Monitored Alarm Systems - A Fallacy

Monitored Alarm Systems are not Security Protection Devices.

I regularly discuss the above statement with many customers. Usually I am asked if I sell and Install electronic alarm security systems, to which I reply that the statement is an oxymoron.

An alarm system is not and can not be a security system because it does not perform or provide any protection. It can only inform that a condition exists.

Pictured above is a typical advertisement implying that alarm systems that are monitored provide protection for homes.

THIS IS SIMPLY UNTRUE

One of the largest companies in the world, regularly sells their products by trying to convince consumers of the competitive advantage of their monitored alarm systems.

The average cost of a monitored alarm system, often ranges from $30 - $60 per month. This is the raw cost to have a manned 24 hour monitoring centre "watching" your property.

What many companies, similar to the one above fail to inform the client, is the hidden costs associated with monitored alarm systems.

Police or emergency service attendance is often an extra cost borne by the homeowner, that monitoring companies often fail to disclose.

If your property suffers a false alarm and police attend to find no signs of forced or illegal entry, YOU WILL BE BILLED for their time and attendance.

If the monitoring company detects a fire alarm at your property, usually the fire department will be informed immediately and fire trucks will be dispatched. If the alarm condition is false, YOU WILL BE BILLED anyway, for fire department attendance.

If regular false alarms occur, this could become a significantly costly exercise.

Many burglars know the tricks to fool alarm systems. One example is, a burglar gains entry to your automatic roller garage door, closing it behind them. Your alarm system sounds, triggering the monitoring company. Police attend within the average time of 10 minutes. Police find no sign of forced entry and are not allowed to attempt to or enter your premises without a warrant.

Meanwhile, the burglar/s are waiting inside the garage for the police to leave, after determining the alarm was false.

The burglar now has as much time as they need to perform their theft, free from getting caught, while the home owner suffers the loss of their property and the added financial burden of emergency services invoices. The home insurance refuses to pay on a claim, because the police report at the time declares a false alarm.

The only beneficary of this whole episode, is the burglar, who made it off with your property.

Crime Statistics Maryland Heights 7/13/09-8/13/09

The current crime statistics for Maryland Heights area July-August 2009 are listed below.

Assault - 10

Break & Enter - 4

Homicide - 1

Sexual Offence - 6

Theft - 68

Theft From Vehicle - 4

Vehicle Theft - 5

To improve your security protection call us today.

314-266-1533

Securichain by Securicraft

Remember the old door chain we used to have on our entry doors to allow the door to open 2 inches so you can see/talk to the person knocking on your door?

Assa-Abloy Asia Pacific, owners of Lockwood Australia, produce this modern take on the simple door chain.

The Securichain is designed to be mortised into the door, similarly to a cylindrical deadbolt. It provides a flush, neat fit with an easy to release strike/keeper. I think this fashionable design will also work incredibly well as a child safety device, where if it is fitted higher on a door, small children, whose tendencies are to open doors regularly when adults are not looking, to run outside to play, would be unable to get out, yet the adult could easily open the door.

What do you think?

Lockwood 005 Paradigm

Assa-Abloy Asia-Pacific recently released their new residential/architectural deadbolt. The 005 Paradigm, sees a shift toward more safety concious locking products.

This deadbolt combines the benefits of double cylinder locking mechanisms with the primary entrance stipulation of the International Building Code, whereby all primary entrances require to be panic release mode in case of an emergency.

As you can see in the picture, the inside turnbutton has a key hole and an indicator as well. This is designed to give a person inside immediate knowledge whether the lock is "deadlocked" or not.

In some parts of the world, the insurance company definition of "deadlock" is "any lock that is able to be operated by a key from both sides of a door.

The Paradigm cylindrical deadbolt with LockAlert status indicator, SafetyRelease and DualSelect locking is suitable for residential and architectural applications.

Features

• Multi-Mode Slimline Deadbolt providing safety, security and convenience
• Safety features include SafetyRelease to reduce the possibility of being locked in
• High Strength Counterbalance Bolt
• High Security cut Resistant Stainless Steel Bolt
• Adjustable 60 mm - 70 mm bolt
• Box strike with concealed cross grain door frame strengthening screw
• Fits standard door preparation - 54mm diameter cross bore hole

CLIQ Electronic High-Security Locks Easily Defeated at DefCon

Breaking News

Notorious and reknowned lock pickers Mark Tobias, Toby Bluzmanis and Matt Fiddler, have demonstrated techniques to easily defeat the supposedly un-defeatable CLIQ products being manufactured by the world leading High-Security lock manufacturing company Assa-Abloy.

