What triggers you?
>pic related
>need to plug in extension cord in a house im working on
>nothing but ungrounded
>no cheater plugs on hand
>>1000226
Below counter horizontal receptacles bother me too
People pointing stock wifi antennae in the direction where they want the signal to go. Usually leads to a strong desire on my behalf on showing them a PowerPoint i made for work eons ago about basic antenna types, how they work, and how they should be used effectively.
Pallet wood.
"Tiny houses"
The word "up-cycle"
>>1000256
>Tiny houses
Why?
>>1000254
Trust me, you do hundreds of stupid things that other people shake their head at, and you're just as unaware as your antennae offenders.
why arent these more common in households? it's like only hotels have them installed
>>1000254
Literally makes no difference except on paper
>>1000276
Cost more than GFIs
Not code (at least in Canada, don't know about the states) so why would a contractor install them and why would a homeowner, unless they really had the extra money for it replace them?
And they're new, it'll take a while before they are common place.
>>1000276
>$30 for an outlet
fuck that
>>1000276
Because they haven't existed that long. Hoteliers are constantly trying to keep an edge over the competition, so they're constantly upgrading their properties. Homeowners have no such incentivization to continually add new bells and whistles, same with apartment complex managers. Houses and apartments generally only get necessary repairs and replacements, often at the lowest price point available. Additions and renovations in houses are usually major undertakings, while hotels are often under a "rolling remodel" to ensure they capture the biggest market share possible.
t. hotel clerk
>>1000289
Still speaking from a Canadian perspective, our dollar is shit and that would make $25 cost about $32. Plus I've seen them at the depot shelves already $30+
That's getting technical though, they're generally expensive.
>>1000298
ah okay. i was just curious, got my bud and his wife three of them for their new house. figured i get them something useful rather than some shitty glassware set or booze
>>1000276
those evil possibilities of these USB ports
>>1000299
I think they're best as a gift actually, they're really useful but they're also a bit bigger than a GFI. I tried fitting one into my parents old kitchen island into an old box and it wouldn't go, too many wire and there was a ground strip about a 3/4" into the box so it wouldn't fit. Needed a new box for sure.
>>1000256
I pulled some 12 ft long 6x8 posts from a pile of pallets. They turned out to be solid red oak. There's actually some really good pallet wood out there if you look hard enough.
Also why tiny houses?
>>1000226
this fag
>>1000312
But did you plane and finish that wood into something useable or did you just deck screw some of it together and call it your new coffee table?
>>1000331
Haven't done any thing yet. I need to find somebody with a band saw to mill it down. I'm afraid it'll burn up my table saw.
Thinking about turning it into some nice molding.
>hobby electricians
i'm currently living in a house that was built by one of these DIY electricians. the entire house in ungrounded, the fucker had installed two high-heat heating cables in the bathroom floor with only a two-way switch, so the cables could only be ON or OFF. when it was was on, the heat was so high, i had to use two layers of towels on the floor because i kept burning my feet.
half of the cables were mounted on the wall instead of in it, and the fuses were all set to 10 amps max, which meant the guy had to use way more fuses than needed to be able to use anything in the house.
the worst thing is, the guy is rich as fuck and has so many connections in the local political scene, that you can't sue him for the atrocities he has built. (yes, he has built several of these houses)
if you aren't a certified electrician, FUCK OFF. don't even think about touching, much less installing anything. you don't know how to do properly, and it's up to the real electrician to figure out just what the fuck you were trying to accomplish when your project backfires.
Here in Japan, very few places have grounded outlets. I’ve only had one apartment in Tokyo that had them.
>>1000346
>half of the cables were mounted on the wall instead of in it,
REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
>>1000346
>if you aren't a certified electrician, FUCK OFF. don't even think about touching, much less installing anything. you don't know how to do properly
Sure, bud, sure. Anons, you should *definitely* keep paying $150 each time you get a new light fixture to have an electrician come in and replace it for you. No way you could manage it yourself without fucking everything up and burning down your house!
Electrical work is (for the most part) relatively simple, because it's all based on basic logic. If you're an idiot, you shouldn't do your own electrical, and if you are confused by it, you shouldn't either. But if you're not a complete dumb-ass, doing simple electrical work (replacing a fixture, installing an outlet, replacing a ballast, etc) is fine.
