock automatically during normal business hours. It only gets you access to the bathrooms and elevators. All the OFFICES are controlled separately. I doubt that our company reception doors are on a timer, they are manually unlocked.

Commercial building access control systems have a lot of options.

 

[Squintz]

If you know someone is going to be there at those times then I dont see any problem with it. My building has been doing it since the start of time. Theirs is controlled by a computers and you need a card to enter after hours and it simple unlocks them during normal hours.

Have you thought about those magnetic locks?

 

[Paco]

I've been able to find many card and key-fob (RFID) sysems, but I haven't been able to find a system that allows entry by punching in a code on a pushbutton type device.

In our current building, we use a card system. The doors unlock at 8:15am and lock at 5:30pm, M-F. No card is needed during those times. We can also set the system to stay locked for holidays.

For security, there is also an alarm that sounds (and security is dialed) if someone comes in after hours and doesn't punch in a code at the security panel.

 

[DavidL]

You see the keypad punch for entry all the time at airport gates. Maybe someone flying this weekend can get the brand name and post it.

Very shortly Cinemar will be releasing the new ELK plugin which can replace a keypad with a touchscreen. So, with that, you could hit your security code on the touchscreen and push a OPEN DOOR button for admitance. You would need to mount a cool touchpanel outside.

I have an outdoor keypad somewhere in my junk drawer. I think I remember seeing it in Radio Shack...
You could also look into a garage door outdoor keypad like what Sears and many others sell. You could figure out how to wire it to a door strike solenoid.