From Wired.com, "The hacks are low-tech and don’t involve attacking the actual electronic component of the lock. Instead, they use standard techniques for opening mechanical locks, similar to bumping — where an attacker places a specially-designed key in the keyway and “bumps” it repeatedly with a device until the lock releases."

“These [locks] are used in some high-security facilities,” Tobias said. “And the makers tout the fact that this is the ultimate in security. And they shouldn’t be saying that.

The locks cost between $600 and $800 apiece, with keys costing about $95 each.

They’re used in government buildings, banks, and critical infrastructures, such as power and water plants and transportation facilities. The Swiss Federal Railway System uses them as does the Ottawa International Airport in Canada.

The locks use what’s called CLIQ technology, developed by top Swedish lock maker Assa Abloy, and its Germany-based subsidiary Ikon. The locks were first made in 2002 by Assa Abloy, but the same core technology is now used all over the world in electronic high-security locks made by other Assa Abloy subsidiaries, such as Medeco, Mul-T-Lock and Ikon."

"According to an Assa Abloy marketing video, the combination of electronic and mechanical offers “a double layer of impenetrable security.”

But the researchers found that none of the technology’s ultra-high-security features — digital ID, encrypted communication, or audit log — matter."

“[CLIQ] is a very sophisticated system,” Tobias says. “Mechanically it’s terrific. Electronically it’s terrific. But from the security engineering standpoint, our opinion is it’s not competent. If you can circumvent accountability, you have a major problem.”

The lock makers say they can’t respond to the issues Tobias is raising until he tells them exactly how his attacks work. But before he’s willing to give them the details, Tobias has insisted the makers agree to fix the vulnerable locks retroactively with no cost to customers who have already purchased them. Something they refuse."

"Bluzmanis demonstrated an attack by taking an Interactive CLIQ electro-mechanical lock made by Mul-T-Lock and inserting a mechanical-only key cut to the same keyway. After inserting the key, he does something to vibrate the key for a few seconds until the mechanical motor in the cylinder turns and lifts the locking element to release the lock."

“There’s no audit trail that the lock has been opened,” Tobias says, “because there are no electronics [involved]. If the attacker entered the room to steal documents or sabotage the facility, the last person who entered before him and who showed up in the audit log, would presumably get the blame."

" When electro-mechanical keys are lost, administrators don’t rekey the locks, they simply reprogram the system to reject any key with that unique ID. But a thief could remove the key’s battery and convert it to a mechanical key. Without the battery, the cylinder wouldn’t know a key has been inserted; the thief could then vibrate the lock to open it."

"Once the lock is opened, it will remain unlocked until a valid electro-mechanical key is inserted. Until then, even an electro-mechanical key deprogrammed to work with the lock — because an employee left the company or the key was lost or stolen — will work. Because the de-programmed key has a battery, the chip in the cylinder will log it as an “access denied” event, but the person holding the key will still be able to open the door."

(source...) Special Thanks to Harry Liebman of CandyTorahs.com for pointing to this article.

Narrow Stile Key Locked Patio/Pocket Door Lock

Pictured here is a product we are now stocking, that enables a patio sliding door lock to be replaced with a key entry model.

It is designed to be a flush mount, meaning that the handles are fitted into the body of the door frame, which also makes them very suitable for pocket doors.

This beautiful and simple design is fundamentally different to many other similar type products because the actual latch only requires a small hole in the door edge for installation.

There are very few key lockable patio/pocket door locks available at such a competitive list price.

Installation of these locks often requires some patch work necessary to fill the holes in the PVC door frame. We use a very special product especially designed to repair virtually any PVC frame or pipe. It is designed to fill the existing hole/s simply and matchable to virtually any color.

The list price on this lock is $29.99 but it can be found even cheaper if you search in depth online.

Pocket Door Lock/Patio Door Lock with key, now available here today.

UPDATE 08/06/09

This product is designed for maximum 1-1/4" thick doors. I know this from first hand experience and not reading the instructions properly.

Chubb M3 (Medeco) Lock Bumped open

This example is from over 1 year ago online by a professional locksmith in the United Kingdom.

Chubb have an overseas license to the Medeco M3 lock system and market it complete with the Chubb name embossed on the product.

Medeco technology is requested by many US companies attempting to maintain some uniformity across their properties, however as this video plainly shows, the Medeco product is NOT BUMP PROOF.

I must repeat that the original and first bump proof pin tumbler lock cylinder product on the market is the Bilock Extreme Security mechanism. With Bilock, you can guarantee that duplicate keys cannot be produced and that bump keys WILL NOT WORK. Bilock locks were first manufactured in Australia in the early 1970's. The product is found in 132 countries around the world and is favored by casinos, banks and government institutions to protect property.

