Spot the error!

[The Medway Handyman]

Watching an episode of 'Lewis' last night, he gets a clue by seeing someone enter 1 9 6 6 into a mechanical push button lock......

[JimK]

Er....Theres only one 6 on a mechanical keypad?

Jim K

[Brian Gaff]

Talking of door keypads, there seems to be some conspiracy to do away with either the telephone or calculator arrangements of keys, and shove them on in all kinds of shapes from L s to Os or whatever. Makes it hard for the non sighted i can tell you!

Lifts do the same thing. Brian

[The Medway Handyman]

Correct - ish! You can't use the same number twice on a mechanical lock.

[Bill]

On many of them it also doesn't matter which order you type the numbers in, so if you can see which are worn, or which are dirty and so not used, they are easy enough to open.

PS.

How many people know of locks etc. that use 1966 as the code? I know of

3 totally different sites that do, football has a lot to answer for!!!!!!!!

[The Medway Handyman]

The sequence doesn't matter on any mechanical push button lock AFAIK. People also often use the numbers that form squares 1650 or 1627 etc.

Must be electronic locks then?

[Bill]

A couple yes, the other is a number of padlocks with 4 digit rotary thingamajigs, every one on site has the same code.

>

[polygonum]

I have been pondering a system where digits are "offered" in a randomised order and the user has to click a "Yes" or "Select" button when the digit they want is selected. My original version had a small display that no-one else can view and a single selector button. However, there seems to be no obvious difficulty in making it working with spoken digits or some sort of haptic device. Quite possibly the same technology could help with privacy and usability for both sighted and non-sighted?

Sadly, might not work for those with Tourette's or Parkinsons...

[fred]

Locksmiths i.m.e. generally order cheap padlock et. al. keyed alike. Sometimes you have to specify NOT keyed alike if buying a quantity

[fred]

Its those bloody talking lifts that drive me round the twist.

'Doors closing'

'Going up'

First floor'

'Doors opening'.

Why?

For the partially sighted? Can there really by so many of those around that can't ask.

[alan]

I have a alarm main control box and a "matching" remote control box. Both have keypads and they are a different layout.

mailto:news{at}admac(dot}myzen{dot}co{dot}uk

[polygonum]

Local Sainsbury store has travelator-style esclators - with announcements about getting ready to push your trolley off, holding the handrail etc. Two "flights" going up from ground to first floor, another two from first to second, plus the same going down. So that is eight sets of speakers, each one triggered for (it seems) every single person who uses it. And the whole lot is an extremely echoic building at a grossly excessive volume.

Why?

Round the corner at Tesco, their much older travelator escalator leaves you to notice everything for yourself - no announcements at all.

I am not aware that the Tesco one causes ambulances to cart people off daily to A&E. :-)

[Bill]

In message , fred writes

Over a few years I had need of small electrical key operated switches, I would buy them from RS, they stated that they could NOT supply this type keyed alike. Every one I ever bought was RS1T They did make others, but never supplied me with one, it seemed almost an industry standard. I've found a number of lifts with RS1T as the override switch, Granby Halls Leicester had RS1T on all the main hall door alarms, plus other places. I always have an RS1T on my keyring, comes in handy occasionally.

[ARW]

How do you know that they were not supporters of the first edition of the

14th edition IEE regs:-)

[Bill]

In message , ARW writes

Anything is possible :-)

[MattyF]

I was wondering if I would make a cheap keypad circuit to open my garage door when I'm near it instead of running up two flights of steps and going inside the house to press the button. I thought I might have four buttons that need to be pressed at the same to close the circuit. Pressing any of the other six buttons will set an alarm off.

[Nightjar]

We have a similar arrangement at a new Sainsbury near here. Annoying and IMO confusing.

I would have thought that, provided there was a reasonable section of flat travelator at each end, the transition from angled to flat would give adequate warning of the approach of the end. Perhaps Brian could comment on that.

Colin Bignell

[Capitol]

Local shopping centre has gone EU, ground floor is 1, car park it serves is still imperial!

[charles]

I met this last weekend in a Premier Inn in Wakefield. The building was originally a Holiday Inn which might explain it.

[Fredxxx]

Not that I am ever pedantic, but First edition of the 14th edition? Were there many?

I thought the First edition was 1882?