Submitted 16 hours ago by ThePantser@sh.itjust.works to 3dprinting@lemmy.world
https://sh.itjust.works/pictrs/image/221f7328-e8ba-4c25-ab59-76ff6f5c59c9.jpeg
Eneloops would only last about 3 weeks. And disposable last 2 months. This door is used a lot and since it has ZigBee 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.
Does anyone know of rechargeable lithium that can report proportional voltage to emulate what alkaline does? I really want to use rechargeable for everything but not knowing any estimate of when they will die is a huge downside for something like a lock
They do NOT. One key benefit of these AAs batteries offer full voltage until they die. But any low voltage indicators are based on dropping voltage and don’t work with the tech. They just straight up die.
I just stopped using them in things that are time sensitive like my game controller, but I’m fine with an electronic toothbrush or milk foamer using it since they perform better with full voltage.
rechargeable AA suck.
No they don’t
They do … 1.2v output is low compared to the 1.5v alkaline … they lose charge as they sit there doing nothing unless Enerloop which is expensive and still 1.2v - I recently converted the wife’s led candles (2 x AA) each to 2 18650 each and now I don’t have to charge the things for 15 or so weeks. This guy knows.
Wait until you hear about this neat invention called a “key”. They are quite wonderful, they can securely lock and unlock your door in any conditions and don’t need those pesky batteries.
Wait until you hear about this neat invention called a “smart lock”. It uses this marvelous key invention you kindly detailed but it also uses magic powered rocks that can send small vibrations in the air to communicate with other magic rocks at home. If their magic energy source is depleted the object you refer to as a “key” may also be operated on this mystical lock to which the lock then whispers: “just let people enjoy things”.
Damn, didn’t know they made keys that automatically lock the doors when I leave the house so I can’t forgetfully leave the doors unlocked.
There are bolts with a clutch, so they are always locked from the outside and unlocked from the inside. Pretty handy.
the batteries in mine last a year and I don’t have to carry around any keys but my car keys (when I take the car).
definitely worth it. I can leave the house with nothing but my phone or bank card and run errands etc. people can access my house when I want them to without issue. it’s a huge QoL improvement for me
that said, I’d still prefer an electronic lock that had a key as well, and wasn’t a touchscreen
It’s one fucking key, it’s not exactly difficult to carry or keep track of.
Agreed. The kids can open the door now quickly, and it’s easier. When we were looking for electronic locks, it had to have no wifi and a key. It was harder to find then you might think. 
Hey I haven’t used this model specifically but a PSA to anyone with a motorized lock:
If your battery is dying seemingly too fast (and it’s not an old battery), your deadbolt is probably misaligned. The friction takes a huge toll on the motor and battery life. They should last MONTHS at minimum.
This is why I haven’t replaced mine. There’s no real “fixing” this door. It needs to be replaced. That being said if you shoulder check it hard enough it will break open. Ah the fun of inheriting a house that sat vacant for 3 years and had no maintenance for longer than that.
and it’s not just vertical alignment, but horizontal too!
the problem with mine was that the weather stripping was pushing the door inwards, not that the hinges needed adjustment. had to move the latch plate inwards / file clearance into it so the deadbolt would catch where the knob latch let the door sit
Great point. The deadbolt should move with no external Resistance.
Sound is a good indicator. The motor doesn’t just “get bad” over time like that unless it’s struggling so if it’s louder than when you got it, reassess the installation
imagine having a lock that requires power…
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!
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.
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 pick yourself out of the house with a dead bolt, they require the key to lock
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.
Imagine not having a lockpick kit on you to just let yourself in
NOT_RICK@lemmy.world 16 hours ago It’s pretty convenient actually
In most cases when something is convenient you’re giving something up for that convenience.
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
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.
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.
Sounds amazing. I’ll know if I didn’t lock the door.
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…
I use one because I often forget to lock it and someone walked into my home while I was in bed one night.
KmAhs
Mfer do you mean Ahs?
No kilomillamp silly
Of course! How could I have been so stupid…🤦♂️
Should be Wh anyway.
If you want correct units, use J.
Different batteries use different measurement standards.
