[ale] [OT] Residential Data/Voice/Video Wiring

[tfreeman at intel.digichem.net]

Well, I'll wishy-washy on the electrician not being required. I suspect 
that experience with conduit helps get the initial runs correct so pulling 
cable later isn't a big deal. I expect that the electrician is the 
tradesman with that experience. There may also be some grounding issues 
that I'm not familiar with (should be with metal conduit).

That said, once things are laid out decently, the rest could easily be a 
DYI day for a good sized house.

FWIW, a local store here (Charlotte) has a circuit box for just the kind 
of project you are talking about - being the hub of the various network 
connections and such. It just hangs on the wall, potientially locked, with 
all the punch blocks and such safely inside. I _think_ I've heard of 
something similar at Home Depot, so a home improvelment warehouse may be a 
good stop also.


On Mon, 1 Dec 2003, Matt Smith wrote:

> An electrician isn't required.. you're talking about low-voltage at 
>best, so this is something you could technically do yourself.
> 
> When my house was being built, I coordinated with the builder so that I 
> could install a laced-up bundle of cables I ordered from smarthome.com 
> to several of the rooms - all terminating in a corner of the basement 
> that is now my "server room".  The cable bundle included two RG-6, two 
> CAT5, and two thick speaker wires (they now have some with fiber 
> included).  It's been great to have, but I REALLY wish I had installed 
> conduit to every room.  There have been numerous times that I've needed 
> one more CAT5 here, or another RG6 there - and it isn't that easy to get 
> it there.  I have a lot more access than some, but there are still 
> places I can't get to.
> 
> So, if you can afford it, do conduit.  It lets you install and upgrade 
> your cabling whenever you want.
> 
> I'd also recommend a whole-house vaccuum system... can't say enough 
> good things about those.
> 
> 
> --Matt
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: tfreeman at intel.digichem.net [mailto:tfreeman at intel.digichem.net]
> Sent: Monday, December 01, 2003 4:47 PM
> To: Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts
> Subject: Re: [ale] [OT] Residential Data/Voice/Video Wiring
> 
> 
> 
> Hopefully, three years of waiting has to do with a computer clock, not 
> wall clock...
> 
> I'll take a semi-stab at this - in two parts. (Somebody chime in where I 
> goof please) First - basic problem is you want an electrician. Second - 
> run conduit, nice wide fat open conduit, over all runs where getting 
> access could be a hassel (like going from the crawl space to the attic of 
> a two story, or through a section of roof which has minimal or no access.
> 
> IMHO (&/or ignorant opion), the conduit will vastly simplify 
> enlarging/changing the wireing later when you (or the people after you) 
> figure out what is _really_ needed by making it easier to pull more wire 
> through blind parts of the structure. The electrician is to keep the 
> effort up to code.
> 
> On Fri, 1 Dec 2000, Token wrote:
> 
> > Hi folks,
> > 
> >   I'm in the process of building a house.  So far, looking in the yellow
> > pages and other places I've been unable to find a company/contractor
> > that does voice/data/video cabling for residential stuff.  I'm trying to
> > find someone who is familiar with using satellite distribution as well.
> > That's been the real stumper.  I'm not looking for anything really fancy
> > like a whole house automation system or being able to route video
> > electronically and such.  I'm basically just want a distribution point
> > for cable TV, Satellite TV, Cable Modem Access, Ethernet, and plain old
> > telephone.  I want to be able to have access to all this in each room
> > and with some sort of patch panel in the basement.  I could do all this
> > myself but I'm not real familiar with the satellite splitter and how
> > that would all work with patching cable or Antenna HDTV signals.  I
> > figured maybe of some you folks would have some recommendations or
> > advice.  
> > 
> > Thanks,
> > Chip Gwyn
> > 
> > _______________________________________________
> > Ale mailing list
> > Ale at ale.org
> > http://www.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
> > 
> 
> 

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