Gun Club Automatic Gates, Pro and Con!

Bill Wynne

Bill Wynne

Active member
Our club is considering an automatic gate. Although we have a lock and key system that we use, we have a pair of sliding gates in place and ready for automation.

We would very much appreciate any and all comments and suggestions about automatic gates. Tell the truth and don't hold back. What would work well for the club and what can go wrong. We have about 1200 members now so there is a lot of traffic through our gates.

Thanks in advance,

Concho Bill:)
 
ARC has auto gate

Bill Wynne said:
Our club is considering an automatic gate. Although we have a lock and key system that we use, we have a pair of sliding gates in place and ready for automation.

We would very much appreciate any and all comments and suggestions about automatic gates. Tell the truth and don't hold back. What would work well for the club and what can go wrong. We have about 1200 members now so there is a lot of traffic through our gates.

Thanks in advance,

Concho Bill:)
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The Austin Rifle Club installed a automatic gate some years ago. It has been 98 percent reliable and much better than the padlock gate before it. We had to install a white painted metal cover for the electronics because of heat from direct sunlight fried the electronics. Has worked out fine.

The address of the club is:

16312 Littig Rd
Manor, Tx 78653

GPS: 30.324860, 97.476733

You can email, al.osborn@austinrifleclub.org for more details.

Virgil Howarth
Austin, Tx
 
At Tomball, we installed an electronic lock that has a small solar panel that keeps the battery charged. All members are issued a badge that you just lay on the pad and it unlocks.
One advantage to this system is it logs who enters and leaves. If you don't have a badge, you're not getting in.

We looked into a mechanical gate, but decided the simple electronic lock on our existing gate was simple and affective.
 
Automatic Gates

Hi Bill. You Asked what can go wrong with an automatic gate opener. We used automatic gate openers at my former job. This was twenty years ago.

You inserted the card into the reader. There were times when we had a malfunction, that prevented people from getting in and out. As I recall, they had a quick fix for a malfunctioning gate. I don't remember if it was an emergency bypass system operated by the on duty(24hr) comm center. Or some other fix.

All of the local Private Ranges around here ,that I'm familiar, with either use a card reader or keypad electronic system. Both these systems ,on occasion, have needed to be repaired. Hope this helps.




Glenn
 
Good Solution...

Bill Wynne said:
Thank you very much for your reply, Virg & Jackie.

Bill
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If you already have a satisfactory gate, the Tomball simple electronic lock seems a good solution. The ARC gate also keeps a data record. To our surprise, of the 1500 members, only about 260 actually use the range to any great extent.
 
At Maidstone Gun Club, my home range in East Hampton, there used to be electric gates that operated either with entering a code into the keypad or with a remote garage door type opener, which the member would have to buy and program. The positive thing was the gate always reclosed after someone entered and opened when someone pull up on the way out, WHEN IT WORKED. We have disconnected it and have a gate now with a chain and lock again. Bad thing is, the gate is left open whenever someone is at the club.

At another private club that I belong to, we have a gate with a keypad lock and we are required to close and lock it behind us.

At Cherry Ridge in New Jersey, where I am a member, we have a KEY FOB which gets us through the gate with a back up key pad. I have not been a member long enough to know if there have been any issues.

Where I keep one of my planes, we have a dual system, remote garage door opener type system and key pad. About half the time it does not work and we force it open and it was an expensive system paid for by the FAA under a grant for airport security.

I am happy to use a combination pad lock, just have to make sure I have my reading glasses or bifocals on!

Bob
 
virg said:
If you already have a satisfactory gate, the Tomball simple electronic lock seems a good solution. The ARC gate also keeps a data record. To our surprise, of the 1500 members, only about 260 actually use the range to any great extent.
Click to expand...

Virgil, I agree with you about the Tomball lock system but it would sure be nice to have one like you have at Austin Rifle Club. We would like to have a data record and the ability to make changes from a computer in a remote location. Does Austin have a contract with an outside firm to maintain the equipment or does someone in the club keep things working?

Jackie, Does the system at Tomball allow a person to see when someone enters an when they leave? Can the management of the club disable a card if the owner has not paid his or her dues? I sure like the simple card lock.

Bill
 
I belong to two clubs that have card readers to open a gate. One is a rolling gate that you drive through. You use the card to gain access but you don't have to use it to exit. The other club has a walk through gate that uses the card to enter and exit. I generally only shoot pistol at that club.
 
I have seen a couple of automatic gates that sense the vehicle, which doesn't work at all for people who walk or ride bikes or ride motorcycles. In other words, if you do go with the automatic gate, please don't require a car to be on a sensor pad for the gate to operate.
 
We have, now, over 1000 members at our facility. That said, as you may assume, all are not proficient gun handelers, respectfull of property, and historically not everyone that wants entry is a rightfull member.
We did two things that are important, not hugely expensive, and ultimately protect the club from vandalism and unsafe behavior.
We put in a member card system tied to our electronic gate also tied to security cameras that cover an extensive property, 40 benches, trap fields, skeet fields, large outdoor pistol range, indoor pistol range, all able to be checked remotely. That gate goes up at 10 PM, for instance, the prez gets a popup on his cell phone to see what's up.Gate can be left open for events and has a sensor to auto lift upon exit. Even the clubhous doors unlock with the card as opposed to the old system of anual combination lock code changes.....works perfectly.
 
