Anyone interested in all in one counter top touchscreen units?

[jwilson56]

To see my Now Playing skin running on this system


http://www.cocoontech.com/blog/jwilson56/index.php?


Also make sure you perform this for XP

http://www.cocoontech.com/portal/articles/...uch-screen-text

 

[jwilson56]

I think I was the last person to get these and would like to hear how others did with theirs. Personally I loaded WinXP Pro SP3 with the RyanVM's Hotfixes sliprstreamed in with nLite. I have the BMC MB so used those drivers and then finished updating from MS. The system seems to run very quickly for me and my Now Playing skin using Netremote client runs very well. Only the Interactive Radar is a bit slower than my desktop but that is to be expected. Overall I am quite happy.

I think I am going to try and do a video of Now Playing running on it.

Lets hear your story.

 

[mdesmarais]

I've run the Housebot client on the bench, but I need to make a larger skin (mine is only 800x600), and I need to drill a hole from the 2nd floor to the basement. . . I bought one of those flex bits, but haven't worked up the stones to stick it in the wall.

 

[pete_c]

I use the flex bits (3-5 foot long ones) and they work but you just have to be careful.

 

[mdesmarais]

Yeah, that's what I bought. I need to cut an LCD sized hole in the wall and drill down. Then go into the basement and drill up. Then hopefully get a wire between the two. If it follows to form, I'll have to cut a hole in the first floor wall section to figure out why the $#&^$& wire won't go through. ;-)

 

[drozwood90]

I'd cut the hole, drill a SMALL hole down at the foot of the wall, say under the molding. i.e. pull the molding off, drill down, THEN go into the basement and drill UP ~2" from where the other drill bit ended up.

This should put you in the bay. THEN use a wire fish to push up from the basement into the bay. You should then see the fish by the LCD sized hole in the wall.

--Dan

 

[ASIHome]

I use the flex bits (3-5 foot long ones) and they work but you just have to be careful.

+1 on the careful, you could end up with a drill bit coming out of the basement ceiling.

 

[TXFlatLander]

I use the flex bits (3-5 foot long ones) and they work but you just have to be careful.

+1 on the careful, you could end up with a drill bit coming out of the basement ceiling.

...or in my case, a bedroom wall and a closet before you realized what happened.....oops

 

[123]

The 2x4 sill-plate (bottom of a wall) is nailed to the sub-floor with nails that often go through the sill-plate thereby making them visible in the basement assuming your basement ceiling is unfinished). I've used this as a guideline for determining the position of a 1st-floor wall. Once I have a bearing on the wall's position, I go back to the 1st floor, remove the quarter-round molding and drill a small pilot hole (as suggested above) through the floor (try to avoid drilling at an angle). Insert a wire or coat-hangar, go back down and find its position. Now, on the basement ceiling, measure approximately 5-1/2" from the pilot hole and that's the width of your wall. Mark the center of the line and that should land well within the wall cavity.

4" for the internal 2x4 (it is actually narrower than 4") plus 1/2" x 2 for the two sheets of drywall plus another 1/2" (or so) for the baseboard (adapt that width for your wall thickness).

I used this technique to drill a 1-3/4" hole into the wall, from the basement, and landed smack dab in the center of the sill-plate (i.e. the hole-saw didn't chew out the drywall or moldings!). I needed a big hole in order to pass the AC power cable and serial connector for an ELO touchscreen.

 

[TXFlatLander]

I have Magnapull Magnaspot Reference Point Locator I use for reference marking when drilling through headers or plates. They have a four pack marker set too. If you watch techtoolsupply.com, they will run the Magnaspot and Magnapull on special quite a bit. Just subscribe to their specials.

The sensor picks up any magnet, so I have put a magnet adapter on the end of a fiberglass rod to get down lower in the wall when I needed too. It isn't exact, but will let you know where you are within 1-3 inches.

 

[pete_c]

That magnaspot reference point locator sounds like a nice tool to have.

I also have one of those "fish pole" like fiber glass devices with numerous extensions that I've used in one part of my attic for some wiring. What is the official name for this device with its extensions? In fact I could utilize this in FL with the 2 feet of insulation in the attic but wonder if it would be cheaper to just buy another one for FL.

BTW for my TV LCD in the kitchen I cut a small hole (really about 3" X 5") in the drywall above the 5 inch molding to run the multiple cables/electric up about 4 feet to the position of where the LCD is at. The LCD wall was an outside wall and the basement is unfinished. (easy access) I though it might be easier than removing the molding (its 5 inches plus it has a 1.5" separate molding piece on the bottom all wood and all painted). I also used metal conduit to run electric from the basement up which was a task in itself. I put an LCD in my sister's kitchen and was able to painlessly remove the 5" stained wooden base base to bring the cabling up to the kitchen counter. The wall though in her kitchen was old plaster and not drywall.

 

[mdesmarais]

Thanks guys- some good tips. If it was only one floor, I wouldn't be hesitating at all. My panel will be on the 2nd floor- ideally no cuts on the first floor, and then down into the basement (which is not finished in any way, so no worries there). Every other wire that has made this journey (in other parts of the house) has ended up with me cutting a hole in the 1st floor wall to figure out what is going on- insulation, fire blocking, 3/4 plywood backer, etc.

thanks

Markd

 

[pete_c]

Mark,

For my second floor endeavors I have only one run from the attic to the basement. I found a common wall between the floors and adjacent to the stairs going from the first to the second floor (kind of a large open area). I cheated a bit by putting in a speaker on the second floor about 5" from the ceiling and a second one on the first floor directly below the one on the second floor. I cut a small access panel in line at the base of the second floor but on the opposite wall and behind a piece of furniture. I did frame out the access panel so it looks better. With these three openings (speakers and access panel) I can fish wire from the basement to the first floor speaker opening to the second floor access panel to the second floor speaker opening to the attic. In the attic I put a few "walking/crawiling paths" where I can drop any wires into any of the bedrooms. Do all of your interior walls use fire blocking?

Another option has been to utilize return vents. I have not done this though.

In FL I have the issue of a one story home but with fire blocking in all of the walls; thus any new (had already pre-wired during construction) cables I have to deal with these fireblocks.

 

[mdesmarais]

I have no attic, so anyplace I need a wire, I need a pull. I've basically used your method- making a opening in the 1st floor and then patching it each time. I'm hoping that I can do without this time using the long bit (new purchase). Maybe this weekend!

Each time I make a pull, a string stays in the wall so that I can pull more wires easily over that run.

 

[jwilson56]

Well it looks like these BMC motherboard running WinXP Pro on them seem to have a problem coming out of Standby or Hibernation. The serial Touchscreen will not work afterward. I tried the newest ELO drivers without success.