Adams Rite eForce-150 Keyless Entry Control
April 20, 2009 — The Florida Keyless? Nah. Singer Alicia Keyless? Uh-uh. Keyless lime pie? Ugh. But keyless entry control for your co-op or condo apartment house? Key us in (so to speak).
The advantages of keyless entry are that you don't have copies of keys floating around, endangering security; you don't need a locksmith to physically reinstall hardware when changing locks, but simply change the code instead; and the locks can't be picked — hacked, maybe, but not picked, and hacking takes way more expertise than your average burglar will ever have.
Typical of current offerings is this latest model from the 100-plus-year-old Adams Rite Manufacturing, one of Southern California's oldest continuing businesses (albeit now owned by the Swedish "locking solutions" giant the ASSA ABLOY Group). Powered simply by four AA alkaline batteries, the eForce-150 can accommodate up to 150 users, including master, supervisor and emergency users, plus two one-time codes. You can program the keypad to work three different ways ("Standard," "Passage" and "Lockout," whatever they mean.) There's also a mechanical-key override, which may or may not negate the whole "can't be picked" thing — better ask before buying.
Features include surface mounting with concealed fasteners; field selectable "handing" (meaning you determine when you install it if you want the door left-handed or right-handed); a free-wheeling lever with clutch to prevent vandalism; keypad material that stays stable in sunlight; and operation in extreme temperatures, down to -35 degree Centigrade. You can see an installation video here.
Is keyless entry control for everybody? Probably not - simple is often best. But for other situations, clearly, keyless is more.
Adams Rite Manufacturing • 260 Santa Fe Street Pomona, Calif. 91767 • (909) 632-2300 • toll-free (800) 87-ADAMS (800-872-3267) • customerservice@adamsrite.com