How to use an intercom. What do you need to know?

Intercom device

First you should find out what the device consists of. The intercom system is built from the following parts:

Power unit.
Call panel.
Exit button.
Switch.
Electromagnetic lock
Panel tubes.

It is important to determine the types of intercoms, as well as the places where the devices will be used:

Individual model. Well suited for a cottage or private home. The call panel is almost always mounted on the outside of the gate. But there are cases when the panel is mounted directly on the house, at the front door.
Multi-subscriber. An excellent choice for a multi-storey building. Most often they are mounted on the entrance door. The intercom is a source of communication between the guest and the owner of the apartment. The signal is transmitted to the apartment. Please note that the resident of the house is required to purchase a card or intercom key to bypass the intercom blocking.

Also, communication devices can be divided into the following types:

Analog. To work, you need a cable with several cores and a switch. The purpose of the first is to connect the apartments and the switch.
Digital. Only 2 wires are used. Their goal is the same - connecting apartments and the switch.

Actions are performed in the following sequence:

A man approaches the house. He presses buttons that correspond to the number of the apartment whose owner he wants to contact.
The owner of the apartment receives a sound signal that someone wants to contact him.
If the owner of the apartment wants to let the guest into the entrance, he presses the appropriate button.
After the signal is transmitted, the lock on the door is removed.

There are also video intercoms. Their difference is that a person will also be able to see the guest approaching the door. Such a structure can be moved to another place if necessary.

Intercom: operating principle and components

An intercom is an information device that provides access to a building. Before purchasing equipment, each user has a logical question: how to use the intercom from the apartment and how to correctly call the intercom from the street during a visit. Modern devices are divided into several groups depending on the principle of operation, internal structure and connection diagram. The most common are audio and video intercoms. When choosing the appropriate type, you should take into account your financial capabilities and needs.

The key elements of any intercom system are:

Call block.
Patch panel.
Intercom tube (if we are talking about a video intercom, then there is a monitor on the subscriber device).
Personal ID.
Electromechanical lock.

The calling unit is an external piece of equipment that is installed outdoors. The panel is made in a durable case with anti-vandal protection, has a call button, a microphone, backlight for convenient use in the dark, and also a microphone. The negotiation element is installed inside a residential building. The indoor unit contains a speaking tube, a loudspeaker, and a lock opening key. If there is a video intercom in the room, then the intercom is equipped with a display.

How to use an intercom from the street

Let's look at how the owner of the house can get into his apartment. When installing an intercom, he must receive a special key. You will have to purchase it yourself, and you can buy several keys at once. There is a special code on the tablet that allows you to get inside. The owner of the apartment must place the key with a tablet on the reader. The latter is located directly on the intercom. The code is read from the card. If it is correct and there is nothing blocking the reading of the code (scratches, dirt), the door will open. Now let's find out what a person who does not have a special card should do:

The guest approaches the entrance. There he sees a panel with numbers from 1 to 9, similar to the one on a calculator. He dials the apartment number.
The handset of the owner of the dialed apartment will begin to beep.
The owner of the apartment asks the guest who he is. He can ignore the call if he does not want to see this person or does not know him.
If the owner agrees and opens the door lock, the visitor will be able to easily enter the premises.

Note! If you are the owner of an apartment, you need to take care of the key. If there are scratches or dirt on it, the intercom may not open. The problem is that the defects interfere with signal processing and the device cannot read the correct code.

It is important that the visitor enters the code correctly, otherwise he may enter the apartment without being connected to the structure.

First, know what awaits you legally

This article is for informational purposes only. You use all information below at your own risk.

Important: if you enter someone else’s entrance, this will not be considered illegal entry into the home. But if you damage the intercom or the door, then this is already a break-in, damage to property and liability under the Code of Administrative Offenses and the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

Do not try to open the door by applying a stun gun to the intercom key reader! Some intercoms are protected from this, but most models fail when hit by a shocker.

