Essential tools

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  • Paul_B
    Automated Home Legend
    • Jul 2006
    • 608

    Essential tools

    Not really specific to Idratek but what tools do you consider essential during installation?

    Mine are:
    Weicon Super No.5 wire stripper, http://www.conrad-direct.co.uk/goto.php?artikel=804037

    Cyclops Data Cable Stripper, http://www.pcwb.com/catalogue/item/MILCS001

    Bosch Cordless Angle Drill Driver GWI 10.8 Li-Ion, http://www.tooled-up.com/Product.asp?PID=140593 (Not cheap but worth every penny)

    SuperRod Super Six Cable Rod Set, http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Ind...ods/index.html

    And a set of eletronics screw drivers and quality side cutters

    Paul
  • chris_j_hunter
    Automated Home Legend
    • Dec 2007
    • 1713

    #2
    Essential tools

    many thanks, good idea ...

    how about a crimper & Cat-5 stripper & RJ45 (or whatever the correct name is) plugs ?

    we were looking at :



    and how about cable ?

    we were thinking of buying cable & plugs & tools from the same source (AMP Netconnect, if the above) ... though it is often said all Cat-5e is the same, so it may not be necessary ... ??
    Our self-build - going further with HA...

    Comment

    • Gumby
      Moderator
      • May 2004
      • 437

      #3
      I've found that better quality Cat-5 is smoother and easier to pull through holes.

      If you are as anal as me you use a laser line to get your joist holes all dead straight ... again makes pulling cables easier.

      I also used alarm cable as a "pull-wire" and left it in place to add cables on a route between joists over time.
      ----------------------
      www.gumbrell.com

      Comment

      • chris_j_hunter
        Automated Home Legend
        • Dec 2007
        • 1713

        #4
        Essential tools

        >better quality Cat-5 is smoother and easier to pull through holes ...

        wonder how many cables can comfortably be pulled-through conduit ... some of ours will be 110mm drain-pipe, some will be 50mm pipe, some will be smaller than that ... rough guide I heard once is enough to half-fill the cross-sectional area ... but wouldn't be surprised if that was optimistic ... could be difficult to pull them all through at once, and snagging on cables already in-place might be an issue ... ?

        equally (and ensuring we keep to-thread), are there any tools or techniques for ensuring the pull-wire / string stays attached to the cables being pulled, especially when trying to pull several at once ... however many several can be ... some of our pulls could potentially involve a few 90deg bends, 'though we'll try to lay the cable at the same time as the conduit ... ! ??
        Our self-build - going further with HA...

        Comment

        • Paul_B
          Automated Home Legend
          • Jul 2006
          • 608

          #5
          Chris,

          I've always thought of an RJ-45 plug as generic. The ability to get a good fit and twisting into the module being more important for Cat5E standard. Although with Cat6 the RJ-45 connector can help with NEXT (Near End Cross Talk).

          David,

          Laser line blimey now that is perfection! I am usually happy with a spirit level bubble being roughly around the middle. I have thought about using circular conduit or waste pipe through the joists for easier pulling and less lifting of floorboards.

          Paul

          Comment

          • Paul_B
            Automated Home Legend
            • Jul 2006
            • 608

            #6
            Chris,
            are there any tools or techniques for ensuring the pull-wire / string stays attached to the cables being pulled
            Check out these little beauties, they are absolutely fantastic when pulling cables:

            SuperRod Cable Grip Triple Pack 4-15mm http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/FXSK0415.html

            Comment

            • chris_j_hunter
              Automated Home Legend
              • Dec 2007
              • 1713

              #7
              Essential tools

              >SuperRod Cable Grip ...

              looks good ... we've a car tow-rope that works on the same pinciple - no knots required, just loop the rope back into itself ...
              Our self-build - going further with HA...

              Comment

              • Paul_B
                Automated Home Legend
                • Jul 2006
                • 608

                #8
                Yeah I think they maybe called Chinesse Crackers ( I remember a Star Trek Next Generation episode where Data gets a toy stuck on his fingers).

                When I started out in IT we used to have multiple drums of Cat 5 cable and then pull them all at once. It was muc quicker for cable runs but the cost would be high for a one-off residential installation

                Comment

                • chris_j_hunter
                  Automated Home Legend
                  • Dec 2007
                  • 1713

                  #9
                  Essential tools

                  >multiple drums ...

                  Idratek can be pretty economical on cable, but Cat-5 has so many other uses it seems to be laid in vast quantitiesa by some ... ie: 'could imagine having to buy several boxes anyway, so ...

                  until a week or two ago, I had trouble understanding why people needed so much - especially since we don't have TV, or a BT line - but I think I'm beginning to think in terms of quite a lot, too ... eg: a spare with every Idretek cable, for future-proofing, plus two more (to some places) for HDMI (which Avrio seem to have shown could become affordable), plus another for Ethernet - so that's five where I had thought two (the first & the last) would do ... plus the main trunk lines between major hubs, for which it's easy to imagine 20+ bring needed, with a 24-way patch-panel at every end, to allow flexibility (our Node0 will likely begin life on the top-floor & end-up in the basement) ... maybe I should double the 24 to 48, for safety ... and increase the five to seven ... ?

