drewinoc 0 Posted October 24, 2011 I went for a walk threw the other day to bid on a job, the job was to install some new cameras an repair a few that have gone down.this is what I found .The place is 300 plus cameras,most of the DVR's where done with pirated xp and running gold beam software and hardware. GUESS THE LOWEST BIDDER IS NOT ALWAYS THE BEST WAY TO GO ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ayalas 0 Posted October 24, 2011 Thats cause you haven't seen the casinos i done work in behind the matrix looks like a spiderweb. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Soundy 1 Posted October 24, 2011 In fairness, I've seen sites that start out nice and clean, and get to states like that over years of stuff being moved, added, adjusted, repaired, and just plain monkeyed with. It gets to a point where the only fix is to disconnect everything, take all the gear out, untangle all the wires, test and relabel all of them, and possibly even cut a bunch of them back and reterminate... something that with a mess like that can be a couple days' work. And if everything is actually working, good luck convincing the client to pay for two days' work just to make things "pretty". Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
drewinoc 0 Posted October 24, 2011 This was the better looking part of the job,Behind the matrix looks the same .there are two more rooms where there are DVR'S that look like this and the catwalk is about 100 times worse.This job is full of surprises. Soundy you are right,the biggest challenge so far is convincing the client to let me make every thing look pretty. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nDAlk90 0 Posted October 24, 2011 That is a mess. However why would they pay you to clean it up if it works? Company's rarely like to pay for something that doesn't directly benefit them. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dustmop 0 Posted October 25, 2011 Reminds me of the first casino I worked at. Place was brand new, but everything going into the matrix was an absolute DISASTER of epic proportions. If you looked at the cables wrong, a camera went out. So glad I was just a stick jockey at that property, and not the technician. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ljarrald 0 Posted October 25, 2011 i dont get how someone can walk away with it like that. personally i like to take pride in doing a good installation. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
drewinoc 0 Posted October 25, 2011 The same company that did there install,also ran there network lines. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nDAlk90 0 Posted October 25, 2011 Wow... Do you have their phone number? I could give them referrals. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dustmop 0 Posted October 25, 2011 Oh. My. God. Someone would be more than just fired for that. Bad enough the IT department here doesn't understand how to properly run their own lines, and always calls me for help/advice/directions. Sigh. Is it so hard to just read the basics, and then make the cable routing look like what already exists in the racks? (assuming it was done correctly at the start, that is) This makes me want to go take pictures of their network racks. Pitiful. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rory 0 Posted October 25, 2011 Perhaps they only paid a few $$ Get what you pay for. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
drewinoc 0 Posted October 25, 2011 Wish I could say only a few bucks.But as explained to me after the install the company was on contract for a few years at $9,500 a month for upkeep and repairs not including cost of equipment. two employees on call if anything was needed Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rory 0 Posted October 25, 2011 Oh well, there goes that idea then Darn they were making a killing ... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HTElectrical 0 Posted October 25, 2011 Hey Rory, Can you shoot me an email? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rory 0 Posted October 25, 2011 Yep just sent you one actually ... my new temporary mail is rory2@ymail.com until the DNS switch is completed. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
D&C_ELECTRONICS 1 Posted October 25, 2011 This happen to me couple of times. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dustmop 0 Posted October 25, 2011 My friendly local fire inspector would have an aneurism if he saw something like that. Guy freaks out if he sees an extension cord... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Birdman Adam 0 Posted October 25, 2011 LOL I love seeing these crazy installs. How were those UPSs connected? Maybe daisy-chained? This stuff is just such a mess, I could never imagine myself creating that (even as a DIYer)... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Numb-nuts 1 Posted October 25, 2011 You could catch your foot in there and never emerge again... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Soundy 1 Posted October 25, 2011 You could catch your foot in there and never emerge again... To coin an old joke... there's a Japanese soldier hiding in there who doesn't know the war is over Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fa chris 0 Posted November 9, 2011 Why would a GC or an owner accept the project? Here they'd be fired, the install would be ripped out, and the original installer would be back charged for damages and the cost of a new electrical to re install. (Have seen it done twice now... both mom & pop shops who had no business pulling wire.) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Soundy 1 Posted November 9, 2011 Like I say, a lot of times, messes like this are the result of multiple separate installs, compounded by multiple moves and changes, by multiple different installers or trades, over multiple years... at first things don't look so bad so nobody bothers to rip things out and redo it... by the time it really starts looking nasty, the time and labour involved to clean it up becomes excessive and fall outside the budget. Doesn't help that such work usually has to be scheduled for after hours, so taking systems and networks offline for de-tangling won't affect productivity. Until the customer decides it's worth paying for the time required to fix ALL of it, PROPERLY... it doesn't get fixed. It also doesn't help that such spaghetti bowls are usually a mix of different systems' wiring, each system overseen by a different tech, company or trade, and cleaning it up properly involves booking and coordinating several different people to work in conjunction. Case in point: with one of our customers, several of their sites have CCTV, data systems, POS systems, and A/V gear all in one rack. Cleaning up my wiring and equipment layout can't be done without making changes to someone else's equipment (which was installed later), and if I do that, there's a risk that something of theirs won't come back up properly, which results in a panic call for one of their techs to come out... so a lot of times, the mess is best left alone until the customer decides they want it dealt with, and everything can be coordinated. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dustmop 0 Posted November 11, 2011 We built this site so unbelievably quickly that some things were done to a... mediocre... standard. Like so: Before: The back of panels. See all the yellow/green patch cables on the right? Yeah.... After undoing the "cable management". 5' and 7' patch cords. After I re-wired everything. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
