Intercom systems

An intercom is personal telecommunications device which facilitates the exchange of messages between two or more locations where standard vocal communication would be difficult or impossible due to distance or obstructions. Basic intercom systems have been in existence since about a decade into the twentieth century if you only consider designs reliant on that rather handy invention of Alexander Bell’s; the telephone.
Even earlier technologies, similar in concept if not execution to the modern intercom, were fairly widespread. They were particularly prevalent in large businesses, military installations and vessels, as well as stately homes and palaces where they were frequently used to convey instructions to out-of-earshot workers, soldiers and servants respectively. I am of course referring not to strange contrivances of rope and bells, or smoke signals even, but to “speaking tubes.” These were little more than lengths of hollow metal piping which had the handy property of conducting sound for great distances; think of the water or heating pipes in an old apartment building which transmit every unwanted sound.
Even such instruments as the telegraph and the familiar children’s toy consisting of two cans or cups connected by a length of string can be said to have more in common with the modern intercom than the telephone in that they form a closed rather than open system of communication. Of course, such crude methods have nothing on modern intercom systems, which took another leap forward in terms of sophistication with the advent of the new wireless intercoms. Present-day intercom systems are as varied in their forms as their uses. Uncomplicated two-way devices are employed for such functions as access control for the gates and doors of homes, shops and businesses. Once a visitor has announced his or her presence over the intercom the occupant of the premises decides whether to let them in or not. More advanced systems will feature video in addition to audio capabilities, allowing even easier and more accurate identification of visitors on the part of the occupant. Conceivably, even further layers of reporting can be incorporated into intercom systems such as, for example, metal detectors and chemical sensors in areas where the need for high security is great.
Voice-activated intercoms or Audio Intercom units are another tremendously useful refinement on standard intercom systems. They have are used to great effect to monitor babies and others requiring attention, who are for some reason unable to operate regular intercom buttons, such as the ill or infirm. Intercoms are of course not limited to two-way communication either.

There is no theoretical limit to the number of individuals who can be connected via an intercom and little practical limit to the number on a centrally-controlled wireless system. Such multiple-point systems are used to great effect in places where announcements and communication are requires, such as schools, supermarkets, hospitals, factories and airports. Not only can one person use such an intercom system to simultaneously communicate to all present, those who have access to the system can use it to keep in contact with one another.

Security Systems - How to Select the Security System that's Right for You

security system a General definition

Security systems are everywhere - most of us do not notice them at all. Yet many public places such as malls, schools, stadiums - have security systems all around. Your work place might be monitored by CCTV (close circuit television) and if you are babysitting, there's a good chance you are being watched. In this article I will present the common most security systems that surround us.

Different manifestations of home security systems

The Security camera

One of the most popular form of security system today is the security camera. It's cheap and doesn't even need more than very basic technological knowledge in order to have it installed. Security cameras have been invented during the 2nd world war and since than evolved greatly.
It's first purpose was capturing visual data in places that were far to risky for people to be present in. Places like missile experimentations and space craft launches.
A corner stone in the evolution of the CCTV was during the eighties when the British government used it in public places. Crimes that were filmed in these places, led to trials and indictments. From here, the way to the home security system was short. Today in the digital era - security cameras sell by thousands of units on a daily basis. You can get security cameras for on eBay for no more than $35, even less in some cases.
The Alarm system
The popularity of the security camera in second only to it's noisy sister - the alarm system. Alarm systems are triggered by a certain sensor and give a loud warning to any intruder.
These sensors can track either movement, heat, infrared disturbance and some give a combination of the three. These alarm systems can be turned off only by inserting a specific code, or by voice recognition and in the near future facial recognitions too. Alarm systems are everywhere in homes, offices, shops and in cars. These are the two main forms of security systems - within each there are many sub-products.
Home security systems - picking the security system that's right for you
When contemplating on installing a security system in your home - you have to take a few thing under consideration. First of all - consider your budget. Even though both an alarm system and a security surveillance camera can be obtains for peanuts - be careful of anything that's too cheap.
Say you want to install an alarm system in Miami - you wouldn't like it to be triggered by every draft that passes by, nor would you like your security camera to crash after a few days...
Cheap in this case, is costly. Don't get the cheapest security systems - there are plenty of great security systems at very competitive prices, quality is highly important here.