>>1000346
Nah. Now the guy in your story sounds like a retard, but I'm gonna continue wiring my own shit. Running shit where you can see it is my biggest pet peeve, and I've also known a multi millionaire family who has nigger rigged half their houses with fucked up electrical and plumbing, I think it's a "I'm rich as fuck, I can do no wrong" mentality.
>>1000365
Logic and details. It's all about the little details.
>>1000346
The old guy we bought our house from did everything he could himself. For the most part he did alright, but when we had to replace the thermal couple on the hot water heater it was a fucking pain in the ass because it turns out it wasn't up to code, so our home warranty insurance wouldn't touch it. And we don't know shit about shit, so pulling out the whole burner assembly was our own personal Vietnam.
Whoever did the electrical in the house BEFORE the old man got here fucked everything up. Light switches that go to nothing, 3 ceiling fans that don't work, 2 that flicker when turned off, and at some point half the outlets in our house just went out, because they were all connected to the same thing??? I don't know. Thank god we have a friend who is an actual electrician. Every time we get some spare cash we call him up and have him fix something else.
There are also all sorts of wires running outside the house. We don't know where they go.
>>1000277
You need to learn two things:
> 1. Performance comparison
> 2. The meaning of the word "literally"
>>1000256
Wth is "up-cycle" ?
>>1000427
I dunno whats up-cycle with you
>>1000264
Tiny house is the new trailer trash.
>>1000433
Finally, someone who gets it!
Dubs WITNESSED
>>1000303
I don't care where it is, i am not plugging anything into a USB socket i have no idea where it goes or who installed it or for what reason.
I always assume its some sort of USB killer device or malware honeypot.
>>1000284
>Not code (at least in Canada, don't know about the states)
Same here in Sweden, can't have low voltage and mains in the same cable channel unless the low voltage cables are rated for at least the same voltage/current as the mains.
>>1000226
Ungrounded - not a problem. Like anon said, cheater plugs.
Painted over - eh, lazy painters. They still make these outlet covers, iirc they're getting more expensive though. Easy fix, but I'm a bit peeved.
Screw slot not lined up?! - holy shit you low bred, raised in a barn asshole!!! THAT is unforgivable! ANYONE from the electrician to the painter to the owner could have fixed that in less than a second! You got me OP, you got me. Triggered to hell. I hope you're happy.
>painted over slot screws
fuuuuuck
>>1000451
"Code" doesn't necessarily mean illegal, but it's the minimum standard. Since most pros only do what is required to stay out of jail, the won't go above and beyond. The definitely won't spend the money for use outlets.
I believe they are legal, but I don't like the idea of a "transformer in the wall" although there is an access point, just no ventilation to sink the heat.
>>1000289
Not being code doesn't mean they don't meet code. Just means as long as there are cheaper options, builders will go with the cheapest that meets code. As a home owner, I'm considering buying some, but hopefully when the price comes down.
>>1000460
Do you know the name of that cover type? Its metal but has like a textury wriggly surface to it. I think the plates there are from the 50s or 60s
>>1000520
Not a clue. I think the covers are actually the same specs as modern ones, it's the outlet itself that's changed. I'm too cheap to buy "pretty" covers. Sorry anon.
>>1000276
Because they are a fucking stupid idea.
>>1000545
We have these in the bedrooms of our house. I love them.
>>1000254
Mind uploading it, my african-american brethren? Sounds like something I'd like to take a look at.
Because I'm a retard who knows jack shit about antennas.
>>1000545
I would say that the only reason you'd find outlets with USB on 'em "stupid" is because they wouldn't be able to keep up with standards.
Not even a year ago everyone was stuck on 5V @ 1.5A, and now there's the fuckin' USB 3.1 Power Delivery Spec that lets you pump 5-12V @ 100W.
>>1000561
Hell, there are even those shitty proprietary specs like Apple's which require 5V, 2.2A. Muddies up the waters considerably.
>>1000549
Seconding this
>>1000549
>>1000614
I'm on my phone, so i can't, but it basically boils down to this:
- Most stock antennae are omni-directional unless otherwise noted.
- Omnidirectional antennae radiate axially, and not "out the tip"
- Higher TX power doesnt necessarily increase the signal. High TX power also increases the reflection, increasing the background noise, which can in turn decrease the SNR. Best TX power is best found through careful adjustment on each individual setup.
- If you need better signal in one direction, get an extender, or a directional antenna.
- Antenna Gain should be set to whatever the antenna is built for.
- Both "Antennae" and "Antennas" are correct when speaking plurally. I prefer the former.
