--- Peter Turnbull <pete_at_dunnington.u-net.com> wrote:
> On Feb 12, 15:05, <lemay_at_cs.umn.edu> wrote:
> > I bought a xx2247 key from ebay...
> >
> > I purchased mine for the starting bid of $10, but they then charged
> > me $10 more for shipping...
Ow!
> > I called the local locksmith and they will duplicate this type of key
> > for $6 each.
That sounds about right.
> My local keycutting shop cut a copy for just a little less than that.
> The key style is quite standard. The trick, of course, is getting the
> first one :-)
Not really... the point of the XX2247 is that a full-service locksmith
should be able to cross-reference that to a set of key depths,
_presuming_ they can code-cut a 7-pin round key (not a universal
expectation). My experience with code-cut keys is that a) they cut
it, you pay, fit or no fit, and b) it's a few $$$ more than a copy.
IIRC, it's about $15 around here to code-cut a key at places that can
do so (takes more skill than operating a duplicating machine, so
they charge more for the skilled labor). By comparison, WalMart
charges around $2.50 for copying an automobile key (but don't lose
your original if you have an anti-theft key with an embedded resistor;
that's well over $50 to replace! - they have to try 16 resistor
possibilities and wait in between each one for the car to reset).
Another word to the wise on DEC keys - if you have a newer PDP-11
(11/24, for example) or a newer keyed VAX (like my 8200) with the
*plastic* lock body - there are no tumblers. A key blank will
operate your machine - DEC shipped an orangish-red plastic key
with those systems, but the older keys (or a blank) will turn the
lock.
Metal lock bodies on older machines (PDP-8/L, PDP-8/e, VAX-11/780,
VAX-11/750...) do require a key, 99% of the time it's the XX2247 (but
I have *one* PSU with a different one - it was a customer option).
-ethan
Received on Wed Feb 12 2003 - 21:17:00 GMT