Forum Home
Press F1
Thread ID: 46067	2004-06-12 06:24:00	O/T smart wiring	Young Tom (5503)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
243716	2004-06-12 23:39:00	now to be more realistic...... it all depends on what you require, add a bit for future exspansion but going whole hog is just a waste of money if your not going to use it. work out what you NEED and then what you would LIKE. then get the pro's in for a look. (and NO i don't mean just the run of the mill sparky). if your looking at home automation then get them in to advize. you also need to plan on repairs and the abilty to change systems. i know of a smart house that basicly is stuffed because they can't change the smart house system and the company is long gone so they can't get parts for it. for aerial systems thers sat systems, sky return + local, home theater, remote control. lan system for computers, mayby an aerial lead for wireless connection. don't forget security system which can also interface with ather parts of the house eg you can phone in and tell it to switch the spa on before you get home ;-) but most important is to get the specialists in for a chat. i had a case recently where a sparky had wired up a home theature so you can move everything around. only problem was the speakers where all in wrong places and if you moved the speakers to the 2nd location (and seating) you couldn't see the tv screen! (and setting up the return system and remote system for a dual input setup cost more than it was worth so the extra speaker wires where just ripped out and was wired as a single location setup).	tweak'e (174)
243717	2004-06-12 23:59:00	Just wandering off topic a bit, but Dipstick reminded me :) ...........and then there are super beings who have golden ears and can detect the difference between using ordinary copper wire and fancy copper wire for their speakers. In recent years also, with those too young to have grown up with, designed with, and used valves, we now have another new super breed of golden ears that can supposedly detect the sound quality differences between different makes of 12AT7 (ECC81) double triode valves used in pre-amps to give that 'valve' sound , when back in the valve days we had all the Mullard audio engineers, and amplifier designers like Williamson and my old mate Jack Dinsdale and such things were never mentioned. It is strange that these things can never be actually measured. As science develops people are more and more hooked on mystical mumbo-jumbo, so it seems. to me?:|	Terry Porritt (14)
243718	2004-06-13 00:20:00	its easy enough to tell the difference between fancy cable and crap cable. you just need to know what to listen for. as far as the difference between good cable and super duber cable is just cost, looks and marketing ;-) tho got to agree about the super ears and the valves. i doubt the speakers would ever be good enough to produse the difference.	tweak'e (174)
243719	2004-06-13 00:22:00	sorry i forgot the most basic of things... what ever you install in your home you still have to remember how to use it !	tweak'e (174)
243720	2004-06-13 05:25:00	I went through this whole exercise a couple of years ago, and learned several things (I think). If you are looking for an integrated solution provider (i.e. Data/security/home entertainment/lighting) there are very few who do the whole thing - we found one at that time. Most do some subset - data/security, entertainment/data, etc. If you go that route you need to realize you are buying a system that will need managing, will probably have software of some sort associated with it (expect bugs and changes and upgrades) and is not totally invisible like conventional house wiring. I think if I was starting now I would have gone wireless for the data, as Godfather and Winston001 suggest. Although I have data outlets in almost every room, there are still occasions when I could have done with something somewhere else. The providers (in my experience) are learning as they go, so expect lots of changes especially in the early stages. This was also confirmed to me by another electrician who had dealt with several different outfits. You are locking yourself into a proprietary solution, and a long-term relationship with the provider, so you need to be very satisfied about the technical and financial capabilities of the company. The comment by tweak'e about the provider growing broke is what sends shivers up my spine. If you want to talk about my provider, it is probably better suited to a private conversation. You can email me: tony DOT bacon AT sthw DOT co DOT nz HTH	tbacon_nz (865)
243721	2004-06-13 05:46:00	Yes, cabling may prove redundant, BUT you should cable anyway. Wireless depends on too many environmental factors to be a surefire answer. Depding on walls, wall material, etc. It's also quite slow in comparison to some of the best cabled specifications out now. And if you want quality, esp for stereo systems, I suggest you keep cabling. Also, you should use Cat5e or Cat6 for telephone cabling, that way, if in the event of what hapened to GF, you can only use a a few for phones and the rest for networks. you can even use the same plugs for networks and phones (that can vary...)	Growly (6)
243722	2004-06-13 06:44:00	Gentlemen,thank you all,great stuff.Will print all this out and refer back as needed. I am in a room with two others,when saw cat5 etc,I turned to them and asked if they knew what that meant,they didn't,I am not alone.	Young Tom (5503)
243723	2004-06-13 23:00:00	When I recently renovated our living room, dining and kitchen area, I installed two cat 5e, two co-ax (RG6) and six speaker cables to every point where I thought we might put a tv, the home-theatre/sound system or computer. I ran these all back to a cabinet patch panel in the laundry. It didn't cost much for cables and the finishing plates and I may never use some of them, but I can if I need to - it is very difficult to install anything extra at a later date. As others have said, get expert advice. Don't rely on your electrician, as I have found that most house wiring sparkies shy away from learning anything new, and will try to talk you out of it. Visit the web sites of HPM ( www.hpm.com.au/ ), Clipsal 9 http: ) and Hills 9 http://www.homeintegratedsystems.com ) to get some ideas. While you're thinking wiring, don't scrimp on power sockets and lighting either. People building houses seem to do this to cut costs and it is virtually impossible to add stuff later. Make sure you have plenty of power sockets in every room, and two-way switching on lights where you want it. Cable is cheap. You can always use a cheaper paint or wall paper or carpet - these can be replaced when you can afford something better, but stuff inside the walls needs to be there at the start.	andy (473)
243724	2004-06-14 00:09:00	> While you're thinking wiring, don't scrimp on power > sockets and lighting either. People building houses > seem to do this to cut costs and it is virtually > impossible to add stuff later. Make sure you have > plenty of power sockets in every room, and two-way > switching on lights where you want it. Totally agreed on this one! What were they thinking? When I was flatting I was so annoyed that there's only ONE power point in the room ... and I have to used 5 multi power board to give me extra 25 sockets :D I think there should be a power socket in every wall. Sometimes you want to change things around but can't because there is no power socket at the new location :(	SKT174 (1319)
243725	2004-06-14 02:56:00	> I am in a room with two others, when saw cat5 etc, I > turned to them and asked if they knew what that > meant, they didn't, I am not alone. Cat 5 = Category 5, a grade of twisted pair telephone and data communications wiring. Four pairs per cable I think. Comes in UTP (unshielded twisted pair) or STP (shielded twisted pair) varieties. UTP is usually adequate for all but the most demanding applications. Cat 5E = Enhanced Cat 5 I never heard of Cat 1 or 2, but it is not that long ago that Cat 3 or Cat 4 was the go. Now it is Cat 5E or Cat 6 as a minimum. Cheers Billy 8-{)	Billy T (70)
1 2 3 4