Another aspect is your actual need. If you'd like to know that people who pass through your home don't steal your valuables, if you want to know that the babysitter is taking good care of your children - then you need a security camera. If you live alone and just want means to protect yourself
from intruders, than you hardly need a wireless CCTV (unless you like watching yourself) - an alarm system would serve you better. In some cases I would recommend having them both. Since prices aren't high - and it's easy to install - why not go for the combo deal. Both an alarm system and a security camera can give you peace of mind knowing that you and your loved ones are safe.

Deadbolts

Deadbolts - Overview of the deadbolt

- by Andrew Reed

The deadbolt is the most widespread style of bolt lock for a very good reason: it works. The principle is simple enough. With one hinged component – the door – and one immovable one – the framing wall – the best way to keep them together is to connect them with a strong shaft that penetrates from one into the center of the other. There are two aspects of the shaft – length and strength – that make a big difference to the efficacy of the lock. The length of the shaft allows it to penetrate farther into the immovable frame, and its strength makes it more or less possible to cut through. Much of the value of a long shaft has to do with physics.

The pressure necessary to push the shaft of the deadbolt through the frame increases in proportion to the depth it’s embedded in the frame. I’m not a physicist, and the way geometric progressions work is something like a foreign language to me, so I won’t even try to explain them. What’s important to know is that if the shaft pushes one inch past the strike-plate into the frame, it takes far more pressure to break through the frame than if it penetrates only one-half inch, for the simple reason that there’s a lot more frame material – usually a wood or aluminum stud, but sometimes a steel door jamb – that has to be pushed through. As for strength, deadbolt shafts are made of many materials, the most common of which are steel and steel alloys. Steel can be manufactured in a variety of ways that strengthen and harden it. Tempering Steel is made of iron ore, and its properties have been known for nearly two thousand years. Unlike wrought iron, which is relatively soft and workable, steel is iron ore smelted with carbon. The carbon is usually a very small component, from .4 or .5 percent to just over one percent, but it’s essential to make the ore workable and subject to hardening.

The greater the amount of carbon, the harder the steel can become if it’s treated properly. Thus the term “carbon steel.” Iron carbide found in or added to iron ore mixes uniformly with the iron molecules when the metal is heated above a critical temperature, and it cools into a crystalline structure. If the molten metal cools slowly (anneals), the crystalline structure of the iron carbide is relatively soft, but if it’s cooled quickly – by being dipped into water, for example – the crystalline structure is extremely hard. But the harder the steel after cooling, the more brittle it is, as well. In order to remove the brittleness, it must be reheated (to anywhere between 450 and 1,350 degrees), and the proper procedure allows it to be reheated without losing its strength. The reheated metal can be worked into all sorts of useful objects like deadbolt shafts that, when cooled again, are far harder than nontempered metal. Other materials can also be introduced into the steel during the smelting process to add to the strength provided by the iron carbide. Zinc, chromium, manganese, titanium, and nickel are among those frequently found in steel alloys. A third factor that impacts the level of security offered by a deadbolt has little to do with the bolt itself.

That factor is how the strike-plate is attached to the immovable frame. Since the strike-plate adds great strength to the frame (it’s a lot easier to splinter wood than to bend steel and steel alloys), it’s crucial that the strike-plate is strongly attached to the wall stud itself, not just the door-jamb that frames the doorway. That means using long screws, generally at least three inches, to bolt the strike-plate into the building stud. Most deadbolts slide horizontally from the door into the frame, but for many homes with sliding glass or double French doors, a different application is needed. Vertical sliding shackle bolt locks pin the door into its frame at the top and bottom. For sliding doors, they can keep either door from moving; for French doors, if one of the two movable doors is solidly bolted into the frame, it functions as a frame itself to keep the other from being pushed in. Depending on the design of the doors and the bolt you choose, the shackle bolt can go directly into the framing timber or into a metal shackle attached to the top frame. A bottom shackle bolt can go directly into the floor joists or sub-floor. Whatever your house or apartment design, you should make sure that every exterior door has some kind of deadbolt. The experts at Mr. Locks, Inc. will be glad to provide your house and your doors with the security your family deserves.

