Installing the new pendant system

The concept of the new system is excellent:  it uses triangulation to locate the pendant in 3D space.  I do have a problem with how ugly the installation is:

img_5776

Any Skyline prospect with some engineering background, visiting in search of an apartment, would probably flag that 24th floor hallway installation as an indication that unseen things might have also suffered from sloppy installation at Skyline; if reputation is important, things like this must be cleaned up.  Dangling wires are also tempting to some passing adolescent whose fingers like to yank on things. No shock hazard, at least.

I notice that, of all the boxes I’ve spotted so far, none are oriented vertically as the instruction sheet recommends:
repeater

It also seems there is no call for using such a bulky transformer: the specs say the device draws 1.6 watts, about what a little white iphone charger cube uses.  Their transformer draws 38 watts from the 110 volt socket (think 40 watt light bulb) and delivers 20 (the rest goes to heat, par for the course).

Part of the problem was probably judging this product from a brochure rather than visiting an actual installation and imagining such a thing in a resident’s living room:  nowhere on the inovonics.com website do they show the complete installation, only the ivory box. Even when they sell the two as a package, no photo.

I’d recommend not paying the vendor until they clean up the installation wiring and paint the black transformer ivory.  It pays to go visit an actual installation before ordering something this expensive.

About William Calvin

UW prof emeritus brains, human evolution, climate
This entry was posted in Skyline Info. Bookmark the permalink.

3 Responses to Installing the new pendant system

  1. Sylvia Peterson says:

    Way to play, not just hide out! And in the interest of every single entrant to that building! (Leaders take risks, of course. May your fellows let it be known that LTC residents don’t have to accept being acted upon. Their home; their decisions.) Thank you. You model sophistication and consideration too for those in the wings, the next cohort.

  2. Basil Filonowich says:

    It finally arrived,”the new pendant installation”!!!Could anybody have designed an uglier contraption?But install it in prominent place,at the ceiling in your bedroom,the first thing you see when you come into your “sanctum”?Did anybody review the proposal?Or?The cheapest,will do.Too bad,at one time we tried so hard to be”5star”,how far are we from that aim?Even the cheapest motels pay more attention to
    the layout and design of the rooms.
    “The happy recipient”of the contraption,apt2403, Basil Filonowich

  3. Sue Hogan says:

    Thanks Bill Calvin. Love you, Basil Filonowich! Has this information been given to Sonia Baker for our Environmental Services Committee? How can I get a copy for our meeting next week?

Comments are closed.