August smart lock

Daox · 11-22-16, 02:29 PM

I finally picked one of these up. For those who don't know, the August smart lock is a retro-fit for your existing deadbolt lock. The lock connects to your phone via bluetooth and unlocks the door for you so you don't have to bother using your key. Its pretty much like a smart key for a car. That is actually where the want for this item came from for me. My Prius has a smart key and I absolutely love it. Its nearly as close to not using a key as you can get.

When the August lock came out, the initial reviews said that it didn't work flawlessly and sometimes was downright aggravating. However, when it was working properly, it was absolutely wonderful. Since that time, August has rolled out a 2nd generation of their smart lock and that is what I have picked up. They've also added an additional adapter that connect the lock to your wifi so you can see when your door is locked or unlocked and control it remotely with your smart phone from anywhere you have internet access. I do not have that adapter (yet). We'll see how this thing works first.

They also have other adapters for an outdoor key pad, and doorbell video camera.

This is what the package looks like and what you get in it. Not really all that much.

The lock is about 3" in diameter.

Here is the lock and the mounting plate for it.

This is the mounting plate and some of the adapters for the door lock shaft.

I'll be installing the lock within the next few days. I'll update the thread with new info as it comes.

pinballlooking · 11-22-16, 03:20 PM

Cool I look forward hearing how you like it.

At our lake place I put in a deadbolt that has a key pad. Now when we go out in the jet skis or go swimming we don’t have to bring a key with us. It has been really nice.

MetroMPG · 11-22-16, 04:02 PM

Knee-jerk reaction to the wifi connection: hackers!

Aside from that, seems like it would be really convenient.

hamsterpower · 11-23-16, 03:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Knee-jerk reaction to the wifi connection: hackers!

Aside from that, seems like it would be really convenient.

Or to the Bluetooth connection to the phone.
No thanks.

I hope you keep that Prius key away from the front door and preferably in a Faraday bag when not in use.

pinballlooking · 11-23-16, 08:45 AM

Guys don’t your houses have glass windows and maybe glass door panels. If someone wants in a house where no one is home it usually not hard to get in.
It almost always has nothing to do with going through a door. If they break in through a door it is usually kicked in.

As we all know locks keep honest people honest.

My case I work from home. I have a dog that alerts me and a driveway alarm. I have a home protection shotgun with the plug removed and a 40 cal handgun loaded ready to go in a barometric case.

I have seen some people connect there Wi-Fi lock to Alexa. A voice active lock might be fun but not very safe.

Robaroni · 11-25-16, 12:04 PM

Hi Guys,
Have been busy finishing my house (finally after 20+ years!). I did some missing trim a couple of doors weren't right and a few other things that I wasn't sure I liked but had to live with awhile to find out if I liked them or not.

A couple of weeks ago I got one of these from eBay:

Digital Electronic/Code Keyless Keypad Security Entry Door Lock Left Handle New | eBay

The trouble with the phone locks for us is that, well we're retired geezers and half the time I forget the 'flip phone' (yep, still have one!), so that wouldn't be a great option.

The lock above works well and seems to be made well too. It didn't fit my doors just right though, the distance from the door edge to the center of the lock is 250 to ~260 mm and my doors are ~74mm (2.75"). So check if you decide to buy one.

One thing about locking your doors. The State Troopers around here say you should do it, from experience it seems to cut burglaries. My thinking is that you need more than one line of defense. So I'm getting cameras too.

On another note my electric bill is over -$800.00 now! And I'm on the list to be called when the new Bolt comes in at my dealer.

Rob

Daox · 12-20-16, 11:24 AM

I totally forgot to update this thread. I installed the lock a few weeks ago now.

The installation was incredibly easy. Total time to install was about 10 minutes.

First step is to remove the door lock lever plate. This is done by removing the two screws you see.

The next step is to install their mounting plate. You reuse the existing screws and their plate is adaptable with the slots in it.

