The power of keeping it simple! Highly effective. No $5000 pro video camera in a $2000/month "lab", and no 8 CPU Xeon render machine. Just a phone, printer, good lighting, oh and the biggest thing of all - talent.
@@Zadster Your comment nails it. Talent is key, and I think the 'no editing' actually helped to develop a very good style. After discovering BCDC, eventually I also started to watch a few other streams. And then I got slightly annoyed with some of them (device out of focus half the time, bad lighting, commentary way too hasty, or too much 'fluff', or not enough in-depth, etc.). They are not totally bad, but now I appreciate even more how good the BCDC videos are.
I wish I didn't have to spend so much time in hotels. During the early part of the lockdown the major hotel chains were shut. We had to spend a lot of time in 'dubious' hotels (I'm a key worker travelling around the country). It's so nice that Premier Inn and Holiday Inns are open for key workers now :-) I always put my IHG reward card in the slot to keep power on when I leave my room.
I've never seen one of those in a hotel in my life. Admittedly it's been a very long time since I've been in a European hotel, American hotels typically just have ordinary light switches.
*Forgets to do something* "Well, that's kind of good in a way, because it shows why it's so helpful when I remember." Clive, your positivity is a lesson to us all!
I know that you've already explained that magic, but wow I still can't get over how clear those circuit pictures look. It's uncanny, I remember trying to get a decent picture for half an hour for a school project, if I knew that I could just cute a circular tupperware thingy and put a led strip around it to get incredible results, I wouldn't spend loads of time thinking about making a more didatic circuit design and stuff, it would've been a real time saver.
I once stayed at a hotel in Dublin while we were organising a corporate event. The room was fantastic with a minibar that would have kept Ralfy entertained for hours. There were eight huge pillows on the king size bed and four more pillows in drawers. I mentioned it to our driver who said it was a tradition at certain hotels to overstock the rooms with pillows. If a resident phoned reception asking for more pillows, the night manager would ask the guest to check all the drawers for the extra pillows. If the lonely guest confirmed that twelve pillows were still not enough, the hotel would offer to send up a prostitute.
I was wondering about that. I didn't like the pillows and thought that housekeeping would show up. To my surprise, a different kind of housekeeper showed up with 2 huge pillows of her own.
I think this was being sold off because they've gone to more sophisticated devices. Many hotel (and cruise ship) guests were just sticking business cards in these things. The upgraded devices actually read the presence of the magnetic strip or card chip. I think the cruise ships were using these before hotels, because electricity = fuel and they need to save every bit they can.
we used tear a bit of cardboard out of a leaflet or magazine and put that in it to keep the air conditioning on while we were out so we weren't coming back to a hot room
@@Malandrin thats true - the cleaners would always remove the cardboard and throw it away, but that was always early in the morning, we just tore another bit of cardboard out and put it in the switch for the rest of the day
That reminds me of Alan Partridge when he took a trouser press apart but couldn't put it back together and he asked the receptionist to send up an engineer !
The ones that actually read the room key magnetic strip are annoying, but can be subsequently shimmed afterwards with train tickets or more satisfyingly conveniently cut up hotel marketing BS.
Yep, magstripe ones they read once on insertion. Smart card ones typically require an ongoing connection, and these days are often networked so the front desk can say "sir you appear to have left it in the room. One of our staff will accompany you up and unlock the door for you".
Does any low-coercivity magnetic strip work or does it actually read the data on it to make sure it's from the hotel? If it doesn't I can just stick a MetroCard in it and it would work. I can't imagine they go through the trouble of programming every single one of these things to only read their own cards.
@@marc-andreservant201 I think there are both types. The door lock works by way of a wireless connection to a server, so the light switch could work just the same way. A bit more costly, but no special programming required. I read that the older door lock readers worked in a way that didn't need a wireless connection, but that made them much easier to hack.
Never been to the UK, yet, but had one of those in a hotel room in Singapore. With the incessant heat and humidity there, there was no way I was letting the aircon shut off for even a minute, so we left one of our keys in the thing 24/7.
Lots more inside than I was thinking. I thought a micro switch and relay with some safety bits added. 2x👍 I took my parents to Prague after sightseeing, back to freshen up before eating. Mum knocked on my door for help, so popped in their room and it was BOILING. She used the hair drier in the morning and left it switched ON in the bathroom ALL DAY!!!
There are more sophisticated versions of these units that have proxcard detectors inside them to defeat the business card bypass. The universal bypass for these units is to simply ask for an additional room key at the front desk.
That's why this one is so cheap, the tech has moved on to something more sophisticated. Actually, these are more prevalent on cruise ships, because saving electricity = saving fuel.
I always found these things infuriating especially when I wanted to charge my laptop. Fortunately such hotels always provided a wealth of stiff card advertising their dubious offerings, that would work equally well to operate these wretched devices.
Some sensors now are now smart enough to know the difference between real key cards and odd bits of paper. I keep a few extra old key cards from places I usually stay in my travel bag for just such occasions. (And possibly other mischief ;) Just note: If you do this, put the "Don't Bother Me" tag on the door when your gone or else the housekeeping will confiscate your card and report you for extra charges. I learned this lesson a few times the expensive way :(
@@MyAvitech Yikes, that's a pretty crappy way to treat their customers. Fortunately never had that problem, though I do seem to recall they removed the paper I used to override it. Will bear it in mind in the future though, just to be safe.
These videos have saved me some serious amounts of money & time not needing to dismantle interesting stuff that have come across on my trips. Like same kind of switch on hotel..
The reason they've made the LED go out when you put a card in is probably so that it doesn't keep people awake at night if it ends up near the bed. It probably wouldn't bother me, but the hotel would presumably want to avoid as many complaints as possible.
@@markfergerson2145 it’d definitely block some of it, but there’d probably still be a bit shining though. There might be other options where the LED does more too.
I'm thinking the LED might be to show the processor is "alive". That's more then just having power. Although, given the limited functionality, I'm not sure why it wouldn't be running if it's got power.
@@russellhltn1396 It's primary function is to help you find where to insert your keycard in a dark room. Other models have translucent plastic on the front to make it stand out even more.
@@firstsurname9893 That's right. They often flash when you remove your card to warn you that the power is about to go off. I always carry a dummy card in my travel bag. Some sockets have a reed switch which is activated by a magnet in the card, so I also attach a thin magnet. This allows me to keep the TV and aircon running while I'm racking up my travel expenses at the bars nearby.
I've stayed at several smaller Australian country town motels that use a much simpler method - standard light switch with a cover that holds the key "card" (large plastic chunk) in a way that toggles the switch as it goes in or out. These places also use standard door keys. First time we came across it, we removed the key from the plastic card so we could leave the card inserted. Second time, we got a bit more clever and simply pushed a knife down into the slot to manually toggle the switch.
I learnt that hack a long while ago when I realised some hotel rooms turned off the heating while I popped out for dinner - one useless business card is always on hand for those situations when it works ;) Or the other tip of asking for 2 room keys at check-in :D
I know a man who travels a lot. He said the new method is a motion detector in the room. He said a mylar balloon tied to a chair will keep them going. It does not have to have helium, just hang down and it will blow about.
