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This archive is a compilation of articles published in our eMagazine since inception. The articles are organized by "Subject". Many thanks to those who have contributed to this archive and continue to help it grow by submitting their thoughts and expertise to the magazine.

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Design and Installation - Tools and Installation Equipment

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Article Title Author Company eMag Issue Article Synopsis
VDV Digital Testers Todd Cota Platinum Tools

Jun 2012

 VDV MapMaster 2.0 can impressively map up to 19 locations, it still does utilize the tried and true tone generation. This gives techs the capability to adapt to the mapping features of the product while providing a great fall back when toning speaker wire and other miscellaneous cables. Now with the added TDR technology, it has the ability to both measure the entire length of a cable and or individual pairs, as well as measure the distance to a short in the cable.
Cooling the Enclosed Video Projector Frank Federman Active Thermal Management

Dec 2011

 Many of the projectors on the market today (all fixed-matrix; R.I.P., CRT!) have been specifically designed for home use. Part of the redesign for this market has been to significantly reduce noise, both from the fan motors and the movement of air through cooling passages. Nevertheless, some projectors still produce more noise than is acceptable in quiet theaters in which projectors are located close to the audience. There is also a desire in many cases to hide the projector for aesthetic reasons. So the client needs only a bit of noise reduction and perhaps a bit of camouflage. This makes life much easier, as a partial enclosure can usually achieve both objectives.
More Test Equipment in Your Pocket Grayson Evans Training Reels Tip of the Month

Dec 2010

 Well, it's been awhile since my last TIP. Sorry for the very long delay but there have been BIG changes since that last TIP that got me totally preoccupied. The problem was I completely ran out of TIP ideas, so I needed some fresh input. What better way  than to start a new custom installation business from scratch. But since starting a CI business in the U.S. has gotten too easy and boring (and the market a bit saturated), we decided to do it in someplace more challenging. It came down to Afghanistan,  Antarctica, or Turkey. Airfares were cheaper to Turkey. So after a year of hard work, the Europe/Middle East office of Training Reels/Training Dept. Seminars is now open for business, AND we're the proud owners of Cinema@Home in Ankara, Turkey (the capital). We even have a backlog of home theatre/custom installation work. This should definitely generate a lot more TIPS!
Networking 101: Utilizing a Toolless Keystone Jack Sabrina Williams Firefold

Jun 2010

When setting up a home network, aesthetics are important to any installer. This is particularly true if that network happens to be located in your own home. For clean, attractive terminations, one option is to install wall plates that utilize keystone jacks for Ethernet connections. For small projects that only require a few jacks, an easy option is a toolless keystone jack. These do not require the use of a punch down tool like the 110 style keystone jacks.

Networking 101: Utilizing a Toolless Keystone Jack Sabrina Williams Firefold

Apr 2010

 For clean, attractive terminations, one option is to install wall plates that utilize keystone jacks for Ethernet connections. For small projects that only require a few jacks, an easy option is a toolless keystone jack. These do not require the use of a punch down tool like the 110 style keystone jacks
Avtrak Rotating Equipment Rack Bob Hetherington HomeToys

Apr 2010

 This rack was an absolute breeze to install --- even for me --- so professional installers will have no problem whatsoever.
Tubes You Can Use Grayson Evans Training Reels

Sep 2008

 This is based on a tip I got from someone at the CEDIA EXPO show. Each year, BES Manufacturing does a retrofit contest in their booth. The contest consists of fishing a cable between two (of several) locations in a wood frame “set” in the booth. The best time of the day wins a prize. One of the fishing tasks requires feeding a ballchain down a wall cavity and retrieving it from a hole in the bottom of the cavity on the opposite side.
RF Distribution TIPS Grayson Evans The Training Department

Aug 2008

 Installer/designers seem to associate the word “modulator” with “crummy picture”. This is undoubtedly due to a bad experience in the past.
Retrofitting in Insulated Walls Grayson Evans The Training Department

Aug 2008

 Drilling up or down, or fishing cable in insulated walls is an inconvenience but nothing
Cable Labeling TIPS Grayson Evans The Training Department

Jun 2008

 Every cable that you install on a job MUST be labeled. No excuses. Labeling will not only save you lots of time on the job site, but will greatly reduce frustrations of troubleshooting and service
The A/V Troubleshooters Grayson Evans The Training Department

