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TFA implies he caused the delay, when in fact incompetent airport security staff caused the delay.

I'll go you one further, and suggest that inadequate airport design caused the delay.

In particular, hiring a human being to stare at a hallway for 8 hours a day to make sure nobody walks this way instead of that way is not a good design. People -- even well-trained, competent people, with the best intentions -- are notoriously bad at doing mind-numbingly tedious tasks like this for hours at a time.

Machines, on the other hand, could be employed to do the same job more effectively and reliably. It doesn't even need to be particularly high-tech: a simple one-way turnstile (perhaps augmented with a video camera to sound an alarm if the turnstile is tampered with or somehow bypassed) would do a more reliable job, and as a side benefit would not need to be paid a salary.

Probably could combine a HEPA filter with a charcoal filter to get both particles and volatile chemicals.

Like this:
http://www.instructables.com/i...
Or:
http://www.amazon.com/Rabbit-A...
Lots more here:
http://www.grainger.com/catego...

You made a J-Hook, those are supposed to be part of any properly done structured cable install. Some examples

Here's the chair I sit in every day: http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/KI-Round-Stool-2W159?Pid=search Unfortunately, the wood top broke off a few years ago, and I have to weld the legs back on to the support ring every six months or so (I keep meaning to spray paint it to prevent rust, but then just get too busy). Sorry, no school board is going to get sympathy from me about uncomfortable chairs for students!

Judging by your responses to various topics recently, you really are a cock aren't you.

I might appear that way because I can't help but feel frustrated at the enormous amount of wasted opportunities I see everywhere.

Maybe it will help if I explain with an analogy.

This tool is a good and useful tool. It is something any mechanic (for that matter any homeowner) should have in his toolbox.

In a pinch you can use these pliers in the place of a wrench, a socket or even a hammer but no sensible person would say that those tools are now obsolete.

Now imagine an entire generation of mechanics who were never taught about socket sets, wrenches or hammers. They were trained to do everything with pliers and not to worry about those other tools. They may not even know those other tools exist.

That's why I am frustrated. You can only watch so many bolt heads get stripped because some idiot was trying to turn it with a pair of pliers instead of using wrench before it gets to be too much to bear.

I built a phase splitter (early picture here [banishedsouls.org] and it weighs more than 100 pounds) to covert the generator's 120 volt output to split phase 240 volts

For the love of (god|allah|satan|joe the plumber) please get a real transformer. If the lines coming off your generator are L1 and L2, then connect X2 and X3 in the transformer and hook L1 to X1 and L2 to X4.

Connect H2 to H3 and use this as the (grounded) neutral. H1 and H4 are you two "hot" wires.

And actually their website is perfectly constructed. And very easy to use. They also provide a lot of information about how to design stuff. Superb customer service. Super low shipping charge. If you are lucky, they may also send you a copy of their catalog. You can also try MSC, or grainger. But if i can find things I need from McMaster-Carr, I won't try any others.

Try here and here. I build custom automation for for a living. Find a waterjet company in your area and have them make your custom stuff. If you want to get really artistic or detailed you might have to buy your own machine shop equipment. However with the tanking economy, they can be had cheap.

Grainger is an industrial parts supplier. A lot like mcmaster.

I'd say you'll thank yourself if you have some of these items:

A Spot Cooler- If you have a CRAC unit crap out and need some coverage while replacing part(s).

Replacement compressor(s)

A variety of above floor fans, and below floor fans (in case of water under the floor).

As many spare breakers as they'll let you buy. (that UPS is no good to you with a bad breaker downstream of it).

Don't just get tarps, get these tarps.

Extra long load bank cables. Have your electrician make them up for you. If you make them extra long and store them onsite, you can use them to jumper out inside switchgear if you suffer a catastrophic failure (it might be ugly, but if done right, it can save your ass).

Flashlights that will work.

Hand operated pumps. If you have a pump fail and you need to get diesel fuel from your storage tanks to the "day tanks" of you generators, you'll be glad this is on the shelf.

A megger.

A phase rotation meter.

A good circuit tracer.


That's a pretty good start.

I'd say you'll thank yourself if you have some of these items:

A Spot Cooler- If you have a CRAC unit crap out and need some coverage while replacing part(s).

Replacement compressor(s)

A variety of above floor fans, and below floor fans (in case of water under the floor).

As many spare breakers as they'll let you buy. (that UPS is no good to you with a bad breaker downstream of it).

Don't just get tarps, get these tarps.

Extra long load bank cables. Have your electrician make them up for you. If you make them extra long and store them onsite, you can use them to jumper out inside switchgear if you suffer a catastrophic failure (it might be ugly, but if done right, it can save your ass).