So no RF detector. Just stick a suitable opaque bit of paper or plastic in and the AC/heater will have your room nice and comfy when you get back. Keeping a light on may deter uninvited guests out as well.
I just mounted such card switches last week. But as a completely mechanical version. (Of course I took a closer look at them. It's just a "normal" push-button for the light installation, where only a mechanism is mounted on it that mechanically pretensions the push-button so that the thickness of the card is sufficient to actuate the push-button). It can also be operated with other cards without any problems. (e.g. identity card, driving licence, credit card, etc.).
Fascinating. I hadn’t realised about the off delay and assumed that they contained a microswitch mechanically activated by the card insertion or removal.
In many hotels these can be defeated with anything that will fit. In some, however, they are more sophisticated and an actual active key card is needed. These things can be a pain if you need to charge portable kit while you're out - even if you have something to leave it on, the cleaners frequently take them out when they leave the room, so your charging can be interrupted. Different hotels also have different things controlled by these. Some have the sockets "always on", others might have just one "always on" socket (or appliance plate) to which the alarm clock is connected.
Never done that where I've stayed, but I have noticed reception seem to ask "do you want a second card" which always seemed odd at first as a single person booked into the room. Then I realised it was hotels with these that seemed to ask. I get its a fire risk leaving things charging in your room (as they've always been on the sockets too where I've stayed), but when you're spending the weekend at a convention, when else am I supposed to charge spare batteries? Safer than doing it overnight while I'm IN the room.
I hate those - nothing worse than getting back from something and find out your room is 80F because the AC shut down while you were gone or your laptop is dead because all the outlets shut off while you ate dinner...at least all the ones I have encountered you can jam any stiff paper in and forget it. Also makes forgetting your card easy...tho at least its quick to get another from the front desk (and just leave the forgotten one in the switch)
"at least its quick to get another from the front desk " Not necessarily, if you stay in hotels that accommodate flight crews. I always insist on two keys - once bitten, etc.
I stayed in a hotel with one of these - the extractor fan in the bathroom was controlled by the card detector as well as the lights & TV. Net result after a steamy shower take out the card to go down for breakfast as it also opened the door. Come back from breakfast and bathroom still full of condensation as no extraction ! Ended up using a spare membership card to keep the extractor fan during breakfast. The power was also turned off to the power sockets so you could not leave anything charging while out of the room.
Yeah its a really dumb idea as if you had a particularly steamy shower and forgot to close the door it could set off the fire alarm, so they really should keep the fan powered.
They had these on a cruise ship I was on. The line realized that it was a nuisance for passengers and instead of having the passengers shove paper in to keep the outlets on, they used un-coded cards in each room and the steward would pull the card partway out when the room had been serviced. It still stopped devices from being powered, but it also told you that the steward had been around, in case you missed the other signs. We don't seem to have these switches in the states. I first found one when staying near Paddington. I get it, power can be expensive, but it is something to get used to.
It is amazing to see PICs in almost everything these days - so many opportunities for firmware to go bonkers in unexpected ways. I was just thinking: in the old days, this device would have been done with a Microswitch to turn on a little heater wrapped on a bimetallic strip contactor to implement the exit delay / short-cycle lock out function. The friendly orange glow would have been done with an NE-2 neon bulb. Sometimes engineers get carried away with making devices complicated just because they can, rather than to make devices better.
I was more curious about the method of security encoding. From what has been revealed in this video it looks like you could put the card key in any door in the hotel and it would trigger unlock. Great for swingers but not for those who want privacy. Edit: Now I see that this is not for the door but for activating the amenities inside the room. Still my first thought when I thought it was for the door is strangely appealing.
I bet this would fool even more modern detectors. Even if it needed full authentication by reading the card, I doubt its "continued-presence detection" could be as advanced (since you can't read & verify a magnetic card that's not moving).
Interesting. Wonder how many of these types of things have just a simple IR notch in them... Like you said not really used for anything critical but still would have thought there would have been more than "something in the way" inside
This device appears to be needlessly complicated to just detect if a card is present and switch a relay. I'm assuming it's not reading the metallic strip and any card will work.
I believe that it's limited to a card that has to be within a maximum thickness, otherwise it won't fit. Which may limit it to a few specific kinds of cards that'd fit. A Credit Card wouldn't since it's got all the raised numbers. I imagine various other laminated cards also may not, due to that lamination adding just enough to make it too fat. Leaving things like the printed cards that are generally used at Hotels and Office buildings and attached to Lanyards. At the beginning, you'll notice that Clive actually mentioned that these would be things that might be in a room and that it controls lighting, hence the 30s delay, and also the lack of any security (reader) circuitry. If all they are using it for is an "inconvenient" way to eliminate a physical toggle switch to control what-have-you, then they've succeeded perfectly. Because anyone can still operate it, except juveniles (mentally) that just want to wave their hand over the switches to cut the lights on folks, now need to carry some sort of dense paper to slot in there :P In other words, it's a more modern equivalent to the similar "tamper" switches that needed a unique """key""" that got shoved in a slot and that then functioned as the lever to activate the internal switch. My elementary school had them (80s-90s for me), and only the Janitor and certain teachers had that """key""" to operate the lights. They even worked with dimmers. And... actually, now that I think about it! Those """keys""" -- which I quote that way because it's not a tumbler sort, as it's similar to these cards in anything that'd fit the slot likely would suffice -- I think were forked at the end... and I bet that what it actually was, is essentially a "cover" for a conventional toggle switch and that "fork" would slot around the lever arm of an every-day off the shell switch. Same with dimmers, since most of them in commercial settings (in the US) were always a slide instead of rotary and they just had a lip that indicated its position. So those same forks would similarly catch on the lip and allow for adjusting the dimmer. :D **whistles** Sorry, rambled there! *TL:DR -* They're just to provide an inconvenient way to function as a switch (lights, etc) so that the average joe can't go in and turn something off, or similarly, so a genuine accident doesn't cause them to get turned off (something falling or brushing against). Most people, even if you didn't work there, would still have a means to operate it (ie a business card I figure would suffice), in case it really needed to be done... but not intended as a security device like we're used to seeing them. [/end speculation] _EDIT: goddamn do I hate YT's Markdown, it is so damn picky on where the characters can and cannot be to format text..._
@ Granted, my AmEx does not have raised. However, I have 2, one is a joint account and when we got the new card, it's a metal-plastic two layer monstrocity lol Which is, as a result, thicker than the all-plastic version, but only just: 0.036-inch vs 0.032-inch. (Both still contain the smart-chip, and mag strip; only the Plat has the RFID though). I admittedly had been thinking of my Visa-Debit/ATM card when I typed that, as that's just the one that gets used the most. It's ye olde school kind (undoubtedly because cheaper machinery) with raised numbers/letters; smart, magnetic, sans RFID So I conceed that the majority of CC's will most likely be printed, you're right. heh Which fort that matter, given the rate of manufacturing and ubiquity of that sort of card now, I suppose it's also unlikely that any company would go through the trouble of having a badge (ID or keycard) made at a special thinner thickness, just to further deter tampering. By that time, might as well just use a Smart/RFID card! lol (However, they still might, if in the past they've had lots of issues with mag-readers flaking out or strips demagnetizing, and has left a sour taste in their mouth making them reluctant to use the way-more-reliable Smart chips **shrug**)
I've been on hotels that uses NFC to check if it's a valid card, of course there are NFC locks in the door. After it didn't accept my library card, I found out that it checked for NFC when it started, and then I swapped card in the slot without trigger the switch off and on and it worked.
