Liquor cabinet control

Hi all,

This is my first post here, though I've been an avid Elk/Insteon/ISY/X10/Homeseer/Stargate user for some 20 years now. My current installation consists of 109 Insteon devices devices primarily controlled by ISY but with TTS and some various things done through homeseer. I also use some Elk rules for a couple of things.

I have teenagers now (*sigh*) so I want to keep an eye on my liquor cabinet. I added two wireless contacts to the doors so that my Elk system can monitor when they're opened. This is what I'm trying to accomplish and I can use ISY, Homeseer, of Elk to do it but I can't seem to figure it out.

The liquor cabinet is near my kitchen - that's where the closest keypad is. There are 7 areas in my Elk system - but the main house is Area 1. I'd l ike to have it so that I can punch a disarm code into the Elk keypad in the kitchen (assigned to area 1) and disarm the liquor cabinet without arming the house.

At the moment if I put the liquor cabinet into area 1 with the house then it's arm/disarm state simply follows the state of the house

If I put the liquor cabinet into a separate area (area 8) then I'm faced with the hassle of having to tell the area 1 keypad to temporarily work for a different area anytime I want to open the cabinet and then reassign it when done. I suppose I could add yet anothe keypad but that's too over the top

What I tried to do was to create a different area 1 user with only disarm privileges so that when they disarmed area 1 an Elk rule would disarm area 8 and vice versa. The problem is that an area 1 user with only disarm privileges seems to arm by code too - something I can't figure out - but if that user punches in their code from a disarmed state the alarm arms.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Mark

Interesting project. Let's say there was an easy way to arm the Booze Area. What happens when someone opens the liquor cabinet's door? Does it activate a siren? Notify your monitoring company?

If the answer is 'none of the above' then maybe all that's needed is logging and not a dedicated Elk Area. If your kids are aware that access to the cabinet is logged, then that might be all the deterrent necessary. Perhaps you can have a rule send you an email whenever the door is opened. You could have the rule enabled based on the status of an Elk output (whose number you keep secret). Activate Output 55 and the rule goes into effect.

If logging is insufficient to deter the booze hounds, then embellish the rule with activating the siren, flashing lights, etc. Just be sure they aren't watching when you deactivate Output 55.



Oh! I forgot to say, Welcome to Cocoontech!

Well - therein lies the dillemma.

At the moment I have it set so that it emails me that the doors were opened, and a voice speaks a message about it. As you rightly point out the last thing I need is for an alarm company to get involved. The thing is that I don't want an email coming in or a voice speaking when I, my wife, or my guests are getting something out of the cabinet. I need some way that can't easily be replicated by teenagers - and doesn't involve me opening browser windows or starting console sessions - to let the system know NOT to bother my wife and I. That's why I thought some sort of keypress sequence on the Elk keypad would fit the bill. But there doesn't seem to be a way to just monitor a keypad for a series of keypresses that aren't related to arming or disarming.

Mark

Here's your keypress sequence. On the keypad:

Press ELK key.
Press 1 and right arrow.
Press 3 and right arrow.
Enter 055.
Press # key to toggle output 55.

123 said:

Here's your keypress sequence. On the keypad:

Press ELK key.
Press 1 and right arrow.
Press 3 and right arrow.
Enter 055.
Press # key to toggle output 55.

Click to expand...

Well... that *does* work - but it's got a pretty low W.A.F. (wife acceptance factor).

Any other thoughts?

You could simplify 123's methodology and just toggle an output on and off with a function key on the keypad. You could even have that function key illuminate when it 'arms' the switch. Then email on that output going to a disarmed state (off or on depending on how you write the rules).

Of course, this could be simply figured out as well.

MarkJames said:

Well... that *does* work - but it's got a pretty low W.A.F. (wife acceptance factor).

Any other thoughts?

Click to expand...

Frankly the whole arm/disarm concept has a low PAF (personal acceptance factor). Punch in a code to get at the single malt?!? Two thumbs down!

The simplest gadget is a padlock. Downside is it may clash with the furniture.

The simplest solution is to trust your kids.

But if the Lagavulin starts to taste watered-down then it's time to reconsider the trust approach and stash the adult beverages in the gun cabinet.

A magnetic sensor will be very easily disabled too. All your child would have to do is stick a powerful magnet near the sensor to keep the contact closed while they open the door. Magnetic sensors by themselves are pretty much worthless. They are OK in most alarm systems because the contacts are also backed up with motion detectors, glass breaks, etc.

But a smart kid would be able to get around your liquor cabinet "security" in about 5 seconds.

sic0048 said:

.

But a smart kid would be able to get around your liquor cabinet "security" in about 5 seconds.

Click to expand...

UNLESS of course his liquor cabinet looks like this one - in that case a mechanical tamper switch!


http://cocoontech.com/forums/topic/18547-my-new-structured-wiring-liquor-cabinet

Thinking off the top of my head... one option is a better lock - I really like this system (in concept at least - never tried it!) - the hardware is totally invisible, and the remote keypad can be located up to 15ft away. In fact, there's a chance a doorbell detector might pick up the latch opening - I'm not sure... but if so, you'd know if the door was opened in an approved fashion vs. being forced open (assuming the forcing doesn't leave other obvious signs).

Other options - a remote keyfob? If you're worried about leaving it behind, what about a biometric one (BSR wrote one up recently).

An RFID tag you can swipe next to the keypad to arm/disarm the liquor cabinet...

What about a cabinet style (small) maglock. They make these for medicine cabinets. Have the area auto arm and set up a disarm/unlock code that would time out after a set time like five hours. Because the door is locked when armed you have no possible false.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus

Why all this trying to stop them or alarm when they go into the cabinet? Can't you just have it log cabinet entries and let you know when they've occurred. Then if the wife says she didn't do it, then question the kids and deal with them if they're the culprits. Let them know ahead of time that the system is watching and that there will be consequences. I realize that isn't the HA/gizmo way to do this, but it may teach the kids to obey your wishes.

Well, I think I've decided to go with the less intrusive options that have been suggested.

I've set it so that the door chimes quietly when the doors open - that's not irritating to those using it who should be - and an email message sent to both myself and my wife each time the doors are opened. We can easily figure out who was in there that should or shouldn't be.

The other option that I'd entertained was using my Android and Tasker to run an ISY program which could arm/disarm the Elk for that area. That's super easy to make happen and wouldn't require the Elk Keypad.

I guess the 'lesson' i was trying to learn in this exercise is coming up with a way where I could use a keypress sequence on the Elk (not counting Function keys or the Elk button) to trigger certain events.

Thanks for your input!

mark