Never Get Lost Again

How often have you travelled to a different town or country, parked your rental car in a multi-level carpark, returned but have forgotten where you parked the car?

How often have you been to an unfamiliar place only to have your bearings all turned around?

Maybe you travel overseas, stay in hotels but forget which corner your hotel is on.

Here is a novel product that can assist you with not having to remember all the gory details. Simply activate the GPS, lock in your current position, go on your way and use it's locator function to return you to home.

Certainly a novel idea.

My primary concern with an item of this kind is that potentially you give a potential thief, your exact location of your property. They will have your key and your property location. Is that smart?

(source...)

Schlage Primus Bump Key Attack

The above video is one of the most recent items of evidence that clearly show Schlage Primus locks are NOT BUMP PROOF.

There are multiple advertizers online that falsely advertize Primus as a bump proof product. It never has been or is capable of being bump proof.

While it is true, that Primus is a very good quality product, this video evidence proves beyond any doubt that the product is not bump proof as advertized by so many online marketers.

So who do you believe today?

If some locksmiths are proven wrong, who do you trust?

Put your trust in Bilock Extreme Security products. The original 100% fully guaranteed bump proof pin tumbler product on the market.

Update 7/20/09

I am not so sure if readers fully appreciate the temerity of the situation with bump keys. Bump keys can be created by anyone who has access to the pin tumbler key belonging to a lock or group of locks. You see, if someone has a key in their hand, that slides into the desired keyhole (it doent have to turn - just slide in), they can create a bump key for that very lock or group of locks.

Where it gets scarier, is considering that large institutions, universities, churches, hospitals, public amenities, government capitol buildings, defense department facilities, naval boats, office complexes etc, that operate using a master key system or multiple systems are even more prone to this simple form of attack. Master key systems that employ the modern pin tumbler principle ( as originally patented by Linus Yale in 1864), which include almost all the most recognizeable brands today, Schlage, Kwikset, Tylo, Yale, Corbin, Assa, Medeco, Primus, Scorpion, Lockwood, Russwin, Baldwin, Cambridge, Plymouth, Mul-t-lock, Best, Falcon, Master, ILCO, American Lock just to name a few are built using multiple pins (also called wafers) in each tumbler position. This fundamentally exposes each lock cylinder to substantially less security. These keyholes are even easier to circumvent using the bump key techniques.

Burglars Hit Mike's Neighbors

Twittermic audiocast...StrikeMaster II


I took a call from Mike the other day who reported a problem with securing his front and back doors. It seems his neighbors in the other three condominiums had all been broken into by having their doors kicked open.

My first and automatic response to this kind of question is to recommend the Strikemaster II product be installed to front and back door jambs.

I explained that the cardinal reason, many doors get kicked open is because they are the easiest way to get in. You see, most locks today are installed on steel case doors. The inside and outside skin of modern external doors is encased in light steel. When installing any lock to the door the lock rarely gives way in attempted break ins. It is more often the door jamb. That area where the door closes into. The strike plate that most existing knobs and deadbolts lock into are most often held on to the door jamb by short 1" long wood screws. Why? Because most door jambs are constructed of 1" wide pine.

The secret to making sure your doors are secure, do go two fold.

First you need to make sure the door locks are unable to be picked or bumped or bypassed. I recommend Bilock Extreme Security products for total lock protection.

Second you need to ensure that the door jamb is secured to the stud behind it. Using the Strikemaster II, provides 5' long laminated steel brace secured by 10 x 3" screws, designed to attach to the stud behind the door jamb.

Combining these two methods will deter virtually any reasonably determined intruder.

We are booked next Thursday, thanks Mike.

Twittermic

I'm trialling a new idea to use to advertise for business and wouldnt mind peoples opinions and subjects of interest related to security.

Bilock - Key of the Future, Here Today

Bilock is without doubt the world's leading modern key system.

Sure, it is a system originally developed in Australia in the 1970's, but it has proven since then that it will fit in the widest range of other manufacturers product lines.

From Schlage to Baldwin, Arrow to Corbin, Carbine to Cal-Royal, Marks to Russwin, USLock to LSDA to GMS, Bilock cylinders will retrofit in almost all quality hardware from many of the leading manufacturers.

To top that off, Bilock's engineers will custom manufacture any requested application. So, if you want to have your obsure lock or handle operate using the remarkably secure and fully protected and patented Bilock Extreme Security locking system, simply contact us today for an estimate.

As you can see in the above picture, Bilock also manufactures many OEM products too. The picture also shows many cylinders designed to retro-fit into your existing hardware.

