Re: Automated front door lock?

[nobody@xxxxxxxxxxxx (Dave Houston)]

"Robert Green" <ROBERT_GREEN1963@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>"E. Lee Dickinson" <lee@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>
>> In the case of fire, I think there's a fuzzier line. It might be nice for
>> the HA system to unlock the doors if the system has detected a fire, in
>> order that firemen may get in, or that someone could let my pets out.
>
>That's a good point.  I'd definitely check the local firecodes before
>installing something like this.  If someone is injured even tangentially
>because of the lock, and it's against the building code, there may be
>serious legal repercussions.

So what do your existing deadbolts do in event of a fire?

Most of these locks open from inside with the same type mechanism as a
standard lock. Most also can be opened from outside with a key.

I used an IR operated deadbolt which, aside from a battery housing looked
like a standard deadbolt from inside and aside from an IR target and LED
looked like a standard deadbolt from the outside.

I would be leery of RFID. They can be read from 75-100 feet with the right
antenna so they are insecure unless coupled with rolling codes (hard to do
with RFID and multiple cards).

iButtons require contact so are not much more convenient than a key.

I would probably go with an IR deadbolt and use video cameras to identify
the entrants.
I would not rely on