Installing a Security Safe

Installing a security safe is something most people should consider, now more then ever. There are literally thousands of different security safes - and some of them can be tailored to specific client demands. John Lennon once said, "Imagine no possession" but most people actually imagine MORE possession. Our economy is based on people spending money on valuables. Our culture demands we own more and more - and the more we own, the more we need to protect it. Installing a security safe - is easier and very affordable. It all depends on how sophisticated the safe is, what size it is - and where it's placed. Wall safes are different from floor safes, gun safes are designed for a special need just like the depository safes. Take a look around your home - make a list of all the things you would like to protect. Most people would like to protect valuable jewelry, maybe some money and a few important personal scripts or books. If you are one of them - then you really don't need a large safe - you can do just fine with a small to mediocre sentry safe. If you are contemplating on installing a security safe, all you have to do is pick up the phone and get an estimate - I'll wager it's a lot less then what you have in mind. Good luck on securing your castle.

Garage Doors

If you’ve ever driven through Levittown, Long Island, you’ve seen the paradigm of post-World War II housing. Designed for the young parents who were giving birth to the baby boom generation, Levittown houses were built in accordance with the principles of pre-fabricated housing constructed for servicemen, but they incorporated the “must-haves” of post-war life: big yards, modern appliances, a television antenna, and other conveniences. Promotional photos for Levittown over a period of years show that the evolution of the garage followed major trends in the changing American lifestyle.

The earliest house plans from the 1940s (http://tigger.uic.edu/~pbhales/Levittown.html) show boxy, Cape Cod-style homes with a living room, dining room, bath, and two bedrooms. There were no driveways: the single car owned by most families was parked on the street. By 1950, the company brochure offered five houses in a modified Cape Cod/Ranch style, each with a driveway leading to a single attached carport. And in the sister suburb of Levittown, PA, in 1954, the developers presented a variety of homes that incorporated the latest essential in home design – an enclosed garage

Today, if you drive through even the most moderate suburban neighborhood, you’re likely to see a gaping, two- or three-car garage opening directly onto the street, with living quarters sprawling behind and above. The garage has become the façade of the modern American home.

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Locks & Bagels

One of my favorite security stories concerns a bagel manufacturer in a southern city that doesn’t need to be named (yes, there are bagels made – and eaten – in the south). This was a small-scale manufacturer who began as simply a local baker and gradually began selling his bagels, pies, and other baked goods to specialty grocers.

At first he had a fairly standard industrial refrigerator in which to keep his dough chilled.
Later, as his business expanded, he built a new facility for more large-scale production, and included in the design a well insulated cold-room, where he kept not only batches of dough but also fresh fruit that he used for tarts and pies. The cold-room was essential to counter the heat of the baking room bleeding through the building.

A very precise and careful man, Mr. – let’s call him Mr. Reed, for want of a better name – always made sure that doors were kept closed, windows locked, and everything as organized as could be. He also had a morbid fear of being locked in the cold-room unable to get out; I suppose he’d watched The Shining a few times too many. So the door had no
lock or automatic closing mechanism, just a stiff, heavy chrome latch with handles inside and out. It was deliberately hung slightly askew, so that when unlatched it would swing open rather than closed.

CLICK HERE FOR FULL STORY - IT'S FREE!

Behind Lock & Key

Each of us has different security needs. I recently looked around our house, and I wasn’t too surprised by the number of locks I found. With five outside doors, not counting the garage door, we use two keys for three types of locks (all but one are keyed the same). The glass deck door requires a key to unlock it from the inside, to prevent someone from breaking a panel of glass, reaching in, and unlocking the lock.

But what I found inside surprised me. All three bedrooms, the two baths, and the basement door have locks on them. Nothing sophisticated, mind you, just the type that allows you to push the inside handle and turn it clockwise to keep anyone from getting access from the hall. They’re easy enough to pick – all you need is a six-penny nail, which can be inserted into a hole on the outside cover plate to release the spring lock inside. My dad installed them for my siblings and me, acknowledging that even teens deserve some privacy. Now, with no kids here, we don’t need them for that, but they’re equally effective at keeping prying guests from poking into bedrooms during a party (and believe me, we’ve had party guests like that!).