>>1000451
No cable channels involved with those outlets though. They have a little SMPS right in the outlet to generate 5V from mains.
>>1000460
What's ironic is a lot of two-wire outlets from back in the day actually ARE grounded because of conduit or just normal ground wiring. You can test by seeing if the plate screw is grounded (probably better to check internally). Those "cheater" plugs with the metal tab that should be screwed in actually have legitimate purpose. Even if the box was plastic, it probably has conduit running to it so you can run a jumper (which actually does suffice for general NA code I think).
>>1000346
Wtf backwards country do you live in? In all first world countries there's national and local codes, and they take that shit seriously.
>10 amp fuses
Do you live in a car???
>>1000561
Those outlets have a much worse problem that'll plague pretty much any low-voltage supply: the fucking IR drop through the cable.
>power strip near my desk, at arm level
>2.1-2.5A supplies
>plug-side switches for anything that can't hard turn-off
>3' cable
>no problem, except they might be on the lower end of the voltage range i.e. 4.8-5V so they don't work for one application
>5V 2-3A supply in wall
>heats up in your damn wall, first off, can't be disconnected
>need like a 10' cable
>.1ohm at .5A = .025V drop
>.1 ohm at 2A = .4V drop
>.1 ohm at 3A = .9 fucking volt drop
Pic related, source:
http://goughlui.com/2014/10/01/usb-cable-resistance-why-your-phonetablet-might-be-charging-slow/
Who's going to want a fucking lamp cord attached to their phone.
>>1000226
I hate the corruption of the system on electrical codes since what else it coul be, well by example why i have to use 600kcmil copper cable for 400 amps? Well ok the code told me that copper gave me 420 amps at 75°c and im just using 10 feet of it, but the funny thing is the elctrical company is using 500kcmil aluminium that according to the table its just capable 310 anps at 75°c and they are using like 200 feets of it, well why the hell they dont have inspections on their shit, i think is just corruption the way we have to waste more money.
>>1000237
My experience with people like this is that they either
A) know where everything is, or
B) have no fucking clue and are directionless in life
>>1000226
>What triggers you?
triggered people
>>1000676
I am not sure how the electrical codes are, but here is an example from the structural chapters of residential building code:
A standard wood framed house does not require a professional engineer to sign off on the design. An architect or contractor can do 90 to 100% of the design work themselves by following prescriptive design tables within the code.
That is, the code will tell you what live load to use, and common sense will tell you the dead load. Then you go to a particular table and for a specific span, wood type, and allowable deflection, you can determine the size and spacing you need for your members (floor joists in the example). Picture related.
Now, a licensed professional engineer would be able to go through the numbers with a fine toothed comb and lighten up the joists a little bit (sometimes). For most houses, the cost savings in materials does not usually exceed the engineering service fees. But for a large skyscraper, the engineering fees are tiny compared to the material cost savings.
Back to your example. The code is likely conservative, whereas the large corporation may have an in-house electrical engineer (or an electrical engineering consulting firm) who is able to perform the necessary calculations to justify it.
With all that said, I do agree that there is a lot of bureaucratic BS in the codes. Especially when you see 100+ year old structures still standing.
>>1000523
its alright, just trying to source the existing metal places in the house, a number of them have been replaced with shitty lowes plastic covers and it looks like garbage
>>1000622
Yeah, but since it is in the same outlet they are in the same "channel", it's fucking retarded i know.
Here once something is built in and permanently connected to mains a whole different set of rules apply then if it was connected with a plug.
Not that i would want USB ports in my walls but the same problems apply if you would want to run say 24v from your solar battery bank inside the walls instead lose cables nailed to the wall, can't use the same cable channel as the mains so can't just pull new cables for it without adding a new pipe in the wall.
>>1000331
I vote coffee table
>>1000303
>>1000276
>>1000303
>>1001241
This is giving me ideas.
>Build low power pc into wall (RPi?)
>Wire usb ports to outlet
>When needed connect monitor, mouse and keyboard
Could be good for a hidden ftp to record security camera feeds to, less risk of it being stolen together with the rest of your shit if you have a break in.
>>1000520
2 seconds on google
http://www.switchhits.com/collection/stamped-metal/product/antique-brass-texture
I don't care if the USB wall plates are to code, they saved my butt when we got our king size bed frame and the outlets were spaced like 2" too close together to be able to use the standard outlet expander and wall warts we had before. It looks a lot cleaner and will charge my wife's fire tablet and galaxy 6 at the same time...