Yes many of them just detect that there is a pice of something pushed in. I sometimes use an old hotel card or a useless customer loyalty card (I sometimes forget them) . It's handy if you want to charge a device while out for dinner. But there are versions with an NFC function to detect the more modern cards
Interesting, I have seen this type of control using a magnetic card or an actual micro switch to activate the controller which activates a contractor board usually co located within the breaker panel found in most every hotel oom. The newer controllers also are equipped with a secondary input for contacts going to balcony doors and or windows. The purpose of this circuit is to turn off the AC unit in the hotel room if one decides to open windows and doors. The only outlet in the room that remains "hot" at all times goes to the refrigerator if present in the room. Energy conservation at its finest. Also great for ones workshop to keep kids and the better half from using the workspace for their own, usually they will misplace tools or leave the room a total mess.
Actually Clive after a relay has been activated, you can almost cut the voltage to half its initial value. I usually use a resistor in parallel with a capacitor in series with the relay to drastically reduce the amount of heat in the relay coil.
13:08 The LED on the front will (appear to) go out anyway with the insertion of the card, as the card slides in front of the LED blocking it, I think electronics are sometimes over engineered by the manufactures just for the shear hell of it and to make more money if it goes wrong. Nice interesting video Clive Thanks.
These really got in the way of me leaving stuff to charge during the day, back when I used to travel to Europe... But, with usb C pd charger most recently I have been able to charge things pretty quickly, at the possible peril of my battery life. Lot of little plastic bits in that, must be required for safety regulations or I'd assume they would have optimized them out. That sensor looks just like the cheapo eBay beam break sensors they sell on break out boards for Arduino usage
Clive, here in the States our room power stays on. I have never seen a card to control the lights and utilities. The only card we use is for the door locks. I can leave the TV on, charge a Laptop and set my coffee to brew while I am out.
The led in the photo sensor is pulsed at exactly the same frequency as what's expected back from the transistor in the photo sensor via the mcu, so any stray light that could cause false triggering is ignored.
First time seeing something like this but it's a really good idea! A clever way to save energy where people are usually lazy because they're not paying for it (directly at least).
7:00 the microcontroller would pulse the led side of the light sensor at a certain frequency and expect it back on the other side thats how it can filter out "noise" from outside light sources
Some do sense an RFID card, some Premier inns have them BUT it doesn't have to be the current room key, any RFID card of a format it can read will work.
Thanks for the videos Clive and for the livestreams. Had foot surgery and the weather is crap, not much to do so it's perfect timing that TH-cam has brought me these. (Just wish the doctor would okay some Dark & Stormys!)
I love it how everyone I meet (who isn’t technical) is greatly confused by the fact those things will enable the power when you insert any old bit of paper, they always think they communicate with the card using 'unbreakable military encryption'. However, the last one of those I encountered in Japan had a mechanical switch at the bottom requiring either a plastic card of similar weight or a piece of paper folded to jam it down, but it still had a time delay.
When I first encountered one of these it didn't take me long to work out that a used metro card worked just fine,. I could therefore leave my camera batteries to fully charge with no problem. .. So I proceeded tp plug in a strip socket, connected the hotel room TV to that along with various gadgets leaving a couple of spare outlets which the cleaners plugged their appliances in to without batting an eyelid ..
Interesting, I don't believe I have ever encountered such a switch here in the states. Hotel keycards are common enough, of course, but what's the point of this exactly? Energy conservation? Here in Florida, many hotel rooms have switches on the balcony door and/or motion sensors on the thermostat to enable the AC; I'm guessing something like that? By the way, the INNCOM thermostats which seem to be the most common can be overridden by placing them in VIP mode. While holding the DISPLAY button, press the OFF/AUTO button, then press the UP button, and then release DISPLAY. The LCD will display "VIP" or "dON" depending on the variant. This procedure may need to be repeated each day as the thermostat will eventually automatically revert back.
So, I do believe this is a miniaturised version of a infra-red alarm system whereby if the light is blocked a signal gets sent which activates the alarm/silent alarm, and in this case it just sets the power on so from 0 to 1
Many years ago in New York, late summer, quite humid, decided to use a piece of suitably sized cardboard to override one of these so I could leave the aircon on all day whilst I was sightseeing, I came back to a room so cold I had to sleep in all my clothes.
I wonder if the reason they used a microcontroller instead of discrete electronics like an opamp is for the 30 sec courtesy exit delay; I would figure that would be far easier to implement in software than in hardware.
The ones in the hotel I stayed at in Thailand didn't work that way. You had to use the room key to turn the lights and AC on. It was very annoying because it was the hottest time of the year and the room was over 90F when I get back to it. I tried using my Drivers license to turn the Ac on and go down to the bar for a drink while i waited for the room to cool off but it didnt work.
I suspect that chip is also an RFID reader to ensure the correct card is being used for that room, although curiously I didn't see any means of programming it with a new card ID if required.
ive always wondered how they worked when ive been using them while staying with travlodge....theirs is different and attached to handle mechansim rather than what looks like a stand alone separate system seen in this vid. i'd love to see the innards of travelodge variants....they look more complex with it been coupled to the normal handle function as it locks handle in place until you hear the 'click'....which is louder than the tiny relay click heard in this video.
I work for a major hotel chain in Brisbane Australia that shall remain unnamed for just over 17 years now I remember when my old hotel put these in many years ago these switches also act to help save power between guests so that lighting and air condittioning primeairley do not run when the room is not checked in. Fun fact- these switches gently only controll the bedroom/main room lights AND NOT the bathroom so so as to not accerdently leave someone say in the shower late at night finding them selves in the dark if someone else leaves the room with out realising there in the bathroom . This video was very interesting viewing! * for any one who may know who I am or where I work- " the above comments are mine and mine alone and DO NOT Represent a view held by my employer or hotel chain or company advice from either." ( first time I've ever had to do that- hope I got the wording correct lol ) David Young 36 Brisbane Australia
There is a universal law of microcontrollers to have a flashy LED that is controlled by the micro controller. The orange light may flash on some versions also to lure unsuspecting hotel guests to put their card in the slot.
"One moment please..." I don't know if you'd get a copyright strike but you really should play a TARDIS sound at that point. ...also, it never ceases to amaze me at the cheapness of the construction of these devices and yet what tricks they miss to truly eliminate cost from the unit. Daughterboards and LED boards on the end of wires are a cost nightmare even if you are assembling these things in a cheap 3rd tier Chinese factory (which you shouldn't do if you want to ensure safety and quantity of output).