Rechargeable Eneloops are Ni-Mh which makes the nominal voltage 1.2V where as the voltage on an Alkaline battery is 1.5V. The rechargeable ones are worse than normal Alkaline batteries. You can get rechargeable 1.5V Lithium AA batteries from Nitecore. Those are much better than Ni-Mhs.
The only issue with the rechargeable lithium batteries is that their voltage curve is extremely sharp, so they hold the 1.5v right up until they die.
Depending on how the electronics and battery match up, your deadbolt might not be able to warn you about a low battery condition, which might mean you get locked out. I currently have two doors, both with a keypad entry, so it’s extremely unlikely they’ll both be dead at the same time. If you only have one keypad entry, then you should probably avoid using lithium rechargeable AA’s.
fyi there are some Lithium rechargeables that have a “low voltage” indicator, where they drop from 1.5v to around 1.1v when low so that it’ll set off any low charge circuit
brand I found is XTAR, but I’m sure there’s others
Just my 2c but I have 15 year old Eneloops still going. They do have a lower voltage output which isn’t good for certain applications, but they are great for kids toys, remotes, flashlights/headlamps in my experience. Of the probably 60-70 I’ve bought, the only failures I’ve had are with the Pros, don’t waste money on those. I’ll have to check out Nitecore though.
Well done, and I’m surprised at all the technophobes in a 3d printing community.
I mean, there has always been a correlation between being technical (as in profession/skills) and being paranoid about technology. When you are in the field, you get a window into how ignorant most of the tech products are security-wise for example. And I guess a good portion of 3d printing people, especially the ones on lemmy are technical (as in profession/skills), not/not only tech lovers.
Considering a lock is lockable in a few seconds, what’s the security risk? A lot of these locks even do t have keys, so you’re removing a very easy and common vulnerability.
Most people just don’t actually think for themselves is the issue.
Yea its weird. I think its the AI and Data center hate. I am as local as I can be for my stuff and AI free. 99% of my stuff is Home Assistant, ESPhome, and Zigwave.
Sometimes IOT devices don’t make rational sense to install. This is up there with “smart” lightbulbs in terms of creating a vulnerability through convenience.
When I 3d print a plastic phone mount for my bike, that doesn’t make the base bike any easier to steal. This does.
axolotl_cpp@feddit.it@feddit.it 5 hours ago Lockpicking a door is so fucking easy that the biggest vulnerability here is the lock itself probably, you need way more skills to hack the electronic part than to lockpick the door
Do you now know how incredibly easy it is to pick a lock?
thehatfox@lemmy.world 8 hours ago At this point I’m quite heavily invested in smart home tech, but smart locks are one of the few things I haven’t touched.
Any exploit found in these devices could be packaged into a smartphone app and easily accessed by anyone. Someone hacking the lock that way would look no different to a legitimate user. Firmware updates for these devices seem sporadic at best.
It’s a security concern I don’t want to have to worry about, even if there are convenience benefits.
You can buy keypad entry deadbolts that don’t connect to external wireless devices. I find they’re a good compromise between convenience and security.
Any exploit found in these devices could be packaged into a smartphone app and easily accessed by anyone.
Anyone can also buy lockpicks, break a window, kick the door down.
Handing it would require technology and skills not everyone has, there’s easier ways to get on your house than to hack it. If that’s your worry, than you better not use your deadbolt at all. It can be picked in seconds.
BevsDad@lemmy.ca 14 hours ago So long as it has a physical backup and can stay on my network I’m happy. I also need low power draw to stay bellow my 20w idle power budget but that’s a me problem.
If anyone has a vertically mounted stainless steel option with a keypad to recommend I’m all ears!
Have you tried puttting in a wired power supply instead?
Why not a cable for power? Does the door need to be able to go somewhere that doesn’t have electricity?
timochka@lemmy.zip 57 minutes ago I can’t answer for the OP - but “it would be a pain in the arse” would be my answer.
I have an electronic lock on my holiday condo; it’s handy to be able to remotely let someone in if I need them to service the AC when I’m not there or something, and just in general it’s just, well, useful.
