Ranger Long-Ranger Identification Solution

Long-Range Readers Go Beyond the Parking Gate

Farpointe’s Ranger® Opens New Opportunities

By Tom Piston, East Coast Sales Manager

If you’re an integrator installing electronic access controls (EAC), then it’s more than likely you’ve had requests for a long-range identification solution. In parking gate applications traditional access readers mounted to a goose neck may very well work, but they’re inconvenient, prone to damage and can be troublesome to install.

With an adjustable read range of up to 200 feet, about 61 meters, and a price point that won’t break the bank, Farpointe’s Ranger® is a long-range RFID (radio frequency identification) solution that’s been proven to make many an installation faster, easier and more profitable.

Ranger consists of wireless transmitters and receivers. Frequency of operation is 433-MHz, a globally harmonized UHF (ultra-high frequency) band allowing license free operation. For security, messaging between the transmitter and receiver are encrypted. Transmitters can be ordered in both the standard 26-bit Wiegand and custom Wiegand formats, in the exact ID sequence required. For safety, receivers are ETL listed to the UL 294 standard and comply with the SIA’s (Security Industry Association) Wiegand communication protocol. The benefit here is seamless operation with all standard EAC systems. OSDP (Open Supervised Device Protocol) is an option, too.

If this is your first introduction to the Ranger, you’re probably thinking “parking”. While Ranger is doing duty in countless parking lots around the world, its application goes far beyond the parking gate.

See the following examples of parking applications:

Consider Ranger’s capabilities:

  • Read range of up to 200 feet, and adjustable to as short as just a few feet.
  • Extended read ranges of 1,000 feet or more are possible when using an additional external antenna.
  • The ability to control four open reader ports from a single receiver (model WRR-44).
  • Transmitters available in both 2- and 4-button configurations. Each button press sends user data to a different reader port. Thus, the EAC panel sees each button press as a card presentation.
  • Proximity or smartcard modules in each transmitter to allow it to be used as a traditional presentation credential with wall-mounted readers throughout a facility.
  • Encryption and MAXSecure™ combine to raise the security environment.
  • An IP 65 rating, making it suitable for installation indoors or out.

OK, now that that is out of the way, where would you use this product for something other than opening a parking gate? I’ll start by posing a question: What can you initiate with a Wiegand input to the panel? Once you’ve answered that question, consider whether pushing a button from hundreds of feet away may provide value for your customer.

Here a few examples that have been shared with me by our EAC system partners and their integration customers:

  • A school system is using Ranger as their lockdown solution. The principal carries the two-button WRT-2+ transmitter on a lanyard around her neck. A quick press of button-1 from her particular transmitter locks down the entire school. Pressing button-2 activates the mass e-mail notification system.
  • A security conscious company is using Ranger to increase facility security. The WRR-44 receiver is installed inside the protected core of the facility. This eliminates the need for readers on the facilities unprotected exterior, and the threat of tamper this brings.
  • An integrator was working to meet a specification for an active credential that required a replaceable battery. The integrator turned to Ranger Transmitters, which utilize a Renata CR2032 coin-cell battery that is replaceable, and has been tested to last in excess of 250,000 button presses.
  • And once I had an integrator tell me that he configured the one button on the two-button WRT-2+ transmitter to start an end user’s coffee pot. While hardly an EAC application, it certainly did add value for his end user!

These are just a few examples to help you think creatively when assisting your end users with unique and innovative solutions. If you’ve never seen, or used Ranger, I encourage you to contact us here at Farpointe. We are pleased to discuss your application, and discover how Ranger’s long-range capabilities can make your installations faster, easier and more profitable.

For more information, see the following resources:


Tom PistonTom Piston

East Coast Sales Manager