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Worst installation?

I have to share this with you, as it must surely rank up there as the worst installation ever.

We've been called in 2.5 years on as the client can't get the original contractor to make the system work.

In one of the 10 rooms, we have an NXC-COM2 card alone trying to control 2 pieces of IR hardware. Despite the obvious failing, the contractor was fitted 2 IR emitters paralleled and then connected to the 2 pin phoenix - for the 12v.

Can't be excused as a misplug as the NXC terminals are fully populated with unwired phoenix.

No wonder nothing works - a house full of this cr*p. Phones wired on coax anyone??

Comments

  • John NagyJohn Nagy Posts: 1,742
    A serial card doing IR? You said COM2
    Doing two IR on one IR port is entirely reliable, we do up to 3 when ports are tight, have for 12 years without issue. We include an "offset" for the added devices, so if PLAY is a 1, add the offset for the second item stacked in the IR bank to flash 1 vis-a-vis device 2.
    I've seen IR cards used for serial, never saw serial used for IR. Can't imagine how it could work.
  • a_riot42a_riot42 Posts: 1,624
    Jimweir192 wrote: »
    I have to share this with you, as it must surely rank up there as the worst installation ever.

    We've been called in 2.5 years on as the client can't get the original contractor to make the system work.

    In one of the 10 rooms, we have an NXC-COM2 card alone trying to control 2 pieces of IR hardware. Despite the obvious failing, the contractor was fitted 2 IR emitters paralleled and then connected to the 2 pin phoenix - for the 12v.

    Can't be excused as a misplug as the NXC terminals are fully populated with unwired phoenix.

    No wonder nothing works - a house full of this cr*p. Phones wired on coax anyone??

    I did an entire installation with 30 TVs and 30 sat boxes sharing IR ports and its worked flawlessly for months. No big deal. Controlling IR devices using a com2 card is pretty cool though. Genius.
    Paul
  • Jimweir192Jimweir192 Posts: 502
    The 2 pin from the IR was connected to the 12v loop thru power socket not the card outputs.

    It's not the shared IR thats the problem.
  • John NagyJohn Nagy Posts: 1,742
    Wonder how it took 2.5 years to notice it wasn't working...
  • Jimweir192Jimweir192 Posts: 502
    It's taken 2.5 years of snagging and contract disputes. The company that came to fix the original install took away some kit for repair and have never come back, now we've been asked to give the customer a system that works.

    The system has never worked, never would work.
  • a_riot42a_riot42 Posts: 1,624
    Jimweir192 wrote: »
    The 2 pin from the IR was connected to the 12v loop thru power socket not the card outputs.

    It's not the shared IR thats the problem.

    Lol...nothing surprises me anymore in this business. Isn't there a thread around here somewhere with pictures of some rat's nests that people have discovered working on previous installations? I know we've found some pretty hairy things in people's attics and garages. What amazes me is that quite often the home/business owner has plenty of money to spend but simply ended up with an incompetent company that obviously didn't have a clue.
    Paul
  • BigsquatchBigsquatch Posts: 216
    Speaking of attics, here are some pics from a job we were hired to fix. This was in a large attic with decking that was built so that every part of it was easily accessible. With this mess of cables in place we had to do some serious tai chi like maneuvers to get through most of the walkways!









  • ericmedleyericmedley Posts: 4,177
    Bigsquatch wrote: »
    Speaking of attics, here are some pics from a job we were hired to fix. This was in a large attic with decking that was built so that every part of it was easily accessible. With this mess of cables in place we had to do some serious tai chi like maneuvers to get through most of the walkways!









    These look like photos from the 'You're doing it wrong' blog.

    Ha Ha!
  • Jorde_VJorde_V Posts: 393
    Bigsquatch wrote: »
    Speaking of attics, here are some pics from a job we were hired to fix. This was in a large attic with decking that was built so that every part of it was easily accessible. With this mess of cables in place we had to do some serious tai chi like maneuvers to get through most of the walkways!









    I reckon you slowly backed away, turned around and ran like Forest Gump?
  • BigsquatchBigsquatch Posts: 216
    Jorde_V wrote: »
    I reckon you slowly backed away, turned around and ran like Forest Gump?

    Wanted to. Me and a coworker started on it and eventually it was... better. If you hadn't seen what it looked like before we started you would probably think "well that's kind of sloppy." But knowing what it looked like before it was a major improvement. Walkways are now clear, and 100's of feet of unused wiring is gone. I say unused cause some wires just dead ended in the attic.

    Tracing wires in that house was a nightmare! I would start with a green cat-5 in a room and it would change colors due to splices 3 or more times before reaching the head end!
  • pdabrowskipdabrowski Posts: 184
    Bigsquatch wrote: »
    I would start with a green cat-5 in a room and it would change colors due to splices 3 or more times before reaching the head end!

    Sure sign of a top class install!

    </sarcasm>

    Although I wouldn't be surprised if that result might have been caused by the customer, I did a security alarm repair years ago after the home owner decided to move the main control panel and had the same issue when troubleshooting, they forgot that I did the original install and didn't like the fact I was going to decommission the alarm until the cabling was fixed!
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