hopz28 Posted December 12, 2021 Share Posted December 12, 2021 Does anyone keep their laptop/desktop in there garage? I was thinking of putting my laptop in the garage instead of my foyer. I live in Virginia and my garage temperature is 30-45 degrees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDucks Posted December 12, 2021 Share Posted December 12, 2021 My first year at this location, My laptop was locked to the workbench (to avoid getting legs). LEAVE IT ON (will keep it warm. The worst thing for a HD is powering up after a cold soak) Was Stationed at NAS Norfolk in the 70's. It got cold and the Marine at the gate could not believe I was driving my Datsun Roadster with the top down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheSignGuy Posted December 13, 2021 Share Posted December 13, 2021 When we lived in Western MD I kept my laptop in the garage and just about every show night the temps were in the 20's or lower. I just kept it plugged in, when the show was over I just closed the screen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDucks Posted December 13, 2021 Share Posted December 13, 2021 16 minutes ago, TheSignGuy said: When we lived in Western MD I kept my laptop in the garage and just about every show night the temps were in the 20's or lower. I just kept it plugged in, when the show was over I just closed the screen. Windows has a setting that allows it (the computer, not the screen) to remain on with the screen closed (mostly used with external monitor use...but) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hopz28 Posted December 13, 2021 Author Share Posted December 13, 2021 Thank you everyone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcktpwrd Posted December 14, 2021 Share Posted December 14, 2021 I have my mini laptop outside on the covered patio, on a chair inside a 'gift' box along with the fm transmitter. Was the easiest place to put the equipment when we first started doing the LOR controlled display and I haven't had a reason to change it. The laptop is setup so the computer never turns off, only the display goes off after a few minutes, closing the lid also does nothing and the wifi is turned off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcktpwrd Posted December 14, 2021 Share Posted December 14, 2021 here is my setup It looks sort of inconspicuous.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDucks Posted December 14, 2021 Share Posted December 14, 2021 11 minutes ago, rcktpwrd said: here is my setup It looks sort of inconspicuous.. I hope you have a Laptop lock to that chair. I used to do Field service at Supermarkets and it got locked down if I had to walk away (public areas). This was after one of the other techs had his grabbed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcktpwrd Posted December 15, 2021 Share Posted December 15, 2021 2 hours ago, TheDucks said: I hope you have a Laptop lock to that chair. I used to do Field service at Supermarkets and it got locked down if I had to walk away (public areas). This was after one of the other techs had his grabbed. No one comes up to the front door... and the street is a couple hundred feet away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tlogan Posted December 15, 2021 Share Posted December 15, 2021 @hopz28 _ I'm in northern Virginia and my garage rarely gets below 50. I leave my desktop in the garage and I leave it on continuously with the Never Sleep option turned on (and WIFI TOTALLY OFF!). I put my FM transmitter and Receiver (to power speakers in the yard) in the garage and run them on a timer to come on about 15 minutes prior to the start of the show. This is my 4th year and I never had an issue with heat or cold (or wind, rain, or snow, either!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hopz28 Posted December 15, 2021 Author Share Posted December 15, 2021 14 minutes ago, tlogan said: @hopz28 _ I'm in northern Virginia and my garage rarely gets below 50. I leave my desktop in the garage and I leave it on continuously with the Never Sleep option turned on (and WIFI TOTALLY OFF!). I put my FM transmitter and Receiver (to power speakers in the yard) in the garage and run them on a timer to come on about 15 minutes prior to the start of the show. This is my 4th year and I never had an issue with heat or cold (or wind, rain, or snow, either!). Thanks, yeah I live in King George so somewhat close to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDucks Posted December 15, 2021 Share Posted December 15, 2021 37 minutes ago, tlogan said: @hopz28 _ I'm in northern Virginia and my garage rarely gets below 50. I leave my desktop in the garage and I leave it on continuously with the Never Sleep option turned on (and WIFI TOTALLY OFF!). I put my FM transmitter and Receiver (to power speakers in the yard) in the garage and run them on a timer to come on about 15 minutes prior to the start of the show. This is my 4th year and I never had an issue with heat or cold (or wind, rain, or snow, either!). Either Global Warming has kicked in or things are way different away from Hampton roads from when I was stationed at Norfolk (I used to alternate hands on the cylinder head of my motorbike for my daily commute) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tlogan Posted December 15, 2021 Share Posted December 15, 2021 It just means running a "snake" out of the garage to the first controllers and the speakers. The snake has 2 CAT5 (or 6, can't remember), 1 for Reg and 1 for Aux Network, to the first of each type controller and another CAT5 (or6) cable I use to run from the receiver out to the speakers (I twist pairs up to create four leads to connect two speakers). It lays out and picks up pretty fast. Tip if you plan to make a snake....DO NOT use zip ties to bundle them together, I did and this year when I pick it up, I'm going to replace the zip ties with electrical tape. I've cut my hands on the zip tie nubs once too often! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tlogan Posted December 15, 2021 Share Posted December 15, 2021 8 minutes ago, TheDucks said: Either Global Warming has kicked in or things are way different away from Hampton roads from when I was stationed at Norfolk (I used to alternate hands on the cylinder head of my motorbike for my daily commute) Well, I will say that (up here, at least when my house was built around 1990) the code is that garages have to be insulated, drywalled and mudded. AND about 10 years ago, when we upgraded all the cheap contractor grade windows, we put in insulted garage doors, too. And it doesn't usually get really cold here until at least the middle of January, so if/when it DOES get below 50 in there, it's after the season so everything is shut down. Global warming? What Global warming? It's supposed to be in the 50s and heading into the 60s by the weekend. It hit 70 last week! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k6ccc Posted December 15, 2021 Share Posted December 15, 2021 25 minutes ago, tlogan said: Tip if you plan to make a snake....DO NOT use zip ties to bundle them together, I did and this year when I pick it up, I'm going to replace the zip ties with electrical tape. I've cut my hands on the zip tie nubs once too often! If you left sharp ends, you did not trim them right... However, I agree that the locking part is annoying when picking them up. My suggestion is NOT to use electrical tape. After a while it will start unwrapping, and or sliding and become a sticky mess. Better solution (although it takes a little more effort) is heat shrink tubing. Of course you have to slide the heat shrink over most of the length of the snake and generally do that BEFORE the connectors are attached at one end of the snake. It is also harder to change cables, but it does make a nice neat cable - and you will need quite a bit of heat shrink tubing to make it come out well. For something that is easier to modify, you can use split loom tubing. I also have seen people pull cable through an ordinary garden hose (pulling lube generally required to get the cat-5 through it). That makes a VERY durable cable snake that is very easy to handle and coil up. A little more expensive, but flexible conduit also works well (use the non-metallic conduit). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tlogan Posted December 15, 2021 Share Posted December 15, 2021 I actually did the garden hose thing for the snake for my outdoor movie set up. I'll look into better ways to bundle them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtomason Posted December 15, 2021 Share Posted December 15, 2021 Mine is a laptop in the house on a table by the window; cables are permanently routed through the frame for LOR RS-485 and E1.31. When this laptop dies, I will probably go with a headless mini PC mounted in the window sill. I've got time to contemplate that, however. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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