Updated October 12, 2026
Cigar Lounge Wanted Card Access on the Front Door: HES C5000 Strike on the Existing Controller, Hallandale Beach
A cigar lounge in Hallandale Beach asked me for an estimate on access control for their front door. Instead of a whole new system, I wired a card reader and an HES C5000 electric strike into the controller that already ran their back door. The job took three hours, and the owner thanked me with four cigars.
What the call sounded like
She told me, “Hey, I would like to see your availability to come and give us an estimate on an access control system for our business door.” Another company had already offered them a whole new system.
What I found when I got there
The first thing I checked was the internet connection. What I found instead, in the electrical room, was the controller board that runs their back door system. I also checked the front door and the frame. The door had only a bolt on it. Based on what I saw, I gave her an estimate up front.
Checking that the back door board could run the front door
The controller had 4 relay channels, so I knew it could handle the front door too. The part I had to get right was the voltage. I ordered the materials to match the voltage the board provides.
The work
The job took three hours. I ran the wires above the ceiling, cut the door frame to fit the HES C5000 electric strike, and replaced the latch mechanism with an Adams Rite 4900. The strike is the outdoor version of the C5000, because this door is exposed to the weather. I installed the card reader and a push pedal for free exit, because the law requires free egress. People inside always have to be able to get out. The lounge now has a few ways in: a card, a fob, a phone app, a remote, or a button.
I also put in a new cylinder and rekeyed it to fit their back door key, just in case. Before I left, I made sure everything was secure and working, and that the owner knew how to operate the system.
What was on the invoice
The invoice covered the electric strike, the card reader, the Adams Rite latch, the push pedal, the new cylinder, and the installation. I didn’t charge for rekeying the cylinder to their back door key. They didn’t pay for a new controller, because the board on the back door already had the channels to run the front door. That is where the savings came from.
What a real locksmith knows
Before anyone buys a new access control system, it’s worth finding out what’s already in the building. Here the answer was sitting in the electrical room: a controller with 4 relay channels. Once I knew the board could take another door, the only thing left was matching the strike and the reader to the voltage it provides.
How it ended
The front door came out better than they imagined, and the owner gave me four cigars as a thank-you.
Want card access on your business door using the system you already have? Call Around The Lock at (954) 371-5674.