I’ve seen other variations that didn’t just work with any object … one detected the presence of a mag stripe, and another detected the presence of an NFC chip, and which was used depended on the key card system being used.
The problem with these in most of the hotels I find them in is that it cuts power to the entire room including wall sockets. If you've plugged in your phone or laptop to recharge it will be flat when you return. Always ask for two keys so you can leave one in the activator while you're out. I try to keep and expired affinity card in my travel bag in case they won't issue a spare key. I don't care if the expired card if it goes missing.
It's just using the photo sensor to see if a card is blocking the infrared beam? So you could block that beam with anything and it would stay on permanently?
Of the dozens of hotels I stayed at across China, only a couple of these would accept other material (cards). The cards were all programmed at the front desk for the room AND checkout time, denying access if past the time. I'd love to see the inner workings of the card programmer... Clive?
While I agree there's nothing wrong with saving a bit of energy usage, one hotel I stayed at had the mini- fridge installed in a tiny, unventilated cupboard with a solid front door! The door also featured a springed closer.
During my trip to Ireland we encountered these switches. But for the first day or so we used flashlights as we didn't immediately see where the slot was and helpdesk made us think the front door key swipe enabled the power. Every time we would get ready to leave we would pull the keycard and be left in darkness yet again. I am guessing thats not the normal use. :)
Hi BigClive! Lidl have a selection of 'craft' tools as of today in their Sunday section, all of which claim usb c charging. I bought myself the hoover for the car, but I've found that their usb c cable has no data, it just provides 9V to whatever poor device happens to be plugged into it.... They are also selling usb c bike lights, that I can only see popping if you gave them this charger.
Love these teardowrns. Those chunky terminals would be worth salvaging. Do you salvage much in the way of relays and other decent parts worth taking the time to salvage?
The ones that I've seen appear to just be a switch lever that the card causes to open/close depending upon whether it is inserted or not. Often, a piece of paper is not thick / stiff enough to active the switch, but if you fold it a few times or use some thicker card stock, it would work... The irritating thing about these switches is when they also control the air-conditioning... If you use your room key like the **intend** for you to do, you'll be taking it with you when you leave the room which will mean that the room will be uncomfortably warm / humid when you get back to the room, possibly many hours later... As such, I would always put some card stock in the switch and tell the hotel that I did not need the room cleaned / made-up each day...
I am curious why it's pulsing the IR LED? Seems it would be more reliable to have it on steady state. Or is it part of the timing circuit? Pulses once every fifteen seconds to decide if the lights need to stay on? I service printer/copiers, and they use these photo interrupt devices everywhere -- they generally are steady state, and they switch at a particular threshold, so they aren't able to compensate for ambient light, generally (not really an issue within a closed device, of course).
I’m stopping in a hotel at the moment, the cards with is identical apart from it works via rfid, if I put any card apart from the hotel one it doesn’t work. Also if you put the card against the reader it triggers the rfid and works
Since I was a toddler I was ripping stuff apart to see what makes it tick. I never thought Id see the day someone else has the same urge. I just wish I was more familiar with transitors and their specific functions.
IKEA has a drawer lock that actually uses RFID and is about 20 dollars. It can even be taught to use an RFID card that you might already own! --- It's the ROTHULT Smart lock
I’ve seen those only in Europe. I think that my first was in Birmingham in 2018. Maybe they’re catching on in the USA now - I haven’t traveled much since the pandemic hit - but not in my experience. Yet, anyway. You can still leave stuff on when you’re not in your room.
Clive, I really appreciate how nicely you keep things in focus. And in good light. And with good commentary in a pleasant voice.
The power of keeping it simple! Highly effective. No $5000 pro video camera in a $2000/month "lab", and no 8 CPU Xeon render machine. Just a phone, printer, good lighting, oh and the biggest thing of all - talent.
Damn straight and very perfectly said.
I thought that was AvE commenting for a sec 😁
His smooth and warm voice is very calming for someone with anxiety, like me.
Thankies Clive! ♥️
@@Zadster Your comment nails it. Talent is key, and I think the 'no editing' actually helped to develop a very good style.
After discovering BCDC, eventually I also started to watch a few other streams. And then I got slightly annoyed with some of them (device out of focus half the time, bad lighting, commentary way too hasty, or too much 'fluff', or not enough in-depth, etc.). They are not totally bad, but now I appreciate even more how good the BCDC videos are.
This is the closest to a hotel experience I've had in a year.
I get daily e-mail from Choice Hotels, they really REALLY want people to start traveling again. Don't see it in my near future.
I wish I didn't have to spend so much time in hotels. During the early part of the lockdown the major hotel chains were shut. We had to spend a lot of time in 'dubious' hotels (I'm a key worker travelling around the country). It's so nice that Premier Inn and Holiday Inns are open for key workers now :-) I always put my IHG reward card in the slot to keep power on when I leave my room.
@@tncorgi92 and a good edit: apparently i posted this when i fell asleep but not gonna delete it
I've never seen one of those in a hotel in my life. Admittedly it's been a very long time since I've been in a European hotel, American hotels typically just have ordinary light switches.
@Cole Manpoto no clue hahaha. I always fall asleep with a video on but this is a first for me
*Forgets to do something* "Well, that's kind of good in a way, because it shows why it's so helpful when I remember." Clive, your positivity is a lesson to us all!
If it involves unplugging, you'll remember real quick! 😂 👍
I know that you've already explained that magic, but wow I still can't get over how clear those circuit pictures look. It's uncanny, I remember trying to get a decent picture for half an hour for a school project, if I knew that I could just cute a circular tupperware thingy and put a led strip around it to get incredible results, I wouldn't spend loads of time thinking about making a more didatic circuit design and stuff, it would've been a real time saver.
I once stayed at a hotel in Dublin while we were organising a corporate event. The room was fantastic with a minibar that would have kept Ralfy entertained for hours. There were eight huge pillows on the king size bed and four more pillows in drawers.
I mentioned it to our driver who said it was a tradition at certain hotels to overstock the rooms with pillows. If a resident phoned reception asking for more pillows, the night manager would ask the guest to check all the drawers for the extra pillows. If the lonely guest confirmed that twelve pillows were still not enough, the hotel would offer to send up a prostitute.
Lol wut?
I was wondering about that. I didn't like the pillows and thought that housekeeping would show up. To my surprise, a different kind of housekeeper showed up with 2 huge pillows of her own.
I think this was being sold off because they've gone to more sophisticated devices. Many hotel (and cruise ship) guests were just sticking business cards in these things. The upgraded devices actually read the presence of the magnetic strip or card chip. I think the cruise ships were using these before hotels, because electricity = fuel and they need to save every bit they can.
