Automate apartment entry

Ok, sorry for the crazy question, but I'm finally back to work after vacation and my mind is wandering...

I was just thinking...I have a remote for everything...my car, tv, etc. And yet, I still use a key to enter into the apartment (the outside door to the foyer, not to my specific door). It's the type where there are 4 buttons outside to buzz each apartment. Then in the apartment you pull the lever to "buzz" the person in.

I was wondering if I could hook up an actuator or trunk release actuator to the door switch and remotely enter when I walk up to the building?

Sorry

Better still, install a receiver in the apartment which is compatible to your vehicles system then use the car's transmitter's auxiliary channel to open your apartment.

How heavy/big is the lever in the apartment? How much "travel" is required to pull the lever? A door lock actuator might work better than a trunk release solenoid.

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Prepare your future. It wasn't the lack of stones that killed the stone age.

Hey Big Dog....yea, I guess I forgot to mention that part. I was definitely thinking of adding it to my existing car remote...that would rock.

The lever in the apartment isn't too big (smaller than a light switch), and it barely has to travel at all, so I bet you a door actuator would work.

In terms of power, how could I "plug in" a receiver in the apartment. Is there a way to hook up a 12v receiver (like a car alarm) into my wall socket?

The brain itself would function on as little as 500 mA to 1 amp but the actuator would need more.  For power, get a small power supply, 5 amps should suffice. Again, power is relative to the work being done.

The guy I work with has a Viper SST security remote start combo in his car and a Viper security mated to an internet based vehicle tracking device for his home. This way he can monitor his home from the web and get alerts on his cell if anyone enters his home. The whole thing works off a battery and charger so it works even in power failures. He'll get paged even if thieves cut the telephone lines. The whole thing comes out cheaper and is more effective than if he'd purchased a home security system. Genious.

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Prepare your future. It wasn't the lack of stones that killed the stone age.

Haha, genious is right. He should trademark and sell it :)

I'm still not real familiar with the power aspect of things. When I think power supply, I think of a computer power supply or something like that, to plug into a wall outlet. I guess if I had a spare alarm, I could rig it up to a computer supply and plug it in that way.

Go to any electronics store and see what they have for a 5 amp power supply which will convert the house main a.c. to 12 volts d.c.

The computer supply would work and there many sites that show the required mod such as this https://www.nmia.com/~tandberg/LinkedPages/SailplaneArticles/PowerSupplyATX_03.htm

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Prepare your future. It wasn't the lack of stones that killed the stone age.