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  dhunay.archived_projects...

    Web Pad

    I've now completed the installation of a touch sensitive web pad in my family room.

    What It Does: The web pad allows me to do many things. Here is what is currently setup:
    • Lights. Turn on, off any light in the house.
    • Audio/Video. Turn on, off any AV equipment in the house.
    • Music. I can browse through my music collection and select playlists, artits, genres or albums to play through the whole house audio.
    • E-mail. With a single touch, I can view my e-mail and send e-mail
    • Weather. I can check current conditions and the forecast.
    • Web. I can surf the net.
    • Sprinklers. I can turn on any outdoor sprinkler zone or check to see which zone is currently watering.


    Equipment used:

    Details:
      This project was actually quite simple once I sat down and thought about it.
    • Step 1: Take apart the ProGear web pad, so as to remove the metal frame around the unit. When you do this, the screen will separate from the main unit. In order to hold the screen to the unit, I used a low tech solution - duct tape. I also used duct tape all around the unit to keep dust from getting in.
    • Step 2: Once I had the ProGear naked, I drew an outline of the unit on my wall where I wanted to mount the web pad.
    • Step 3: I then cut the drywall along the outline I had drawn. I used the ProGear to check to ensure the whole was big enough.
    • Step 4: In order to keep the web pad from falling down into the wall, I decided to create a frame inside the wall that would hold the web pad. I used standard 2x4 wood for this. I sized the frame to be the dimensions of the hole I had cut. I also had to cut a small hole in the frame to allow for the web pad's power connector to reach up to the web pad.
    • Step 5: Once the frame was secured inside the wall, I verified that the ProGear would sit properly. The ProGear has a bit of a rounded bottom, so it had a tendency to lean to one side or the other. I solved this problem by using an adhesive foam - same thing you would use to seal your outside entrance to keep cold air from coming in. I put a couple of strips on both sides of the frame. This made the ProGear a bit more snug in the frame and kept it from moving.
    • Step 6: Once the web pad was seated in the wall, I needed a frame to polish off the look. I initially purchased a thin sheet of white ABS plastic. I cut it based on the dimensions of the web pad screen and used screws to hold it in place. I immediately did not like the look of it. So I started thinking of alternatives. What I decided to do, was to use clear acrylic. I purchased a sheet of 1/4" thick clear acrylic. I left the sticky paper on the acrylic till the very end. This kept it from getting scratched while I worked with it. I used a scroll saw to cut the acrylic. To cut out the center I drilled a large hole in the center and fed through the scroll saw blade. I then painted the backside of the acrylic to the same color as that of my wall. This gave it the appearance the the frame was clear glass, and it hid the rough dry wall edges.


    Here are some pictures of the final installation (click on them to enlarge):



    SliMP3

    I completed the installation of my SliMP3 player into the wall of my ensuite. Now I have full access to 3000 songs, while I shave or shower. I've also installed a weather plugin, so that I can get weather reports of current conditions. And a stock quote plugin so that I can monitor how my portfolio is doing.

    Equipment used:

    Here are some pictures of the installation (click on them to enlarge):