For full article, please click HERE.

The Humble Padlock

I remember my first padlock. It was a Master combination lock for my gym locker in seventh grade. The dial was blue, and if I’m mot mistaken, the combination was 13-24-4. Three turns clockwise, two counterclockwise, and clockwise to the final number. Since those days I’ve grown a little more sophisticated about the locks I use. For a number of years I’ve had a Hampton padlock for my bicycle, with a case-hardened steel shackle, brass pin tumblers in a laminated steel body, coated with black rubberized plastic to make it weatherproof (and protect the bike’s paint). It’s a handsome lock, rectangular, squat, and strong, but it’s nothing compared to some of the locks on the market today. As far as I can tell, it’s now sold as the True Value hardware brand.CLICK FOR FULL ARTICLE

Keys & Kids

Everybody’s familiar with Toys ‘R’ Us, a parent’s best friend or worst nightmare. I drove by our local store the other day and it occurred to me there ought to be a sister company called Kids ‘R’ Kurious. The thought came to mind because two friends of mine have a 19-month-old daughter whose curiosity is just coming into flower. Her favorite fascination just now is keys.

A few weeks ago, walking in their neighborhood, she and her dad came across a group of three postal drop boxes – the kind with a slot to drop the mail in and a locked door for the mailman to retrieve it. Dad was indulging Bo’s interest by letting her play with the seven keys he carries for his home, office, etc. The toddler decided to toddle up to the mailboxes and, to her father’s amusement, try all seven keys in the lock of the first box . . . and then the second, and then the third. Twenty-one failures later, she was ready to head home.


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A Legacy of Gifts for June

Two of my favorite holidays come in June – Flag Day on June 14, and Father’s Day, this year on June 18.

What I particularly love about Flag Day is that it gives us an opportunity to be patriotic without all the red-white-and-blue hoopla of the Fourth of July. You never see blonde bimbos draped over Ford trucks in Flag Day ads. Instead we should think about the flag and its history and what it represents to our nation, because it really is a symbol that tells a story. Conceptually, it echoes the British Union Jack, whose crossed bars represent the joining of England and Scotland into Great Britain. And unlike traditional banners, there’s no coat of arms suggesting a royal family or powerful aristocracy that run things.


ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED HERE

A Word of Command

“Still, the gate is the weakest point.”
Aragorn, in The Two Towers

Fans of J.R.R. Tolkein’s The Trilogy of the Ring will remember the siege of Helms Deep, when the Saruman’s orcs attacked the fortress by blasting through its wooden gate. A few chapters later, the forces of Sauron did the same during the siege of Gondor, using the great battering ram, Grond, to break down the iron gates that had stood invincible for thousands of years. Even earlier, Gandalf had a heck of a time keeping shut the door from the Chamber of Records after his companions fled; he closed it using a closing spell, but the Balrog on the other side overcame him, and he had to use a word of Command. The effect of that was to shatter the door, the wall, and the roof of the chamber and bring it all crashing down, closing off the stairway behind him. Shades of Jericho!


Most of us don’t have Gandalf’s access to spells and words of Command, and the last thing we want is to bring down our own walls to protect ourselves from intruders. We have to think in more mundane terms about the options available to us.


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Who Has The Keys?

Access control is a major problem for businesses large and small. Companies with high-tech access control systems – key cards, fingerprint- or retina scanners, etc. – can easily reprogram access codes and delete former employees from the data base. But even smaller businesses that rely on the security provided by a good, traditional lock-and-key system need to update their access controls regularly. This is an issue whether you use padlocks, cylinder locks, or police locks.

The first step is to conduct a regular Key Audit to review the status and location of every key, making sure that no unauthorized person has one. In small businesses with few employees, this can be a fairly simple process and one that’s sufficient to ensure access control.

Read all about it - click here.

Mr. Locks Featured in Smartmoney.com

An undercover reporter apparently sniffed around to check on nationwide locksmith pricing, and found us to be a worthy "Deal of the Day" feature.

