Home Hacking Projects for Geeks

233

11

For quite some time people have been able to unlock their cars without the

use of a key. At first, it was a keypad embedded in the door that you would

use to enter a numeric secret code. Later on, cars began to come equipped

with an RF receiver that responded to a small keychain remote to unlock the

doors. That feature is nearly ubiquitous these days—just about every new

car comes with keyless remote entry as a standard feature.

And unlocking the door is usually only part of the story. Cars with these

systems also typically offer a host of other convenience features. Some cars

beep the horn to let you know that they’re locked; some flash the headlights

to help you find them in a parking lot; and most turn on the interior light so

you can easily find the ignition.

So why hasn’t this technology hit home—literally? Why do I still need to

use a key to get into my house? There are some keyless remote entry systems

available on the market, but getting any special features requires you to

purchase expensive proprietary systems. It would be nice if I could extend

an existing system to send X10 signals. Take a look at Figure 11-1 and you’ll

see that that’s just what I did.

Keyless Entry

Welcome Home

Cost

Time

Difficulty

$170 - $250

three hours

5 out of 5

What You Need

• Kwikset TitanOne keyless remote

deadbolt

• X10 SlimLine keychain remote

• X10 plug-in RF base

• X10 lamp modules ...