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OT: (kinda) Wish something existed but it doesn't?
This thread has 17 replies. Displaying posts 1 through 15.
Post 1 made on Thursday September 28, 2017 at 18:41
Grasshopper
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Has there been a situation you've run into that made you say "man I wish there was a thing for this" or "man it would be cool if there was something that did this."? I'm speaking in terms mostly of the electronics world, but if there's something else feel free to chime in, as the sharing of ideas is a great thing. It could be a tool, it could be software, it could be a process, it could be a piece of equipment, it could be a book, heck it could be a toy. I'm sure many of you may have an idea that you may want to keep under wraps because it's something you'd like to create yourself and have plans for doing so or are already in the process of, but...just sayin.

I once brought up the idea of an HDMI cable tester to a co-worker (well he was basically my boss, I was his assistant) after leaving a client's place and he was like "why? You can just swap the inputs/outputs/whatever to tell." Sure...but what if you have to walk into another room to see? You're wasting time. Plus, it could be just another confirmation if you believe than an HDMI cable is bad. I see it being useful as a troubleshooting tool. Maybe they already exist, I didn't look it up at the time to see if they do and I just now did and they do (great) but...couldn't that be helpful? Any of you have one and use it? How has it been helpful to you?

Hope to hear some good ideas here!
Everyone should learn something new every day.
Post 2 made on Thursday September 28, 2017 at 19:38
Mac Burks (39)
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Twist lock in-celing speakers. Trim ring goes in for painters. Then you come back and push the speaker up/twist...lock. Done. This already exists but it didn't when i came up with the idea 20 years ago. The first time i had to deal with painters dictating my schedule i thought...boy wouldnt it be great if they could just paint the trim ring and get out of my way...

There are shared space think tanks everywhere now. A bunch of designers engineers sit around all day thinking of gadgets toys apps etc. The one thing you have over them is experience in your industry. An engineer and designer would never have thought about an HDMI tester...but you did...at a job one day.
Avid Stamp Collector - I really love 39 Cent Stamps
OP | Post 3 made on Thursday September 28, 2017 at 19:49
Grasshopper
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On September 28, 2017 at 19:38, Mac Burks (39) said...
Twist lock in-celing speakers. Trim ring goes in for painters. Then you come back and push the speaker up/twist...lock. Done. This already exists but it didn't when i came up with the idea 20 years ago. The first time i had to deal with painters dictating my schedule i thought...boy wouldnt it be great if they could just paint the trim ring and get out of my way...

There are shared space think tanks everywhere now. A bunch of designers engineers sit around all day thinking of gadgets toys apps etc. The one thing you have over them is experience in your industry. An engineer and designer would never have thought about an HDMI tester...but you did...at a job one day.

That's a fine idea, the twist lock in-ceiling speakers. Someone did it, and you're right, the idea probably came from the field.

My co-worker told me about this one time he was thinking "Man, it'd be great if drills came with lights and levels..." About a year later? Yup...

A few years before they became a thing, my friend and I...k, it was my friend's idea, thought about digital photo frames. He asked me if it was doable and I said "yeah, just need to get someone 'with these skills' and 'with these skills'" and etc. Yeah, I could be typing this from my mansion right now. That same friend, a builder, he once worked on a $600,000 house in Birmingham (here it would probably be 2 mil) for the guy who invented that three legged thing in a pizza box that keeps the top of the box from collapsing and smushing your pizza during delivery.
Everyone should learn something new every day.
Post 4 made on Thursday September 28, 2017 at 21:07
Fins
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Mac made me think of one.

I wish there were engineers that had to go in the field and install 100 of every product they design before the products can be marketed.
Civil War reenactment is LARPing for people with no imagination.

Post 5 made on Thursday September 28, 2017 at 21:49
buzz
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Many yeas ago we were a B&O servicing dealer and I hated to work on their stuff because it was ... er ... different. (In spite of all the marketing hype, the Pacific Rim stuff is very similar from company to company) Then there was a statement outlining a new policy requiring the B&O engineers to personally fix anything that didn’t work on that first production run. Things improved dramatically and I enjoyed working on the new B&O.
Post 6 made on Friday September 29, 2017 at 11:20
Fred Harding
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Brent McCall gave me an hdmi continuity checker several years ago that works great...
On the West Coast of Wisconsin
Post 7 made on Friday September 29, 2017 at 19:00
Audiophiliac
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I keep hoping they will come up with a robot to replace me. Well, not replace me, just do most of my work for me. I will still do the easy stuff, and lunch. :P
"When I eat, it is the food that is scared." - Ron Swanson
OP | Post 8 made on Friday September 29, 2017 at 19:05
Grasshopper
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On September 29, 2017 at 19:00, Audiophiliac said...
I keep hoping they will come up with a robot to replace me. Well, not replace me, just do most of my work for me. I will still do the easy stuff, and lunch. :P

That explains your signature. =P
Everyone should learn something new every day.
Post 9 made on Saturday September 30, 2017 at 09:49
Trunk-Slammer -Supreme
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I think there should be women that will do what I want, when I want and where I want.