Read her full story here: http://www.smartmoney.com/dealoftheday/index.cfm?story=20060327

Proximity Readers

Proximity readers are among the simplest access control systems to install and use. The principle is simple: they are encoded to read and respond to electronic signals from access cards, and only to cards that are specifically authorized. Unlike the swipe cards used at ATM readers at groceries and other stores, most proximity cards don’t require contact with the reader or a Personal Identification Number (PIN) to work. Proximity is enough, with sensitivity limited to as little as an inch or two or expanded to over a foot – especially useful for handicap-access doors, parking garages, etc.

Full article can be read HERE.

Magnetic Locks

Magnetic locks, like electric strikes, use electromagnetism to control the locking mechanism. They rely on electric power, whether from a building current or a battery, and as a result they’re as dependable as a refrigerator, TV, or bedside alarm clock (though like any other household appliance they can also be vulnerable to power failure). But because no key is needed to operate magnetic locks, mag-locks can’t be picked – and you’ll never be locked out because you’ve lost the key.


The core of a magnetic lock control system is an electromagnet made of advanced metal alloys. When electric power activates it, the bolt slides in or out, up or down, along its U-shaped channel to lock or unlock the door. Some mag-locks also incorporate timing mechanisms that allow them to operate only at certain times – during business hours, for example. Others have “transaction memory,” which can record every use or attempted use. This function can be especially valuable with locks that use number-pads rather than coded cards: if an unauthorized person tries to gain access using incorrect codes more than twice, for example, the lock can automatically set off an alarm.


To read the full article, please CLICK HERE

Of Barn Doors And Horses

There’s nothing more important to most people than protecting their family. The safety of your loved ones, your sweetheart or husband or wife or children, matters more than money, status, or the kind of car you drive. After all, if your loved ones aren’t safe, do material things really count for that much?

Many years ago, I lived in a brownstone in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn. It was a neighborhood “in transition” in those years, and we were diligent about locking up. But one night I woke up at 3:00 a.m., startled to find a flashlight shining in my eyes. It was a police officer, and when my sweetheart and I sat up in bed, he whispered to us to be silent, then quickly told us what was going on.

A fireman at the firehouse across the street had happened to see someone climb through our first floor window and alerted the police, who had hurried over without sirens, entered the same way, and were now searching the house.

Upstairs, they caught the man in the landlady’s bedroom – holding her at knifepoint while he prepared to rape her. The knife was from my kitchen.

The read the full story, click here.

"Safe" Storage

The most sophisticated security system can sometimes be defeated by stone-age technology: a brick thrown through a window. Using such a simple tool, a house-burglar can get in, grab your valuables, and get out again before help arrives, even if your home alarm system is connected to the local police station.

But for that kind of burglary to succeed, time is of the essence, and that’s what a secure safe provides: time that the thief can’t afford. That’s why it’s so important to make sure your real valuables can’t be found quickly or easily.

Read full article here: http://www.mr-locks.com/news.php?id=47

Locks – A Short History

by Andrew Reed for Mr. Locks, Inc

Mechanical locks work according to two fundamental principles: incorporating fixed obstructions to keep the wrong keys out, or using movable pins or tumblers that have to be put in the right positions by the key to move the bolt. The ancient Egyptians invented primitive tumbler locks that held a bolt in place across a door; their tumblers were wooden pegs up to two feet long. The Old Testament suggests that ancient keys were also very large: “And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.” (Isaiah 22, xxii) While other civilizations have incorporated brass, bronze, silver, gold, steel, and carbon composites into their locks since those early models, many people in theMiddle East still use the Egyptian wooden model – 4,000 years later!

Read full article at: http://www.mr-locks.com/news.php?id=45

Mr. Locks Demands High Standards For Locksmith Profession

When Mr. Locks was established in 2001, most of the public thought of locksmiths as small, shabby hole-in-the-wall storefronts where you could get a duplicate key made or get help when you were locked out of your car. In the eyes of corporate executives, home-owners and renters, and even many other small business owners, locksmiths were in the same category as others in the “mechanical” trades – air conditioning repairmen, plumbers, and the like – men doing dirty work in dirty overalls. For their part, most locksmiths themselves were not particularly interested in presenting a professional appearance.

Read full article here.