Tag Archive: dc home systems

ATP renovation

August 26, 2010

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One of my favorite jobs with DC Home Systems is working in the fabrication area. We have a large area in our warehouse where we build and test systems. This typically means unboxing all the equipment for a job and assembling it into a working system that represents the final install. This often requires fabrication such as cutting a TV mount to fit the TV correctly, or assembling some scrap iron into a bracket to hold a speaker.

This can also mean fabricating our work area. Today, project engineer Glen was mounting a TV to the wall for testing. The bummer was the fact that we had a counter in the way that always made it tough to temporarilly hang TV’s. We’ve talked before about cutting out the chunk that is in the way, but today I looked over at A.J., our new installer, and gave him the nod.  

For the next 20 minutes sawzalls roared and screwguns whined. We ended up with a 6′ chunk of counter to find a home for and easy access to the mounting point. In our daily worklife we often “deal” with annoyances and minor roadblocks that we have learned to work around. It’s like a scratch on the roof of your mouth you can’t stop messing with. Finally tackling an irritation gives great relief. It doesn’t change the world, but often comes with the fun of working with power tools.

Outdoor Audio and Video

June 1, 2010

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What an amazing Spring in New England!  We are enjoying every moment we can outside. Like many of you, we are grateful for the opportunity to increase our living area  through outside living space.   There are so many great products that bring all of the comforts of indoors to the outside.  How fabulous it is to have a products that really support out door living.  We love our chiminea for the chilly evenings, out door furniture with fabrics and finishes that with stand the elements, a sturdy grill, a new Kubb court and a simple outdoor audio system  that has encouraged a little dancing on the deck on more than one occasion.

Garden Speakers by Bay Audio

There are some great options today for outside audio and video.  The speakers are completely weather proof- we leave ours out all year.  The volume and source controls are also weather proof.  We are big fans of the handsome, high performance line from Bay Audio. There are a number of great sources for speakers that are shaped like rocks and hide nicely in your landscape.  Out door video has always presented a challenge, but we have been very pleased with the performance of Sunbrite TV.

We vitamin D deficient New Englanders need to spend as much time as we can enjoying the great outdoors. Go dance on the deck-and don’t forget your sunscreen of course!

Balancing Technology and Tranquility

February 4, 2010

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I wrote this article for a magazine last summer. Based on the feedback I received, readers found this article helpful in visualizing how the latest technology can be seamlessly and invisibly integrated into the most classic home decor.

I’m usually the partner that is in the office, creating a website, calling on architects or trying to unravel the mystery of social media in an effort to spread awareness of our ever expanding technological offerings.  Sadly, I don’t often see the end result of the hours of design, engineering, programming and installation performed by our talented crew. So, on a recent (and rare) sunny day I took the opportunity to visit a residential lake side project that we are bringing to completion.  And despite the fact that I now have lake envy, I am thrilled on many levels that I took the time to see this marvelous home and the brilliant work of our team.

Imagine 15,000 square feet of lake side living, unobtrusively nestled in the moss and ferns and barely noticeable to the passing kayak. Despite the size, the home is nostalgic and inviting, like a child hood summer camp, complete with a soaring stone fireplace, 10 foot dining hall table, even boys and girls bunk ‘houses’.  And, proudly, our team played a significant role creating this feeling of comfort while preserving the wistful charm. 

These gracious clients invested many dollars in the technology of comfort, convenience, functionality and entertainment and entrusted us to keep it all out of site. Every bedroom has a flat panel TV hidden behind the doors of a cabinet designed to support and hide all of the wiring and peripheral components.  Every room offers multiple sources of music and volume control easily accessed from a low profile touch panel control, not a wire in sight. The reclaimed chestnut rafters, soft wool upholstery and well loved board games are unaware of the 60” plasma TV, only visible when it rises on a motorized lift from the custom cabinet where it hides.  No guest will ever fumble for a light switch as each room has labeled lighting control key pads which are programmed with preset lighting scenes specific to the space.  And though this is a lake side retreat, the homeowners are afforded all of the conveniences of wired and wireless internet, cell phone coverage, iPod docking and video gaming.

We installed 3 1/2 miles of structured cable, hooked up hundreds of electronic components and spent countless hours programming to the client’s specific needs.  But apart from enjoying all the fun and convenience you would hardly know we were ever there.  Thank you, job well done!