Oh, you do know how I am a fan of your visual aids. A detail often overlooked by even your ardent supporters.
we used tear a bit of cardboard out of a leaflet or magazine and put that in it to keep the air conditioning on while we were out so we weren't coming back to a hot room
Yup, done that too. Very handy as they often give you the key card in a cardboard sleeve.
until room service comes in and takes teh cardboard out 🤣🤣🤣
@@Malandrin thats true - the cleaners would always remove the cardboard and throw it away, but that was always early in the morning, we just tore another bit of cardboard out and put it in the switch for the rest of the day
This could have been more fun if you stayed at a hotel for a night and took the whole place apart...
I wholeheartedly concur with this comment 💯❤️‼️👍🏼👏🏼🤗
More expensive too
Do a collaborative video with The Lock Picking Lawyer or Bosnian Bill.
That reminds me of Alan Partridge when he took a trouser press apart but couldn't put it back together and he asked the receptionist to send up an engineer !
See DiodeGoneWild’s channel! He does exactly that!
The ones that actually read the room key magnetic strip are annoying, but can be subsequently shimmed afterwards with train tickets or more satisfyingly conveniently cut up hotel marketing BS.
Hotel marketing BS has magnetic strips?
@@chuckoneill2023 No, but it fools the switch into not realising that you've taken the card out.
Yep, magstripe ones they read once on insertion. Smart card ones typically require an ongoing connection, and these days are often networked so the front desk can say "sir you appear to have left it in the room. One of our staff will accompany you up and unlock the door for you".
Does any low-coercivity magnetic strip work or does it actually read the data on it to make sure it's from the hotel? If it doesn't I can just stick a MetroCard in it and it would work. I can't imagine they go through the trouble of programming every single one of these things to only read their own cards.
@@marc-andreservant201 I think there are both types. The door lock works by way of a wireless connection to a server, so the light switch could work just the same way. A bit more costly, but no special programming required. I read that the older door lock readers worked in a way that didn't need a wireless connection, but that made them much easier to hack.
Never been to the UK, yet, but had one of those in a hotel room in Singapore. With the incessant heat and humidity there, there was no way I was letting the aircon shut off for even a minute, so we left one of our keys in the thing 24/7.
These days it's not as hot as used to be 10 or 20 years back
@@chocolatejellybean2820 try going in the summer... 😉
Lots more inside than I was thinking. I thought a micro switch and relay with some safety bits added. 2x👍
I took my parents to Prague after sightseeing, back to freshen up before eating. Mum knocked on my door for help, so popped in their room and it was BOILING.
She used the hair drier in the morning and left it switched ON in the bathroom ALL DAY!!!
That alone is rather curious as hair dryers tend to have thermal cutouts, aren't they?
@@Vokabre It's possible given the fact that it happened in her mother's house that it was an old hair dryer that didn't have thermal cutouts
I thought it was standard for all hotel rooms in Prague to be boiling hot anyway!
@@Vokabre i would of thought so too. It was 20 plus years back. So I dont know if this wold make a difference?
@@farmersteve129 Vokabre i would of thought so too. It was 20 plus years back. So I dont know if this wold make a difference?
So you could just use a pamphlet or some folded paper, but they probably told the guests that it only works with the key card.
I find it quite useful as a "where is the key card" device. Which I suspect is an important secondary purpose.
Or a business card.
I've not been anywhere that posh. Last place I went I was tempted to replace the light bulbs that had blown and fix the telly.
There are more sophisticated versions of these units that have proxcard detectors inside them to defeat the business card bypass. The universal bypass for these units is to simply ask for an additional room key at the front desk.
That's why this one is so cheap, the tech has moved on to something more sophisticated. Actually, these are more prevalent on cruise ships, because saving electricity = saving fuel.
Mr Clive. You actually quenched my curiosity about how the card switch works. Thank you.
I always found these things infuriating especially when I wanted to charge my laptop. Fortunately such hotels always provided a wealth of stiff card advertising their dubious offerings, that would work equally well to operate these wretched devices.
Some sensors now are now smart enough to know the difference between real key cards and odd bits of paper.
I keep a few extra old key cards from places I usually stay in my travel bag for just such occasions. (And possibly other mischief ;)
Just note: If you do this, put the "Don't Bother Me" tag on the door when your gone or else the housekeeping will confiscate your card and report you for extra charges. I learned this lesson a few times the expensive way :(
@@MyAvitech Yikes, that's a pretty crappy way to treat their customers. Fortunately never had that problem, though I do seem to recall they removed the paper I used to override it.
Will bear it in mind in the future though, just to be safe.
Been taking stuff apart since I was 8 years old. It's the putting back together that has me stumped!
These videos have saved me some serious amounts of money & time not needing to dismantle interesting stuff that have come across on my trips. Like same kind of switch on hotel..
The reason they've made the LED go out when you put a card in is probably so that it doesn't keep people awake at night if it ends up near the bed. It probably wouldn't bother me, but the hotel would presumably want to avoid as many complaints as possible.
Well, but when you put the key card in, doesn't that block the light from the LED being seen from outside the unit?
@@markfergerson2145 it’d definitely block some of it, but there’d probably still be a bit shining though. There might be other options where the LED does more too.
I'm thinking the LED might be to show the processor is "alive". That's more then just having power. Although, given the limited functionality, I'm not sure why it wouldn't be running if it's got power.
@@russellhltn1396 It's primary function is to help you find where to insert your keycard in a dark room. Other models have translucent plastic on the front to make it stand out even more.
@@firstsurname9893 That's right.
They often flash when you remove your card to warn you that the power is about to go off. I always carry a dummy card in my travel bag. Some sockets have a reed switch which is activated by a magnet in the card, so I also attach a thin magnet.
This allows me to keep the TV and aircon running while I'm racking up my travel expenses at the bars nearby.
I've stayed at several smaller Australian country town motels that use a much simpler method - standard light switch with a cover that holds the key "card" (large plastic chunk) in a way that toggles the switch as it goes in or out. These places also use standard door keys.
First time we came across it, we removed the key from the plastic card so we could leave the card inserted.
Second time, we got a bit more clever and simply pushed a knife down into the slot to manually toggle the switch.
I learnt that hack a long while ago when I realised some hotel rooms turned off the heating while I popped out for dinner - one useless business card is always on hand for those situations when it works ;)
Or the other tip of asking for 2 room keys at check-in :D
I know a man who travels a lot. He said the new method is a motion detector in the room. He said a mylar balloon tied to a chair will keep them going. It does not have to have helium, just hang down and it will blow about.
How does that work when one is asleep at night ?
@@e.c.listening326 I don't know. good question.
So no RF detector. Just stick a suitable opaque bit of paper or plastic in and the AC/heater will have your room nice and comfy when you get back. Keeping a light on may deter uninvited guests out as well.
I found some of those devices detected a magnetic strip so I used a one of those gas station points cards to keep the room powered on.
I used to pop a business card in it for laptop operation while I went down to eat or the gym
Until the cleaners come and remove it.
I just mounted such card switches last week. But as a completely mechanical version. (Of course I took a closer look at them. It's just a "normal" push-button for the light installation, where only a mechanism is mounted on it that mechanically pretensions the push-button so that the thickness of the card is sufficient to actuate the push-button). It can also be operated with other cards without any problems. (e.g. identity card, driving licence, credit card, etc.).
Fascinating. I hadn’t realised about the off delay and assumed that they contained a microswitch mechanically activated by the card insertion or removal.
I use the piece of card they give you with the room number on to keep the power on while I'm out 👍
I usually just shove my union card in there. At least some use out of it :-)
Same here.
That was a union card I was demonstrating it with.
In many hotels these can be defeated with anything that will fit. In some, however, they are more sophisticated and an actual active key card is needed. These things can be a pain if you need to charge portable kit while you're out - even if you have something to leave it on, the cleaners frequently take them out when they leave the room, so your charging can be interrupted. Different hotels also have different things controlled by these. Some have the sockets "always on", others might have just one "always on" socket (or appliance plate) to which the alarm clock is connected.
Every hotel Ive been in with these, has had a card still stuck in when I enter the room. Housekeeping never removes it. So not really worth anything.
Housekeeping staff don't want to bake/freeze either. Make sure to tip them for the favor.
@@markfergerson2145 Oh I do!
Never done that where I've stayed, but I have noticed reception seem to ask "do you want a second card" which always seemed odd at first as a single person booked into the room. Then I realised it was hotels with these that seemed to ask.
I get its a fire risk leaving things charging in your room (as they've always been on the sockets too where I've stayed), but when you're spending the weekend at a convention, when else am I supposed to charge spare batteries? Safer than doing it overnight while I'm IN the room.
I all ways imagined that it was just a switch that the card pushes on that turned a relay on .
I hate those - nothing worse than getting back from something and find out your room is 80F because the AC shut down while you were gone or your laptop is dead because all the outlets shut off while you ate dinner...at least all the ones I have encountered you can jam any stiff paper in and forget it.
Also makes forgetting your card easy...tho at least its quick to get another from the front desk (and just leave the forgotten one in the switch)
"at least its quick to get another from the front desk "
Not necessarily, if you stay in hotels that accommodate flight crews.
I always insist on two keys - once bitten, etc.
I stayed in a hotel with one of these - the extractor fan in the bathroom was controlled by the card detector as well as the lights & TV. Net result after a steamy shower take out the card to go down for breakfast as it also opened the door. Come back from breakfast and bathroom still full of condensation as no extraction ! Ended up using a spare membership card to keep the extractor fan during breakfast. The power was also turned off to the power sockets so you could not leave anything charging while out of the room.
Yeah its a really dumb idea as if you had a particularly steamy shower and forgot to close the door it could set off the fire alarm, so they really should keep the fan powered.
They had these on a cruise ship I was on. The line realized that it was a nuisance for passengers and instead of having the passengers shove paper in to keep the outlets on, they used un-coded cards in each room and the steward would pull the card partway out when the room had been serviced.
It still stopped devices from being powered, but it also told you that the steward had been around, in case you missed the other signs.
We don't seem to have these switches in the states. I first found one when staying near Paddington. I get it, power can be expensive, but it is something to get used to.
It is amazing to see PICs in almost everything these days - so many opportunities for firmware to go bonkers in unexpected ways. I was just thinking: in the old days, this device would have been done with a Microswitch to turn on a little heater wrapped on a bimetallic strip contactor to implement the exit delay / short-cycle lock out function. The friendly orange glow would have been done with an NE-2 neon bulb. Sometimes engineers get carried away with making devices complicated just because they can, rather than to make devices better.
You need a back emf diode on a relay because when inductance acts like mass:
“We can’t stop! It’s too dangerous! We have to slow down first!”
That's a good way to get a dented helmet.
@@soundspark yes, actually it does.
Can also use an MOV.
@@soundspark Low voltage isn't the problem. High voltage spike caused by releasing inductive load is the problem.
Can you do a hotel door lock for your next one? Somewhere there is a hotel missing one of those card readers.
I think Lock Picking Lawyer did one a while back.
I was more curious about the method of security encoding. From what has been revealed in this video it looks like you could put the card key in any door in the hotel and it would trigger unlock. Great for swingers but not for those who want privacy.
Edit: Now I see that this is not for the door but for activating the amenities inside the room. Still my first thought when I thought it was for the door is strangely appealing.
Everytime I come across these things, I put the key card in alongside a business card and remove the key card. So far it kept the power on everytime.
I bet this would fool even more modern detectors. Even if it needed full authentication by reading the card, I doubt its "continued-presence detection" could be as advanced (since you can't read & verify a magnetic card that's not moving).
Interesting. Wonder how many of these types of things have just a simple IR notch in them... Like you said not really used for anything critical but still would have thought there would have been more than "something in the way" inside
This device appears to be needlessly complicated to just detect if a card is present and switch a relay. I'm assuming it's not reading the metallic strip and any card will work.
Yeah, Clive didn't really explain what it was very well, I've never seen one of these. What a pointless device.
I believe that it's limited to a card that has to be within a maximum thickness, otherwise it won't fit. Which may limit it to a few specific kinds of cards that'd fit. A Credit Card wouldn't since it's got all the raised numbers. I imagine various other laminated cards also may not, due to that lamination adding just enough to make it too fat. Leaving things like the printed cards that are generally used at Hotels and Office buildings and attached to Lanyards.
At the beginning, you'll notice that Clive actually mentioned that these would be things that might be in a room and that it controls lighting, hence the 30s delay, and also the lack of any security (reader) circuitry. If all they are using it for is an "inconvenient" way to eliminate a physical toggle switch to control what-have-you, then they've succeeded perfectly. Because anyone can still operate it, except juveniles (mentally) that just want to wave their hand over the switches to cut the lights on folks, now need to carry some sort of dense paper to slot in there :P
In other words, it's a more modern equivalent to the similar "tamper" switches that needed a unique """key""" that got shoved in a slot and that then functioned as the lever to activate the internal switch. My elementary school had them (80s-90s for me), and only the Janitor and certain teachers had that """key""" to operate the lights. They even worked with dimmers.
And... actually, now that I think about it! Those """keys""" -- which I quote that way because it's not a tumbler sort, as it's similar to these cards in anything that'd fit the slot likely would suffice -- I think were forked at the end... and I bet that what it actually was, is essentially a "cover" for a conventional toggle switch and that "fork" would slot around the lever arm of an every-day off the shell switch. Same with dimmers, since most of them in commercial settings (in the US) were always a slide instead of rotary and they just had a lip that indicated its position. So those same forks would similarly catch on the lip and allow for adjusting the dimmer. :D
**whistles** Sorry, rambled there!
*TL:DR -* They're just to provide an inconvenient way to function as a switch (lights, etc) so that the average joe can't go in and turn something off, or similarly, so a genuine accident doesn't cause them to get turned off (something falling or brushing against). Most people, even if you didn't work there, would still have a means to operate it (ie a business card I figure would suffice), in case it really needed to be done... but not intended as a security device like we're used to seeing them.
[/end speculation]
_EDIT: goddamn do I hate YT's Markdown, it is so damn picky on where the characters can and cannot be to format text..._
probably more to be a door solenoid controller or an ice machine. Pretty much useless as far as security goes, but it makes people think it is secure.
@ Granted, my AmEx does not have raised. However, I have 2, one is a joint account and when we got the new card, it's a metal-plastic two layer monstrocity lol Which is, as a result, thicker than the all-plastic version, but only just: 0.036-inch vs 0.032-inch. (Both still contain the smart-chip, and mag strip; only the Plat has the RFID though).
I admittedly had been thinking of my Visa-Debit/ATM card when I typed that, as that's just the one that gets used the most. It's ye olde school kind (undoubtedly because cheaper machinery) with raised numbers/letters; smart, magnetic, sans RFID
So I conceed that the majority of CC's will most likely be printed, you're right. heh
Which fort that matter, given the rate of manufacturing and ubiquity of that sort of card now, I suppose it's also unlikely that any company would go through the trouble of having a badge (ID or keycard) made at a special thinner thickness, just to further deter tampering. By that time, might as well just use a Smart/RFID card! lol (However, they still might, if in the past they've had lots of issues with mag-readers flaking out or strips demagnetizing, and has left a sour taste in their mouth making them reluctant to use the way-more-reliable Smart chips **shrug**)
This guy deserves some million subs. GREAT EXPLANATION THANKS!!
I always assumed that these had some sensing to detect an active card.
I've been on hotels that uses NFC to check if it's a valid card, of course there are NFC locks in the door. After it didn't accept my library card, I found out that it checked for NFC when it started, and then I swapped card in the slot without trigger the switch off and on and it worked.
I've always used an expired ASDA gift card.
I used my Nectar card to keep the fan in my hotel room running a couple years ago.
I've once been to a hotel which had a snapped half of a telephone card already preinstalled in all rooms in those things lol
So far all the ones I have encountered you can shove any piece of paper in
I actually like these things, I am the type that "looses" the hotel key card in the room and this is the perfect way to prevent that.
your card collection agrees
Yes many of them just detect that there is a pice of something pushed in. I sometimes use an old hotel card or a useless customer loyalty card (I sometimes forget them) . It's handy if you want to charge a device while out for dinner. But there are versions with an NFC function to detect the more modern cards
Does what it needs to, simple and functional.
Thanks for the video.
Interesting, I have seen this type of control using a magnetic card or an actual micro switch to activate the controller which activates a contractor board usually co located within the breaker panel found in most every hotel oom. The newer controllers also are equipped with a secondary input for contacts going to balcony doors and or windows. The purpose of this circuit is to turn off the AC unit in the hotel room if one decides to open windows and doors. The only outlet in the room that remains "hot" at all times goes to the refrigerator if present in the room. Energy conservation at its finest. Also great for ones workshop to keep kids and the better half from using the workspace for their own, usually they will misplace tools or leave the room a total mess.
Actually Clive after a relay has been activated, you can almost cut the voltage to half its initial value. I usually use a resistor in parallel with a capacitor in series with the relay to drastically reduce the amount of heat in the relay coil.
I thought this was the magnetic one that actually unlocked the door for entry. But not disappointed as usual :)
Most excellent! I do enjoy modern card tech.
I've never seen these in the US but they seemed to be in every hotel when I was traveling across western Europe a couple years ago
13:08 The LED on the front will (appear to) go out anyway with the insertion of the card, as the card slides in front of the LED blocking it, I think electronics are sometimes over engineered by the manufactures just for the shear hell of it and to make more money if it goes wrong. Nice interesting video Clive Thanks.
Have a great night everybody 👋
These really got in the way of me leaving stuff to charge during the day, back when I used to travel to Europe... But, with usb C pd charger most recently I have been able to charge things pretty quickly, at the possible peril of my battery life.
Lot of little plastic bits in that, must be required for safety regulations or I'd assume they would have optimized them out.
That sensor looks just like the cheapo eBay beam break sensors they sell on break out boards for Arduino usage
Clive, here in the States our room power stays on. I have never seen a card to control the lights and utilities. The only card we use is for the door locks. I can leave the TV on, charge a Laptop and set my coffee to brew while I am out.
Working in a hotel, I've got access to a handful of failed units.... Not many though as they seem fairly reliable
I always assumed these were rfid but this makes so much more sense
The led in the photo sensor is pulsed at exactly the same frequency as what's expected back from the transistor in the photo sensor via the mcu, so any stray light that could cause false triggering is ignored.
First time seeing something like this but it's a really good idea! A clever way to save energy where people are usually lazy because they're not paying for it (directly at least).
7:00 the microcontroller would pulse the led side of the light sensor at a certain frequency and expect it back on the other side thats how it can filter out "noise" from outside light sources
I remember some hotels, that have a slot for the key chain thingy with your room number on it.
Some do sense an RFID card, some Premier inns have them BUT it doesn't have to be the current room key, any RFID card of a format it can read will work.
Thanks for the videos Clive and for the livestreams. Had foot surgery and the weather is crap, not much to do so it's perfect timing that TH-cam has brought me these.
(Just wish the doctor would okay some Dark & Stormys!)
I love it how everyone I meet (who isn’t technical) is greatly confused by the fact those things will enable the power when you insert any old bit of paper, they always think they communicate with the card using 'unbreakable military encryption'.
However, the last one of those I encountered in Japan had a mechanical switch at the bottom requiring either a plastic card of similar weight or a piece of paper folded to jam it down, but it still had a time delay.
Some do check if the card is valid, and won't activate with paper/other cards.
When I first encountered one of these it didn't take me long to work out that a used metro card worked just fine,.
I could therefore leave my camera batteries to fully charge with no problem.
.. So I proceeded tp plug in a strip socket, connected the hotel room TV to that along with various gadgets leaving a couple of spare outlets which the cleaners plugged their appliances in to without batting an eyelid ..
Interesting, I don't believe I have ever encountered such a switch here in the states. Hotel keycards are common enough, of course, but what's the point of this exactly? Energy conservation? Here in Florida, many hotel rooms have switches on the balcony door and/or motion sensors on the thermostat to enable the AC; I'm guessing something like that?
By the way, the INNCOM thermostats which seem to be the most common can be overridden by placing them in VIP mode. While holding the DISPLAY button, press the OFF/AUTO button, then press the UP button, and then release DISPLAY. The LCD will display "VIP" or "dON" depending on the variant. This procedure may need to be repeated each day as the thermostat will eventually automatically revert back.
So, I do believe this is a miniaturised version of a infra-red alarm system whereby if the light is blocked a signal gets sent which activates the alarm/silent alarm, and in this case it just sets the power on so from 0 to 1
Many years ago in New York, late summer, quite humid, decided to use a piece of suitably sized cardboard to override one of these so I could leave the aircon on all day whilst I was sightseeing, I came back to a room so cold I had to sleep in all my clothes.
This is significantly more complex than the one I last inspected.. which was basically a microswitch and a bypass cap.
I wonder if the reason they used a microcontroller instead of discrete electronics like an opamp is for the 30 sec courtesy exit delay; I would figure that would be far easier to implement in software than in hardware.
I usually just put a used metrocard or something in the slot during my vacation, so i don't have to forget my keycard :P
The ones in the hotel I stayed at in Thailand didn't work that way. You had to use the room key to turn the lights and AC on. It was very annoying because it was the hottest time of the year and the room was over 90F when I get back to it. I tried using my Drivers license to turn the Ac on and go down to the bar for a drink while i waited for the room to cool off but it didnt work.
I suspect that chip is also an RFID reader to ensure the correct card is being used for that room, although curiously I didn't see any means of programming it with a new card ID if required.
There's no read coil.
@@bigclivedotcom It probably integrated into the chip itself.
I think some of the newer ones have a way to read the card (non stripe card). I write this because only the hotel card would trigger it on.
ive always wondered how they worked when ive been using them while staying with travlodge....theirs is different and attached to handle mechansim rather than what looks like a stand alone separate system seen in this vid. i'd love to see the innards of travelodge variants....they look more complex with it been coupled to the normal handle function as it locks handle in place until you hear the 'click'....which is louder than the tiny relay click heard in this video.
Love that you said Op Amp.. I was thinking the same. In the world of big Clive maths 555 x2 = 556. Old buggers.
I work for a major hotel chain in Brisbane Australia that shall remain unnamed for just over 17 years now I remember when my old hotel put these in many years ago these switches also act to help save power between guests so that lighting and air condittioning primeairley do not run when the room is not checked in. Fun fact- these switches gently only controll the bedroom/main room lights AND NOT the bathroom so so as to not accerdently leave someone say in the shower late at night finding them selves in the dark if someone else leaves the room with out realising there in the bathroom . This video was very interesting viewing!
* for any one who may know who I am or where I work- " the above comments are mine and mine alone and DO NOT Represent a view held by my employer or hotel chain or company advice from either." ( first time I've ever had to do that- hope I got the wording correct lol )
David Young 36 Brisbane Australia
There is a universal law of microcontrollers to have a flashy LED that is controlled by the micro controller. The orange light may flash on some versions also to lure unsuspecting hotel guests to put their card in the slot.
I get the same theta response to Clives videos as I do from the shipping forecast. Nice
"One moment please..."
I don't know if you'd get a copyright strike but you really should play a TARDIS sound at that point.
...also, it never ceases to amaze me at the cheapness of the construction of these devices and yet what tricks they miss to truly eliminate cost from the unit. Daughterboards and LED boards on the end of wires are a cost nightmare even if you are assembling these things in a cheap 3rd tier Chinese factory (which you shouldn't do if you want to ensure safety and quantity of output).
I’ve seen other variations that didn’t just work with any object … one detected the presence of a mag stripe, and another detected the presence of an NFC chip, and which was used depended on the key card system being used.
The problem with these in most of the hotels I find them in is that it cuts power to the entire room including wall sockets.
If you've plugged in your phone or laptop to recharge it will be flat when you return.
Always ask for two keys so you can leave one in the activator while you're out.
I try to keep and expired affinity card in my travel bag in case they won't issue a spare key. I don't care if the expired card if it goes missing.
It's just using the photo sensor to see if a card is blocking the infrared beam? So you could block that beam with anything and it would stay on permanently?
Not sure if it has software that detects something like that.
In the UK, old train tickets are perfect for this, although sometimes I've needed two. I always kept some in my wallet for the purpose.
Had one of these, solved the issue with a half used tube of toothpaste.
Of the dozens of hotels I stayed at across China, only a couple of these would accept other material (cards). The cards were all programmed at the front desk for the room AND checkout time, denying access if past the time. I'd love to see the inner workings of the card programmer... Clive?
While I agree there's nothing wrong with saving a bit of energy usage, one hotel I stayed at had the mini- fridge installed in a tiny, unventilated cupboard with a solid front door! The door also featured a springed closer.
6:27 "that kinda spoils all the fun...". Agreed! 👍
During my trip to Ireland we encountered these switches. But for the first day or so we used flashlights as we didn't immediately see where the slot was and helpdesk made us think the front door key swipe enabled the power. Every time we would get ready to leave we would pull the keycard and be left in darkness yet again. I am guessing thats not the normal use. :)
Fancy new purple screwdriver! Nice!
LOL Lap aren't exactly known for producing quality reliable products!
Hi BigClive! Lidl have a selection of 'craft' tools as of today in their Sunday section, all of which claim usb c charging. I bought myself the hoover for the car, but I've found that their usb c cable has no data, it just provides 9V to whatever poor device happens to be plugged into it....
They are also selling usb c bike lights, that I can only see popping if you gave them this charger.
Love these teardowrns. Those chunky terminals would be worth salvaging. Do you salvage much in the way of relays and other decent parts worth taking the time to salvage?
I'll usually rebuild the item or scavenge it for parts.
The ones that I've seen appear to just be a switch lever that the card causes to open/close depending upon whether it is inserted or not. Often, a piece of paper is not thick / stiff enough to active the switch, but if you fold it a few times or use some thicker card stock, it would work... The irritating thing about these switches is when they also control the air-conditioning... If you use your room key like the **intend** for you to do, you'll be taking it with you when you leave the room which will mean that the room will be uncomfortably warm / humid when you get back to the room, possibly many hours later... As such, I would always put some card stock in the switch and tell the hotel that I did not need the room cleaned / made-up each day...
I am curious why it's pulsing the IR LED? Seems it would be more reliable to have it on steady state. Or is it part of the timing circuit? Pulses once every fifteen seconds to decide if the lights need to stay on? I service printer/copiers, and they use these photo interrupt devices everywhere -- they generally are steady state, and they switch at a particular threshold, so they aren't able to compensate for ambient light, generally (not really an issue within a closed device, of course).
I think it's comparing between lit and ambient lighting to try and null out external influence.
Now that's a very interesting device we rarely notice. :)
I’m stopping in a hotel at the moment, the cards with is identical apart from it works via rfid, if I put any card apart from the hotel one it doesn’t work. Also if you put the card against the reader it triggers the rfid and works
I don't know if i've been staying in cheaper or more expensive hotels, but I've never seen one of these. Only the door access readers.
Since I was a toddler I was ripping stuff apart to see what makes it tick.
I never thought Id see the day someone else has the same urge. I just wish I was more familiar with transitors and their specific functions.
IKEA has a drawer lock that actually uses RFID and is about 20 dollars. It can even be taught to use an RFID card that you might already own! --- It's the ROTHULT Smart lock
wow 1800w, key card kettle!
or a high power baby cooker.
Ahh, the hotel courtesy business card holder!
I’ve seen those only in Europe. I think that my first was in Birmingham in 2018. Maybe they’re catching on in the USA now - I haven’t traveled much since the pandemic hit - but not in my experience. Yet, anyway. You can still leave stuff on when you’re not in your room.