I didn't get a good picture of this, but this is the only remotely tricky part. You have a few adapters to select from based on the maker of your lock. These adapt the lock's shaft to the August smart lock.

Lastly, the August lock simply slides down on to the mounting plate and has some little wings that lock it in place.

There was an additional step that did take a while. I downloaded an installed the August app on my phone. Then I connected it to the door. The app wanted to update the firmware inside the lock, and that took a good 15 minutes to update. The info is transmitted over bluetooth, so that is probably why it takes so long. You have to keep the phone close to the lock for this to work.

I will return with my thoughts on the lock in a week or so. The app just got updated and I want to see how the changes effect things.

Daox · 12-28-16, 08:21 AM

So, I've been using this smart lock for a while now. I must say, I absolutely love it. It has worked to unlock the door for me every single time I've come home with it locked. Over the holidays, carrying tons of stuff in from the car, no problem. Just open the door, no fumbling with keys at all. Especially nice on those cold windy nights.

The app is pretty simple to use too. You have a 'keychain' and you can setup each lock differently. I still have not tried the 'auto lock' where it locks the door when you leave the house. It knows because of the GPS signal on your phone when you're away. I'm not ready to trust it to do that quite yet. But the auto unlock has been wonderful. I also frequently leave the house with just my car key and my phone, and once I'm out the door I manually open the app and lock the door while walking to the car.

asif22 · 11-18-17, 11:12 AM

its cool and pretty looking, it play important role to secure our valuable things.

11-22-16, 02:29 PM	#1
Daox Administrator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Germantown, WI Posts: 5,525 Thanks: 1,162 Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts	August smart lock I finally picked one of these up. For those who don't know, the August smart lock is a retro-fit for your existing deadbolt lock. The lock connects to your phone via bluetooth and unlocks the door for you so you don't have to bother using your key. Its pretty much like a smart key for a car. That is actually where the want for this item came from for me. My Prius has a smart key and I absolutely love it. Its nearly as close to not using a key as you can get. When the August lock came out, the initial reviews said that it didn't work flawlessly and sometimes was downright aggravating. However, when it was working properly, it was absolutely wonderful. Since that time, August has rolled out a 2nd generation of their smart lock and that is what I have picked up. They've also added an additional adapter that connect the lock to your wifi so you can see when your door is locked or unlocked and control it remotely with your smart phone from anywhere you have internet access. I do not have that adapter (yet). We'll see how this thing works first. They also have other adapters for an outdoor key pad, and doorbell video camera. This is what the package looks like and what you get in it. Not really all that much. The lock is about 3" in diameter. Here is the lock and the mounting plate for it. This is the mounting plate and some of the adapters for the door lock shaft. I'll be installing the lock within the next few days. I'll update the thread with new info as it comes. Attached Thumbnails __________________ Current project - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. & To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

11-22-16, 03:20 PM	#2
pinballlooking Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: SC Posts: 2,923 Thanks: 172 Thanked 564 Times in 463 Posts	Cool I look forward hearing how you like it. At our lake place I put in a deadbolt that has a key pad. Now when we go out in the jet skis or go swimming we don’t have to bring a key with us. It has been really nice. __________________ Current project Aquaponics system , Passive Solar Greenhouse build To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Solar Install 12.5 Kwh- To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Mini Split installs - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. EV Chevy Volt - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Last edited by pinballlooking; 11-22-16 at 04:17 PM..

11-22-16, 04:02 PM	#3
MetroMPG Infrequent noob Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: 1000 Islands region, Ontario, Canada Posts: 402 Thanks: 37 Thanked 20 Times in 19 Posts	Knee-jerk reaction to the wifi connection: hackers! Aside from that, seems like it would be really convenient. __________________ . To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