                  Fortunately our layout will be fairly efficient for cabling - ie: the stairs are in the middle of the house, with a large service-duct going up on each side, from which conduits will (soon) fan-out under floating floors at each level (three-stories) ... which at least sounds OK !

                  Anyway, hence my interest in crimp tools, etc !
                  Our self-build - going further with HA...

                  Comment

                  • Gumby
                    Moderator
                    • May 2004
                    • 437

                    #10
                    Originally posted by chris_j_hunter View Post
                    >better quality Cat-5 is smoother and easier to pull through holes ...

                    wonder how many cables can comfortably be pulled-through conduit ... some of ours will be 110mm drain-pipe, some will be 50mm pipe, some will be smaller than that ... rough guide I heard once is enough to half-fill the cross-sectional area ... but wouldn't be surprised if that was optimistic ... could be difficult to pull them all through at once, and snagging on cables already in-place might be an issue ... ?
                    What really reduces the capacity in a duct is cables twisting across each other. This is why you see professional network cabling installers pull a whole bundle direct from a wall of boxes - reduces the twists and kinks - and I think the tendency to kink or not is another attribute of quality cable.
                    ----------------------
                    www.gumbrell.com

                    Comment

                    • Gumby
                      Moderator
                      • May 2004
                      • 437

                      #11
                      Originally posted by Paul_B View Post

                      Laser line blimey now that is perfection! I am usually happy with a spirit level bubble being roughly around the middle. I have thought about using circular conduit or waste pipe through the joists for easier pulling and less lifting of floorboards.

                      Paul
                      I did say it was a anal :-)

                      -- but this was after pulling a lot of cable through holes drilled by an electrician using the usual long auger at an angle method. Just using a right angle drill really improves the runs.
                      ----------------------
                      www.gumbrell.com

                      Comment

                      • jpdw
                        Automated Home Guru
                        • Oct 2007
                        • 169

                        #12
                        Originally posted by chris_j_hunter View Post
                        until a week or two ago, I had trouble understanding why people needed so much - especially since we don't have TV, or a BT line - but I think I'm beginning to think in terms of quite a lot
                        Hee Hee... I know what you mean. The "17km of cat5" thread on the UKHA_D list made me laugh -- how come he's used so much, I thought.

                        Since then I've cabled 1 room back to N0 and used over a 1/3 of a box. And already I realise that for long term I need to run almost a similar number of cables to the otherside of the same room ! This is mostly because of all the extra data I want to run, as observed above, idranet seems quite economical because you can daisy chain. The living room is next with TV, 2 phone lines, HA, data from the dsl router so will probably use the remaining 2/3 of the box!

                        So now I've seen the light and realise another few boxes will be needed to cover the whole (small terraced victorian) house!!

                        Back on-topic. I second & third the cable rod. Not idratek specific but also a good IDC punchdown if doing cat5 sockets.
                        Jon

                        Comment

                        • chris_j_hunter
                          Automated Home Legend
                          • Dec 2007
                          • 1713

                          #13
                          Essential tools

                          >17km ...

                          yep, still seems way OTT ... even my worst-case which has double Idranet daisy-chained around the house, four Ethernets to every location where a computer or a laptop might conceivably be, plus a couple of HDMI feeds to wherever a screen might just be handy, plus 50% for feeds to individual Idratek modules & after-thoughts, resulted in well under two km ... ie: six boxes at the very most !

                          >IDC puch-down ...

                          someone on UK_Selfbuild suggested using RJ45s back & front of patch-panels, for ease & flexibility & reliability - the last thanks to having become very adept at crimping them on !

                          >tools ...

                          should we add a soldering-iron or -gun, too ?

                          we're also on the look-out for a hot-knife for cutting clean & neat channels in polystyrene, for conduits & pipes, up to 110mm diameter ... it'll be an esential tool for us (all our external walls & all our floors are covered deep in it - all our walls & floors are impenetrable dense concrete), but best we've found so-far is something in the US that costed-out at USD800, delivered ...
                          Our self-build - going further with HA...

                          Comment

                          • Gumby
                            Moderator
                            • May 2004
                            • 437

                            #14
                            How could I forget - headtorch !! Makes a world of difference, whether you are crawling around in dark spaces or just trying to see what you are doing. B&Q sell a neat Energizer one that has a tilt adjust.
                            ----------------------
                            www.gumbrell.com

                            Comment

                            • chris_j_hunter
                              Automated Home Legend
                              • Dec 2007
                              • 1713

                              #15
                              on the subject of Cat-5/6 & associated tools, wondered if anyone had tried these EZ-RJ-45s :

                              CyberSelect in Norwich, Norfolk is a supplier of Home Automation, Smart Home and Home Entertainment and Home Technology products


                              a bit over double the price of standard RJ-45s, but would seem to offer better chance of a good quality fit (for those who don't do it everyday, at least, and in terms of both getting teh cables poistioned, and in minimising the untwist) ... ??
                              Our self-build - going further with HA...

                              Comment

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