The same applies to recommendations to open the intercom together: when one person kicks with force below the panel with buttons, and the second sharply jerks the door. The probability of breaking electronics is very high.

There is also Art. 36 Housing Code of the Russian Federation. She says that apartment owners own by right of common shared ownership the common property of the house, for example, entrances, elevators, basements.

This means that the owner of any apartment has the right not to allow strangers into the entrance. And he may ask you for documents that certify your right to be in the entrance.

If you just walked into the entrance, it’s unlikely that it will come to court and fines, but they can make some noise. If the tenants prove that you entered the intercom code for personal gain , then this is a reason to go to court.

And one moment. If you have an intercom at your entrance, but you don’t want to pay for installation, maintenance and keys, you have every right . Contact the intercom company and present your registration. They are not required to give you a key, but must provide you with an access code that will allow you to open the door and enter the entrance.

How to use an intercom from inside an apartment

Let's find out what the owner does when receiving an alert:

Hears an alert. Fits the tube.
He picks up the phone and asks the visitor who he is.
Decides whether to let a person in.
If he lets you in, he presses the button to remove the lock from the intercom. This will open the door.

Please note that the owner of the apartment must promptly pay the subscription fee for using the intercom system, otherwise his handset will be disconnected from the switchboard. Also, make sure that the button on the handset is in good working order; it often breaks.

Find out how to connect to the intercom for free if you are disconnected here.

Checking the handset connection

To check the functionality of the tube, do the following:

The handset has a switch key. There are letters I and O.
I means on, O means off.
Let's see which one has the key on it.
If it is on O, the door will not open.

Does the intercom work and how not to miss a call?

To determine whether the handset is on and whether the intercom is working, just ask one of your friends or relatives to make a call from the street. Many device models have a button to switch the operating state.

Check if the handset is turned on

Equipment for monitoring and managing the admission of visitors to the building is subject to software glitches and mechanical breakdowns. However, incorrect operation of the system can be explained by human factor. So, if mistakes were made when laying wires and setting up the intercom, the subscriber device may not work, so the homeowner will not be able to determine the arrival of guests.

Opening the door if a person is at the entrance

If a person leaves the house (he has already met the owner and is about to leave), he may have difficulty opening the door. But it's very simple:

There is a special button on the door. If you press it, the door will open. The button is usually illuminated, making it very easy to identify even in the dark.
It is located at a height of no higher than one and a half meters. But sometimes it is located low so that children can use the door opening.
When you press the key, the door will emit a beep indicating that you can now go outside.
If a guest finds himself on one of the upper floors and does not know where the exit is, pictures can help him. They are usually installed to indicate the location of the door. Pictures can be backlit so as not to get lost in the dark.

In modern times, an intercom has become a very useful thing. It protects the entrance from bad weather and ensures that no strangers will enter your entrance.

On video: Vizit intercom. The whole truth about the scam for keys in the Vizit intercom system.

When should you install a video intercom?

A video intercom in an apartment is invaluable if there is a feeling that the level of security provided by the access control system at the entrance is insufficient. Using one or more cameras can provide significantly more reliable identification of visitors and their intentions. The advantages of a video intercom look like this:

the ability to obtain an image of the visitor even at night;
see not only the person in front of the camera, but also the situation from the side, thanks to the connection of additional video recording sources;
a video intercom for a private home can fully replace a video surveillance system, operating with several cameras, reacting to events, for example, movement in the frame.

In addition, you can divide the security structure by installing a separate calling panel on the apartment door, not connected to the access access control system. Thanks to the capabilities of modern video intercoms, such as recording what is happening, photographing the caller, transmitting data and commands via the Internet, you can significantly improve interaction with your visitors and family members.

How to open the Factorial intercom without a key: codes for opening

There are few number sequence options for Factorial equipment. Try dialing 000000 or ascending numbers from one to six. There are situations when opening is impossible because the cipher needs to be changed.