Apparently something like that takes an enormous investment.... ;-)
Post 10 made on Saturday September 30, 2017 at 10:10
Mac Burks (39)
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On September 30, 2017 at 09:49, Trunk-Slammer -Supreme said...
I think there should be women that will do what I want, when I want and where I want.

Apparently something like that takes an enormous investment.... ;-)

[Link: expedia.com]
Avid Stamp Collector - I really love 39 Cent Stamps
Post 11 made on Sunday October 1, 2017 at 08:24
highfigh
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On September 28, 2017 at 19:38, Mac Burks (39) said...
Twist lock in-celing speakers. Trim ring goes in for painters. Then you come back and push the speaker up/twist...lock. Done. This already exists but it didn't when i came up with the idea 20 years ago. The first time i had to deal with painters dictating my schedule i thought...boy wouldnt it be great if they could just paint the trim ring and get out of my way...

There are shared space think tanks everywhere now. A bunch of designers engineers sit around all day thinking of gadgets toys apps etc. The one thing you have over them is experience in your industry. An engineer and designer would never have thought about an HDMI tester...but you did...at a job one day.

I'm waiting for someone to pick a freaking paint color so I can finish the work in their kitchen- when I installed the ceiling speakers, I noticed a thin line in the plaster, going right to the center of one of the hole. I figured they would be inquisitive enough to at least check the grill to see if it would come off easily but I was wrong. Fixed the line and got drywall compound all over the edge of the grill.

If it's not painters making us wait, it's paper hangers, cabinet/counter installers, trim carpenters, flooring, CLIENTS WHO CAN'T MAKE A DECISION AND STICK WITH IT or the ones who think everyone can make changes on the fly.
My mechanic told me, "I couldn't repair your brakes, so I made your horn louder."
Post 12 made on Sunday October 1, 2017 at 10:54
Ernie Gilman
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On October 1, 2017 at 08:24, highfigh said...
I'm waiting for someone to pick a freaking paint color so I can finish the work in their kitchen-

Yeah, this can be maddening. About the only thing worse is the folks who call you into their house and tell you they want to add speakers in a half dozen rooms.
That they just remodeled!

when I installed the ceiling speakers, I noticed a thin line in the plaster, going right to the center of one of the hole.

This is quite mystical. Typically the holes I've seen for ceiling speakers have just air in the center of the hole... so no such lines would be visible.

If it's not painters making us wait, it's paper hangers, cabinet/counter installers, trim carpenters, flooring, CLIENTS WHO CAN'T MAKE A DECISION AND STICK WITH IT or the ones who think everyone can make changes on the fly.

Have you ever done a remodel? I shudder to think of the thousands of small decisions that people have to make during remodeling.
A good answer is easier with a clear question giving the make and model of everything.
"The biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place." -- G. “Bernie” Shaw
Post 13 made on Sunday October 1, 2017 at 11:17
tomciara
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On September 29, 2017 at 11:20, Fred Harding said...
Brent McCall gave me an hdmi continuity checker several years ago that works great...

Whoa, free? I think I have to buy one if I want one :)
There is no truth anymore. Only assertions. The internet world has no interest in truth, only vindication for preconceived assumptions.
Post 14 made on Sunday October 1, 2017 at 12:08
ShaferCustoms
Long Time Member
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On September 29, 2017 at 11:20, Fred Harding said...
Brent McCall gave me an hdmi continuity checker several years ago that works great...

On October 1, 2017 at 11:17, tomciara said...
Whoa, free? I think I have to buy one if I want one :)

I bought one, then another because of issues ——

Be SURE to have a FRESH WORKING 9volt battery in it or you will be chasing your tail with False Fails! (it failed to work properly at 8.5volts)

flashback to being a band roadie/soundman - ALWAYS have spare fresh batteries!
Post 15 made on Monday October 2, 2017 at 09:33
highfigh
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On October 1, 2017 at 10:54, Ernie Gilman said...
This is quite mystical. Typically the holes I've seen for ceiling speakers have just air in the center of the hole... so no such lines would be visible.

Have you ever done a remodel? I shudder to think of the thousands of small decisions that people have to make during remodeling.

Point 1 (about the holes)- shaddap! To/toward- you should be able to figure that out.

Point 2- Yes, I have and I did most of the work myself, but I lived with the decisions and didn't force people to wait when they had already scheduled my place for their work with little to no advance notice. If they want to change things, that's their prerogative, but if it cacks the schedules of multiple contractors, they have no one to blame but themselves when the project doesn't come in on time and at/under budget. I'm just about ready to send/hand info about Gantt Charts to these people (not just one couple, either) so they can get a clue.

I agonize over colors more than materials and the red roof on the adjacent house reflecting its color into my kitchen didn't help the morning after painting my walls. It looked fine when I painted it (the previous night) but not with daylight. I went to the paint supplier to ask if the shade I'd chosen had any red and was told it didn't, so I picked a different shade after seeing the colors that were included (the kitchen isn't so large that repainting was a problem and I thought it may have been added by mistake or a dirty nozzle). I had the same problem with that coat. White primer had been used. A little later in the day, clouds rolled in and as passed between the Sun and the roof, the red came and went, so I covered that window and let the light coming in through the other windows illuminate the room- it was fine.
My mechanic told me, "I couldn't repair your brakes, so I made your horn louder."
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