Re: Garage Door Opener keypad recommendations

["Doug" <not@xxxxxxxx>]

"George" <no.geodosch.spam@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:rfOdnc1VpIuDN0PRnZ2dnUVZ_t-dnZ2d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> I'm looking for recommendations on a garage door opener keypad.  I
> normally use a wireless remote / homelink to operate the door, but I want
> a keypad as a backup, so that someone cannot be locked out of the house.
>
> My requirements seem simple, but I've had no luck with finding a unit
> that meets them:
>
> 1. Wired - it will activate the door by triggering the manual pushbutton
> circuit
>
> 2. No batteries - it must be A/C powered.  If it has a back-up battery,
> for in case of power failure, that's fine, but I don't want the unit to
> fail because the battery died.
>
> 3. The relay must be separate from the outdoor keypad.  This would
> prevent someone from simply ripping the keypad off the wall and shorting
> the wires going to it.
>
> 4. It must be reliable
>
> A unit exists that meets all of the above requirements except one: a
> Genie KEP-1.  I've got one of these.  In fact, I've had 2, and they have
> both died.  The first one lasted many years, but it eventually stopped
> working.  I bought a new one of the same model, and it died within the
> first year.  I even had the power adapter on a surge suppressor, since I
> suspected that might have killed the first one.  I it listed on Amazon,
> and from reading the reviews, it seems many others have had reliability
> problems with the KEP-1.
>
> So I'm looking for a similar device, but one that will last more than a
> few months.  It seems that everything else I find is battery powered, and
> most of them are wireless.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
>

Something like this would probably work, its overkill for
what you are looking for and its really designed to be used with a card and
a pin, but I believe you can use it just with a pin.

I'm not sure what price range you are looking at but this unit  runs
somewhere around $200

http://www.sdcsecurity.com/docs%5CDBDocs%5CE4KP_Datasheet.pdf

Doug