Unusual 6 Pin Star Tubular Lock

[CanadaJimmy]

Hi all,
I have this cable panel with an unusual 6 pin star tubular/radial lock attached to my home and would like to open it.


I've not been able to find any matching keys or tools on google no matter what I search for. All I've found is a photo of the same kind of lock on a padlock: http://www.flickr.com/photos/darwinbell/321434315/ and the same image on a wikipedia article about radial locks (in dutch) http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiaalslot

Some help with this would be greatly appreciated, really want to be able to unlock/lock this without damaging or replacing the lock since I need to access coax cabling in the walls in my house without upsetting the cable co. Thanks!

[nick08037]

Hello, one of the moderators will likely respond to your post with an official response, but keep in mind that the box/container that you are trying to access is almost certainly the property of the cable company and may even be labeled as such. There is a good reason that they have installed it with a lock... They do not want any unauthorized access to it. Helping you gain unauthorized access to it would be questionable at best. -Nick

[GWiens2001]

The lock is a Supra tubular lock. It is not a pin tumbler lock. The cable company owns the lock, so it is not good for you to pick it.

Gordon

[Squelchtone]

That's clearly an Empire lock.



Lord Vader aka Shaw Communications would not be happy if you touched it. If you need to wire additional drops around the house and plug into a bigger splitter, its probably as simple as calling the cable company. Last I knew they do not charge you for extra TV's, only extra cable boxes.

We are a site of hobbyists, who pick locks because we see them as a puzzle. We are against any kind of crime, shady behavior, or unauthorized access. Folks hear the words lock picking and automatically assume a criminal activity, so we simply do not discuss how to get into cable tv boxes, vending machines, making spare keys for your dorm room, or condominium swimming pool gate, etc.

good luck,
Squelchtone

PS. Gordon types faster than I do.

[CanadaJimmy]

Thanks for the information - was not trying to engage in anything shady, just annoyed that the outlets in my house all end up behind this locked panel. I actually wanted to rewire them to an attic antenna for HDTV signals instead of overpriced cable, but really didn't want to explain that to Shaw (unlikely they would co-operate). I do appreciate the humour mixed in with the policy you have on this site, I totally get it.

May just have to take off the drywall instead to get at the cabling to the outlets.

[MBI]

Unfortunately cable companies have been very successful in lobbying lawmakers in both the US and Canada.

I live in Utah and in this state, while it's illegal to tamper with the cable company's signal (i.e. to get free cable) any permanently installed equipment on your home (such as the cable box) becomes your property. Basically it's a consumer protection law to prevent unethical companies to try to extort you into not discontinuing service with them because they'll tear out their equipment and leave huge ugly holes in your house when they depart. As I understand it, this type of law is a rare exception and one of the few examples of when the cable company didn't get their way legislatively.

I discontinued my cable service and used the cable box to hook up my satellite TV, seeing as how thats where all my cable outlets terminated, and the box was now my property. I put my own padlock on it and everything was fine until AT&T Cable sold to Comcast. Comcast sent out technicians to do new cable runs from the cable box at the property edge to the cable box in each home in their territory. When they got to my home, instead of knocking on the door (I was home at the time) they cut my lock off the box and cut my satellite cable pretty far away from the end of the cable, to ensure there was no way I could stretch it and hook it up with a new connector on the end. I'd have to replace the entire length of wire. Basically just to be spiteful since I was using "their" box for satellite service. To top it off, they also decided to continue their dickish behavior by cleaning out their truck on my front lawn, leaving a pile of old cut cables and a massive 5' wooden "spool" that the wire comes on in bulk.

Despite the law being on my side, I made little headway in getting the company to fix the property damage when I found it later. Although my neighbor did appreciate his new card table that he made from the big wood spool. He was so pleased with it, he put up a new wire run for my satellite since the cable company wouldn't.

Of course now I don't deal with cable or satillite companies. I refuse to give either of them my money anymore. I'm glad I have a better option as Netflix is a much better deal at just $8 a month. A year of netflix costs me about what a month of Comcast would.

[nickmannnxx]

MBI, wow sounds like there are some pretty shady cable installers in your area. I say if they dont want to pay for or replace the damage caused by their own installers, then file a police report. Dumping their garbage in your front yard is unbelievable. How childish can someone be? Apparently their employees take it very personal when someone uses another service provider. I guess its a good thing that they didnt need access to the inside of your home to perform their work. You might have ended up with fist sized "repair" holes ib your drywall.