This means that you can reduce the cost of securing your properties by replacing just the cylinders instead of the complete hardware (handles or locks).

Why not maintain your existing functions while having the leading key control system with the most competitively priced, aesthetically pleasing color coded keys and locks of their kind available today?

Bilock products are found in almost every country in the world. Most casinos rely on Bilock products to maintain the security of poker machines, cash dispensers even hotel room doors. The versatility of master key systems using Bilocks multi-million key changes, the ability to identify easily which key works which lock by the color coded heads, combined with the virtually impossible to pick or bump mechanism makes Bilock your best choice for securing your family and your posessions.

How many different brands of locks do you have at home or the office? Do you need so many different keys to maintain all those locks? Speaking to our trained Bilock technicians could potentially reduce your key needs to just one key, without necessarily replacing all your hardware.

It makes perfect sense in todays economy to give yourself peace of mind with the best security products performing the best and most reliable functionality while maintaining the original look and feel of your existing hardwares, using easily identifiable keys that are color coded and impossible to duplicate.

Why are the keys so hard to duplicate?

Because they are all created as originals. Each key is carefully produced and folded into shape making each key unique (even if they are copies of each other).

As the leading Bilock dealer in the mid-west, we use sophisticated software to build all our systems. All keys are recorded and individually marked with a unique number. Tracking your keys will never be so easy.

Sargent & Greenleaf 8415 Top Security Lock

Pictured here is the Sargent & Greenleaf 8415 Extension 50 Deadlatch.

This superb product comes from the world leader in safe lock design and manufacture. It is designed for use on either inswing or outswing doors that require a much higher degree of security.

This lock operates using a mechanical dial pad with a resettable combination and a turnbutton on the inside for emergency egress.

The unique design of the strike (keeper) makes this lock one of the strongest locks of it's type available today preventing doors and jambs from being spread open.

Perfect for use on ATM's, Computer Rooms, High Security Storage areas, Research Laboratories etc.

All units include a purposely manufactured hardened steel plate to resist drilling, that fits between the lock body and the application or door.

This is a surface mounted lock so designed to suit a wide range of applications.

This is an American manufactured solution that offers the best security available today.

P.O.A

New Twist On Locksmith Scams

A new twist to the issue plaguing American cities and the once reputeable locksmith industry.

It has become apparent that the sham companies and masqueraders are becoming much more bold in their endeavours to destroy the locksmith industry from outside, using techniques that border on the rediculous.

A story appeared last week on CBS2 Chicago about well known and long established locksmith Gale Johnson. Gale is an industry stalwart and editor of the world reknowned Locksmith Ledger Magazine.

This particular story, highlighted a new twist to the ongoing saga of the locksmith scammer issues. It seems apparent that established locksmith companies are now coming under attack through AT&T directly. Not by AT&T but by people apparently calling AT&T to cancel advertizing related to particular established telephone numbers. Johnsons Locksmiths in Evanston Illinois, has been established in excess of 65 years in the Chicago area. They are a repeated victim of the scammers attempts to steal their trading name and telephone number.

And to top all this off, AT&T admit to a problem with multiple free listings in the locksmith sections of their telephone books, across the country.

In my town, there are fake listings not just in Yellow Pages but also across multiple mediums including but not limited to Google, Yahoo, Bing, Yellow Pages etc, for locksmiths that advertise addresses and telephone numbers similar to my personal address and my business telephone number, in the hope that potential customers will be misled to call them instead of whom they were intending (me).

I took a call last week from a customer who told me that they had called one of the numbers asking for me by name and the operator transferred the call to someone posing as me.

The customer knew something was not right due to the person they were speaking to, did not sound like me, nor did they recollect any of our past dealings.

That these people will stoop to such depths to ruin a persons reputation and rip off unsuspecting customers is another example of the loopholes that are being discovered in search mediums.

The current economic situation is bad enough to encourage these charlottans to perform this new breed of espionage on the unsuspecting general public and marketplace.

Magnalatch

Pictured here is the worlds #1 selling product for securing swimming pool gates and the like.

The Vertical Pull Model (on right), also known as the Pet Latch, uses the same revolutionary technology as the Top Pull Model (on left) in a smaller, more compact body. It is suitable for mounting on taller pool gates where it will still be out of reach of children, as well as on garden or household gates to provide a safety barrier for pets. Like the Top Pull Model, the Pet Latch offers easy adjustment, is key-lockable for added security and won't disengage from shaking or pulling. Always confirm local fence/barrier regulations before installation.

(source...)

Bilock - 35% Discount July 2009

In celebration of July 4, USA Independence Day, we proudly offer all Bilock product ordered between July 1st, 2009 & July 31st, 2009 at 35% off the manufacturers suggested retail price.

