unusual halfmoon dimple lock

[raimundo]

With no sidebar, its just another keyway susceptible to bumping. Only difference in general appearance of the key.

[Fredmad]

The difference is that you can't apply tension!!
The sidebar is not inserted as in Assa or Medeco. For these lock the sidebar goes in the core when you turn.
For this chineese lock you insert the key with the right first so that the sidebar goes in the core AND THEN you can turn. The reason is the flat side lock the rotation.

[femurat]

Thanks for the explanation Fredmad. So the sidebar is mounted in the opposite direction? Very clever, but I'm missing something: what pushes the sidebar inside the core once the key with the right bitting is inserted?

Now I'm curious... is there a link where I can find more info about this lock?

Cheers

[scriptguru]

I have one of these (with sidebar) and for now I cannot pick it open.
The keyway is really tricky, so it's really a problem to push pins even with good set of dimple picks.
Tensioning is also a problem, and it hardly does any good.

If anybody can help with advice I would really appreciate it. The lock is mine, if anybody wants any photos, I can do them.
My lock also comes with 120dB alarm (reacts on vibration), so it's quite a good stuff for bicycle, especially taking into account the price ($16).

[femurat]

Hey scriptguru,

how do you know yours has a sidebar? For 16$ it's a great find, do you mind to send me the link?

About your problem with picking it, if you have the sidebar model, you're screwed! I see no way to pick it with the usual pick and wrench. We must find other ideas. Look at the model Fredmad posted, it's clear that tensioning the plug wouldn't bind the pins.

Good luck

[Squelchtone]

do you mind to send me the link?

There seem to be 2 models, 1 with the speaker holes at the bottom of the padlock body, and one with the speaker holes at the top between the shackle holes.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_sacat=0&_from=R40&_nkw=padlock+alarm&_sop=15

Interesting locks, I like how the shackle can be inserted one way to make alarm work, or if you flip the shackle and insert the other way, the alarm will not work. One of the shackle legs has a thinner diameter, which must give some sort of switch room to wiggle which sets the alarm off, the other shackle leg doesnt have any wiggle room so the sensor/switch cannot move. They suggest this mode if the padlock is on a moving vehicle such as a moving truck, etc.

Squelchtone

[femurat]

Thanks for the link Squelchy, but I guess these locks have the same traditional pins and springs as mine. I'd be interested in a sidebar version, but I'm not willing to buy a ton of these crappy padlocks to find out if they have the sidebar or not. I'd buy one only if scriptguru is 100% sure it has a sidebar.
About the alarm, mine has a little switch on one of the two shackle holes. There's a groove in one of the two shackle legs, so if the switch is in the groove it's not pressed in and the alarm is deactivated. I agree, clever design.

Cheers

[scriptguru]

here is the lock I have
http://dx.com/p/stainless-steel-70db-al ... -ag3-70142

I am sure that it has sidebar because when it's open, the plug goes a little out of lock body, and 1-2mm of a sidebar becomes visible.
It is a little bit hard to explain without photo, so I'll make a photo when I'm back home today.

Besides of partially visible sidebar it feels different from pin tumbler or wafer locks when I am picking it, I was unable to set a single pin (or I didn't feel it's set).

[scriptguru]

Here is a bunch of photos taken from different points of view in open/locked states https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/1016 ... 5733872913

And here is the photo with sidebar partially visible in the plug/core https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/1016 ... 0356574898

[femurat]

Thanks mate, I just bought one. I've been looking for a sidebar version for 3 years! I'll let you know when it arrives.

In order to pick yours, is it possible to insert a thin wire or shim from the front to push the sidebar in?

Cheers

[scriptguru]

Thanks for suggestion, I'll give it a try.
However I don't really think it can open the lock, because if pins are not in correct positions, they prevent sidebar from going into the core (if the mechanism is implemented correctly). Anyway I'll try.

[MacGyver101]

Thanks for suggestion, I'll give it a try.
However I don't really think it can open the lock, because if pins are not in correct positions, they prevent sidebar from going into the core (if the mechanism is implemented correctly). Anyway I'll try.

I believe what femurat was suggesting was using the wire to put pressure on the sidebar (rather than trying to use a tension wrench to put pressure on the plug)... if you can make it work, it should provide you with finer control on the tension. (And thanks for the DealExtreme link... I've just ordered one as well!)

[scriptguru]

Thanks for explanation, I'll give it a try right now.

You are welcome, dealextreme also has some selection of picks and other tools, and from time to time they have something new.
I bought some tools from them and the quality was good enough (same items in US or EU stores are 3-5 times more expensive).
However, their locks selection sucks.

[scriptguru]

It is seems to be possible to use a shim to tenstion a sidebar, but it's still very hard to pick open. Especially in my case: the key profile is hi-lo-hi-lo-hi. Honestly, I've never picked sidebar lock open yet. This one seems to be very tough.

[femurat]

I was looking for one of these locks for so long and when I got it I was very excited. I was imagining the strange tools I may have had to make in order to defeat this very clever design.
To tension it I inserted a bent wire and pulled it with index and thumb while the lock was in my hand.
It was not easy to control tension, but it was the easiest way that came to mind.
I tried an half diamond for a couple of minutes but wasn't getting any feedback, so I decided to give it a shoot with a very small bogota.
It took me just a few minutes to pick it. I was astonished. I took a few pictures of the lock to show off, since I was afraid it could have been just a lucky opening.
After taking the pictures I closed it and picket again in one minute and a half. The plug turned a bit at a time while the pins were set. It also came out so I had to be careful not to push it in while tensioning.

A bogota is the way to go with this lock.

Cheers