Our Club has an automatic gate and I Love it. It also tracks the time and the member entering the grounds when being used. The person over seeing its use can also turn on or off the members card from home based on not paying dues, a reported safety issue until resolved etc. It has already paid its way just from a from a safety outlook and a deterent to the theifs in our club. If something happens to occur on a given day everyone who entered that day can now be questioned on what they might have seen. The biggest improvement is really to the person who is in charge of the memebership. It used to be that all the master locks had to be re-keyed every year if someone did not turn in their keys for not paying their yearly dues or a severe reported safety violation. That key would get you onto the grounds, club house, phone and restrooms and now its only one stroke away on a computer key board to kill the card. We have had the gate for well over six years now and I think it has only been down twice for routine maint. that I can remember and everyone is notifeid prior too or their is a member there to moniter who is coming in during the service.
 
Bill Wynne said:
Virgil, I agree with you about the Tomball lock system but it would sure be nice to have one like you have at Austin Rifle Club. We would like to have a data record and the ability to make changes from a computer in a remote location. Does Austin have a contract with an outside firm to maintain the equipment or does someone in the club keep things working?

Jackie, Does the system at Tomball allow a person to see when someone enters an when they leave? Can the management of the club disable a card if the owner has not paid his or her dues? I sure like the simple card lock.

Bill
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Yes, Bill, every time a member enters and leaves, it sends a code to a terminal at our Club Secretary's house. If there is a problem at the Range, he can ascertain who was there at any given time.

The Club can deactivate a members Badge if the need arises. Members must wear their badges at all times when at the Range.

http://benchrest.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=19327&stc=1&d=1491954107
 

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Of the two local clubs I shoot at, Cherokee, 1200 members use a magnetic key card that is reissued annually. Its gate open automatically at approach to exit.

The other club Kettlefoot has about 850 members and uses a numbers keypad. OK, fine, but this gate requires a person to punch numbers to get out also. A pain.

Just for comment.

.
 
OK, Now here is the next question.

Is the automatic gate with all the bells and whistles something that a club can install and maintain with the help of members or is this a project that should be handeled by an outside firm?

Bill
 
Bill Wynne said:
Is the automatic gate with all the bells and whistles something that a club can install and maintain with the help of members or is this a project that should be handeled by an outside firm?

Bill
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Bill, the "bells and whistles" aspect is going to depend on the tech savy of the members who are going to maintain it. We installed our electric gate two years ago and opted to do it in stages. Gate first with a keypad and the option to add the fancier stuff later.

The guy that spearheaded the installation wanted to shorten the "hold open" after a vehicle exits and clears the electric eyes from 20 seconds to 10. The instructions were not very clear and seemed to be written for a professional installer.
 
We have some pretty mechanically sophisticated mechanics at the airport and a few guys that are good with electrical and electronics. We still pay a service organization to take care of the gates. This is a little country airport and not a big fancy place that just has the money to do that, we just could not keep them working on our own. www.WarwickAirport.com.

Bob
 
JerrySharrett said:
Of the two local clubs I shoot at, Cherokee, 1200 members use a magnetic key card that is reissued annually. Its gate open automatically at approach to exit.

The other club Kettlefoot has about 850 members and uses a numbers keypad. OK, fine, but this gate requires a person to punch numbers to get out also. A pain.

Just for comment.

.
Click to expand...

The best, imo, keypad to enter, approach to open for exit. With the magnetic card sometimes I'm not driving that vehicle that I put the card in and those cards don't do well in a wallet.

.
 
Bill Wynne said:
Is the automatic gate with all the bells and whistles something that a club can install and maintain with the help of members or is this a project that should be handeled by an outside firm?

Bill
Click to expand...

Bill, I think this depends on the size of the Club, and the size of it's bank account.

Tomball is a small club by choice, limited to 300 members. We are very "spartan", to say the least. Even though the Club was established in 1961, we have never had electricity or water and sewer. We have a generator, and a portacan that is serviced weekly.

This allows us to pay taxes on what is undeveloped property.

We opted for the magnetic badge because all it does is release the Gate's lock. The lack of electricity on Range property pretty much negates a self opening gate anyway, Yes, you have to get out of the car, whether enterring or leaving. If a shooter can't stomach that, he can Hand in his membership. We have a waiting list to get in.

Anytime you install a piece of machinery such as a mechanical gate in a club that has limited resources, you have to look at the circumstances in the future. It will wear out, and break down. Someone has to maintain it. If no club member will, (a reality), then you are looking at paying someone to keep it operating.

Since we are required to have our badge on us at all times while on Range property, our system has proven to be lowcost, and affective in keeping unauthorized vehicles out.
 
jackie schmidt said:
Bill, I think this depends on the size of the Club, and the size of it's bank account.

Anytime you install a piece of machinery such as a mechanical gate in you have to look at the circumstances in the future. It will wear out, and break down. Someone has to maintain it. If no club member will, (a reality), then you are looking at paying someone to keep it operating.

Since we are required to have our badge on us at all times while on Range property, our system has proven to be low cost, and affective in keeping unauthorized vehicles out.
Click to expand...

Truer works never spoken and clearly.
Thanks,

Bill
 
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