Conditions.

1. All product must be ordered and paid for during the month of July.
2. All Bilock systems are protected by a registered signature and require specimen signatures prior to goods despatched.
3. 2 keys will be included in the first lock (for keyed alike/master keyed orders) at no charge. Extra keys will be supplied at $9.00 each (initial supply only)
4. Shipping & Handling charges are separate and additional.
5. Taxes charged (Missouri Residents Only)
6. All orders are subject to availability.
7. Email orders preferred.
8. All product is warrantied as per manufacturer specifications.

This SPECIAL is for the month of July 2009 only, in celebration of USA Independence Day.

Happy July 4TH

Cowdroy P697 Pocket Door Lock With Key

As informed in a previous article here, we are pleased to announce that we have received confirmation from our local fire marshal that the Cowdroy P697 Pocket Door Lock with Key, will comply with life safety codes and fire and building codes, provided it is not used on primary entrances or exits.

The Cowdroy P697 Cavity/Pocket Door Lock, is secured using a double cylinder 5 wafer (disc) tumbler mechanism, providing a 100% bump proof lock. This means that the selected door can be locked by key from both inside and outside.

Securing your pocket doors has never been so easy.

Each unit arrives with complete, easy to follow installation instructions and 2 keys.

Interest in this product has been overwhelming and we anticipate stocks to arrive within 6 weeks of all color finishes, as well as the passage and privacy models.

(source...) Thanks to Garry Aumann of Keyman Services, Gold Coast, Australia.

$85.00

Available Dec 30 2009

See new post.

EDIT 12/22/09

Product Has Arrived and is Available Now

Colors

Silver Brass/Gold

Big Box vs Specialty Retailer

I receive a substantial number of searches each month on multiple subjects related to hardware and security products and services (as one might expect).

Master Key Systems America LLC and locks210.com-St Louis Locksmiths prides ourselves on bridging the gap between the Big Box retailers like Lowes and Home Depot or Walmart, Kmart, Target etc, by representing and selling unique and more specialized products and services.

We will also sell, install and service any requested product line our customers desire, although quite often, as expected, we are unable to sell product as competitively as the Big Box Stores.

Yet many searches being conducted, seem to be attempting to find our unique product offerings at Home Depot or Lowes or Walmart .

While the likelihood of finding products similar to our unique inventory at Lowes or Home Depot, might cause customers to think that they will benefit from more competitive prices, most of our product line will not be found there.

There are a surprising quantity of searches every month for our Strikemaster II product but using the additional keywords of Lowes or Home Depot, in attempt to find a more competitive price for this unique and superior specialized product.

The Strikemaster II product is manufactured in North Carolina by a small company that uses modern technology and practises to produce very high quality products. While it might seem like an advantage to have products like these on the Big Box shelves, the truth is that the backup, service and experience you receive from the specialist retailer (like me) far outweighs any perception of service you might receive from Lowes or Home Depot .

We are unable to sell the product at significantly lower prices (as might be expected at Lowes or Home Depot), because the manufacturer does not offer any pricing incentives for volume orders. If they were to offer the product at significantly advantaged prices based on volumes ordered to Lowes or Home Depot, the suggested retail prices that most other suppliers of the product sell it for would be severely eroded lowering the value of the product.

We at Master Key Systems America LLC, pride ourselves on offering premium quality products at quality prices. We understand that there is absolutely no way we can compete with the big box stores on $ for $ incentives and we hope our ever increasing clientelle understand and appreciate our efforts to improve their lives and the security of their families and properties.

There are multiple retailers who sell the Bilock Extreme Security product line too, yet this clearly superior locking product will not be found in the big box stores because it is far more complex than their untrained staff could handle.

When Lowes and Home Depot or Walmart and Kmart or Target buyers attempt to purchase from our specialist manufacturers the identical products that we sell and maintain, they try to convice those manufacturers that by selling a greater volume at a cheaper price, they will stand to make considerably more money sooner. This mentality only serves to lower the value perception of all products and causes the small business to be less competitive.

The customer thinks they are receiving the same product but at a better price, which is their principal motivation. This situation is not true for the longer term.

The small business economy is the largest single economy group in the nation (or the world, for that matter). By bypassing the small merchants, customers think that their money savings will benefit their wallets. While this may be true in the short term, the truth be told that putting small merchants out of business, will severely harm customers abilities to benefit from competitive prices in the future, because the big box retailers will be enabled to raise retail prices after putting the small businesses out of business.

It's your choice. If you want to see better prices, negotiate with your specialty retailer. Quite often they will be prepared to bargain with you if you show some loyalty.