Flashlights that will work.

Hand operated pumps. If you have a pump fail and you need to get diesel fuel from your storage tanks to the "day tanks" of you generators, you'll be glad this is on the shelf.

A megger.

A phase rotation meter.

A good circuit tracer.


That's a pretty good start.

If you are doing serious industrial work do not attempt to roll your own unless you absolutely have to. The money you save on professional instrumentation will be wasted in downtime and glitches.

There are plenty of professional solutions out there, from gas flow monitors to automated valve systems to integrated industrial process monitoring and control systems. If you are looking to control fuel and oxygen supplies then you need to get stuff that is blastproof so that a stray spark can't set anything off.

Start off with a major supplier like Grainger Industrial Supply. There are tons of components there that might suit your situation. Particularly look at their process monitoring section.

If you are doing serious industrial work do not attempt to roll your own unless you absolutely have to. The money you save on professional instrumentation will be wasted in downtime and glitches.

There are plenty of professional solutions out there, from gas flow monitors to automated valve systems to integrated industrial process monitoring and control systems. If you are looking to control fuel and oxygen supplies then you need to get stuff that is blastproof so that a stray spark can't set anything off.

Start off with a major supplier like Grainger Industrial Supply. There are tons of components there that might suit your situation. Particularly look at their process monitoring section.

The first thing to realise there are plenty of technology related hobbyists around the world, although most are not high profile and some may be different very different demographics than yourself.

Some (hobby) groups to consider looking towards for ideas and help include: woodworkers, metalworkers (hobbyists using micromills and mini-lathes from TaigTools and Sherline, etc.), model railroads, model aircrafts (static and RC), robotics, amateur radio (ham), 2600, LUGs, and Artist Run Centres/Communities

Random list of some I use or know of:
  Make magazine http://www.makezine.com/
  Instructables http://www.instructables.com/
  ARRL http://www.arrl.org/
  http://www.sparkfun.com/ (check out their tutorials)
  http://www.fpga4fun.com/ / http://www.knjn.com/
  QRP-L http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/qrp-l/>
  GQRP http://www.gqrp.com/
  http://www.pololu.com/ (cheap stencils laser cut, e.g. 3x4 for $32)
  http://www.diyaudio.com/
  http://www.digikey.com/ (if you're still buying electronics from Radio Shack, get these 3 catalogs now!)
  http://www.mouser.com/
  http://www.jameco.com/
  the ton of various surplus/NOS dealers online
  http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/
  http://www.seattlerobotics.org/
  http://www.chibots.org/index.php
  DorkBot
  http://eyebeam.org/production/production.php?page= tools
  MIT CBA FAB http://fab.cba.mit.edu/
  http://www.leevalley.com/
  http://www.smallparts.com/
  http://www.danssmallpartsandkits.net/
  http://www.wmberg.com/
  http://www.acklandsgrainger.com/
  http://www.grainger.com/
  http://www.onlinemetals.com/
  http://www.amqrp.com/
  http://www.princessauto.com/
  http://www.sherline.com/
  http://www.taigtools.com/

What you want is the fiberglass filter media type. It is exceedingly cheap, easy to work with, and effective. You can get a roll at Grainger - 20 ft. long, 30 in. wide, 1 in. thick for a whopping 14 bucks.

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/productdetail.jsp ?xi=xi&ItemId=1611632110&ccitem=

That roll should last you the rest of your life :) And yes, it is anti-static, it's glass after all. If you're paranoid, spray some fabric softener on it. The dust that sticks to it, however, is certainly not. Be sure to change the filter regularly!

-go to an auto parts store, buy an engine intake filter and cut that up. try the foam filters. (hey, an engine really sucks air...so should flow fairly well.

Er, an engine sucks air at a MUCH higher volume than an 80 mil fan! you would never pull enough air through an engine air filter with a little bitch-ass 80-mil fan :)

Now, the furnace filter would work - IF it is not the pleated paper type. You have to get the "camel-hair" type (yes, that's what they are called, I worked in HVAC for a few years before coming to the dark side) that looks like fibers inside of a cardboard frame. The fibers are made of fiberglass. They also sell that material in bulk rolls, you can get it at Grainger - 14 bucks for 20 feet long by 1 inch thick by 30 inches wide.

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/productdetail.jsp ?xi=xi&ItemId=1611632110&ccitem=

• I was actually looking for metal shelving?
  (Response: try grainger.com.)
  (Response #2: great, give me your credit card # and I will send you some, how many feet?)
• Can you tell me where to find Frank's Red Hot Sauce locally?
  (Window closed, IP blocked.)
• I was told I could find goat sex porn here.
  (Response: LOL, no, sorry.)
• I was actually looking for the latitude and longitude of your data center so I could program the nuclear missiles.