Apr 2008

 This article is a great troubleshooting tip based on the “tool of a thousand uses”, the good old tone generator, tone detector.
What’s Under Your Desk? Solving the Power Cord Pretzel Problem Seth Socolow Green Plug

Feb 2008

 Green Plug believes the time has come for a reusable, multi-port power supply that can provide a universal power interface for all electronic products. The company is also taking a stand for setting a worldwide DC power standard. At CES 2008, they debuted a new electronics component chip – called the Green PlugTM Universal Power Protocol (UPP). The chip enables real-time collaboration between electronic devices and their power sources for the first time, using a secure, digital protocol.
How to Get Your WiFi Signal Where You Want It Grayson Evans The Training Department

Feb 2008

 Keep the WAP as centered as possible in the living spaces where remote/portable devices will be located. Keep the antennas vertical! You want the signal to spread horizontally. Also, mount the WAP above eye level. There is just less stuff higher up to absorb the RF. If you put the WAP down low, the signal has to pass through furniture, people, dogs, etc. Keep it away from AC ductwork. This means not mounting it too high.
802.11 Debugging Made Easy Grayson Evans The Training Department

Dec 2007

 This article covers 802.11 installation and troubleshooting tips for the professional custom electronics installer, but is applicable to any wireless network installation done professionally.
Magnetic Personality Test Leads Grayson Evans The Training Department

Aug 2007

 The test leads will stick to pipes (for a ground), screws, speaker terminals, tools (to allow the tool to be a test lead), chassis, racks, car bumpers, and other test leads.
Installing Flat Screen Displays Al Abrams Abrams Creative Services

Aug 2007

 The key to mounting success, and great viewing of your screen, as always, is careful planning and preparation.
About RJ Jacks Tom Moore Tropical Telecom Corp.

Apr 2007

 Why jacks? Why not just “hardwire” everything? Because today’s homeowners live in a dynamic world. New things replace old, new lifestyles mean rooms change their function and jacks let you plug things in and out, as you wish.
A Solution to the NID Nuisance Grayson Evans The Training Department

Apr 2007

 NIDs (Network Interface Devices) are usually on the outside of the house mounted near the electrical service entrance. A typical structured cabling installation needs TP cables (2 CAT5s) to the telco or cable box and 1 or 2 coax cables (2 RG6s) to the cable box from the distribution center in the home. So someplace the cable has to pass to the outside of the house.
Power Management Hits Home Run Bob Stanton Panamax

Feb 2007

 To achieve this level of customer satisfaction, it takes a combination of forethought, excellent product selection, and enough protection and flexibility for any situation.
Power How-To The Home Sketch Pad Experts Furman

Feb 2007

 Dear Home Sketch Pad Experts, I recently moved into a new house and I’ve noticed that my lights tend to dim quite a bit. I asked a friend about this and he said that the area I live in probably suffers from voltage irregularities...
Chief JWD-V Flat Panel Wall Mount Brandon Hetherington Chief Manufacturing

Dec 2006

 The installation could not have been easier, somebody with very little handy man experience could easily and confidently mount there flat screen Television, and if you do have question or concerns Chief provides a toll free customer service number you can call for assistance.
Bridging to Home Automation’s Future William Foard Foard Systems Design, Inc

Oct 2006

 Easily bridge between alternative power line carrier, wireless, and hard-wired protocols to create mixed installations that are optimized for ease, reliability, affordability, and functionality.
Cooling the mid-size enclosure Frank Federman Active Thermal Management

Aug 2006

 The best solutions result in cool room air entering an enclosure at the bottom front, and heated air leaving at the top rear.
The Right Firestop Products Specified Technologies, Inc. Specified Technologies, Inc.

Feb 2005

 A firestop system consists of: the barrier (the fire-rated wall or floor) being penetrated; the penetrating item (cables, conduits, etc.); and the firestopping products and designs used to seal the opening.
Atlas CAT5 Tester Mark McCall Automated Home - UK

Jun 2002

 I have to say that the AtlasIT has saved me a lot of time already! My second lot of Clipsal RJ45 sockets used a different colour code to the first lot meaning they didn't work when I installed them! A few minutes with the AtlasIT showed me that the orange and green pairs were swapped. On another occasion I was connecting my TiVo to the phone line using one of the CAT5 cables at the back of my AV system. I couldn't figure out what was wrong, but a couple of minutes with the Atlas and I realised I had patched the phone line in to the wrong port on the patch panel.

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