Edit 3/25/2010 Home Depot are now selling Strikemaster II products Online only. Link

Medeco M3 Locks Picked and Bumped

Notice in the above video's, prior knowledge does not appear to be required, regarding the technical configuration of the tumblers.

Medeco locks have been touted as the most secure product of it's kind in America for the last 30 years.

For true bump proof and pick resistant products, look no further than Bilock Extreme Security products.

Master Key Systems America LLC, is one of only two authorized and fully equipped Bilock Extreme Security dealers in Missouri. There are other resellers of factory produced product but only we and Bates Street Lock & Key are able to create and produce in-house systems right here in St Louis.

Crime Statistics - Maryland Heights MO UPDATED

We now post the updated list of crimes reported to Maryland Heights, MO police department for the period 4-30-09 to 5-30-09. (We apologize for the quality of the image)

There were a total of 245 crimes reported for this period.

Robbery - 4

Break & Enter - 43

Theft - 184

Assault - 7

Sexual Offenses (incl. Prostitution) - 9

For accurate or specific details or more detailed information please visit CrimeReports.com .

Master Key Systems America LLC, a family owned company are providing residents and businesses of the greater St Louis region with premium products and services aimed at minimizing potential losses and reducing criminal activity. The current economy is having noticeable affects on crime rates across America. The St Louis region has, in recent years, led the nation in crimes reported.

To minimize the impact to your family and business or property, contact us NOW to understand how you can protect yourself, your colleagues, your businesses and your families with state of the art products and services.

Master Key Systems America LLC - St Louis Locksmiths - 'Securing St Louis - One Door At A Time'     .

Copy Cat Locksmiths

It is not enough that the country is battling the phony locksmith scams, there is another scam that is also just as deceiving that is scamming thousands of Americans. Copy cat locksmiths are basically individuals who have decided that instead of spending years building a business of their own, they will copy an established local locksmith who has built a successful business and earned the trust of the public. One copy cat situation that is going on is happening in Coral Springs, Florida. 

Richard's Locksmith and Safe company has been in business for more than 39 years. Owner Jack Rothberg noticed a few years ago that someone was advertising a name very similar to his and advertising an address that was only one block away from the real Richard's lock shop. The copy cat address is actually a Chinese restaurant and has nothing to do with the copy cat. Jack thought that all he would have to do is notify the authorities and this problem would go away. To Jack's surprise, there was not much that would be done about this crime and because he reported the crime, he was retaliated against by the copy cat. 

The copy cat came by Jack's shop and shot out his van windows, cut his gas lines and put and bullet through Jack's shop window. Being the security professional that Jack is, he caught the entire crime on video. The copy cat was arrested but so far has never spent a day in jail. If you would like to see the video of this crime, you can click on the link below and watch a local NBC story that aired in south Florida. We can honestly say that this copy cat case is the worst we have ever seen here at Legal Locksmiths.com. 

These copy cat's are popping up all around the country and the public needs to be aware of what is happening. If you feel that you have been a victim of a copy cat locksmith, whether you are a consumer or a locksmith, we would like to hear form you. Please click here and fill out our complaint form.

The above article appears in the Legal Locksmiths Website. Legal Locksmiths.com has been established and is operated by Larry Friberg who is a former Phoenix police detective who has over 28 years of law enforcement experience, and many years of experience working in the locksmith and access control industry. There are many legal locksmiths that are fed up with the illegal locksmiths who are operating in the US and they too have helped create this website. There are thousands of locksmiths that are law-abiding professional business owners who have been operating legally for many years. Unfortunately, there are now thousands of phoney locksmiths who are ripping off the general public everyday and giving all locksmiths a bad name.

There have been tens of thousands of victims over the last few years, and even though federal and local law enforcement agencies are cracking down on some of these criminals, you still need to be aware of what is happening.  We want you to know that there are legal locksmiths waiting to assist you. That is what LegalLocksmiths.com is all about.

Bluegard Bluetooth Enabled Access Control

This new development in access control solutions by EMX, allows for control of automatic doors, gates or other access controlled entry ways.

The simple solution here allows up to 10 bluetooth equipped mobile phones to be registered as "keys", enabling secure access to controlled areas.

Just dont lose your mobile phone.

(source...)

How To Repair Door Closers

Blogging often involves many labor intense hours of writing and researching, especially if you are composing your own original works.

I try to acknowledge the source of my reference in most if not all articles written here.

This next post is actually by well respected Author and Locksmith Tom Rubenoff and the source of this article is from Hubpages.

Door Closers

This article is primarily about surface mounted door closers, but the ideas herein can be applied to other kinds of door closers as well.

