Panel Layouts

[dutchyn]

We're about to start (high-voltage) electrical walkthrough; following that comes low-voltage. I need to finalize my panel layout so that I have all of the components. My plan is for three panels:

1. one 42" OnQ panel containing:
   
   1. coax termination for catv, satv (VM7634) distribution
   2. cat5 termination for cctv (CM1001 and F1001)
   3. intercom termination (IC1002)
2. one 14" Elk panel containing:
   
   1. Elk M1G
   2. M1RB
   3. M1TWI
   4. two M1XIN
3. One Leviton 42" panel containing:
   
   1. cat5 telephone termination and distribution (47603-24P]
   2. ethernet termination (including router and radio modem)
   3. elk keypads and keyfob radio termination (M1DBH)
   4. lighting (M1XSP and iPower M4t)
   5. thermostats (M1XSP to HAI 2000 and two HAI 1000)
   6. audio (M1XSP to MCA-66)

The layout and cross-connections (other than trivial network/telephone/video patching) are shown in the attachment:View attachment Panel_Layout.pdf. Most of the 48 inputs and 13 outputs are used for sensors and controls.

Chris D>

 

[fcwilt]

I'd go with the larger ELK box and put the other ELK items in it as well.

 

[felixrosbergen]

wow...looks like you did some serious planning there....i'm about in the same boat...

My thoughts were to just order the parts and lay them in the panel as a test fit to make sure there's room for wiring and such....

I'm planning to terminating all 'house' side coax and cat5 onto a wall mounted 19" panel. From there i will patch it either into the cans or just have the splitters and network geard mounted on the wall.

Personally i think for the money putting routers and switches and such in a panel seems like a waste of space...for elk components and other stuff with tiny little wires i can definetly see the benefit, but not really for coax and ethernet.

 

[dutchyn]

My thoughts were to just order the parts and lay them in the panel as a test fit to make sure there's room for wiring and such....

That's the next task.

Personally i think for the money putting routers and switches and such in a panel seems like a waste of space...for elk components and other stuff with tiny little wires i can definetly see the benefit, but not really for coax and ethernet.

I'm going to mount my existing befw11s into one can, just to provide a few hardwired connections. Most connectivity will be wireless. But I am pulling 2 coax and 2 cat5 to 13 locations for phone/net/tv.

My real concern is whether the two M1XIN, the M1TWI, and the M1RB wil fit with the elk into the 14" can; otherwise it'll have to swap it for the intercom stuff in the OnQ panel.

Chris D.

 

[electron]

You might make it work, but I doubt you would be happy with it, especially since you might add more Elk modules in the future. I personally have a 50" Channel Vision can just for my M1 stuff, and yes it is almost full

 

[opie]

My real concern is whether the two M1XIN, the M1TWI, and the M1RB wil fit with the elk into the 14" can; otherwise it'll have to swap it for the intercom stuff in the OnQ panel.

Chris D.

The ELK M1 Panel and the battery are about all that fit in the 14" can, I wouldn't try to cram all those items in. Even if you could fit it all in, you wouldn't have any room for wire management. Like others have said, go bigger than you think you need. I think what you list will be tight even in a 28" can but would work.

 

[Steve]

Ditto. These cans are like hard drives, get the biggest ones you can because they WILL fill up. In order to get that stuff in a 14" Elk can you will need to put the cards on the glides and its a real ugly pita to setup that way. If you have the space, make all 3 of them 42" or 50" cans, it will give you room to layout better and at least some expansion space. It also may be best to use the same brand can for all 3.

 

[tmbrown97]

The one advantage to the elk 28 is that it has the specific holes for the M1, but there's easy enough ways to adapt others as well. Also there's mounting boards that the input expanders fit on nicely too. As Steve said, with the 14, you must put things on glides and it doesn't look as good.

 

[SnyperBob]

Go bigger on the cans. You don't want to have any regrets after you terminate everything and realize you could use a little more room

 

[Sacedog]

Definately go bigger on the cans. You will not regret it!

 

[wuench]

I concur with all the above. Bigger can for the Elk stuff, you'll regret it if you don't. [topic="5291"]Here is a good thread of examples...[/topic]

 

[felixrosbergen]

Holy smokes Sacedog...what are you going to put into that panel to terminate all of that? Good luck.

Definately go bigger on the cans. You will not regret it!

View attachment 1948