![shabby-chic-dining-rooms-2[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/mCyfhk1.jpg "shabby-chic-dining-rooms-2[1].jpg")
>>1000226
Shabby Chic.
> hey, lets take some unmatching furniture and fuck it up.
> put on craigslist for million dollars
> EVERY listing with shabby chic is some fucked up old piece of shit
>shabby chic = old piece of shit
>>1000376
If you can make it neat
Running galvanized conduit on bare brick walls looks decent, a few buildings in Tacoma I've been in do it
>>1000432
>>1000433
B-but I've always wanted to live in a tiny house desuuuu
>>1000432
>>1000346
>the guy is rich as fuck and has so many connections in the local political scene, that you can't sue him for the atrocities he has built.
MURIKA
>>1000676
>I hate the corruption of the system on electrical codes since what else it coul be,
"I don't understand something, so it has to be a rip off."
>>1000679
Tfw im both of those.
>>1000226
Where's the earth?
>>1002460
Grounding is for pussies.
>>1000226
>Painted over covers
REEEEEEEEEE
My old condo's PO decided to do this lazy ass shit. It looked awful, so I took them off to replace them with unpainted one. Peeled the shitty paint around them right off the wall. Ended up having to redo the entire place because the paint was that bad.
>>1000689
Most of those 100+ year structures are either timber-framed or masonry with excellent foundations though; they aren't 2x4s and OSB tacked together by illegals over a cut-rate slab.
>>1000226
>
I don't like the ungrounded part being up. That's all I can see. I don't believe it is code but I like the grounded on top. Not everyplace has a grounding part so thats OK. And people love to paint everything so I can't fault them.
>>1002933
Oh and I did go on a service call once where a printer receptacle got a staple across the ungrounded and grounded on the plug. Made a little spark display. This was on a vertically installed duplex. I replaced the device and explained what happened.
>>1002464
Says the guy who was electrocuted by opening his fridge door.
>>1002937
Nah, but i do get a nice reminder that i run ungrounded by 115v every time i sit at my computer desk with my feet on the radiator and touch my PC case at the same time.
>>1000276
>5V 2A
I never get this, doesn't the USB Specification says the maximum current output should be of 500mA for USB 2.0 and 900mA for USB 3.0?
>>1000276
not many people run out and refurb their home electrical system because gadgets. I like the idea, but I'm not impressed with this one. I have better charging devices, some of which are wireless (battery packs that can be charged and then carried with the device).
Besides, all the places in my house i spend the most time at are wired out the fuckin wazzooo already, so not much need in permanently mounting a phone charger in my wall.
>>1003896
These are only meant as charging ports.
USB chargers can suck down a lot more current than 900mA if you let them.
>>1003896
Even if it does, so what? These are not USB2 or USB3 ports.
Go read the USB Charger Spec.
>>1000226
Yeah man, I hate it when people paint over outlet covers
>>1000460
>Screw slots.
hell yes.
>>1004081
Ok, I was messing up the host-powered spec with the battery charging one
>>1000276
I've got a couple of these they're shit.
>>1004359
I never understood this one. If you line up the screw slots the plate will either be too loose or it'll bend/crack. Tighten the screws until they are just tight. Friggin autists.
>>1000264
I'm buying foreclosed houses, in decent areas, at like 50% of what it costs hipsters to build their trailer houses. Then you can insure the property, borrow against it, rent it, and you are protected by some of the best land ownership laws in the world. Tiny houses are just not a good idea unless you own land and can add onto the structure.
>>1000433
How do you figure that?
Its a trendy hipster "lets go off the grid" thing. The stereotypical poor trailer trash types arent going to be building a tiny house.
Designers at Hyundai definitely knew how to place a badge in the most hideous way, almost felt on purpose.
Why do manufacturers do shit like this? The tail lights on the new Camaro also looks fugly and painfully obvious. Do they still believe in that anomaly bullshit that one small imperfection will make the whole thing look better by comparison?
>>1000276
Most of them are shit chinese electronics, and you can't easily unplug them when something goes wrong, they cost a fuckload, aren't certified.
Just get a multi plug charger, cheaper in the long run, and less likely to set your fucking walls on fire.
>>1004601
Used trailers are cheap. Tiny houses are niche solutions to niche problems.
Tiny houses appeal to people who think "shell cost is house cost" just like container fetishists (as opposed to people who really own or work with containers).
>>1000226
