Sure, no problem
We started this project about 5 or 6 years ago. The name is actually a tribute to my colleague who makes keyed safe decoders under the name Jack Wolf. He came up with the initial idea and got the team together.
Most safe technicians who have an autodialer don't actually use it very often. Usually this is because it takes too long to install and often you can't (or don't want to) leave it running overnight as it can be stolen or damaged. On some locks, especially newer Group 2M locks, the dialers can skip the combination unless you use a very small step or slow speed, which then takes too long, so in many cases it is just easier to drill the safe.
We wanted an autodialer that was easy to install, easy to use, reliable and, most importantly, allowed us to try the most common combinations first.
I don't want to bore you with the development history, it was quite long and there were a few dead ends (like using a robotic arm that would do many other things than just autodialing
).
After the first year we had a version that worked well and had some features that the other autodialers didn't have, but it took another 2 years of development to get to a point where we were really happy with it and released it to the public. The first commercial version was simply called JACK and it was a big success at the LockFest show in the Czech Republic.
Of course we continued with the development and listen to our customers and after about 2 more years we released the current range of autodialers: JACK Plus, JACK Professional (and the restricted JACK Government, which I won't talk too much about).
JACK Plus is the successor to the original JACK. There are many improvements and details, but the main advantages over other dialers are
1. Faster and easier installation and centring
2. Possibility to try common combinations first (you can get some very fast openings this way)
3. Better speed settings and more detailed dial step settings
4. No need for a tablet or other device
5. It is upgradable to JACK Professional
JACK Professional has everything from JACK Plus and quite a lot more including:
1. A second gripper for large dials and a base extension for elevated surfaces around the dials
2. More dials are supported in the software including dials where 0 and 100 are split, non-standard dials with 40-200 numbers and inverse dials with index on the dial and numbers on the dial ring.
3. Smart Mode that allows running several dialing modes on its own without user input
4. Diagnostic mode for situations where a known combination has stopped working due to user error or a mechanical problem.
5. Scoping helper mode, which allows the combination to be scoped quickly via the change key hole
6. Support for custom combination lists from a microSD card
7. SMS notifications available
Unlike other autodialers, you can use JACK Professional for just about any job where you need to open a combination lock. It it is a malfunction or messed combo change, you just put it on with the diagnostics mode first. If it is a lost combo, you just run the Smart mode and go for a coffee. You can get an SMS notification when the lock is open. If the lock is not open when you come back, you can decide what to do next. You can either leave it running (you can set it to relock the lock when the combination is found) or perhaps decide you want to drill and scope the lock in which case you can use the dialer to quickly align the gates when using the key change hole.
Even if you know right from the start that you can drill the lock quickly, it is usually still better to put the dialer on first for a few minutes while you get your tools ready. You may get a quick opening on some common combo without a need for repair and even if you don't, the dialer makes the whole process much more impressive to the customer (which makes it more likely they will call you again or recommend you to someone else. It also makes it easier to ask for a higher price than someone that just drills everything).