Model Factorial

You can dial 5, you will see “180180” on the screen, click on call – 4 – call.

Below is a video instruction:

Keys for intercom "Visit" (Vizit)

Keys for the “Visit” intercom are designed to work with the original intercom system, which can rightfully be called a veteran of the intercom market. The first intercoms of the system of the same name were developed and produced back in Soviet times at a closed factory in Donetsk. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, their production was moved to Russia, and the designs of the produced intercoms were constantly refined and improved.

Today, the “Visit” intercom system is one of the most popular brands not only in Russia, but also in many CIS countries. With all the variety of different models of the system, its undeniable advantage is the amazing reliability of the intercoms produced and their affordability.

In addition, manufacturers provide good operational service for already installed products, constantly improving their characteristics. The photo on the left shows one of their most popular intercom models today, which uses two magnetic readers in its design: one for contact and the second for contactless electronic keys.

Intercom keys “Visit” (Vizit) are one of the least demanding electronic keys. Adapted to harsh operating conditions, they have a sufficient margin of mechanical strength, the necessary resistance to aggressive environments and are initially designed for a wide range of atmospheric temperatures. Duplicate keys are made on the basis of the RW1990 blank for contact keys and the standard RFID blank for the contactless version.

Digital video intercoms

A digital video intercom differs from an analog one in its data transmission system: it does not need switches and coordinate buses. It transmits all data, including from several camera sources, over a single twisted pair cable. Moreover, one system deployed in an apartment building can serve up to 255 subscribers. IP video intercom is the most reliable device. Failure of any of the system modules or damage to cables does not in any way affect the operation of the remaining components.

Today you can buy the easiest to install, with as complex functionality as you like, wireless video intercom. It doesn't require cable management. It is enough to place calling panels, cameras, internal monitors that will communicate with each other via Wifi or another communication protocol. This ability to work wirelessly is invaluable in an apartment building. However, it is worth considering legal requirements.

Important! Before you buy a wireless video intercom for an apartment, the cameras of which will be placed in the entrance, with an overview of the access areas, in a common partition, you must organize a meeting of residents and obtain written permission from them. All details of the design can always be found out in the management company.

Digital systems offer complete freedom of movement and exchange of information. Models with cloud recording will allow you to view photos or videos from any computer connected to the Internet. You can communicate with the visitor via smartphone. Using a remote connection, it is easy to reconfigure the system, block identification keys, and examine the event log.

A digital video intercom does not require a keypad. It acts as an auxiliary control tool. Phone-connected systems allow you to get rid of additional monitors and panels in your apartment or house. Being anywhere in the world, it is easy to get video footage, talk with a visitor, open doors, record a conversation. Integration with global networks gives the owner of a digital video intercom complete freedom of action and movement.

Keys for intercom "Metakom"

The keys for the Metakom intercom were developed by a well-known Russian company and are designed to work with its own intercom system

The keys for the Metakom intercom were developed by a well-known Russian company and are designed to work with its own intercom system. All the company’s developments came from the depths of personal laboratories, therefore they fully take into account the requirements of “our specifics”: simplicity of design, low cost, maintainability, harsh operating conditions, vandal-proof housing.

Despite its external unpretentiousness compared to its foreign counterparts, the Metakom intercom system has received sufficient use and appreciation in Ukraine. On the left of the page there is an image of the most common model of the Metakom intercom in Kyiv. Regardless of the year of manufacture and the specific model, all access restriction systems operate on the basis of their own components with original electronic keys. Design features allow not only to reduce the system's MTBF to a minimum, but also provide one of the cheapest operation rates among intercoms. At the same time, the consumer qualities of the electronic device remain at their best.

Metakom intercom keys have one of the best reliability in their segment. Magnetic keys are quite resistant to vibrations and mild shocks, are not influenced by the radiation of electromagnetic fields, and their operating temperature range ranges from -40°C to +75°C. As a rule, the best results in the production of Metakom electronic keys are achieved when using RW1990 blanks.

