NOOB Installation Question

[theoldgeezer]

I have started planning for my first Renard 24 installation for next year. My question is how do DIYC experts run the cable from the computer outside the house to the controller? Under a door? Thru a window? Dedicated hole in the wall (not going to happen :)?

[cbell]

I have started planning for my first Renard 24 installation for next year. My question is how do DIYC experts run the cable from the computer outside the house to the controller? Under a door? Thru a window? Dedicated hole in the wall (not going to happen :)?

I have an electric dryer (couldn't do this if it was gas), and in the winter just vent it into the house to keep from wasting the heat and to add some humidity to the house. Anyhow, long story short, I run my cables through my unused dryer vent that goes to the outside, then stuff it with towels to keep the drafts out.

[Sky-Lights]

Far from being a DIYC expert , but , figured I would toss out what I do .
Since mine comes from a window , I use a chunk of cushion foam I got from a furniture reuplostering company ( the foam you use for seat cushions ) and lined the bottom of my window with it and ran the cat5 cable thru it . This way , the foam fills in all gaps and prevents the cold from coming in . As the infamous saying goes ------- "works for me" :lol"

[Entropy]

A common trick some ham radio operators use is a wooden board cut to the length of the window, with holes drilled through it for anything that needs to go through. (Hams often put passthrough connectors in the board for easy connection/disconnection.)

Close the window on the board, and depending on window design you may want to add some weatherstripping to the top/bottom of the board to help it seal.

[holtm]

I added a RJ45 Jack in the phone access box on the side of my house and then tied it to an RJ45 jack on a wall plate near where my control computer is located. I just click into the outside jack with a patch cable to the controller and from the inside jack to RS485 converter.

[kychristmas]

Unfortunately, I had to get power cable, Antenna Cable, and 3 Com outputs from the PC. I actually punched out one of the Blocks in the glass block window. I've always wanted to add a Vent to my shop anyway.

Of course, the first time my wife noticed the Pink Insulation with Cables coming through it stuffed int he block window, she asked "Have you totally lost your mind?" and added: "You are now taking a part our house for Christmas Lights"

[rokkett]

Hummm, she needs to understand, we WILL modify the house to accommodate Christmas lights...

[dirknerkle]

Rokkett, very nicely done!!! That's certainly something that is not only non-intrusive to the "look" of the house, it extends the capabilities of what you can do. It's now a "feature" and, I suspect, will actually ADD to the overall value of the home.

Now if those darned tax assessors don't notice, that would be okay, too!

[deplanche]

I bought a peice of plexiglass to go in one of the basement windows, cut a hole in it, and then mounted a drier vent to it to run the cords thru like cbell said he does. Most of the year, it's the regular glass window, and then I just put that in for the show.

Of course, I also have found that wireless controllers are very nice!!!

[kylenewman]

I made my data cable out of cat5 and just put it in the window sill and bent the wire slightly and closed the window on the wire. It works perfectly and creates nearly 100% seal.

[BuzzKill]

I just keep the show laptop in the garage and run the serial cable under the garage door to the first controller in the yard. Nothing fancy here. Tucked in nice, you can't see it at all. No holes, boards, foam, etc.

[dnesci]

I'm with Buzzukill. I even run an additional 12 cat5 cables for the Ren and Grinch in the garage out under the door. Just wire tie them together neatly and they don't get in the way or look all that bad.

[ChemE]

Luckily I don't have this problem. It just so happens that there was a 3" diameter PVC pipe installed in my basement to allow for pump to drain out any water that possibly entered the basement. The pump was never installed and there is just a short length of PVC extending from the outside of the house to a closet just a few feet from where the PC will be. All that has to be done is run whatever cables I need through that pipe and close it up with some towels, bubble wrap, etc.

[dmcole]

Stage Left is driven by data and power cables that nudge under the corners of the garage door -- I just wedged them in with the back-end of the screwdriver handle.

Stage Right is driven by data cables that exit through the power/cable/phone box on the side of the house. I fishtailed the data cable from my basement office up alongside a power conduit to the utility box and added the RJ45 once the cable was outside.

\dmc