Easy to get a chessy metal pole for your ceiling drop. We use several in our office (open floor plan, no desks near a wall) that have both power and ethernet jacks. Takes all of about 20 minutes to install, plus time to run cabling to the desired location. Ours are even UL listed.

HUBBELL
Multi-oulet assembly
HBLPP10A
Issue No: 3084

Found here.

However, one of the cooler places locally has got to be TRIANGLE MACHINERY & TOOL COMPANY in San Jose for engineering supplies of all kinds.

* They have no web site.
* They have no air conditioning.
* They have no posted prices.
* They are hard to find.
* Their staff is not helpful. (but their customers are)
* Don't wear nice clothes, because everything they sell is greasy.
* Be prepared for heinous traffic on the weekends, because they're just around the corner from the Berryessa flea market.

But you know all those things in the Grainger catalog that are so cool but so expensive? Triangle has them. You can touch them and play with them. And if you're not afraid to haggle a bit, you can get an awesome price on them.

Chris Owens
San Carlos, CA

Crap man, you know how big the Grainger catalog is? :)

OK, here

Grainger Item#:
5W913

In stock, at least until I post this message :)

7 amp 125V AGX fuses: http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/productdetail.jsp ?xi=xi&ItemId=1611664725

How do the electricians get that cable through the wall and conduit? Fish Tape. Probably run you 20-30 bills at Home Depot or such. It's a long skinny relatively stiff length of steel, you run it through the wall or hole in the floor or whatever, then take your cat 5 (or electrical wire), tape it to the fish tape with a piece of electrical tape, and pull it through. Works wonders. Beats the hell outta trying to stick coat hangers through the holes...

Regards,

Use gold contacts. You can also get fully sealed contacts. Get a DigiKey catalog, look through the contactsd section, they have waterproof contacts. Place all contacts on the bottom of the box so if they do develope a leak it still won't leak into the box. Take a look at a telephone company box on a telephone pole. They aren't even water proof. They are just designed to shead water well, and if water makes it into them, they have a clear path for it to exit without it going over any circutry. As for what I'd use, I'd look at using the heavy plastic electrical boxes designed for outdoor use. Grainger has them (you should be ale to order through them as the community or as a busisness).

My concerns: Heat, Power, Size, Antenna, Software.

• Heat: You need to make sure the you have enough ability to get rid of the heat generated in them so they continue to work over the summer.
• Power: Is this network supposed to continue to work if the power goes out? If so you will need some sort of battery backup. The other power issue is related to the heat generated... The more power hungry your system, the greater the heat load from the power supply. Use a good quality switching power supply, not a cheep PC one.
• Size: The larger it is, the easier it is for someone to hit with a rock/etc. Also the more tempting it is as a target.
• Antenna: Where will it be located? What type? If it is inside the box then the box can't be metal. If it is outside the box, then that requires yet another waterproof connector. If it has to be located on top of the box then that is a possible source of a leak. Make sure the internal antenna wire dosen't funnel water onto the PCB.
• Software: What software are you going to run to provide the roaming abillity provided by the access points?

Things I would do:

• Use all commodity parts that have atleast three different manufacturers that make them.
• Try to find a manufacturer of RF Lan access points that has an environmentally hardened access point. If so use it, and forget the rest of this list, and possibly the triple source requirement too.
• Keep the parts count down.
• Look for components that can handle as wide of tempeture range as possible.
• Use a Single Board Computer with PCMCIA card slot. Look for a board that has an analog to digital converter so you can hook up a thermalcouple and read the current tempeture. Digital output lines for controlling a small heater and air circulation fan. The parallel port or unused serial port can also provide digital output lines. Look for hardware monitering equipment like found on modern motherboards. This would be helpfull for detecting failures of one system (like the cooling fan or heater) that may lead to a more costly failure and service outtage latter.
• Use all solid state design. This means using a flash memory disk instead of rotating. This is better for hot and cold conditions.
• PCMCIA RF Lan card of commodity design that can use an external antenna.
• Try to mount the antenna on the bottom side of the box if the box will be set with any altitude.
• If needed look into having a heating element in the box to keep it's tempeture high enough in winter. Typically this can also be hooked into a dew sensor to warm the box to keep dew and frost from forming on it. Most electronics are specified for a non-condensing environment.
• If summer heat will be a problem, use an alumimum enclosure and a fan to circulate air within the enclusure. If needed one can go to peltier junction heat pumps, but this is an increase in complexity and expense. It may be better/cheeper to get components that meet military tempeture specs.