Ultra-clean custom install leaves us ashamed of our rat's nest

As impressive as some custom installs look from the front-end, CEPro has photos of the back-end of a "masterpiece" setup that simply must be seen. If you think moving a set-top box to a remote location is excessive, you'll want to munch on some Xanax before hitting the link, because your head might a-splode. Sure, the ultra-wealthy can get the job done by cutting a nice big check, but you've got to respect this kind of fanatical attention to detail that someone mustered to both plan out and install by hand. Considering that the system has more than a dozen Crestron panels for HVAC, lighting, AV, security, water features and a train set (ultra-rich, remember?), you might even say that the effort was necessary for getting things up and running and keeping them that way.

[SheepNutz Posted Jul 18th 2009 10:32PM]

http://i41.tinypic.com/noyphh.jpg

[reallynotnick Posted Jul 18th 2009 10:48PM]

So what happens when you need to add an extra wire?

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 18th 2009 11:07PM]

Where does Linksys fit into an install like that?

[Ordeith Posted Jul 19th 2009 9:13PM]

In the more money than sense category?

[oppizzippo Posted Jul 19th 2009 1:29AM]

That is what I do at work all day long, adding a wire is just as simple as undoing Velcro ties. We don't use zip ties they have to be cut and replaced.

C

[Randomness Posted Jul 19th 2009 3:23AM]

The read link made me cry a little bit. The slideshow of the install will put anyone over the edge. Needed rg11 to the house to install a spectrum analyzer...

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 19th 2009 8:51AM]

You are so easily impressed! This is not even close to being a "proper" installation. Radius bends on cables are way off, cable ties are insufficient, not properly spaced and not evenly torqued. Cables have been flexed tighter than their minimum bend radius (look at the green CAT5 cables) and then straightened back out, great way to break a conductor.

I would never accept an installation done this poorly!

Senior Chief Electronics Technician, United States Navy.

[chuckdaly Posted Jul 20th 2009 8:40AM]

The job doesn't look awe inspiring, but its a competent work. You might not accept this work when its on the Government's dime, but you definitely would on yours. Anal retentiveness is typically price prohibitive.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 20th 2009 10:46AM]

Good catch on the radius bends. Even in commercial space (or my home) that type of Monster Torque (tm) on the cables is unsat. Not anal retentive just knowing what the heck you are doing with 'your' dime.

[Peabods Posted Jul 19th 2009 8:56AM]

I have to agree, also being in the business. The low-voltage side if things isn't impressive, the high-voltage side looks nice as hell though. It is a rarity to see an electrician do that nice of job!

[walljordan Posted Jul 19th 2009 1:58PM]

WOW; I wasn't going to even look at the read link until I read your post Peabods. Sparky deserves a raise, that is impressive. On the fun side of things? VERY good but not impressive.

Yes, Velcro is the greatest advent in racking since the rack itself. I think they made some changes that forced the wire to look like that. The track looks great and the sides look great but the outs to the gear weren't cut in length from the side so you get some loops and some WAY too tight. The Cat5's do seem to be just a wrong turn away from stretching a couple conductors. And with Cat5 over, what I am sure is well over 100', you do not want the twists being inconsistent; THEN you get issues.

I would love to see more posts like this; this is great stuff.

[Kevin L Posted Jul 19th 2009 3:37PM]

that article is annoying.. their work is nice but not that impressive and the fact that they have a large system and 90 dollar POS network switches is even more annoying..

[FarmerBob Posted Jul 19th 2009 8:29PM]

Now fill the rack and not waste the space, like most installs are, and wire a few more rooms and then we'll talk.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 19th 2009 11:42PM]

be a cable technician I was a little concerned that they where using rg-59 cable wire Instead of rg-6...they signal to the tv has to be the worse and that install was kind of sloppy to many bends in the wire

[Kevin L Posted Jul 20th 2009 1:08AM]

i just noticed something even funnier..

that monster install has a 49 dollar router as its back bone.. A+ design there

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 20th 2009 1:57PM]

Listen.. those ties you get when you buy garbage bags are the best. I use electrical tape, my wife's ribbons for her hair, pieces of string and if I can't find anything around, I just wrap the loose wire around my hand and make knot.
Fancy cabling are for sissy's. Paint over the cables, hide behind a cabinet or tuck under a rug.

[Pipp Posted Jul 20th 2009 5:37PM]

Have fun tracing a cable back to a port. Clean freaks should not be installing this. It's almost as bad as someone using the cable arms that attach to the back of a server. When the crap hits the fan, the last think you want to deal with is someones zip/velcro ties on a cable. Leaving them messy does not harm anything, keeps maintenance efficient, and shows that you actually know what you're doing.

[boisvert00 Posted Jul 22nd 2009 9:05AM]

There is no possible way a home with an 800 amp service is owned by someone that is ubber-wealthy, I have a buddy that has a 400 amp service coming into his home, and it's massive. This was not DIY...

[boisvert00 Posted Jul 22nd 2009 9:07AM]

I meant that isn't ubber wealthly...