Comments on: Vaja iPAQ Sync-able Case Review http://the-gadgeteer.com/2000/10/31/vaja_ipaq_sync_able_case_review/ Gadget reviews and news by Julie Strietelmeier and friends since 1997 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:27:48 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: EllenBeeman http://the-gadgeteer.com/2000/10/31/vaja_ipaq_sync_able_case_review/comment-page-1/#comment-14353 EllenBeeman Mon, 17 Mar 2003 22:02:51 +0000 #comment-14353 Gremlin, great post! I'm also a big fan of conduits, having been seated on the Austin Telecommunications Commission, where I pushed hard to get the city to consider doing that for downtown Austin (where they were constantly having problems by fiber companies digging up the streets to put down new cables.) Another thing to consider is the style of house construction you do... make sure it won't interfere with wireless! In our current house, we've run various network cables along the walls, but in our next house, it'll probably be all wireless. Most modern house construction won't interfere with 802.11 signals, but if you're building with a lot of stone or metal, you potentially could have problems. ---Ell Gremlin, great post! I’m also a big fan of conduits, having been seated on the Austin Telecommunications Commission, where I pushed hard to get the city to consider doing that for downtown Austin (where they were constantly having problems by fiber companies digging up the streets to put down new cables.)

Another thing to consider is the style of house construction you do… make sure it won’t interfere with wireless! In our current house, we’ve run various network cables along the walls, but in our next house, it’ll probably be all wireless. Most modern house construction won’t interfere with 802.11 signals, but if you’re building with a lot of stone or metal, you potentially could have problems.

—Ell

]]> By: gremlin_591002 http://the-gadgeteer.com/2000/10/31/vaja_ipaq_sync_able_case_review/comment-page-1/#comment-14352 gremlin_591002 Thu, 06 Mar 2003 00:30:43 +0000 #comment-14352 I'm a programmer of HVAC systems. I run wire all day, at least 3 days a week. (Gotta have sensors and outputs before you can program it). The ONE thing you most definately should do is have the electricains run conduit, for everything. In residential construction it's permissable to just run romex right through the walls for electrical, it's a bad idea. If you've got conduit, it's easy to pull wire from place to place. With Conduit, it's easy to reroute wires from one box to another (ie, balance the electrical load). I'd also recommend that for every electrical outlet, a second, empty, and seperately conduited box (4x4) (I'd recommend 3/4 inch or 1 inch conduit) be installed right on the other side of the wall stud. That makes it easy to install coax, cat5, fiber, etc at any point in the house where there is going to be equipment to use it. All the electrical should be conduited back to the electrical load panel and LABELED. All the others should run to a closet, fair sized (linen closet size) that you'll mount all your networking, fiber, cable tv (or satalite) gear. This closet gets it's own, 20 amp circuit. Make sure all these conduits are labeled to. I'd draw up a basic floor plan and make up a code that shows you where every conduit. Then make several copies (lamented) so it doesn't get lost. The reason I recommend using this, as opposed to wiremold (that's what that trough is called) is it's REALLY ugly, the metal stuff is next to impossible to reopen, the plastic is always cracking or coming open when you don't want it. And the industrial stuff that has a hinge and screws closed, is butt ugly, at best. Now, if you want to talk about home automation.... well, it's probably a bad idea to get me started on that unless you REALLY want to know! :) P.S. The controls we use to run HVAC systems, use BASIC as the programming language, it's super easy to learn and gives you BIG TIME flexiblity on how your house/building runs. There is NO LIMIT to what you can automate with these systems. Solar Power, seperate temperatures in seperate rooms, automated lights, anything is possible. I’m a programmer of HVAC systems. I run wire all day, at least 3 days a week. (Gotta have sensors and outputs before you can program it). The ONE thing you most definately should do is have the electricains run conduit, for everything. In residential construction it’s permissable to just run romex right through the walls for electrical, it’s a bad idea. If you’ve got conduit, it’s easy to pull wire from place to place.

With Conduit, it’s easy to reroute wires from one box to another (ie, balance the electrical load). I’d also recommend that for every electrical outlet, a second, empty, and seperately conduited box (4×4) (I’d recommend 3/4 inch or 1 inch conduit) be installed right on the other side of the wall stud. That makes it easy to install coax, cat5, fiber, etc at any point in the house where there is going to be equipment to use it.

All the electrical should be conduited back to the electrical load panel and LABELED. All the others should run to a closet, fair sized (linen closet size) that you’ll mount all your networking, fiber, cable tv (or satalite) gear. This closet gets it’s own, 20 amp circuit. Make sure all these conduits are labeled to. I’d draw up a basic floor plan and make up a code that shows you where every conduit. Then make several copies (lamented) so it doesn’t get lost.

The reason I recommend using this, as opposed to wiremold (that’s what that trough is called) is it’s REALLY ugly, the metal stuff is next to impossible to reopen, the plastic is always cracking or coming open when you don’t want it. And the industrial stuff that has a hinge and screws closed, is butt ugly, at best.

Now, if you want to talk about home automation…. well, it’s probably a bad idea to get me started on that unless you REALLY want to know! :)

P.S. The controls we use to run HVAC systems, use BASIC as the programming language, it’s super easy to learn and gives you BIG TIME flexiblity on how your house/building runs. There is NO LIMIT to what you can automate with these systems. Solar Power, seperate temperatures in seperate rooms, automated lights, anything is possible.

]]> By: Judie http://the-gadgeteer.com/2000/10/31/vaja_ipaq_sync_able_case_review/comment-page-1/#comment-14351 Judie Wed, 05 Mar 2003 23:17:38 +0000 #comment-14351 Actually, that's not a bad idea to run all of the wiring under a removable molding. That might be something to look into when we build. :0) Actually, that’s not a bad idea to run all of the wiring under a removable molding. That might be something to look into when we build. :0)

]]> By: hodgesmt http://the-gadgeteer.com/2000/10/31/vaja_ipaq_sync_able_case_review/comment-page-1/#comment-14350 hodgesmt Wed, 05 Mar 2003 17:54:03 +0000 #comment-14350 Hello all, my first post ever, but Ive been reading Gadgeteer for long time now. My first thought about houses is that when you build them, make the wiring ACCESSABLE...... I have always wondered why you couldn't have a panel at the base of the wall disguised as moulding, remove panel and have access to the wire. My dream home would not only have current tech, but be upgradable with minimum "rip up the drywall" problems. If you built the house with Cat5 or something, and then Fiber became all the rage, remove panels, either remove old wire, or add new. Make your house "plug and play" lol. Michael Official keeper of nothing special. :D Hello all, my first post ever, but Ive been reading Gadgeteer for long time now.

My first thought about houses is that when you build them, make the wiring ACCESSABLE…… I have always wondered why you couldn’t have a panel at the base of the wall disguised as moulding, remove panel and have access to the wire. My dream home would not only have current tech, but be upgradable with minimum “rip up the drywall” problems. If you built the house with Cat5 or something, and then Fiber became all the rage, remove panels, either remove old wire, or add new. Make your house “plug and play” lol.

Michael
Official keeper of nothing special.
:D

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