The batteries last at least 6 months, so honestly I wouldn’t bother wiring it in even if it was an option. And the “batteries run out” failure mode isn’t exactly a disaster - there’s a traditional key I can use in an emergency, and the other “plan B” is the USB-C port on the bottom of the handle on the outside - worst comes to the worst you can just plug in a USB powerbank to power it up.
Idk how they are built but i’d guess any power outtage would lock you out right?
So the same as a battery running out?
Pass through charging is also a thing, so the 10Ah battery can charge when mains is up and then continue during a power cut.
In my experience some may need to be reset to start charging. Depends on what you have though. Either way give it a test first.
southsamurai@sh.itjust.works 9 hours ago May be an access issue. Enough distance and running a cable becomes a pain in the ass in a way that can make this more appealing. It’s why I don’t have an Ethernet cable in one room of my house; I’d have to climb either across the attic, or in the crawlspace, and neither are gonna happen voluntarily. So I deal with a crappy wifi dongle for the ancient PC in that room instead.
I switched to rechargeable 3 years ago. I’m not trying to shill for a specific brand, but EBL has worked great and they’ve paid for themselves vs the disposable AA and AAA batteries. They last 4-6 weeks door locks depending on use, the one in direct sun doesn’t last as long. Haven’t bought any alkaline AA/AAA in years.
YMMV.
I am confused, is this not possible to wire properly to a power supply? even though this has increase capacity it would still always be in the back of my head that my door might run out of power 🤔
This did make me realize I’ve never seen a deadbolt reversed. As in the door having just a metal framed hole, and the bolt come out of the frame. Seems like the easiest way you would be able to run power to it.
I don’t know. I think that if you built the receptacle right, It could probably work pretty well… Most deadbolts are pretty shit in general, so, even an naive attempt probably wouldn’t be that much worse. For a metal door with a chunky insert, I think it would work fine. For any other kind of door, I think you’d probably need at least a frame or large plate to distribute the loads. Huh…
This is how electronic locks work in prisons and jails. Motor in the doorframe with a bolt, power on to unlock, fails secure in the event of a power outage.
I guess if you had french doors and opened the “wrong” door, it would be similar to a reversed deadbolt.
I bought Xtar rechargeable AA just for the deadbolt cause I got tired of replacing enveloops every few weeks. They last a long time, but when they drop to 1.1v the deadbolt stops working. So, battery level is always 100% until the day the lock doesn’t work.
Oof. My Yale has a hub and the AAs last 9-12months.
Rechargeable li-ion batteries are the game changer for me.
All the fancy expensive rechargeable including Eneloop would have a 30+% failure rate every recharge cycle and I wasted so much money. I have 16 li-ion AAs that I rotate including in my door locks and they have gone through multiple recharge cycles with no failures.
Which lock are you using?
Been looking at Schlage for a nice local only Zwave / ZigBee lock but I’ve seen a few recent reviews saying how their quality went down the drain. How the PCB is corroding from just moisture in the air… So I’m open to recommendations.
Heavybell@lemmy.world 7 hours ago Nice idea :)
I want to get some kind of smart lock myself, but I can’t find one that would adequately replace what I have in terms of security. Basically, the combination of an Australian deadbolt (which can only be opened or locked with a key regardless of which side of the door you’re on) and a regular latch, allowing the door essentially to be in one of three states: unlocked, locked from the outside, and locked from both sides. Such a product doesn’t seem to exist. They can all be opened by hand on the inside. And I feel this would cause my insurance to go up being less secure.
Ok this is sick. Gives me hope for my garbage $400 “smart” dog door…
tropicaldingdong@lemmy.world@lemmy.world 16 hours ago Jfc is your door on also a razer?
I would love to see this using disposable vape batteries. That would make it a nice ‘circle of life’.
It’s why I’m looking at ubiquity locks and seeing if I can hardware a residential door.
NarrativeBear@lemmy.world 10 minutes ago
This is great, so far I have only seen hardwired options, never seen someone do a expanded battery mod for their smart lock.
Battery eliminators are the way I hardwired my smart locks. You can find these on amazon in various battery sizes and combinations. Combining this with a Voltmeter Adjustable Boost Modul, doing some wireing, and plugging all this into the wall means no battery changes every 3-4 months.