How to turn on and off the intercom handset

Beginner users always have questions during operation, so the question “How to turn on the intercom handset?” not an exception. This difficulty can arise when new owners need to quickly connect the handset, but there are no available technicians in the near future.

To do this, first of all you need to find out whether the intercom is an analog or digital device. Next, having found a panel with a switch that coordinates the operation of the entire system, you need to identify the connection points and connect the wires, observing the polarity.

Universal key for intercom: making it yourself

There are several types of keys available for modern intercom systems. Their main task is to open the entrance lock with installed security control. All of them are programmed with a specific factory code. If the firmware was changed during operation, in this case only the service department can help unlock the system. After their intervention, it will be necessary to reprogram the device.

Firms that program locks use a special technology for opening devices:

contactless;
tablet-chip;
all-terrain vehicle;
universal key for intercom.

Using the latter, you can open up to 95% of models. It is easy to use, as it can be used to quickly resolve the issue of opening doors. These are the devices that service workers or postal workers use.

A key called “all-terrain vehicle” can also be classified as universal. Utility workers don't have to carry around large bundles of chips. It is enough to have one universal one. The software device is located in the chip; just touch it to the contact located on the input panel.

There is another way to open intercom devices using a universal key - a contactless master key. To do this, there is no need to apply it to the contact on the panel. The principle of operation is at a distance. It has one significant drawback - high cost.

PREPARATION FOR WORK, PROGRAMMING

When preparing the control unit for operation, make system and service settings.

System settings

System settings are made using switches installed on the control unit board and marked accordingly.

The names of the switches and a description of the corresponding system settings are given in the “Switches” section.

The switch is enabled when it is in the ON position.

Switches: 1 (PASSWORD) - disables or enables the password for entering the service settings mode. The password is programmed in the service settings. 2 (GENERAL CODE) - disables or enables the general code for opening the lock. 3 (INDIVIDUAL CODE) - disables or enables all individual lock opening codes. 4 (1s LOCK 7s) - determines the time the lock is on (off - 1 second, on -7 seconds). 5 (ML LOCK EL) - determines the logic of the lock operation: the electromagnetic lock (ML) opens when the supply voltage is removed, the electromechanical lock (EL) opens when the supply voltage is applied. The switch is off - ML, on - EL. 6 (APARTM. BEEP) - turns off or turns on the supply of a short signal to the control panel of the corresponding apartment when using an individual code or TM key.

Service installations

Service settings are programmed from the call block keypad after installing the intercom.

List of service settings: — recording the general code for opening the lock; — recording individual lock opening codes; — recording TM keys; — erasing TM keys; — programming the password to enter the service settings mode; — turning on and off a call to the apartment;

Programming is accompanied by certain sound signals. (hereinafter indicated by the symbol >!<)

Service installations

Transferring the unit to service settings mode.

If the password for entering the service settings mode is not set (during the first programming) or is lost, switch 1 (PASSWORD) should be turned off.

! Dial #999, two beeps sound (>!<>!<). You are in service settings mode.

! Program password and other service settings

After programming, turn on switch 1.

To switch the unit to service settings mode with switch 1 on:

! dial #999, (>!<>!<);

! enter a 4-digit password, (>!<>!<).

You are in service settings mode.

If the password is entered incorrectly, a two-tone error tone sounds. Press the “*” button and repeat the dialing process.

Setting a common lock code

1. Enter service settings mode. 2. Press 1, (>!<). 3. Dial the four digits of the new code, (>!<>!<). The first three digits of the code cannot be 999, since this combination of numbers is used to enter the service settings mode. 4. Select the next service settings item, or press “*” to return to standby mode.

Setting individual apartment codes

1. Enter service settings mode. 2. Press 2, (>!<). 3. Dial the apartment number for which an individual code is being set. 4. Press #, (>!<). 5. Dial the three digits of the individual code for this apartment, (>!<>!<). To record the next code, follow steps 3 - 5, etc. 6. Press “*” to return to standby mode.