11-23-16, 08:45 AM	#5
pinballlooking Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: SC Posts: 2,923 Thanks: 172 Thanked 564 Times in 463 Posts	Guys don’t your houses have glass windows and maybe glass door panels. If someone wants in a house where no one is home it usually not hard to get in. It almost always has nothing to do with going through a door. If they break in through a door it is usually kicked in. As we all know locks keep honest people honest. My case I work from home. I have a dog that alerts me and a driveway alarm. I have a home protection shotgun with the plug removed and a 40 cal handgun loaded ready to go in a barometric case. I have seen some people connect there Wi-Fi lock to Alexa. A voice active lock might be fun but not very safe. __________________ Current project Aquaponics system , Passive Solar Greenhouse build To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Solar Install 12.5 Kwh- To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Mini Split installs - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. EV Chevy Volt - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Last edited by pinballlooking; 11-25-16 at 12:08 PM..

12-20-16, 11:24 AM	#7
Daox Administrator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Germantown, WI Posts: 5,525 Thanks: 1,162 Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts	I totally forgot to update this thread. I installed the lock a few weeks ago now. The installation was incredibly easy. Total time to install was about 10 minutes. First step is to remove the door lock lever plate. This is done by removing the two screws you see. The next step is to install their mounting plate. You reuse the existing screws and their plate is adaptable with the slots in it. I didn't get a good picture of this, but this is the only remotely tricky part. You have a few adapters to select from based on the maker of your lock. These adapt the lock's shaft to the August smart lock. Lastly, the August lock simply slides down on to the mounting plate and has some little wings that lock it in place. There was an additional step that did take a while. I downloaded an installed the August app on my phone. Then I connected it to the door. The app wanted to update the firmware inside the lock, and that took a good 15 minutes to update. The info is transmitted over bluetooth, so that is probably why it takes so long. You have to keep the phone close to the lock for this to work. I will return with my thoughts on the lock in a week or so. The app just got updated and I want to see how the changes effect things. Attached Thumbnails __________________ Current project - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. & To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

11-25-16, 12:04 PM	#6
Robaroni Journeyman EcoRenovator Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Delhi, NY Posts: 332 Thanks: 20 Thanked 53 Times in 40 Posts	Hi Guys, Have been busy finishing my house (finally after 20+ years!). I did some missing trim a couple of doors weren't right and a few other things that I wasn't sure I liked but had to live with awhile to find out if I liked them or not. A couple of weeks ago I got one of these from eBay: Digital Electronic/Code Keyless Keypad Security Entry Door Lock Left Handle New \| eBay The trouble with the phone locks for us is that, well we're retired geezers and half the time I forget the 'flip phone' (yep, still have one!), so that wouldn't be a great option. The lock above works well and seems to be made well too. It didn't fit my doors just right though, the distance from the door edge to the center of the lock is 250 to ~260 mm and my doors are ~74mm (2.75"). So check if you decide to buy one. One thing about locking your doors. The State Troopers around here say you should do it, from experience it seems to cut burglaries. My thinking is that you need more than one line of defense. So I'm getting cameras too. On another note my electric bill is over -$800.00 now! And I'm on the list to be called when the new Bolt comes in at my dealer. Rob

12-28-16, 08:21 AM	#8
Daox Administrator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Germantown, WI Posts: 5,525 Thanks: 1,162 Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts	So, I've been using this smart lock for a while now. I must say, I absolutely love it. It has worked to unlock the door for me every single time I've come home with it locked. Over the holidays, carrying tons of stuff in from the car, no problem. Just open the door, no fumbling with keys at all. Especially nice on those cold windy nights. The app is pretty simple to use too. You have a 'keychain' and you can setup each lock differently. I still have not tried the 'auto lock' where it locks the door when you leave the house. It knows because of the GPS signal on your phone when you're away. I'm not ready to trust it to do that quite yet. But the auto unlock has been wonderful. I also frequently leave the house with just my car key and my phone, and once I'm out the door I manually open the app and lock the door while walking to the car. __________________ Current project - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. & To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

11-18-17, 11:12 AM	#9
asif22 Lurking Renovator Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: punjab Posts: 11 Thanks: 1 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	its cool and pretty looking, it play important role to secure our valuable things.