Re: AV & Media Room Design

["Robert Green" <ROBERT_GREEN1963@xxxxxxxxx>]

"Abe" <noone@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:lgl873t4k2pc11qmb3fqefr9t2g3cg4o7m@xxxxxxxxxx

<stuff snipped (sorry I've been so late in replying!)  >

>>I'll be looking at houses today and I thought I'd pick everyone's brain
>> as to how best design an accessible AV center.
>
> I hate to say it, because I usually like to design and build stuff
> myself, but it sure sounds to me like this is the time in life for you
> where it might be best to consult an A/V design specialist. A good one
> will take your requirements (space, access, expandability) and create
> a plan you can follow for the build.

You guys *are* my consultants!  (-:  I've looked at swing-out commercial
racks
and a number of other solutions and have decided to "roll my own" for now.
I just haven't been impressed by the "bang for the buck" I get from
commercial designs.  While they make more sense in industrial and business
environments, they're a little too pricey for the size setup I envision.

What I've decided to do is go the "island" route.  I WAS going to drop some
2
x 4's from the basement ceiling and mount them to the floor but I found out
that might be against code.  I'll have to talk to my local inspector first.
If it's OK, I'll run industrial strength dual-slot steel shelving standards
along the length of
the 2x4's.  Since the shelves will be floating (not backed against a wall) I
should be able to access the front or back with ease, as long as I take the
powerchair's turning radius and clearances into consideration.

If money were no object, what I would really like is some sort of hydraulic
lift that would enable to access several shelves' worth of equipment from
the wheelchair.  If I find some sort of heavy duty lift mechanism that I can
adopt that can raise and lower the shelves the way some fancy legal filing
cabinets work, I'd be ecstatic!  Dad's powerchair has a lifting center
column, but the bad part is that it only extends a paltry 6 inches.  Better
than nothing but darn close to it!

> If you find a good one, it'll well be worth the few hundred dollars
> for the consult.

I find it never hurts to ask on the web first about anything because it at
least helps me insure I've covered the basics and learned the lingo.  I've
already come up with a dozen modifications to my original plans, just seeing
the way other people do things.

One gentlemen's approach (John W., if memory serves) was to mount equipment
at waist height between stud bays and cover the openings with vent panels.
Ten bucks worth of super neodymium magnets make it removable without tools
and accessible from a wheelchair.  BruceR. used long outlet strips to
provide good ventiliation and access to all the wall "wart" power
transformers that power a lot of home A/V gear.

It may turn out that a consultation will provide me with even more ideas and
clue me into local building code issues.  I'll probably get good wiring
diagrams out of the process, too, so it's something I will seriously
consider.

As for mounting gear hidden in stud bays, my only concern would be a
potential heat buildup but that problem can be assessed by initial
monitoring with a good recording thermometer.  Thermal protections could
also be built into the enclosure just to be on the safe side.  I can also
add fan cooling and fan rotation monitoring so I can shut down the gear if
the fan fails.  Cheap PC 3-wire fans generate a signal that corresponds to
their RPM so it's simple to tell if they've failed.  A simple clothes-dryer
type thermostatic switch could be used to shut off system power and sound an
alarm with a few simple components and a relay.

Thanks for the input, Abe, I appreciate it.

--
Bobby G.