Door closer adjustment is an art that requires knowledge, patience, and an ability to climb up and down a ladder several times, but with these attributes and the appropriate wrench, hex key or screwdriver, you can do it yourself.

Most of the adjustments are implemented through the opening or closing of hydraulic valves. When it comes to turning the screws that operate these valves, a little goes a long way. A turn of 5 degrees can significantly increase or decrease closing speed.

CAUTION: DO NOT COMPLETELY UNSCREW DOOR CLOSER HYDRAULIC ADJUSTMENT SCREWS OR YOU WILL RUIN THE CLOSER AND VOID THE WARRANTEE.

Also, hydraulic fluid will leak out of the closer and make a mess. This will make you unpopular.

A door closer is a mechanical device designed to close a door slowly, but firmly enough to latch. It accomplishes this by using spring tension modulated by hydraulic fluid. As the user opens the door, hydraulic fluid passes from one reservoir to another, and as the spring pushes the door closed again, the hydraulic fluid passes back to the previous reservoir through a series of valves that control the speed.

The illustration at right shows the effects of the common hydraulic adjustment controls available on most commercial grade door closers. Controls for swing speed and latching speed control how fast the door closes, and many closers also feature a hydraulic control for back check that controls the last few inches of the opening the door so as to prevent the door from being slammed into an adjacent wall.

• Swing speed adjustment controls how fast the door closes from fully open to within about 5 degrees of closed
• Latching speed adjustment controls how fast the door closes for those last few inches
• Back check adjustment controls the amount of resistance to opening the door past a selectable point

The illustration below shows the various hydraulic control valves. These might be located in many configurations, but you will usually see the back check control located somewhat away from the latch speed and swing speed controls.

There are also door closers equipped with an additonal valve for Delayed Action. Delayed action closers hold the door open for a longer period of time to allow persons with disabilities more time to get through the door.

Also notice the Spring Tension Adjustment in the illustration above. Spring tension controls the "size" of a closer. The term is misleading, because it does not actually have anything to do with the physical dimensions of the closer. Size is determined by the width of a door. "Sized" closers, that is, closers that have a factory pre-determined spring tension for a particular door width, have no spring tension adjustment. Many door closers today are "non-sized", indicating that spring tension can be field adjusted to fit the size of the door.

It is tempting to use the spring tension adjustment to solve problems, for example, in positive pressure situations where air flow is preventing the door from closing properly. However, the tighter you make the spring, the harder it will be to open the door. It is possible to tighten the spring tension to the point that some people will not be able to open the door.

Adjusting the Door Closer

To adjust the door closer, bring a step ladder tall enough so that you can easily reach the door closer from the second or third highest step. Climb the ladder and examine the closer. If you can't see adjustment screws, chances are the closer has a cover. Usually the cover is plastic, but it could also be metal. If you see no fasteners holding the cover on, that means the cover is held on by tension. Pull it off. If you do see fasteners, usually you can loosen, but not remove, the fasteners and the cover will slide off.

If you find that there is oil in the cover or oil on or leaking from the closer body, you can stop right now. You need a new door closer. If, however, it is not leaking, you can proceed.

Now that you have the cover off, you should be able to see the adjustment screws. If you are lucky, they will be marked on the closer body as to what they are or there will be a diagram inside the cover. If not, you may have to experiment a little to see which is which. Remember, when it comes to turning door closer adjustment screws, a little goes a long way. Start with no more than 1/8 of a turn. Turn the adjustment screw clockwise to slow the door closer down, counter-clockwise to speed it up. then get down off the ladder and observe the effect.

Open the door and watch it close. If it closes right the first time, check it 10 more times. If it closes correctly every time, you're done. If not, go back up the ladder and make another adjustment, etc., until the closer is doing what you want it to do. When it closes the way you want it to 10 times in a row, it will probably continue to do so.

Ideally a non-delayed action door closer will close and latch the door in 7 to 8 seconds.

Problems

If you expect a door closer to consistantly close the door, as a prerequisite the door must close properly. If there is a hinge problem, a warped door, or the door must swing uphill to close, a door closer will only go so far in solving the problem. Sometimes a door must be repaired before it will close and lock automatically with a door closer.

In vestibule conditions, where you have an exterior door, a small space, and then an interior door, the trapped air between the inside and outside door can be a factor. You may have to adjust both closers to get both to work correctly. Wherever air pressure is a factor, including negative or positive pressure situations, I have have gotten door closers to close and latch the door consistantly by adjusting them to a slow swing speed and a somewhat fast latch speed. The slow swing speed seems to give the air a chance to get out of the way and the fast latch speed gives it a very slight slam at the end to make sure it latches.

