We put together our new Screen Research screen for our demo room. 17 feet wide! It is awesome!!! I promise that pics are on their way. We're using the Aviola projector (with two lamps)... brighter than all get-out, and a stunning picture! i think I might just have to move into our showroom!

Client's Christmas gift came in and got him set up for new years.

Cdn,

You guys do some sick setups!!!!

Today i got to meet the RCN cable guy downtown between 11-2. Last week RCN dropped off the cable modem, installed it and left without testing it. When i showed up the next day and found that it wasn't working we called support and they scheduled today for the service call.

The RCN guy shows up today and walks into the clients unit and says "what am i here for?". I said "to resolve the issue with the internet not working". He responds with "the internets not working either?". I respond with "what do you mean 'either'"? He responds with "let me take a look".

He spends an hour testing cable signal and informs me that we need a "house amp" to solve the problem because the signal is "weak". I tell him to go get one and he tells me he has to "go look at blue prints and find out where to install it". He tells me he will call me back sometime today but he wont be returning.

About 60 seconds after he walked out of the unit it dawned on me that this guy never touched the modem or PC. At that moment i realized that this guy was totally full of s#!7. I had my mind on mapping out the existing cabling in the clients new apartment and taking measurements for TV's and cabinets for AV gear so my BS meter wasn't engaged. At that point i drag the cable modem right to the network interface box with a direct cable connection to it and it wont connect. TIVO-Cable boxes work in every room though.

After talking with my boss we decide to pick up a cable modem locally. I install it. All lights are solid green. I get to an RCN page that asks me "do you want to use your own cable modem". I click yes and i am asked for an account number and phone number. I enter the phone number but the account number appears to be missing digits based on the form input area. I call tech support and reach a lovely woman from India.

I give her clients phone number. She cant find the account.
I give her clients address. She cant find the account.
I give her clients name. She cant find the account.
I give her the mac address of the modem and she then is able to find all of the other information that she claimed wasn't in the system.

She tells me that she cant add the new modem to the account unless i physically return the other modem. I explain to her why i have the new modem. I ask her if she can just click "yes he returned it" or whatever her screen is asking her and she says "no". Her software wont let her add the new modem to the account unless the rules have been followed and someone somewhere else has scanned the old modem back into RCN's possession.

Its 5PM now.. New Years eve.. I can get on the internet to the RCN page where i just have to add the new modem and it wont let me. Tech support wont do it. RCN cable guys have been out twice to install a cable modem for internet access and they haven't been able to do it. I have gotten further than either one of their technicians and they still wont let me on the internet.

Then the lady asks me if i had the RCN provided wireless router connected. I said "no, i thought we would get the modem working first then i will deal with the wireless router". Then she tells me "oh this will create more errors if you want to keep the wireless router. I will schedule a new support date for January 4th between 11-2".

At that point i lost my temper.. which has only happened 2 times at a job site in my entire life. [1 was when a guy was shooting nails into the room i was working with repeatedly because he had a defective nail gun. The other time was when i walked into the control room and caught the idiot security guy talking with the client blaming me because his wiring was sloppy]

WTF with these people? All they have to do is take 1 wire and plug it into a modem and test it. Where is the confusion? Who are these techs? What are they being paid? What the hell is going on here?

I know there is nothing new in this story and i have dealt with it 1000 times. Today though.. there was no reason why i should have left without internet working. The hardware was installed, the PC was on and ready to go. RCN knew the internet wasnt working so why didn't the technician come out with an extra cable modem? Its my own fault for not baby sitting the guy and grilling him about everything that he is supposed to be doing. Ridiculous.

When do the trumpets arive to go with the tubas?

Troubleshooting phone jacks at the in-law's. :(

The in-laws are in the USVI. :)

Edit- no Lowes/HD here. 45 min wait at Radio Shack. :(

Diving the wall in the AM. :)

I washed my new Mini! Heres some pics i promised, Stamp and a few others of you guys helped me spend my money on the rims..Good move, Thanks guys! :)

Probably next weekend ill pull the tires off and paint the brake calibers lime green to match the mirrors, have the paint and clear (man that stuff is expensive!) just need to prepare my self the the task ahead lol

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Signature, that is a beautiful car!

Good news and bad news. The good news is that it is in Electronic House (the regular magazine) this month. The bad news is that they took out the part about you being a superhero.

CJ

They probably figured that EH's subscribers wouldn't be able to handle my awesomeness :).

Working out of this guy at all? Would make a great service call vehicle :)

Should be picking up a T2i this week and can finally start taking decent shots of my work, I'll be happy to say good bye to the 3gs camera app.

Thank you Sir!



Well as of now yes, because the A$$hole sold my astrovan i had a deposit on. I went to pick it up today and there was that whole limbo thing were one guy is trying to find the other guy that might know where it is only to get Jimbob walking in belching and rubbing is stomach saying "ohh I sold that on Saturday"

A$$hole, ive been looking for a great astrovan in really good condition with decent mileage at a good price, found this one and because of plans on new years eve i had to rush out leaving a deposit to finish the paperwork today. But those new years plans backfired as i was walking out the door of my house so i rushed and lost out of my van for nothing, not even a good newyears story haha

So basically they gave me my deposit back and $200 "giftcard" towards a purchase of a car at this place with a promise to find me another Astrovan in better condition at a far better price. They can kiss my a$$ :)

Luckily this week is filled with "stupid" jobs that dont require many tools and equipment, Next week is a different story though. And to answer your question i will be using this for service calls, im getting 40mpg with a brand new engine and my spirited driving ;)

As for what I did today, besides dealing with the pr!cks........Spent 6 hours getting a Christmas Tivo working for my customers. 2.5 hours dealing with crapcast and there m-card 1.5hours dealing with the stupid tivo wireless n adapter 2 hours to get the thing set up properly, updated and a quick lesson on how to use it. I have never in my life spent that long on any single piece of electronic gear in my life. As much as i love selling Tivo today made me think about continuing to sell it. I do have to say the crapcast tech was the most friendly, personable, knowledgeable professional service tech I have ever had to deal with. This guy deserves a medal with some of the storys he was telling us hes had to deal with.In all honesty he shouldn't be working for crapcast rather for me or another firm. If i was in a position i would have offered him a job on the spot.

A friend called: Hey I got a new Visio, and was wondering if afterwork you could help me set up my new comcast box as well??? So I reluctantly go over hook things up... The new comcast boxes take a minimum of 45 minutes to down load their new software! After several hours and 4 failed attempts for the box to get the new software loaded, I was informed that the box must be bad...

...So I ended up getting home around midnight (after a long day at work)... Comcast will be coming out to swap the box out today!

...And here I thought this was going to be a quick 15 minute deal!

Hmmm just hit my 11,000th post there...
I dont post as much as I used to though...