Recording TM keys

TM keys are recorded in blocks of up to 6 keys for each apartment.

1. Enter service settings mode. 2. Press 3, (>!<). 3. Dial the number of the apartment for which TM keys are recorded. 4. Press #, (>!<if there are free memory cells) or (>!<- pause up to 1 s ->!<>!<>!<>!<, if the key memory block for this apartment is full). 5. Attach the TM key to the call block reader (>!<- pause ->!<>!<, the key is written). Attach the next TM key to the reader, etc.

When recording the 6th TM key - (>!<- pause ->!<>!<>!<>!<).

If the key has already been written down, - (>!<- pause ->!<>!<>!<>!<).

To record the next block of TM keys, follow steps 3 - 5, etc.

6. Press “*” to return to standby mode.

If less than 6 TM keys are recorded for an apartment, then, after recording the necessary keys, dial the number of the next apartment, follow steps 4, 5, etc.

Erasing TM keys

It is possible to erase individual TM keys or a block of TM keys for a specific apartment.

1. Enter service settings mode. 2. Press 4, (>!<). 3.1 Erasing individual keys Apply the TM key to the call block reader, (>!<- pause up to 1 s ->!<>!<, the attached key is erased) or (>!<- pause ->!<>!<>! < if the TM key is not found in the list). Attach the next TM key, etc. 3.2 Erasing a block of TM keys for a specific apartment. Dial the apartment number. Press #, (>!<>!<, all TM keys for this apartment are erased). Dial the next apartment number, etc. 4. Press “*” to return to standby mode.

Programming the password for entering the service settings mode

1. Enter service settings mode. 2. Press 7, (>!<). 3. Dial the four digits of the password, (>!<>!<). 4. Select the next service settings item, or press “*” to return to standby mode.

Turning call to apartment on and off

Factory setting - calling to all apartments is included.

1. Enter service settings mode. 2. Press 8, (>!<). 3. Dial the number of the apartment in which you want to turn the call on or off. 4. Press #, (>!<). 5. To turn on the call, press 1, to turn off - 0, (>!<>!<). For the next apartment, follow steps 3 - 5, etc. 6. Press the “*” button to return to standby mode.

When the call is turned off, it is possible to use an individual code for this apartment.

ATTENTION! When recording a new individual code in the service settings mode, a call to the corresponding apartment is automatically activated.

Keys for intercom "Cyfral"

Despite their relatively expensive cost, the keys for the Cyfral intercom are distinguished by their high degree of secrecy and resistance to hacking. The photographs posted here show the most common models of the Cyfral intercom system in Kyiv. The first photo shows the appearance of the front panel of one of the very first intercom systems installed in Kyiv. Kyiv houses have been equipped with this Digital model since 1996.

The photo on the left shows one of the latest models of the Digital intercom system. Manufacturers have improved its element base as best they can, increased the reliability of the system, made the external unit (call unit) more compact, and changed its appearance. In general, the functionality and consumer qualities of the access restriction and control system have remained virtually unchanged.

Like all previous models, it remains the standard of reliability, high quality and maintainability of all components and elements of the system. Regardless of the model of the intercom system, the keys for all Tsifral intercoms are produced on the same element base and according to the same standards. This guarantees the consumer uninterrupted operation of electronic keys, regardless of modifications and variations of its elements.

Keys for the Digital intercom are always made in the form of a “tablet”, while the reliability of the magnetic keys strongly depends on the quality of the blanks used. As practice has shown, the best quality of intercom keys is obtained when using an electronic chip based on TM-01 and RW2007. In addition to the ideal transmission of the magnetic code, these blanks are also characterized by increased durability.

How to open the Factorial intercom without a key: codes for opening

Model Factorial

You can dial 5, you will see “180180” on the screen, click on call – 4 – call.

Below is a video instruction: