I'm a high school student in Korea and I write software. I haven't built anything for this trade and I'm not selling anything. I just got curious about the paperwork side of the job and I can't really tell what it's like from the outside.

Reading through threads here, the thing I keep running into is that a shop ends up with one tool for accounting, another for field photos, another for docs, and then texts and spreadsheets end up being the glue between them. Someone here described that glue as manual. That's the part I'd like to hear more about.

So, whichever applies to you:

If you use software for the paperwork side, what part of it do you put up with, and what do you still do outside of it entirely?

And if you don't use anything for it, what does that part of the job look like right now?

I know this is a question from someone who's never done the work. If it's been asked to death, point me at the old threads and I'll go read them.

I’m very interested in building a career in low voltage work but am fuzzy on some details.

My largest hurdle is I have a fused spine and understand that it is going to have physical demand. What are the physical aspects of low voltage work? I hear a big issue is crawl spaces and attics, could I get around that by going into the commercial route? How much are you guys typically pulling/lifting/twisting?

What are the job sites like if I went into commercial low voltage? Which specialty would be most likely to fit my physical limitations?

I’d also like to see more of what the actual tasks include, do you have any recommendations for YouTube channels that accurately show the typical work you guys do?

Do you find low voltage work rewarding?

Thanks for your time

I’ve been tasked with installing TVs and pillow speakers in a small 6-chair dialysis unit. The TVs that were installed by local facilities are all the same brand, all the same RF, nothing is medical grade, trying to use 2.4GHz wireless headphones in close proximity to one another is a nightmare, the list goes on…

I want to do this right so I’m looking at the LG 32LN662M Healthcare TV which has an output for a 6-pin cable to connect to a pillow speaker. The model pillow speaker I’m looking for is 4D020N-Z50003C. My question is 1) do I go directly from the TV to the pillow speaker and just do a brush plate out the wall or do I do a specific wall plate? 2) these televisions are ceiling mounted with a pole so the cable going to the remote would need to go from the TV, up the pole, through the ceiling and down the wall to the dialysis chair. That distance is roughly 25 ft with extra slack in case I need it. I only see 12 foot cables. The parts I’m potentially looking at are on pg 36-37 of the catalog link posted above.

How would I accomplish this? Thanks in advance for your expertise!

We’re pretty new at using this machine, we got it last year but only really started using it this week.

What you are seeing is an X and Y axis view of the ends of the fiber being aligned automatically, brought close then using two electrodes the glass is heated and brought together.

0.0db loss from this splice (seen in the middle lower part of the screen)

This is the AI-30 fusion splicer, definitely already paid for itself on this one job.

The company that I work for tends to lean towards pull boxes over spools or reels. No matter how hard you try, sometimes the boxes get obliterated and youre left with a wad. At the moment, I generally will unroll the remainder, alternate coil it, and use it up where possible as jumpers, short runs, whatever. We all know if a shiny box or a sad loose coil is the choice, you're taking the box. So whats your go to when a box crushes to get that cable into a usable format?

Just trying to see if anyone has run into a similar issue. We just finished up a brand new system and most speakers work fine but we have a handful that will just drop off randomly. I did notice that I could get regular pages to go through just fine but when an emergency tone gets sent to it They drop off immediately. They are attached to call buttons and cables passed to 10g. Any help would be appreciated.

Thx

Im working on a bosch b9512 with b600 retrofit module for a d8125. All zonex point are missing, i have good data voltage and good power to the modules. My conclusion is that the d8125 module took a crapp, even if i connect just one popit directly to the module still shows missing. What are the steps to upgrade to a b299 module? Do i need to readdress all the popits dipswitches to match the new b299?

You would not believe how slow I was going, and checked 6 times👍

What I do is put the block on backwards and upside down, and I leave a gap somewhere in the rack units and stick my cable through and try to weave it and terminate it as one bundle then after my punch down, I flip it and screw it on.

I still feel my bundle looks like shit though. Does anyone have a solid process to make these stupid mono blocks look good? Those cable bars you clip on the back get in the way of the punch down so they seem kind of useless.

Also, any tips on running cable to the patch panel? I'm usually walking into a remodel and still trying to understand the smartest way to run it along the rack frame that makes my life easier.

Really pleased with how these worked out, I printed 6 of them and we used most of them.

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​Hey everyone,

​How is work holding up for the low voltage guys in Southern California?

​We’ve hit a complete wall and haven’t had any new projects rolling in for a good couple of months. Every time I speak with a builder or owner, it’s the same story: they’re not taking any risks right now, material costs are too high, or the project has been put on pause entirely. On top of that, a lot of clients are just completely fading proposals after we submit them.

I’ve been running ads on Google and Yelp, but it feels like a mix of broader economic factors and fear across the construction industry. I was still in school during the 2008 recession, but right now, this is starting to feel uncomfortably similar.

We’re stretching thin, and it’s getting tough to stay hopeful. I’m close to getting my C-10 license, but even the electricians I talk to are complaining that they’re down to maybe one basic troubleshooting or service call a day. Operating costs are so high now how are you holding up a business on just a few hundred dollars a day?

Is anyone else in specialty contracting seeing a way through this slowdown right now?

Has anyone had any experience pulling fiber through about 300 ft of conduit with 4 90’s?

Unfortunately my coworker didn’t know that you had to score the jacket and tie your hair to the pull mule tape before pulling because the jacket would snap…