Trouble Shooting

• If oil is leaking from your door closer, throw it away and buy a new one.
• If your door closer is slamming the door and cannot be adjusted to do otherwise, either the fluid has leaked out or the valve seals are worn out. Either way, your best option is to replace it.
• If the closer stops closing the door before it's closed all the way, or actually spings back when you try to manually shut the door, the arm is probably installed on the shaft incorrectly. Download the instructions from the door closer manufacturer's web site and see if it is installed correctly.
• If the arm makes noise and bounces up and down while the door is in motion, tighten the fasteners that hold the arm to the closer, to the header, and at the knuckle that holds the two parts of the arm together.
• If the door closer has no spring tension and the spring tension adustment turns round and round with no effect, the spring is broken the door closer must be replaced.

More about Tom Rubenoff

Strikemaster II - Copycat Test

Came across a test of a copycat of the Strikemaster II product as videoed by an independent dealer. They set up their own conditions and proved the effectiveness of their duplicated version of this clearly superior product.

The product displayed here is NOT Strikemaster II but quite possibly an infringe of the patent. Nonetheless, it still reinforces the reason why products of this kind greatly enhance the physical protection characteristics of door jambs and frames.

I have personally installed numerous Strikemaster II units, many of them to door jambs that looked almost identical to the one destroyed here.

One of the great things about Strikemaster II, is that installation on your home after a similar break in, can effectively reduce your repair/replace bill by multiple hundreds of dollars. To accurately compare the difference in costs, call a local builder/contractor and inquire as to the cost to install a completely new door and frame.

The benefit that Strikemaster II provides, that this copycat product does not, is the 5 feet of laminated protection, making it substsantially harder to penetrate.

A new door and frame will not withstand a kick-in attack like the Strikemaster II will, so take that into consideration when you look to purchase your new door.
video removedCost for New door and frame =~$600.00 installed
Cost for Strikemaster II =~$165.00 installed

Cavity Sliders

Here is another product designed and manufactured by a brilliant New Zealand company called Cavity Sliders.

This lock has pure form and function. It uses a 3 pin tumbler cylinder, effectively allowing pocket doors or cavity sliding doors to be key lockable as well as having the hardware slide effectively into the cavity.

(source...)  Thanks to Cliff Forrester, general manager of J. Larsen & Co in Queensland Australia established 1917. Cliff Forrester is a veteran career locksmith who is considered an industry stalwart. His knowledge and expertise spans multiple generations and product lines. 

Pocket Door Locks With A Key - UPDATE

Many inquiries I receive are from people requesting hardware to effectively secure their sliding pocket doors. There are very few products in the USA that achieve this without considerable expense.

Luckily for us, a forward thinking company from Australia have already produced a competitively priced key locked pocket door lock that is simple to install and looks good too.

The Cowdroy P697 Cavity/Pocket Door Lock, is secured using a 5 wafer (disc) tumbler mechanism, providing a 100% bump proof lock.

Securing your pocket doors has never been so easy.

(source...) Thanks to Garry Aumann of Keyman Services, Gold Coast, Australia.

$105.00

Keyring Scale

Finally! Someone has done it. They created the perfect office accessory.

How often is it, that you are required to weigh a parcel or letter to determine the cost for postage/cartage (delivery)?

As a supplier of product across the country, I find it a constant challenge to accurately determine shipping costs.

Now with the Keyring Scale, the task of correctly determining weight just got so much easier and convenient.

Easy-to-use clip makes it simple to weigh small objects like letters, jewelry and coins. Backlit LCD displays weight in grams (g), ounces (oz) penny weights (dwt), or grains (gn). Capacity: 8oz x 0.005oz; 225 x 0.1g.

(source...)

2009 St Louis Award Winner

I am humbled again by my customers who nominated me to receive the 2009 St Louis Award.

"For the second consecutive year, I am pleased to announce that Master Key Systems America, LLC has been selected for the 2009 St. Louis Award in the Locksmiths & Keys category by the U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA).

Nationwide, only 1 in 70 (1.4%) 2008 Award recipients qualified as 2009 Award Winners. I'm sure that your selection as a 2009 Award Winner is a reflection of the hard work of not only yourself, but of many people that have supported your business and contributed to the subsequent success of your organization. Congratulations on your selection to such an elite group of small businesses."

"The USLBA "Best of Local Business" Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USLBA identifies companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community. 

Also, a copy of the press release publicizing the two-time selection of Master Key Systems America, LLC is posted on the USLBA website. USLBA hereby grants Master Key Systems America, LLC a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use, reproduce, distribute, and display this press release in any media formats and through any media channels."