A Solution for Too Many Locks

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davew
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A Solution for Too Many Locks

I an inspiration recently. I have 3 bikes I use on a regular basis. My primary ebike, my backup ebike and grocery hauler with trailer attachment, and a non-powered bike for bus/bike trips. My problem was I would either forget a lock or the key, and I hate carrying a wad of keys at all times. There's nothing like arriving at the grocery store and realizing I have no way to lock up my ride. I discovered that Master Lock has "keyed-alike" locks where one key will open 2, 4, 6 or more padlocks. Each bike has its own lock and a length of cable or two and I only have to carry one key.

spinningmagnets
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Re: A Solution for Too Many Locks

This is my favorite:

http://www.amazon.com/Master-Lock-Set-Your-Own-Combination-175D/dp/B00004SQLH

The combination is "settable" so you can set it to the last four digits of your high-school girlfriends phone number, the license plate number from your favorite car in a classic movie (or any other impossible-to-hack number).

If you suspect an unreliable room-mate with shady friends has guessed the number (don't use your SS#, DL#, birthdate or address) you can change it. Also, if someone needs the number, you can give them the current number over your cell-phone.

spinningmagnets
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Re: A Solution for Too Many Locks

Also use a mnemonic device (memory helper), its the number/letter co-relation on your cell-phone buttons. (I read a book about this once, but I can't remember what it said...)

The planet order is My Very Enthusiastic Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto)

This co-relates on your cell-phone as 683657867.
Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus (SCUBA) is 72822
RAdio Detecting And Ranging (RADAR) is 72327
E-Bike is 32453
BionX is 24669
the possibilities are endless...(just like election-year political speeches)

davew
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Re: A Solution for Too Many Locks

I used to use combination locks, but they can be problematic in colder climates. Sometimes the lock itself would freeze, but more often than not my hands would freeze while trying to work them. I like the idea, though.

"we must be the change we wish to see in the world"

Alias
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Re: A Solution for Too Many Locks

if someone needs the number, you can give them the current number over your cell-phone

Be very careful when giving out personal information over your cell-phone. There are times when certain individuals
if they are desperate enough and want to trace your phone call while you are using your cell phone. Just fyi
(Sometimes there are those out there like that)

spinningmagnets
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Re: A Solution for Too Many Locks

I agree, this would definitely be a rare situation. If you were to give the combo to someone, you could easily change the combo as soon as you get home. Keys can be copied, and you must buy a new lock if you think its been compromised. An ex room-mate can steal your $1500 Lithium E-Bike with a key he copied as you slept when he realized he'd be moving out soon.

I'd hate to have to change a favorite number, because my memory is getting worse. My VisforV password is a license plate from a car I owned many years ago.

Sometimes people suck. Scammers will watch your ATM password with binoculars, then he'll try to pick your pocket. I've even heard of thin card readers being placed over the ATM slot.

My wifes car got stolen in broad daylight at noon in the Home Depot parking lot, and I was inside for less than 15 minutes.

Alias
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Re: A Solution for Too Many Locks

spinningmagnets wrote
I agree, this would definitely be a rare situation

I know it depends on what the other individual and what type of agenda they have (I agree sometimes people suck)
In fact to me those type of people aren't even people to me (if ya know what I mean)
I have been freaked out for a few days (recently) my house was burglarized when I got home from work that evening.
I had to clear the house myself because freaken PD was in the middle of a shift change (how convienent!)
Which I thought was BS.I have been in the field for 12 + years and that just ticked me off.
What people do now these days is they watch (they scope you out). It doesn't matter how nice of a neighborhood
you live in or how great you think your neighbors are; the bad guys are gonna come after the nice neighborhoods.
I think I got lucky of how little damage was done to my home, and it could have been worse.
For the fact that once your house or car has been hit once it could happen again (and you shouldn't doubt that)
reason being is because they already know what you have. It takes less than 30 seconds for a burglar to break into
a car or home (depending on the security of your home). I wanted to revise my comment;
"If you want something bad enough you will do your best to protect it (if it means that much to you)
whether it be an expensive lock system or an alarm system you gotta be the one to make it DIFFICULT for the ones who are gonna break in and steal your stuff whether it be an expensive electric vehicle that you put together yourself because it means something to you. Those types of people do not care what you did to make it run or work".
They steal your stuff sell it real cheap and use it for things like drugs or something else.
Otherwise you might as well just leave all of your doors and windows open with a big sign saying
"enter at your convienence take whatever you'd like"!!!
Oooh btw Double cylinder door locks are real good too

id say I am prepared this time ;)

spinningmagnets
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Re: A Solution for Too Many Locks

I DO use the "gang-locks" that all have one key on sheds, my pick-up shell, and yard gates. I think nobody will bother copying them because they are easy to break into or jump over.

An expensive E-Bike/E-Scoot could be taken by a big bolt-cutter severing the cable while your inside your work, so the lock doesn't need to be huge. I just have a preference for a settable combo lock. I put my bike inside my home when I'm there.

Anyone want to publish the set-up for a proximity sensor that actuates several small hidden digi-cams to get the faces of burglars? Some teenagers got busted this way on a TV program. Put a girly pic next to one camera to get a good clear face shot.

There's a link in my files somewhere about using a pay-as-you-go cell phone with GPS as a hidden theft tracker. I think its from over at O-S.

davcbr
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Re: A Solution for Too Many Locks

You can do a web search on "Webcam" + "motion sensor". There are scads of pretty cheap or free software that will allow you to monitor about any number of webcams. These can be set to e-mail you a picture when motion is sensed, or call a phone number. With a cheap used computer and 4-5 webcams you can have high security for a few hundred dollars

Alias
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Re: A Solution for Too Many Locks

I find this rather interesting and never thought of doing a search on something like that. ---> expert on CCTV's. :)

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