Re: building a house..

["egelbeertje" <r_d_k@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Tom,

As far as cabling goes - ther is a rule outhere especially for cat 5 -
to put twice as much as you think you're going to need and then=20
double it.

Talking from experience - we build our house 4 years ago and I only=20
applied the first part of that rule - reason for me hacking through=20
full concrete walls & ceiling and replastering every so often now.

I resorted to x10 because of lack of cat5 in uncommon places - no=20
real problems over the 2 years I use it now - but then it was a brand=20
new electricity layout and I have everything hard wired as backup (a=20
real switch to control the x10 rail dimmers etc which required=20
another bit of hacking & plastering)

Another tip - make sure you have enough wall sockets - the missus=20
thought I was crazy when I asked the electrician to triple the amount=20
of wall sockets - and now she's the one adding splitters to every=20
socket since she likes the fancy lights around the house and changes=20
them position every week or so - she just had to get used to it I=20
guess but is thankful now ;-)

hope this helps.

rgds Rob


--- In ukha_d@xxxxxxx, Tom Young <tyoung@u...> wrote:
>=20
> Hi folks =96 I could use your advice. I'm in the USA, building a
new=20
> house, and am going to have a limited budget for "low
voltage"=20
features=20
> ( telephone, security system, computer networking, TV cable, sound=20
> system, and home automation basically) =96 in the neighborhood of=20
$2.50=20
> per square foot. I need to spec everything out for the=20
subcontractor, at=20
> his request. I've read a few books now on home automation, most of=20
which=20
> conflict with each other, so I'm hoping to tap into the collective=20
> wisdom of this place.
>=20
> My priorities are to have some phone service, a security system,=20
and a=20
> house-wide computer network. I'll have a satellite dish of some=20
sort,=20
> and a need to distribute video around the house. I also plan to=20
have a=20
> whole-house digital sound system eventually, and want to dabble in=20
> automating various aspects of the house, but these seem to lie=20
outside=20
> my budget at this point. So what do I put in the contract for the=20
> builder and/or sub?
>=20
> What I have so far:
>=20
> Wall jacks
> For phone, computer, TV and maybe future CCTV use, I'm planning to=20
spec=20
> for 6-jack multi-function wall plate with one pair of cat5e, one=20
pair of=20
> quad-shield RG6, a pair of extra pull-strings, terminating in RJ-
45's,=20
> F-connectors & a couple of blank plugs for later expansion. I
want=20
to=20
> put one on every wall over 8' in length including the garage, plus=20
> extras on the floors or walls where I expect to put desks and work=20
> tables. I'm asking for one in each closet and bathroom, porch,=20
attic,=20
> and under the eves on each side of the house. I'm thinking this is=20
> overkill, but it is vastly cheaper to do it now than later - I can=20
> afford to guess wrong a few times and I'll still come out ahead.
>=20
> Wiring Closet
> I asked for each to be home-run in plastic tubing to a well-
ventilated=20
> 8' x 10' closet upstairs (basements cost more than 2nd stories in=20
my=20
> area). The closet backs onto the game-room entertainment center and=20
my=20
> home office, and has a raised floor so I don't trip on all the=20
wires. It=20
> will hold a rack or two with whatever routers, patch panels, home=20
> automation servers, media archives, and any other computer too=20
noisy to=20
> sit in my office with me.
>=20
> Sound (Video?) System
> I'm not sure what to ask for =96 there are a lot of possibilities=20
with=20
> lots of price tags. I want to have a choice of synchronizing sound=20
over=20
> the house or having four or so multiple independent zones going at=20
once=20
> =96 especially for video, and I want to be able to use both pre-
digitized=20
> playlists and listen/watch live broadcast. I can see several ways=20
of=20
> going about this, though and they have differing wiring needs and=20
> probably individual pitfalls I know nothing about: Should I stream=20
> content over my LAN for local decoding & amplification? Central=20
> encoding/decoding and a remote-controlled multi-channel whole-house=20
amp=20
> in the wiring closet? Distribute digital line-level signals over=20
coax to=20
> local amps? I tend to lean towards computer-centric all-digital=20
> solutions, but then DRM or HDTV may foul up the works at some=20
point,=20
> while the analog solutions seem unnecessarily expensive and a bit=20
> redundant. The mind boggles.
>=20
> Home Automation
> I've never been involved with this, though I find it fascinating.=20
> Reviews on X10 based systems seem mixed, so I figure to ask for=20
some=20
> cat5 strung to the lights, switches, doors & windows. Given
budget=20
> constraints, I'm probably prepping the place to make DIY projects=20
easier=20
> rather than actually automating things. What would you folks=20
recommend?
>=20
> Thanks in advance for your advice,
>=20
> Tom